Meifu's Gate ::Fourth Maki::
by VraieEsprit
Summary: Juu & Shun are seniors, but already there are those who resent Juushirou's position as Anideshi. Meanwhile, a bloody murder in District Six threatens to unravel 3 generations of Kuchiki secrets - as a figure in the shadows works to bring down the Clans.
1. Prologue: Moonlit Shadow

**Meifu's Gate: Fourth Maki**

_~Saishuu Negai~_**  
**

_I keep saying I'm done, and then I keep not being done. So I guess you can't believe me when I say this is the end either - and therefore I won't say it. BUT it is the last Juu and Shun at the Academy story, because this is their Senior Year. Two years or so have passed since the last story, and Team Stupid are about to enter the final stage of their training before entering the Gotei._

_The angle of this story is somewhat connected to the past two and somewhat not. By that I mean that the Clan of choice has once more changed - from Shihouin and Endou in the first story, to Endou and Urahara in the second...we're now onto the Kuchiki and perhaps to a lesser degree the Shihouin and the other Clans. A few loose ends from earlier stories will turn up and be tied off in this tale. As for the Kuchiki themselves, I intend the events in this story to mark the forming of the modern Kuchiki Clan - in essence, the shift between the ancient line of the Kuchiki and the line from which Byakuya and Ginrei are descended. _

_I also took the decision to give not only Juu and Shun but also the others their zanpakutou in this story. I do not know whether people do or don't generally raise swords at the Academy because, frankly, it's not information Kubo has given us. We have fleeting data about Rukia learning from Kaien - but Rukia left the Academy early and didn't graduate. We do know some squad officers never have releasable swords, but we do know that Gin and Kaien graduated in a year and if so they must have obtained some kind of major skill to do that - probably a zanpakutou. There's also the case for the nobility who must have been training and raising swords among themselves long before the Academy existed. I don't consider the movies canon, but Kubo was consulted on that Hitsugaya movie, and in that both Hitsugaya and his friend obtained their zanpakutou whilst Academy students, before graduation. Therefore I've taken the decision that in this era, those in the Senior Class are either in possession of their zanpakutou or well on the way towards obtaining it. I think it highly possible that students of the top class in the canon Academy graduate with their swords raised, and have worked to that assumption with this story._

_At present I have no intention of going beyond what we already know from canon for Juu and Shun's swords, although that may change for Juu's since we barely know his shikai at all in comparison to Shunsui's._

_The title of this story is Fourth "Maki". A 'Maki' or 'Kan' can be a volume of a book, but it can also be a roll of fabric. In ancient/mediaeval Japan, religious texts were often written out on fabric scrolls in elegant Chinese hand-lettering. One such in the British Museum in London sort of inspired me to give this part that name. So this is either 'Fourth Volume' or 'Fourth Scroll' - whichever takes your fancy. :)_

_**Disclaimer:**__  
Team Stupid are not my possessions, although I would give them good rates on room and board if they wanted to move in O.O. They and all Bleach-canon characters/concepts are copyright to Kubo Tite. Everything else, good and bad is my own work and any deviations from canon that may result from future manga chapters are beyond my control._

_**Updates to this story will be at most weekly. It is still being written and I am still very busy, but atm Team Stupid are keeping me sane(ish).**  
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**Prologue: Moonlit Shadow**

"All's quiet in this sector now."

The young shinigami tapped his fingers against the hilt of his sword, turning to face his nearest companion with a rueful grin on his face.

"Hunting hollows seems almost like a game of hide and seek at the best of times, Shirogane – it would be nice if we actually got to take a few down instead of walking for miles in the freezing cold without even a single sign of one."

"Not finding a Hollow makes for a good night's work, Ribari-sama." The man labelled Shirogane sheathed his own gleaming blade, turning to cast the youngster a reproving glance. "Aside from the fact that fighting them is messy and unpleasant, while there are Hollows, people are in danger. And part of our job is to protect them from that danger – I'm sure that Guren-sama has told you that time and time again."

"Yes, I know." The young man sighed, kicking idly at the dirt. "But it's boring and I don't like it. It's not as though I even wanted to be a shinigami in the first place. Just Father said it was the Clan's will and the Clan's way and…I find these patrols boring. I'd rather be at home if we're not going to at least find some action."

He cocked his head on one side.

"Will we have to do this again tonight, Shirogane? It's already dark, and…"

"And I am quite sure Guren-sama has also said that whilst we're patrolling, you should refer to me as Fukutaichou." Shirogane spoke mildly, but there was an edge to his words that made the younger boy flush red. "You are the heir to the Kuchiki-ke, and you are my superior in all respects – I do not doubt this and I will not ever disrespect it by referring to you as anything other than Ribari-sama. However, Guren-sama's orders override everything in this regard – while we are out like this, he has been quite firm. I am Vice Captain. You are third seated officer. And he will be cross if he thinks you haven't paid attention to his words."

"Father's always so fussy about so many things." Ribari muttered, gazing sullenly at the ground. "I've always called you Shirogane and just because you're older than me, I don't see why that should change now. You might be his Vice Captain but it's only because you're an adult and I don't turn twenty till midsummer. That's the only reason, so I don't know why he makes such a big deal out of it."

"Because it sets a bad example to the rest of Sixth Squad." Shirogane said briskly, turning to gesture to the three or four other young men who were hurrying to catch up to their tracks. "And Guren-sama wants you to be able to set an example – since as you say, one day you will outrank a lot of people and hold full sway over this land in its entirety."

"I still think Father's being too stiff and unreasonable." Ribari sighed, shaking his head slowly. "But all right. I suppose I see, then, if it's that way. I'm sorry, Fukutaichou. I'll try to remember from now on."

Shirogane offered him a faint smile.

"It makes both our lives easier, if you stick to Guren-sama's instructions." He said lightly. "Tomorrow, I'll work with you some more on your sword skills and you can call me Shirogane all you like – but until we return to base, squad rank has to be preserved."

He turned to glance at the approaching group, tut-tutting under his breath as he ran his gaze over them.

"Have you lost so much fitness even from one short roam into the forests?" He scolded them, his tones even yet pointed as his sharp slate gaze bored into each of them one by one. "Have you forgotten that this is a Kuchiki squad? If we don't set the precedent, how can any other hope to follow us?"

"But there are no Hollows, Fukutaichou. It seems to have been a false alarm." One of them paused to lean against a tree, breathing heavily. "And you and Ribari-sama shunpo so quickly – it's difficult even now for us to keep up."

"None of us are as strong or as quick as either of you." Another agreed.

"Then you should work harder on that." Shirogane was unsympathetic. "Excuses are for people who've given up trying to improve their skills. I won't tolerate anyone using them – if you're not quick enough then get quicker, else Guren-sama will not have you in his squad. This is not just another shinigami patrol but the Kuchiki-ke's key and most honoured group of shinigami – with Guren-sama himself as our Captain and Ribari-sama also numbered among our ranks. Slowness or weakness isn't likely to be tolerated – so if you don't want to be left behind, learn to catch up."

"It is cold out tonight." Ribari shivered, rubbing his hands against the sleeves of his shihakushou as if trying to warn them. "Although there are buds on some of the trees, I'm sure that winter isn't really over yet. There's a freezing wind coming down from the North – Sh…Fukutaichou, do we have any further patrolling to do or…?"

"For now, we'll return to the manor." Shirogane shook his head. "This sector is clear and safe and we've checked it ourselves so I can report to Guren-sama that whoever saw or felt a Hollow in this vicinity was mistaken."

"Peasants." Ribari pulled a face. "Probably they saw an old tree or something and couldn't make it out for mist and darkness. If they don't have spiritual senses as sharp as ours, they can't possibly tell what's going to eat them and what's not…but thanks to that we're out like this getting frozen instead."

"Well, the sooner we go back, the sooner we'll be warm." Shirogane said meaningfully, although he drew his own cloak more tightly around his shoulders as a sudden chill breeze whipped around their bodies. "Come on. We'll return to base and report to Guren-sama and that will be that. I'll write up my report – Ribari-sama, you can help me – and then we'll be done."

"Must I?" Ribari looked decidedly unamused, but Shirogane took no notice, merely turning on his heel and heading off along the pathway that led back to the main Kuchiki manor. If he was honest with himself, he too was cold and fed up at having had to lead such a pointless and time-wasting mission into the rural scrub that surrounded their main estate – but an order was an order and no matter how much he liked things his own way, Shirogane was smart enough to know that defying Guren, head of the Kuchiki-ke was something no sensible man did.

_Even though he is my Uncle, it makes no difference._

He sighed, his gaze flitting back to see that his subordinates were following him. They were, Ribari dragging his feet, and Shirogane let out a little sigh, shaking his head slightly.

_And he's got a lot to learn, still, about being the heir to a Clan. I never thought I'd think this, but a few terms at Genryuusai-sensei's Academy would actually do him some good. At the very least, it'd teach him a little discipline. Being here, he knows everyone around him is beneath him except for Guren-sama himself – and that can make him harder to manage. I wonder if it will be all right – when he becomes old enough to be formally inducted as heir to the Kuchiki._

His eyes narrowed as he ran this thought over in his mind.

_I wonder if then Guren-sama will choose to promote him over me to the Vice Captaincy, on account that he'll need the experience more than a simple second degree string of his Noble Clan does. It's not an impossibility - and one I should be prepared for. If Guren-sama orders it then…so be it, I suppose. But I can't say I'll be happy about it – or that it would be to Sixth Squad's benefit, if Ribari-sama was to be given such an important position with so little training. Now if he were one like…_

He paused mid-thought, a rueful glance touching his features.

_Well, who would have thought it? That my mind would unthinkingly move towards such an idea but…even so…there's some truth in it. If he were one like that wretched District boy, perhaps things would be different. But Ribari-sama is spoiled and wilful and at times, completely unaware of the dangers that this world has to offer._

His eyes narrowed.

_But such thoughts are treasonous and I must stop them. For now my only duty is to return to the manor and take my men with me, so I can make report of tonight's mission._

"Fukutaichou!"

The call startled him out of his reverie, and he turned, his hand resting on the hilt of his _zanpakutou_ as he registered the anxiety in his subordinate's voice. They had stopped, he realised, and he hurried back down towards them, confusion in his slate grey gaze as he tried to work out what was going on.

"What now? Why are you dawdling?" He demanded, and the officer who had yelled turned to him, a troubled look on his face.

"Something is following us." He said softly, and Shirogane's eyes became like slits.

"Following…you?"

"Through the undergrowth, step by step." A second officer nodded his head. "But when we stopped, it stopped. So…"

"And yet you are sure that you are being followed?" Shirogane put himself between the apprehensive men and the dark knot of wild briar and trees that provided ample coverage for anyone who was choosing to conceal their form. "So you cower away from it and do not even draw your swords to defend yourself? A beggar, a peasant, even a thief – have you forgotten who you are and why you are here?"

"There's something not right about it, Fukutaichou." Ribari murmured softly, and Shirogane turned to glance at him, seeing that the young man's face was ash pale and his eyes were big with fright. "I don't know how to explain it…just…it's not right."

Shirogane sighed, closing his eyes briefly for a moment as he stretched his senses out across the surrounding area.

"There's nothing here." He said quietly. "No presence of any kind that I can detect."

And yet, even though that was the case, the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand on end, as though from somewhere in the undergrowth, someone's eyes were boring deep into his back. He swung around, opening his own eyes as he scanned the scenery for any sign of an interloper, but again, he saw none.

"We can't sense it either, Fukutaichou." One of the shinigami murmured. "But we can feel it. Like they're…watching us. Following us."

Shirogane's lips thinned, his gaze moving towards Ribari once more. The boy was distinctly ill at ease, rubbing his neck absently as he gazed around him with fearful, anxious eyes. It was not often that the youngster was so easily put on edge, and something in the fluctuating of his aura made Shirogane frown.

Was that the reason? Was someone following them to ensure that no harm befell their Lord's only son – or was it something else – had they been sent in order to carry out some other mission? From his expression, Shirogane was sure Ribari had had the same thought – that if someone was on their trail, be it thief, beggar or something worse, they couldn't fail to notice that the Kuchiki heir was among the group. As the only son of the Lord Guren, Ribari was impossible to ignore – for even though he was dressed in the same black and white robes as they all were, he still wore his Kuchiki pendant about his throat to mark his position as Guren's successor. More than once Shirogane had tried to tell him not to – yet even as Vice Captain there were some things he could not order someone of Ribari's importance to do, and consequently the youngster stuck out like a sore thumb, announcing his presence to all who happened to be nearby.

And now it seemed they were being followed. A suppressed reiatsu – perhaps even the power of kidou was keeping whoever it was cloaked in their leafy hideaway, yet Shirogane was now certain that his men had not imagined it. There had been someone there – and there still was, even now, someone lurking in the forest watching them.

It was not a nice feeling, and Shirogane made up his mind.

_Saite, Ginkyoujiki!_" He exclaimed, and the copse was lit up with silver light as his blade fragmented into a spray of metal shrapnel, shooting out into the trees. Several of the accompanying Shinigami jumped at the suddenness of his release, yet there was relief in their auras too, and Shirogane focused his gaze intently on the undergrowth, looking for any sign of a shifting shadow.

"Fukutaichou! There!" One man exclaimed, and Shirogane turned, seeing the unmistakeable shadow of a man flit between the trunks of two trees.

_So, no Kidou then. Simply a suppressed reiatsu. And the shadows of trees don't move to avoid the fragments of a spirit blade._

Shirogane's expression became grim and he raised his left hand, twitching his glittering fingers in the direction the shadow had gone. Immediately the razor sharp silver fragments followed his instruction, slicing through and splintering holes in both trunks in an attempt to bring down the unknown stalker.

There was a moment of silence, then Shirogane withdrew the shards of metal, reforming them into a single blade once more. He examined the gleaming surface in the moonlight, letting out a muttered curse. It was clean – there was no blood, and so he had not managed to hit the secret attacker.

"We need to return to the manor." He said aloud. "Whoever it is, we have no further business with them and it's getting late. With any luck I frightened them and they're long gone, now. And we can report this to Guren-sama, too."

"Was it even a person? Could it have been a ghost?" One shinigami said apprehensively, and Ribari shook his head.

"It was a person." He whispered, and Shirogane could see that his companion was sweating with fear. "I saw him…just for a moment…lit up by the flare of Shiro…Fukutaichou's release."

"What did you see?" Shirogane eyed him quizzically, and Ribari swallowed hard.

"I feel strange." He murmured, then, "Maybe I didn't see it at all. Maybe it was just…a trick of the light."

"Tell me anyway." Shirogane rested a hand on his shoulder. "And take a deep breath. Calm down. It wasn't a Hollow – and if it was a trespasser, we need to report it right away."

"Mm." Ribari hesitated for a moment, swallowing again before speaking, his voice thick and somehow unlike his usual carefree tones.

"I thought I saw…a young man. A man with…golden eyes. And…long hair. His skin…was…dark. And…that's all I saw."

"A dark young man with golden eyes." Shirogane repeated slowly, and Ribari nodded.

"They seemed to be looking right through me." He whispered.

"A Shihouin?" One of the other Shinigami exclaimed, and Shirogane shrugged.

"That's for Guren-sama to decide." He said simply. "Not for us. Now for the time being, we…Ribari-sama?"

For the young man had stumbled, almost falling headlong onto the forest floor. Shirogane muttered another curse, only just managing to catch the fainting youngster in time, and as he supported Ribari's body to the ground, he realised that his companion's breath was coming in short, shallow gasps.

A panic attack? Had fear so overwhelmed him that he had collapsed?

The boy's eyes flickered with sudden terror, and then a shudder ran through his body. He twitched back from Shirogane's touch, wretching and vomiting on the ground, and Shirogane tightened his grip, now certain that Ribari's terror had got the better of him.

_He's still such a child deep down. He wants to fight with Hollows, but when something like this happens, he's been far too sheltered to really know how to deal with it. This is just proof that maybe the old man's training philosophy isn't so foolish. Ribari-sama knows the story of Grandfather and the Shihouin assassins that allegedly killed him. I suppose he thought it was happening again, and it overwhelmed him. Regardless, at this rate, he'll never make a squad officer, if he's so easily struck down with fear._

Ribari's body shook again, then he let out a faint groan, sinking back against Shirogane and closing his eyes. His breath was still coming in shallow gasps, and his skin was a greyish shade, making him look fragile and pitiful in the faint moonlight.

"Ribari-sama?" The other men clustered round, the stalker forgotten as their concern for their Clan's heir became paramount in their minds, and Shirogane stretched out a finger to brush it against the boy's neck.

"His pulse is racing." He said slowly. "And so he's fainted. Obviously all of this…has just been too much."

"Maybe it was a ghost ." One of the men murmured apprehensively, and Shirogane opened his mouth to rebuff the claim, then paused, blinking.

Was it his imagination, or had the world all around them suddenly become blurry and indistinct?

Goosebumps rippled across his skin as the trees seemed to pull themselves up from their rooted position in the ground, looming heavily out of the dark night sky and reaching their winter-bare branches towards him like fingers intending to rip him to pieces. They were angry, he realised in panic. He had shot his sword at them, and now they were coming to get vengeance, drawing closer and closer until the wood seemed certain to pierce right through the fabric of his _shihakushou_ to his heart.

His grip tightened on his _zanpakutou_, but he was unable to form the words to release it a second time, and he could no longer remember its name as it slipped back into its sealed form. Sweat beaded his brow, his heart pounding in his chest and he sank back against the grass, a faint whimper escaping his lips as he tried to voice the word .

Even the moon was shooting down towards them, and perhaps the whole sky too…falling on them and trapping them where they stood. Ribari's weight pressed heavily against him, adding all the more to his sudden delusion, and he closed his eyes, murmuring incoherent prayers for it to stop.

In the distance, the shriek of a hollow seemed to echo out across the whole of the surrounding area.

And then, everything went black.

* * *

On the hillside, overlooking the land that surrounded the Kuchiki manor, a lone figure stood in the moonlight, gazing down with expressionless eyes on the cluster of trees that lay below. Though the forest was dense, from this angle the branches parted, allowing him to see deeper into the chaos that lay within. From his vantage point he could just make out the fallen forms of the six shinigami, the young lord still clutched protectively in the Vice Captain's grip, but he made no move to help them, simply watching as they one by one gave up the fight and relinquished their grip on their consciousnesses.

Faint fragments of spirit matter tinged the night air, and for a moment the figure just stood there, absorbing it all.

Then the sky opened up behind him, and once more he was gone.


	2. Wind of Change

**Chapter One: Wind of Change**

There was a sharp wind over the mountains in Seventh District that morning.

As the breeze blew across the rocky peaks and dips in the landscape, a sole figure stood at the edge of a plateau, his dark red cloak flapping against his legs as he gazed pensively out across the barren expanse. To any peasant or nomadic traveller who might have happened on the scene, it would seem as though the young man, robed in the expensive colours of the native Endou Clan had somehow lost his trail and was trying desperately to locate a way out of the confusing peaks. A second look would surely convince them that he was slightly out of his wits, too, for although there was nobody else for miles around, his lips moved silently against the swift moving air, his hands spreading out before him as though he was talking to the atmosphere around his body.

But he was not lost, nor was he mad. On the contrary, this was Endou Hirata, the son of the current Clan leader and the one in whom the family's future hopes had been wholeheartedly invested.

It was not so very many years since civil unrest and the dictatorial despotism of previous Clan leaders had ravaged the landscape, and large areas of District Seven still remained empty, villages left abandoned to rot down into the ground. But even so, little by little the people who had fled so desperately for sanctuary in the neighbouring lands had begun to return, lured by the promise of security and work in the new rock mines that had begun to spring up all around the District. It was taking time, but small gathering of huts were beginning to swell into villages and even the desolate towns were being repopulated as those who had borne out the worst of the civil strife began to rebuild their homes and open themselves up once more to trade.

Hirata's father had been the one who had made all of this possible, yet even now he worked very much from the shadows, for he had never fully accepted himself in the position of head of the Clan. Hirata knew this only too well for, ever since he had returned from his own exile, it had often been his name that the people of Seventh District had held onto as their beacon of hope for a peaceful and settled future.

Two and a half years ago, Hirata had killed his own cousin in a battle for the freedom of the Clan and the District, and since then the stories about what had happened had spread like wildfire among the surviving lower classes, building up the fortune of his victory into an epic triumph against the evil of a sadistic monster. Two and a half years ago, Hirata's childhood had ended forever. For two and a half years ago, he had accepted that one day he would rule the Endou Clan.

That day was not far away, for he was nineteen years old now, with his twentieth birthday not many months ahead. And, with that knowledge in his heart, Hirata had worked his hardest at improving his skills - to bring himself to a level where he would not let his people down.

Trapped by the chains of the Endou-ke, sometimes, coming out like this was the only way he could be himself.

Yet he was not alone here. On the contrary, the gentle rhythm of wingbeats resonated through his skull, echoing out into the world around him with the pulsing flare of the wind. If he closed his eyes, he could see the form of a sparrowhawk, its feathers russet and tan in hue and its eyes a vivid gold. It wheeled and curled in the sky above his head, flowing with the breeze and at a moment's whim, turning the air back so that it blew towards where Hirata stood.

_Seizumi._

Absently he held his hand out, and though there was nothing there, he felt the distinct shift of air against his hand as something seemed to settle on his outstretched fingers. The bird was only in his mind, and Hirata's vision had always been poor, yet through the wind he could perceive exact movements and shapes and he knew that, although his hawk was only in his thoughts, his presence was a very real one indeed.

_**Are we going to spend all day here, Hirata?**_

The bird's voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and Hirata frowned, closing his eyes and opening himself up to his inner world so that he could see his spirit's form more clearly.

_Is it a problem, if we do?_

_**That's not a question you should be asking of me, is it? **_

Hirata could feel the golden eyes piercing through him, seeing through to his very core.

_**I know why you like coming here. I like it, too. There's nowhere in the whole of Seventh District where the air currents move so freely and smoothly, and I know you find it calming to be here. But even so, you have other things you ought to be doing. After all...**_

_After all, in a few months, Father will start talking about me being Head of the Clan again._

Hirata sighed, shaking his head as if to clear it.

_He said that when my training was over, then we'd settle that. But my training isn't over, not yet. Just because I have you...he doesn't understand that having a zanpakutou spirit isn't the end of the hard work. It's only the beginning...it's really a a very long path, isn't it?_

_**It can't be helped. Misashi-dono has no concept of such things because his own power was stunted and prevented.**_

Seizumi fluttered his wings slightly, sending a faint breeze against Hirata's body.

_**But I'm glad that you realise it. Even though you have worked hard, it starts here. And you're not ready, not yet. You have things still unsettled in your heart and mind when it comes to this Clan, don't you?**_

Hirata's eyes snapped open, and he gazed across the empty plateau pensively, nodding his head.

_You mean Eiraki-chan, of course...?_

_**Of course. Who else?**_

_Seizumi..._

_**There's no sense in thinking otherwise. Even now, even though she's not spoken of in public circles...you haven't forgotten. You still want to find her, don't you? And rescue her, if you can...before you take hold of the Clan.**_

_Yes. I suppose I do._

Hirata sighed heavily, a fleeting image of his young sister crossing his mind. She had been fifteen, then - she would be almost eighteen now, if she still lived. She had disappeared in the dead of night not long after Hirata had brought down his cousin's despotic regime and Misashi had taken control of the Clan. Though they had searched for her high and low, no trace had ever been found - and whether she lived or died, nobody knew.

Yet Hirata was sure that she lived, and more, that he knew who had been responsible for her departure.

_Aizen Keitarou._

His eyes narrowed, their pale blue shade darkening as he remembered.

_She was in love with him. Edogawa-san told me as much, and I knew it, too. Yet nobody protected her from his returning. We never thought he would come after her. But knowing that we wouldn't want to fight someone if Eiraki was involved too - he came and he took her away. And if I am to be head of the Endou-ke, Seizumi..._

_**Another crime must be committed, perhaps?**_

The bird sounded thoughtful.

_**You never do speak my full name outside of battle training. I wonder why. Is it because it cuts to close to what happened the first time you felt my spirit stir?  
**_  
Hirata rubbed his temples.

_I suppose so. I suppose because...Tsumi is such a...difficult word to hold onto. Do you mind, Seizumi? That I call you that? _

_**No. It was I who told you to do so.**_

The bird ruffled its feathers again.

_**But you will have to face up to it eventually, Hirata. That my true name holds a deeper meaning...and that meaning is a part of you. There are things you can't escape...and it's my job to prepare you to face them. Even if they are not the things you want to see or hear...I must guide you to be strong against them, just as you were strong against Seimaru. The people in this District will look to you soon enough. You will have to meet their expectations, otherwise...**_

_I understand._

Hirata nodded, lowering his hands. For a moment he brushed his hand against the brown and gold hilt of the sword at his waist, then,

_Let's go back then, Seizumi. Father will be waiting for me, and there are things to do. I can't spend all day here, even if I want to - you're right. If I'm returning to District One soon then...well, I don't want him to decide for any reason that I shouldn't go. This will be my last year, whatever happens...I want to make the most of whatever it brings!_

_

* * *

_

There was a storm stirring inside his head.

Dark, oppressive waves of confusion thundered over his thoughts, relentlessly coming one after another. His body felt like a prison, burdened down with weights and unable to move whilst something pounded and pounded against his skull. Each beat sent shockwaves of pain through his entire body, and his lips parted, uttering an unconscious groan as his soul struggled to free itself from his psychological prison. In the darkness, even the faintest of sounds seemed like a clap of the most intense thunder, and panic flared through him as his senses overloaded.

For a moment he fought there, mired and trapped in his hopeless battle against some unknown force. Then, in the next moment gentle fragments of light began to seep in through the darkness, fragmenting the pain and driving it back from his senses. For the first time he began to be aware of other sensations – the gentle touch of another's fingers against his brow, the faint sound of someone's voice, and, little by little, that there was a world outside the one which only a short time earlier he had believed was everything.

"Shirogane-senpai?"

Now he could make out the sounds more clearly, he realised that whoever it was was saying his name, her tones soft and soothing. Though he was still confused and disorientated, something in the gentleness of this female voice acted as both a beacon and an anchor – guiding him and preventing him from slipping back into the black.

Slowly he struggled to open his eyes, fighting against the weight of his body to force them open. Light and colour immediately flooded in, sending his brain into a fresh spasm of panic and his lips parted again, another involuntary whimper passing his lips before he had even known he intended to try and speak.

Something touched his fingers, cool and yet not unpleasant against his skin.

"Shirogane-senpai, it's all right. You're quite safe now. It's all right."

The woman's voice again, and without knowing or caring who she was, Shirogane put his entire faith in the gentle lilt of her voice. As he blinked, slowly the world began to come hazily into focus, there but still somehow surreal to his confused gaze.

He was in a chamber – perhaps his chamber, perhaps not. He couldn't be sure, for at present he could not clearly make out much beyond his immediate line of sight. Light was streaming in through the window – so at least it must be morning – yet he did not remember coming here the night before. Slowly and painfully he attempted to drag out his last recollections of the previous evening, only to come up with a few incoherent fragments and a large gaping hole. There had been darkness, and trees. He remembered trees…and then his heart skipped a beat in his chest as he recalled the sensation of the branches looming out towards him, driving their pointed tips towards his heart in an attempt to punish him for releasing his sword. The pictures were jumbled and confused – he had been with someone…then he had been alone. He had had his sword…but then he could not remember what sword or why he should have held it in the first place. There had been a pendant – an image of two swans flitted briefly across his mind. And then a pair of golden eyes, real and yet not real, lurking in the shadows.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath into his lungs as he tried to make sense of it all.

What on earth had happened and why did he feel like this?

"You're quite safe now." The female voice was speaking again, and Shirogane opened his eyes once more, turning his heavy head slightly to make out the figure of a young woman beside his bed. He had not seen her before, in the haze of images and broken memories he had been struggling to put together, but now he focused his full attention on her, painstakingly putting together each little detail until he could see her quite clearly.

As his gaze met hers, she smiled, her grey eyes lighting up with relief. She seemed tired, he realised belatedly, as though she had been sitting there for a long time, yet he could not explain how or why and so discarded the thought, turning his sluggish mind instead to working out who she was.

"You might be wondering why I'm in your chamber." She said softly, and the touch against his fingers and brow disappeared as she moved her arms back, folding her hands in her lap. "Or even why I'm here at all. Guren-sama sent for me – so I came as soon as I was able. You were very sick last night – but you seem a little better this morning."

Sick?

Shirogane's eyes narrowed as he tried to process this, then, with a jolt, he realised who the girl was.

Edogawa Mitsuki. A Third degree member of the Clan and – as his thoughts began flowing thick and fast now – someone whose face was rarely seen at the centre of Seireitei's administrative power. In fact, since Shirogane had been elected Sixth Division Vice Captain and had made his permanent home within the sprawling, elegant main Kuchiki manor, he had only seen Mitsuki there on a couple of occasions. Both times she had been quiet and withdrawn from the group, not ignored but not quite part of the proceedings. Then he had barely paid her a moment's notice – but now, seeing her sitting there beside him, he suddenly understood.

Mitsuki had healing wits, not fighting ones. He had been sick, and so Guren had sent for her – and she had come from her own home to treat him, perhaps in the dead of night.

But had he truly been that sick that it could not wait until the morning? Why could he not remember? What had happened the night before?

"Mitsuki." He murmured, and Mitsuki's smile widened as she nodded her head.

"I'm glad. You seem to be coming out of it properly now." She said, her tones still muted and gentle in obvious sympathy for his aching head. She even knew that, then, he realised…that though he had said nothing, her expression and her gentleness told him that her healing instincts could read far more than merely words. "Lie still for a while longer, though. There's no hurry to move about – just take it easy and let your wits recover."

Shirogane wetted his lips, then,

"What happened last night?" He whispered. Mitsuki frowned, her eyes becoming clouded.

"Do you need to know that right away?" She asked softly, and Shirogane's heart clenched as he slowly nodded his head.

"Yes." He responded. "If it…means you looking at me like that…I do. You weren't here…yesterday. I'm pretty sure…you're never here. So why are you…now? Guren-sama…sent for you? Why?"

"Ryuu told him that he should." Mitsuki said evasively. "And Guren-sama sent a messenger to Father as fast as he was able. I rode here as quickly as I could – so that's why I'm here now."

"Ryuu did." Shirogane digested this, as slowly he managed to draw up an image of his cousin in his mind. Ryuu was less than a year his junior, tactless, stiff and unyielding at the best of times – yet strangely reliable in times of crisis. Shirogane was quite sure he had not been with Ryuu the night before, for whenever Ryuu was at the main house he spent most of his time closeted away in the family library or archives, doing his best to avoid socialising with members of his clan. He was an enigma and Shirogane generally left him well alone – but like Mitsuki, he too had acted and promptly in order to…

In order to…what?

For such a thing to happen…had his life been in peril?

He frowned. If only he could clearly remember the previous night.

At his expression, Mitsuki let out a heavy sigh.

"Yes. Ryuu did." She said reluctantly. "Because he thought that it would be faster to bring me than a healer from Fourth. Retsu-sama is here now – but probably…Ryuu was right. I am not…Retsu-sama. But I was able to help you last night…so…I'm glad that I came."

And yet she did not look entirely glad. Shirogane processed this realisation carefully, his wits sharpening with every clear breath he took.

"What happened…to me…last night?" He repeated his question, and Mitsuki sent him a troubled look.

"Your heart went into an arrhythmia and you weren't breathing properly." She said softly. "It was…I suppose you could call it…the outsize in panic attacks. When I got here, you were quite unconscious, and I had to work hard to try and calm your spirit down."

"I…panicked?" Shirogane was more alert now, staring at her in disbelief. "Mitsuki, I am not exactly the panicking type – if I was, do you think I'd be dispatched to fight Hollows on a regular basis? Do you think…"

He faltered, his eyes narrowing as a flicker of memory danced across his wits.

He had been on patrol last night, hadn't he? He had been hunting Hollows…and…no, it was no good. Whatever it was, he could not remember it clearly enough to make it make sense.

"This wasn't something in your control. Not a normal overload of senses but one induced by something outside." Mitsuki shook her head, her words composed and rational although her eyes were full of concern. "There was some kind of hallucinogenic – it wasn't just you who was affected by it. You just got the biggest dose of it…so we…we think. And so…you were the most sick. Last night, even when I stabilised your breathing and your heart, you were having delusions and couldn't be left alone. So I stayed here most of the time – that's why I'm here right now. Because Guren-sama charged me with taking full care of you – and I didn't want to let him down. Not given the fact that…"

She stopped, and Shirogane knew that whatever she had been about to say had been something unpleasant. He frowned, suddenly wanting to know the end of that sentence, regardless of whether it was good or bad.

"Not given the fact that?" He echoed softly, and Mitsuki bit her lip.

"You're not well enough. Not yet." She said gently. "For now, you need to sleep some more. I neutralised the drug as much as I could, and its working its way out of your system…but you're still on the road to recovery."

"Drug." Shirogane latched onto this now. "You're saying that somebody drugged me on purpose…this outside hallucinogenic…was put there intentionally to make me lose my wits? Or my life?"

He struggled to sit up, but the room swam and Mitsuki reached out gentle hands to usher him back down onto the pillows.

"Later." She murmured, but Shirogane pushed her hands away, shaking his head as he forced his body upright, taking deep breaths to calm the giddy, queasy waves that assailed his brain. He clutched the blankets around him, fixing his focus intently on her face until the world around them both stopped moving from side to side. Then,

"I'm the Vice Captain of Sixth Squad." He said quietly. "And a second degree member of the Kuchiki Clan. You are my social inferior and if I order you to tell me, then you will tell me. What happened last night – and this time, the entire truth. I was on patrol – I remember bits and pieces of that, and I'm sure we were in the forests. But what happened next…I don't know. What are you keeping from me that you don't want me to know?"

Mitsuki stared at him for a moment, then she let out a heavy sigh.

"Guren-sama said you weren't to be told until you were well enough to understand." She said regretfully. "And…I thought that you shouldn't know until you were more recovered than this. But your wits are coming back to you and so I…I can't supersede Guren-sama's orders. Or yours, Shirogane-senpai. You're right – I have no authority in any of this. I'm only here because I have a skill that this time has helped – that's all."

Somehow Shirogane felt a little guilty at the meek way in which she had taken his admonition, but he shook it off, refocusing his attention on her as she began to speak.

"You were on patrol." She agreed reluctantly. "In a sector of land not far from the manor. I don't know all the details but from what Seiren-dono told me when I arrived, you'd been dispatched to take out a Hollow who was terrorising the land nearby. Nobody knows whether or not you found the Hollow or if there even was one there at all. But you were dispatched – with five others from Sixth Squad on Guren-sama's direct order."

"With five others."

Shirogane closed his eyes. Was it imagination, or could he see them now – silhouettes at the edge of his consciousness, but without faces or proper form. Mitsuki nodded.

"Yes. Including…Sixth Division's…third seated officer."

Shirogane's eyes snapped open and he stared at her in surprise.

"Ribari-sama was with me?"

"Yes, he was." Mitsuki nodded. "Guren-sama said that he thought it would be good experience."

"Ribari-sama was with me." Shirogane pondered this, little by little drawing a clearer picture of the late night scene. Mitsuki was right, he realised. Ribari had definitely been there, and two or three others as he had gathered them in the moonlight to begin their trek.

The next words cut through him like a knife.

"I'm sorry, senpai." Mitsuki's tones were low and full of sadness. "Ribari-sama…was not as lucky as you."

"What?" Now Shirogane was fully alert, grabbing hold of her wrists as he stared at her in dismay. "What are you saying?"

"Ribari-sama passed away late last night." Mitsuki was clearly uneasy at his sudden reaction, and again Shirogane knew she was sensing his feelings as well as her own. "I'm sorry. There was…nothing to be done."

"But…Mitsuki…are you saying…Why didn't you help him?" Shirogane's voice rose, his tones accusing as he fixed his piercing grey eyes on her face as if looking for the things she had not yet explained. "Why did you spend so much time on me…do you not realise? Ribari-sama is…Ribari-sama was…"

"I know." Mitsuki nodded, and Shirogane saw tears in her own eyes. Despite himself he was struck by them. Mitsuki had barely known Ribari – in fact, if he had even known her by name was unlikely, given how far from court life the Edogawa _hime_ generally preferred to be. Yet she still felt genuine pain at his passing, even so, and Shirogane felt faintly guilty once again for having shouted at her.

"By the time I arrived here, Ribari-sama's heart had already stopped beating." She spoke quietly now, her tones full of repressed emotions. "He was brought back here still breathing, but his heart was…racing worse than yours. He died quite soon afterwards. I was not here quickly enough. I can't bring people back once their life has stopped, and so I couldn't…"

She broke off, then,

"Retsu-sama intends to examine him properly, to find out all the reasons why." She added quietly. "But she thinks…that nobody could have saved him. From what she saw…when she arrived…that's what she thought. And she said…I should keep my attention firmly on you. Because your life was also in danger – but you…we could save. Guren-sama wanted to save you. He didn't want to…to lose you both."

A cold chill ran down Shirogane's spine as his brain struggled to comprehend the implications of Mitsuki's words. Little by little he ran over their conversation, pulling and tugging at bits of information as he tried to make sense of it all.

"Someone murdered Ribari-sama and tried to kill us all." He whispered. "That's what you're saying, isn't it? That we were ambushed…that someone attacked us…and then…"

He closed his eyes, as little by little memory of the previous night filled his senses.

"I remember." He admitted. "Only bits, but I do. Ribari-sama was there. And he…was frightened by something. I don't know what it was. Just that the others all thought they were being followed…and…"

"Guren-sama sent some people to check the scene just before daybreak. Few people have slept all night through." Mitsuki said evenly, smoothing the blankets between her fingers as though by doing so she could also smooth out the rising emotions that now polluted the chamber's atmosphere. "Your sword was released – they felt it's reiatsu on the wind. So they thought maybe the Hollow…"

"There was no Hollow." Shirogane shook his head. "As for Ginkyoujiki…"

He paused, closing his eyes.

"I can remember sending my blade petals into the trees…and that there was a shadow…something there." He murmured. "But that's all. Everything else is bits and pieces. I can't make any sense of it at all."

He pushed back his covers.

"I need to see Guren-sama. I need to see him now."

"Shirogane-senpai! You're far from well enough to get up – last night you almost died!" Mitsuki's eyes opened wide in dismay, but Shirogane was not listening to her. Instead he forcibly pulled himself to his feet, wrapping his robe more tightly around himself with his left hand while using the right to lean against the wall for support as his vision swam and danced.

"Guren-sama is my Captain, Ribari-sama was his son." He said darkly. "I was the officer in charge and I must…I must report to him. This was my…I must…"

"Nobody blames you!" Mitsuki protested. "Please, senpai, get some rest! Guren-sama was worried about you too! He said to me – very clearly, when I first came here. He said, '_Please God make sure you save Shirogane – even if my son is already gone.' _He wants you to rest and recover, not throw yourself around when you can hardly stand!"

"I will report to him." Shirogane said thickly, wishing that he did not feel quite so dizzy. "As V…Vice Captain, I will. I must. Ribari-sama was…my _deshi_ and my kinsman. You…may not consider him more than a passing acquaintance. I…consider him like my brother. That is the difference. I…must go."

And with that he pushed her aside, stumbling his way across the room to the doorway and out into the hall beyond. For once he did not care how he looked, his usually smart and elegant appearance completely absent in the tottering white-robed figure that staggered through the halls, gripping tightly to whatever he could to make sure that he did not fall down. His thick, curly dark hair, usually so neatly pulled back in a warrior's queue fell loose and tangled around his shoulders, and so it was little wonder that, as he entered the hallway leading to Guren's study, he was greeted with an exclamation of dismay.

"Shirogane? What are you…in that state, what is that wretched girl thinking, letting you walk around?"

Two strong hands took hold of his wrists, holding him firm, and he raised his gaze, meeting the startled grey eyes of Seiren, Guren's brother and Ryuu's father. Although they were twins, their only visual likeness was their distinctive Kuchiki colouring, for while Seiren was slightly built with the gentle elegance of their late mother, Guren was sturdy and a half head taller, his features reflecting the handsome warrior image of their strong and brave father. Though his own estate was some two _ri_ from the main manor, Seiren was a key figure in Kuchiki politics, and so it was with no surprise that Shirogane registered the other man's presence. Whenever he came, he tended to drag Ryuu along with him – though there was no doubt that Seiren took far more active interest in Clan politics these days than his only son.

"Mitsuki was supposed to keep you quiet and resting. What are you doing roaming the halls like this when you're barely able to stand?"

There was concern in Seiren's tones, and Shirogane let out a heavy, shuddering sigh, struggling to compose his wits enough to speak.

"I want…to see…Guren-sama." He murmured. "Please, Seiren-dono. I must report…to him…about last night."

"There's plenty of time for you to do that when you can walk straight and hold yourself with some family pride!" Seiren's words were sharp and almost scathing, cutting through Shirogane's dazed brain. "For goodness' sake, do you never listen to what anyone else tells you? If you saw yourself you'd agree that right now you'll frighten my brother more than you'll put his heart at any ease!"

"But…I…was…in…charge." Shirogane forced the words out one by one. "It…was…my…duty…to…"

"And you think of the situation for a moment, and stop being rash!" Seiren shot back. "Your life was in danger and Sixth Squad can't afford to sacrifice it because you are foolish and don't follow instructions! This is not the time nor the place - for you or for Guren-niisama! Go back to your room and stay there - when you are wanted, you'll be sent for, but until then..."

"It's all right, Seiren."

Guren's voice interrupted the conversation, and Shirogane glanced in the direction the sound had come from, registering the uncharacteristically empty note in the man's usually beautiful tones.

"Shirogane wants to speak to me and I won't stop him from doing so."

"But like this…Niisama…"

"Like this there's no chance of convincing him to get any rest, and clearly that's what he needs." Guren said quietly. "As do we all, though it's unlikely to come just yet. I'd rather he cleared his mind and divulged whatever he thinks he needs to tell me – that way we can perhaps act on it, and send him back to Mitsuki's care. I don't suppose, even in this state, that that young girl would be able to keep him down if he chose to rise and leave his room."

Seiren sighed, shaking his head.

"I understand." He said resignedly. "Will you allow me to hear it too – what Shirogane has to say? Then I will see he returns to his quarters safely myself – so as you don't have to add worry about him to your already very full plate."

"Thank you, Seiren. That would be appreciated." Guren agreed. "Well? Will you bring him within my office? In such a state, I wonder that you can remember last night at all, Shirogane. But if you can – I will be more than ready to hear you speak."

Shirogane did not respond, allowing Seiren to guide him into the office and deposit him down before the desk. Guren sank down into his own seat and, at his gesture, Seiren moved to close the door, leaning up against it so as to not allow anyone else to enter.

"Shirogane?" Guren prompted gently, and Shirogane let out another heavy sigh.

"I was with him." He murmured. "I'm sorry, Guren-sama. I was with him, and yet…"

"When you didn't return, officers were sent to find you." Guren said quietly. "And when they did, they reported to me that my son was collapsed with you holding on to him – that you had clearly tried to protect him from something, but we did not know what. At the time, bringing you all back was the priority, but this morning I had the scene investigated more fully. I know your sword was released in the area…and from what Mitsuki said, the hallucinogenic used was a strong one - not only strong, but one she wasn't immediately able to put a name to. However, it seems it was strong enough to kill on its own – so you have no reason to feel blame."

"Can the Edogawa _hime_'s word be so easily trusted, Niisama?" Seiren looked startled. "She's a healer, perhaps, but in training by her own admission."

"I understood that she was a close friend of your son's?" Guren looked surprised. "Do you doubt her, even so?"

"In a matter like this, it's not about doubting." Seiren said grimly. "But about finding out what truly happened. I want to know that just as you do - and it concerns me if all our evidence is based on the word of one young girl who hasn't yet finished her training."

"Maybe you're right. I do not know enough about such things to tell." Guren agreed, looking suddenly weary. "But I do know that the fact Shirogane is here to speak to me now is thanks to her skill and endurance treating him last night. Even though she couldn't identify the chemical, she was able to stabilise his condition - which none of the rest of us were able to do. For that reason, I'm prepared to believe her. Besides, Retsu-sama has also said similar, and she also could not put a name to the drug used. She said it was unusual and very strong - but further analysis would be needed before she could identify it with any confidence. Perhaps it was custom made for the task."

He sighed.

"She is…with my son, at present." He said, the pain in his voice more than clear. "But she said that from little she has learnt so far – nobody would have been easily able to shake off such a drug once they had inhaled it."

He was silent for a moment, then,

"It seems very probable that this was an assassination attempt against my son that succeeded." He said blackly. "Putting the lives of other good kinsfolk in reckless danger to ensure it did. Needless to say I want to catch the ones responsible – whoever they are, I want them before my court and before my justice. This is an unforgivable deed – it will not be forgiven."

He clenched his fists, then took a deep breath, glancing back at Shirogane.

"Do you remember what happened last night?"

"Some pieces are there." Shirogane had composed himself now, nodding his head gingerly. "Not everything, sir, but I think…even talking to Mitsuki, my recollections were growing clearer. Perhaps I will…remember more. I do know we went out and that there was no Hollow. I remember…releasing Ginkyoujiki against a shadow in the trees, but bringing the blade back unstained by blood. And the others being so certain someone was following them. Ribari-sama was uneasy…I thought that he was just afraid, but…"

"Perhaps it was the effect of the drug. This, or another, for Retsu-dono believes that a second drug was probably used to make sure my son's life was stolen away." Guren's tones were low and angry, yet he kept his countenance all the same. "In the meantime, Shirogane, I want you to take some time and rest. Recover, and if you remember anything else, report it to me at once. Not just as your Captain or as your Clan Leader but as Ribari's _shishou_ and one who thought fondly of him – I would ask you to do that."

"Yes, sir." Shirogane's words became grave. "I _was_ fond of Ribari-sama. I had…a lot of things still to teach him, but I think…he would have learnt them. I want to find justice in this too – to that end, I will do whatever you command me to bring his killers to book."

"I don't doubt it." Guren's features twitched into a weary, hollow smile. "And now I must face the rest of the family. The death of my heir has brought more than just personal grief – already there are people whispering words about who my successor will now be. As though that matters, so soon after…when we have not even laid his body to rest…"

"The Clan have their concerns, even if they understand that this is a time for personal grief, Nii-sama." Seiren said frankly. "The two things need to be balanced – the needs of the family versus your needs as a father. Cold as it may be to state it thus – both viewpoints hold merit."

"Mm." Guren pursed his lips. "It would put them all far more at ease if I had had other sons, but I have not. Perhaps if I did, then they would not be so insistent for a clear declaration so soon after this."

He glanced at Seiren.

"Or if I had been blessed with eligible younger brothers...even then."

Seiren was silent for a moment, then he nodded.

"Instead you have Futsuki and you have me." He said flatly. "A half brother from Mother's first marriage that Father adopted, and me...one who can never inherit the Clan, no matter what ills befall it. But even so, there will be a future. Do not look so pained, Nii-sama. Futsuki and I are no good, perhaps, but that isn't necessarily the end of the line."

"For now I do not wish to discuss it, not when Ribari is barely cold in sleep." Guren responded quietly. "Even talking about it makes me feel like vultures are circling over me…unknown shadows lurking and unknown enemies hiding beyond my line of sight. Just as they did when Father was killed."

"Just like when Father was killed." Seiren echoed, and Shirogane saw the dark look flicker into his uncle's eyes. "Yes. You're not wrong. It is…like that."

"Be glad, Seiren, that you will never hold the right to rule the Kuchiki-ke." Guren said bleakly. "At times like this, it is a weight almost to heavy to bear."

He got to his feet, coming to rest his hand on Shirogane's shoulder.

"Go back to your room. Rest. Let Mitsuki dictate to you how to act until she is satisfied you are fit." He said quietly. "Then together we will do what we can to find justice for Ribari's soul. Understand? You are precious to me…I will not lose you, too. Your poor mother would not forgive me, if I discarded you so easily - so take what time you need."

"If I remember anything else, Guren-sama, I'll be sure to report it." Shirogane bowed his head low, then regretted it as his vision swam once more. Seeing his hesitation, Seiren sighed, stepping forward and hauling the young shinigami to his feet.

"We'll go back to your room." He said firmly. "And you'll do as your Clan leader instructs you, and not cause him extra worry. As soon as you're fit, Sixth Squad will need you to take care of things there while Guren-niisama deals with the wider matters of the family."

He bobbed his head slightly towards his brother, then pulled back the door, dragging Shirogane out into the corridor and marching him along it towards the main stairs. Seiren was shorter than Guren and in his youth had been prone to illness, but these days his slender body was lean and sinewy, his slight frame concealing the fact that since he had begun to outgrow his frailty, he had attacked his training with a vim and vigour that had easily outstripped most others. He was singleminded and sharptongued, yet Shirogane knew - as everyone did - that Seiren spent so much time at the centre of court in order to avoid the company of his wife. They had hated each other for several years - and behind closed doors their ill harmony had even become a running joke among some of the lesser Clansfolk.

Shirogane frowned, remembering his own mother briefly as he was hauled up the stairs and along another hallway towards his own room. She had always been frail and chronically ill, passing away the winter before Shirogane had entered the Academy. In fact, that event had come about because of a deathbed promise Guren had made her not to waste her talented son's potential…that even though he was only a second degree son and born through the female line, he should still be allowed to shine. And he had always striven to shine – just like the meaning of his name.

Shirogane's only sibling, his sister Yorune, had died as a baby when he had been six, and his father Ginya had been killed in action when he was ten.. Losing family was something he was familiar with – and he had become almost inured to it, expecting those around him to relinquish their fragile grips on life. His mother Masane had been beautiful and clever and Shirogane had adored her, but she had always seemed as though the angels were waiting in the shadows each night to take her when she fell asleep. Consequently he had not shed tears when she had passed over – rather he had felt relief that she was now in a place where she could rest without feeling pain.

As for his father, he had spent so much time away from home fighting Hollows in distant locations that Shirogane barely even remembered him. Though it was unspoken, Guren had been far more a father figure in his life – if such a thing was possible between Clan leader and nephew – and though his mother had been there, he had been far more mothered by the wife of Guren's adopted brother Futsuki and fussed by her playful daughter Meroka –the only real example of 'family' he had had in his life. He had never found it difficult to disassociate emotions from people, because sooner rather than later he had come to expect them to be taken away.

But Ribari had been different. He had been younger – strong and alive and full of potential for the future. He had been so far from dying that Shirogane could not even process it – that he would not see the boy again, nor chastise him for his lack of squad protocol when out on manoeuvre. It did not seem possible that Ribari could be dead, and yet he was dead. So more than his father, more than his mother…this death had struck him right to the core.

Recalling Guren's drawn features, Shirogane realised that, at least a little, he understood how the man felt.

"Hrm, the wench isn't here." Seiren pushed back the door of Shirogane's chamber, ushering his charge roughly down onto the blankets and casting him a glare. "She's probably gone looking for you, since you disappeared so readily."

"I didn't mean to cause a disturbance, Seiren-dono." Shirogane spoke respectfully, though there was a faintly cold note in his tones. "But as a shinigami, my duty is to my Captain. As a Kuchiki, my duty is to my Clan leader. And as Ribari-sama's _shishou_...as that..."

He faltered, bile rising in his throat as he remembered where Ribari was now, and he lowered his head, burying his face in his hands.

Seiren stood there for a moment, watching him, then he sighed.

"Things are going to be disturbed for a while. Especially while this 'shadow' is still out there." He said quietly. "I don't want you to bother Guren-niisama more than is necessary - at times like this, you should remember that even as his Vice Captain, you are still only the son of his younger sister and no more than that. You don't carry the Kuchiki name and your rank is dependent on Oniisama's favour - so mind what you do and don't create trouble for yourself or for anyone else. A lot is going to happen before the Clan settles back down. The best thing you can do is sit it out, recover your health and take hold of your squad. As a shinigami...as you just said."

Shirogane raised his head to meet Seiren's gaze, and there was a long silence between the two. Then Shirogane nodded his head slightly.

"I will." He said quietly. "And I won't leave here till Mitsuki returns - I give you my word."

"Then I'll go do something more productive." Seiren turned on his heel. "You didn't see my son this morning, I trust? Since wherever that Edogawa girl is, Ryuu is seldom far away these days."

"I haven't seen Ryuu. I don't suppose he'd think to come see me, given the situation." Shirogane said mildly. "But I've heard he likes to visit the library, so perhaps you might find him there."

"Yes. Perhaps." Seiren looked thoughtful. "Get some rest - like that even my sister's pretty features don't save you from looking a disgrace. And if you remember anything, you can report to me before you go charging off to Guren-niisama. Understand? Even if what you have to say is only to be delivered to him - I'll be the judge as to whether or not you should bother him, so keep it in mind. Remember who you are and why you hold the rank you do."

With that he was gone, sliding the door shut behind him, and Shirogane sighed, flopping back onto his covers.

It couldn't be helped, in the end. Seiren had never liked him, and perhaps he was also right.

_In the circumstances, Guren-sama has a lot to deal with. For now, I'll do as he says. Sleep, if I can. Try to remember, whatever I can. Because I'm going to help bring you justice too, Ribari-sama. Whatever it takes to do so...I intend to follow through!_

_

* * *

_

"Ryuu..."

Mitsuki stood in the doorway of the archive, a troubled look on her face as her cousin set down the book he had been reading. He met her gaze with grave ones of his own, slowly nodding.

"Shirogane-senpai's risen, then?" He asked softly, and Mitsuki nodded her head.

"Yes. Just. Though he wouldn't listen to a word I said about resting and hared off to see Guren-sama right away." She replied, sinking down opposite him with a heavy sigh. "The look in his eyes was like nothing I'd ever seen before. It's true the drug is probably still a little in his blood but...I've never seen him look so devastated. When I told him...about Ribari-sama..."

"I suppose to Shirogane-senpai, Ribari-sama was a little like a younger brother." Ryuu pursed his lips. "They spent a lot more time together than either you or I did with Guren-sama's son - and of course, Shirogane-senpai was with him. Even if there was nothing to be done...I'm sure he feels he should have done something."

"I imagine so." Mitsuki rubbed her temples, and Ryuu cast her a pensive look.

"What about you? Aren't you tired? Travelling like this, and then being forced to take care of everything by yourself? The Unohana didn't arrive till this morning - it must've been a strain on you to hold out."

"No, I'm all right." Mitsuki shook her head. "Most of the others were only mildly afflicted. But..."

She hesitated, then,

"Ryuu, if I'd got here earlier - if I'd come sooner - would I have changed things?"

"You can't hold yourself responsible for the distance between your manor and the main one." Ryuu said quietly. "If you'd even been with my family, you would have been closer at hand - but you're a third degree_ hime_ with a power that the centre of this family has often refused to acknowledge. Therefore they leave you far from court at your father's manor - and it is only natural that travelling from there would take you time."

"Yes, but even so..."

"If I hadn't mentioned your name, I wonder if Guren-sama would have sent for you at all." Ryuu's eyes narrowed. "Even though within the heart of this family is one with the gift you have...even then..."

"To the Kuchiki, pride is everything." Mitsuki murmured. "But I saw it last night, Ryuu. Ribari-sama was Guren-sama's greatest pride. As a father, he wants time to grieve - but as a Clan leader, he cannot. So don't speak harshly of him now. He didn't know - nobody knew, not even me - that my gift might be needed. And besides..."

"Besides?" Ryuu eyed her quizzically, and Mitsuki shrugged her shoulders.

"Retsu-sama said that there was another poison used in Ribari-sama's death, other than the hallucinogen that afflicted the others." She said quietly. "She's sent people out to investigate, but she believes one drug was probably inhaled by the whole group. Ribari-sama aside, Shirogane-senpai was the worst affected, and the only one whose life was truly put at risk by it, so I suppose that was because he was closest to Ribari-sama when he fell. But there was another...at least, Retsu-sama said she thought so. Because on Ribari-sama's body...there was another mark. On his throat - small as a pin prick. You'd miss it if you didn't look for it. But Retsu-sama looked for it...and found it. And she thinks...another toxin was used to make sure that Ribari-sama died. She took tests to find out - but..."

"And the hallucinogen was to distract the others?" Ryuu's eyes darkened. "Just like a proper, planned assassination."

"Mm. Yes." Mitsuki sighed heavily. "That's what it looks like. That it wasn't just a random murder - but all planned out to the last detail. Shirogane-senpai isn't weak and nor was Ribari-sama. All of those with them were Kuchiki Clansmen. Yet Ryuu...even though all of them lost consciousness, only Ribari-sama was killed. And even though the others all could have had their throats slit by whoever was involved - none of them had a single injury on their bodies. They're all sleeping - recovering - and will be fine. The target was Ribari-sama and Ribari-sama alone. That's all."

"Which means you couldn't have done anything, no matter how quickly you got here." Ryuu pointed out.

"I know." Mitsuki agreed. "But a healer never likes to think she was too late. If he had been still living when I arrived...if...I know it's stupid, but maybe...there might have been some little thing I could have done."

"But you did save Shirogane-senpai's life." Ryuu got to his feet, coming to put his hand on her arm. "Didn't you? You just said that his life was the only other put at risk. You spent most of last night at his bedside...and this morning he is well enough to disregard your advice and throw himself before his Captain. You realise it too, I'm sure - at least be glad for what you could do, even if you couldn't save Ribari-sama's life."

"Mm." Mitsuki nodded. "I'll try. Thank you, Ryuu. I'm glad you were staying here. I always feel lost at the main house on my own and...well...even though I'm here for a reason this time, it still feels...like I don't belong here."

"I'm glad to see you too, and that Guren-sama followed my advice." Ryuu sighed. "But this whole event is extremely distressing. I hope that they manage to find some clues soon - to who would want to see the heir to the Kuchiki Clan dead."

* * *

**_Author's note: Meifu Updates_**

_At the present time, I'm anticipating updating this story once a week. Since Saturday seems a good time, it will generally be on a Saturday unless some rl issue prevents me (I do work Saturdays and I can no longer access FFnet at work before I start). So erm, that will be the new schedule? Unless I somehow shoot ahead and write tons...but I know some folk would prefer slower anyhow, so =D. I aim to please._


	3. An Unexpected Visitor

**Chapter Two: An Unexpected Visitor**

Ukitake Juushirou sat back against the trunk of the broad, rugged tree, setting his book aside as he gazed pensively up through the branches to the mottled light of the sun. Spring was really coming to Sixth District now, for there were green buds on all of the branches, and soon the early blooms would burst into flower, colouring the winter landscape with delicate splashes of colour and light. Juushirou loved winter, but he liked this time of year too - it marked new beginnings, and reminded him of the path he had chosen to walk five years earlier.

Across the other side of the clearing stood a young tree, its trunk crooked and deformed at the base from where it had originally grown. Around the base was a crown of smaller branches, each one stretching up to become like fingers of wood reaching up to grasp the sky, and as his gaze fell on it, a wry smile touched the young shinigami's lips. It was by no means the prettiest tree in the forest, nor would it ever achieve the crowning beauty of its older, sturdier neighbours. Yet despite the hardships it had seen, it had continued to live - perhaps grabbing hold of life with those same finger-like branches as it fought to establish its own place in the forest. It was ugly and deformed, nothing special to the naked eye yet to Juushirou it was the most important tree in the whole forest. This was his Father's tree - and by coming here and spending time in its company, it was almost as though he was spending time with his long dead parent.

"Juu-nii! Juu-nii! Juu-nii, are you up here?"

A voice broke through the peace and quiet of the woodland, and Juushirou turned in surprise, getting to his feet and dusting his clothing down as he did so. He had been so lost in his remeniscences he had not even sensed her coming, but, as the young girl tumbled into the copse his smile became one of amusement and he reached over to haul her upright, patting her playfully on the head.

"You have to be careful of tree roots at this time of year, Shiki-chan. You can't run around like that because the trees like to play with you - and the ground isn't as smooth and even as it is in other parts."

"I was looking for you, Juu-nii." The youngster glared up at him, indignation in her aqua eyes, and Juushirou laughed, ruffling her thick, curly hair absently as he met her gaze. "I had to come all the way up here because nobody else could find you an' I said I could, but I had to come all this way because you didn't hear me when I was yelling and yelling. I started to wonder if you'd felled off the cliff edge or something - but you were just reading an' ignoring me ."

"I wasn't ignoring you. Not on purpose, anyhow." Juushirou shook his head. "I was just soaking up the peaceful atmosphere. Don't you think it's pretty at this time of year, right when the seasons are going to change?"

"I think Juu-nii's spent too much time with rich stupid people, cos that's the kind of thing_ they _say when the frosts are still down on the hills an' nobody can get through the earth to plant crops yet." Shikiki said matter-of-factly, grasping Juushirou's hand with thick, stubby fingers and tightening her grip meaningfully. "But everyone's been looking for you, so right now you should come with me."

"Looking for me? Really?" Juushirou bent to pick up his discarded book with his free hand, eying her in surprise. "Everyone? What's happened? I can't imagine that Hiro-kun would need me so badly, and..."

"Silly, that's not it." Shikiki shook her head impatiently. "The Ojiisan came to see you, that's all. He said he wanted to talk to you and in private about something important, and so that's why we're all looking. Cos the Ojiisan is an important person, isn't he? And someone you shouldn't keep waiting."

"Ojiisan?" Juushirou's brows knitted together and he slid the volume into the _obi _of his robe. "You mean Genryuusai-sensei?"

"Yes. That's right." Shikiki nodded. "Will you come now? You shouldn't make old people wait for things anyhow, because if they're old it means they might die and you might never find stuff out."

"Who taught you that particular idea?" Juushirou stared at her, and Shikiki grinned.

"I heard Shinkei-nii say it to Rouhei-nii as I was comin' out this way." She said proudly, and Juushirou groaned.

"Shinkei's manners..." He murmured, then, "All right. I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble, Shiki-chan. I'm coming now - so lets go quickly, okay?"

"Okay." Shikiki nodded. "I wonder why he came so far to see you. I remember that when I first came here, it was a long way...and Ojiisan lives even further, doesn't he? Yet he came aaaalll the way here to see you especially. Don't you think it must be an important thing, for him to go to so much trouble?"

"The last time he came here was to invite me to the Academy." Juushirou said thoughtfully, his gaze flitting briefly to the black-sheathed sword that these days seldom left his side. "And that meeting changed my life in a whole lot of ways. If that hadn't happened, Shiki-chan, you and I would never have met - that's how important it was. But you're right. It seems extreme to come here like this when I'm going back to District One in a short few days. Are you sure it was just me he wanted to see? Not you as well? Considering your special magic..."

"He did ask me how I was, and whether or not I was using my magic here." Shikiki remembered. "So I told him that I did, sometimes, if people needed me to. Because if someone gets a hurt foot or a bad arm I can help them, and when Yuuya-kun fell out of the tree and broke his leg, I fixed it for him. But only little things like that. But he said that was all right and that he was glad I was doing well. He's rich too - but he's not stupid, is he, Juu-nii? Even though he's old, he hasn't gone funny in the head like some of the people in the village used to when I was little. They'd potter around and call everyone the names of their dead children...but Ojiisan isn't like that."

"No. He's not." Despite himself, Juushirou grinned. "As you say, Shikiki - he's very clever indeed. And if he says that, then you should listen to him. He wants to help you master your power too, when you're older - so he's probably pleased that sometimes you still want to use it. Life can be quite busy here - he probably worries that you'll forget all about it."

"But Anika says that I help a whole lot by being able to fix broken stuff. Then she doesn't have to buy new things like bowls when Shinkei-nii and Rouhei-nii have broken some from playing games with them in the gardens." Shikiki shrugged. "And that sort of spell is easy. It's much easier, Juu-nii, than fixing you was so I can do it all right."

"Mm." Juushirou put his hand absently to his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath his ribs. Two and a half years ago, Shikiki's special, unique barrier magic had saved his life and more, had strengthened his battered heart back to good health. Though neither of them had realised it clearly at the time, Shikiki's instinctive actions had not only brought Juushirou back from certain death but had stabilised his life - and although he had suffered chronically from ill health since he was born, he no longer feared that the disease would kill him.  
_  
So long as my heart can beat, I can live. So long as my heart is strong, so can I be. Even if I cough blood or have fevers or have to spend the whole of my life battling with this disease. Even if I never get rid of it - I don't believe now that it will kill me. I feel it, even when I'm sick or listless or my chest is burning with pain. The strength of that pulse, keeping a steady, determined rhythm. Thanks to Shikiki, my life expectancy is now no different from anyone else's. Thanks to Shikiki...I won't be a cursed Ukitake who dies young._

He shot her a sidelong glance, taking in her features as they walked down the path towards the Ukitake home. She was older now, too - eleven or thereabouts, and taller, though she had not lost any of her chubby, broad framed appearance. She would never be a pretty child, yet her aqua eyes sparkled with life and vitality and her cheeks were faintly flushed with good health and exertion as she skipped along beside him, a contented expression on her face as she held his hand in hers. She was simply dressed in the same kind of play kimono as Juushirou's blood sister Miyabi, basic yet a far cry from the ragged garments she had been robed in when she had been an orphan in District Seven.

Then, her life and magic had been at the mercy of one of the most enigmatic and confusing men Juushirou had ever met. Since coming to District Six, Shikiki had not mentioned Keitarou's name once - and though Juushirou was sure she still thought about him, he had not raised the subject either. She was strong and she had begun to look forward, settling in among the siblings of the Ukitake family and being warmly adopted by all of them as one of their own. She and Miyabi had soon forged a strong bond, and though Juushirou knew he could never fully repay the girl for his life, he at least felt some comfort in the fact that he had done as much as he could possibly do towards settling that debt.

He was truly fond of Shikiki, as though she too were one of his own siblings, and he knew that she still looked to him most of all, as the one person who had not abandoned her in her short, eventful life.

"Shikiki! Juu-nii!" A yell from the manor grounds pre-empted Shinkei's vaulting the wall and landing with a thump on the path before them, making Juushirou jump with the suddenness of his appearance. "The old guy is here to see you, Nii-sama - did you do something bad at school for him to chase you all the way here?"

"Not that I know of." Juushirou recovered himself, reaching across to swipe the younger boy playfully across the back of his head. "And you need to stop acting so much like a monkey when we have a visitor. Genryuusai-sensei is an important person - Okaasama would be cross if you made him think we were a family of wild apes."

"Would be pretty close to the truth, though." A second voice came from the gate, and Juushirou offered the speaker a rueful grin.

"You were just as bad, at his age." He said lightly. "I'm sorry to have disappeared on you, though - is he in Father's study?"

"_My_ study." Hiroyuki said pointedly. "Since you dumped the family on me and went to become a shinigami, and Chi-chan ran off to marry some Eighth District soldier, I'm the one who's been using that room more than anyone. But yes, that's where he is. And yes, you may use it. Thank you for asking."

"Hiro-kun." Juushirou was amused, shaking his head. "Such big words from someone who isn't yet even twenty."

"Well, numbers don't really matter all that much." Hiroyuki said reflectively. "Chi was eighteen when she married Takeshi, and I don't see you calling her a kid. Hikari and I will be married too, once I reach twenty - and then you won't be able to talk to me like I'm a child."

"I'll always be able to do that, though." Juushirou pointed out calmly. "No matter how old you become or how many children of your own you might have. I've told you before - some things come with being overall Nii-sama, and you can't do anything about it. But thank you. I'll go there right away."

"I'll come too." Shikiki suggested.

"Genryuusai-sama already spoke to you, didn't he?" Hiroyuki pointed out. "And Anika was looking for you, so you'd better run and see why. I think Shinkei may have broken something again..." He paused at this moment to glare at his younger brother, "Because I thought I heard the smash of a window first thing this morning and the kid's been keeping a lowish profile ever since."

"It wasn't on purpose. I thought it would be open, and it wasn't." Shinkei defended himself. "But if Shikiki fixes it, then nobody will be mad at me anymore. So go see Anika, Shikiki. It'd help me out a lot too if you did - I still have to write out that passage for Kamikura-sensei and Okaasama said that if I let my schoolwork slip any further she'd give him permission to whip me. I don't want that - so the sooner Anika isn't cross, the better for everyone."

"Shinkei-nii is lazy, that's all." Shikiki snorted. "Miyabi an' I can both write neater'n you can, and I only started learning to write when I came here. I'm gonna know more kanji than you do at this rate, an' you're older than both of us."

"Shut up and run along." Shinkei snapped back. "You're just a kid still, so you can't answer back about things like that."

"Hiro, they're all yours." Juushirou grinned at his brother benignly. "As head of the family, I'm sure you can handle them. In the meantime, I'll go see to my guest...and find out exactly why he's come here."

Before Hiroyuki could respond, he had ducked under the arch of the gateway, hastening up the path and across the grounds to the main entrance of the Ukitake house. It was an old and rambling manor, ill-kept in places and a far cry from the noble estates in which most of his school friends lived. But to Juushirou it had always been home, and he knew that despite its unimposing appearance, he would never feel it lacked for anything important.

He soon reached the study door, and as he raised his hand to knock, he heard the old man's voice call him inside. Smiling wryly at Genryuusai's perception, he did as he was bidden, bowing his head before coming to stand before the desk.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting, Sensei. I didn't realise that you were coming here - and I think I led my poor family a bit of a chase to find me."

"I wouldn't have expected you to know, since I made the decision to come only yesterday." Genryuusai pursed his lips, his heavy moustache trailing against his wizened chin as he gazed up at the young man who had become his own particular project since his arrival at the Academy. "It may have been something that could have waited until the beginning of term - but I decided that coming would be the easiest way because here I could explain in more detail without the fear of being disturbed by other school matters."

He smiled, gesturing for his companion to sit down, and Juushirou did, settling himself before the desk as he eyed the old man quizzically.

"Something that needs explaining in detail..?"

"Yes." Genryuusai nodded his head. "Because you know, I think, that you will be entering your Fifth year at the Academy in a week or so's time."

"Yes, sir." Juushirou nodded. "It seems strange that it will have been so long, but..."

"Indeed, it is a very short time." Genryuusai fingered his moustache absently. "And it will be shorter, I must confess. A decision has been made - I have made a decision - and now I must follow it through. You are the start of that decision - and everything goes from here."

"I beg your pardon, sir?" Juushirou looked flummoxed.

"This year, I intend to make you a member of the Senior Class."

"The...Senior...?" Juushirou faltered, then, "But...I'm meant to be..."

"A Fifth Year. Yes." Genryuusai agreed. "But I like to keep such things fairly fluid and because of that, I've come to this conclusion. You won't be alone - it is my intention that all of the students who made up the first class of last year's Fourth Year will be promoted into the Senior Class this year."

"All..nine of us, Sensei?" Juushirou started, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Yes. That is my current plan."

"But...with all respect, sir, what of...the last year's Fifth year students?"

"Mm." Genryuusai's eyes narrowed. "Such things I can disclose to you, since I intend to take you into my trust and place burdens on your shoulders this year. I will make no secret of that fact, and it will begin here. The truth is that although they were Fifth Years by duration last year, there is no doubt in the mind of any of the teachers that in almost all respects your class outstripped them. The members of the year above you are entirely Clansfolk, many of whom have chosen to rely on their names and titles to carry them thus far. And to this point, nothing has been done to prevent it. However, you know what I consider the duty of the Senior Class to be. It is not simply a final year, but a far more wide-ranging responsibility. I will not admit into this class any student who is not ready to face the challenges and the preparation for what will be a drastic plunge into squad and shinigami life. It is not for those who coast and do not try. And therefore I will promote those students who deserve to be there - regardless of their age or their experience."

"I see." Juushirou's head was spinning. "So...all of last year's...they're none of them..."

"Four of that class have enough potential to be Seniors, and will be Seniors alongside the nine of you." Genryuusai responded. "It will cause friction and it will not be an easy adjustment for any of them. But it is the final decision and a unanimous one taken by the whole staff. The Academy is growing and its standard of students is important. Your class have always had exceptional spirit and ability, and your mutual respect for one another has doubtlessly made you all stronger and driven you all forwards. Yours is the first class to finish the Fourth year with all members either in possession of their _zanpakutou _or well in training to do so, with a view to achieving that end within the next six months or so. Seniors are not always promoted with _zanpakutou_ already attained - some are still learning, but are promoted on their all round leadership potential and ability and in this respect I cannot fault the members of your class as potential candidates to skip Fifth year and go up. I need people who can be relied on, and so do the Gotei - everyone is in agreement on that fact. Therefore this is what we intend to do."

"Then...Shunsui and I...and Hirata...and Ryuu...and everyone else will be going straight into the top class this year." A shiver of excitement ran down Juushirou's spine at this thought. "It's a jump...I hope we're really as ready as you say, Sensei."

"There is one other thing, too." Genryuusai added. "I have decided that this year I intend to make you my Anideshi."

"_What?_" Juushirou looked floored, staring at Genryuusai aghast, and Genryuusai smiled.

"Is it that unexpected, that I should make such a choice?"

"I...yes. Yes, it is." Juushirou gathered his wits. "I'm sorry, Sensei, but...I just...to go from Fourth year to Senior...then...this...and with all you've just explained...with me being...District...I..."

Genryuusai looked thoughtful for a moment, then he sighed.

"I will tell you one other truth." He said quietly. "Because I can tell it isn't something you've thought of, but I want you to know it all the same."

"Sensei?"

"You heard your _zanpakutou_ speak to you when you were young. You harnessed its first release as a Second year." Genryuusai rested his hands on the desk. "It is a complicated and powerful sword, and so at times I know you don't feel you've achieved beyond your peers, although the truth is that you've achieved far more than most of them. You have worked consistently hard and have learnt the skills that have been taught to you with diligence and interest. Your general sword skills are first rate and becoming more flexible as you learn to use your left hand more effectively whilst your kidou has always been exceptional. You've mastered shunpo quite well in the last eighteen months, and even though your physical strength sometimes lets you down, you don't lack motivation. That ability and your dedication mean that you should have been promoted before this point - perhaps at the end of your Third year. However, I chose not to do it - I chose to keep you with your peers."

"At the end of...Third year?" Juushirou blanched.

"Yes." Genryuusai agreed. "Your current level is good enough - if still naive at times - to operate at full squad level and I could easily have pushed you up sooner and achieved that end. Both you and that Kyouraku rascal should probably have received promotion then, just as your _shishou_ Nagoya did before you. Your skills were far ahead of most of the Fourth year students when you were finishing Third year, and on a par with some of the Fifth. But I confess, I held you both back. Shunsui because he is naturally lazy, and if I had pushed him on too quickly, he would have fallen back into bad ways. And you - I'm ashamed to admit it - but I kept you back because of your District roots. Because I know your ability is real and something the Gotei needs. But others, from the outside...they would not see it the same."

"Mm." Juushirou's eyes darkened. "They might think that you were favouring me too much, if you promoted me too quickly?"

"You are my particular protégé and I brought you into the Academy in the first place." Genryuusai agreed. "So yes. That was my thinking. You haven't hurt for the extra time and experience - and nor have your peers, because your bond with them is strong and will serve you well probably for the rest of your shinigami life. But this time is different. I am promoting all of you, so there can be no talk of favouritism. And among the candidates available, you are the only one who could possibly be Anideshi. Therefore, so it has been decided. Of course, providing you accept?"

There was a challenge in the old man's gaze, and Juushirou knew then that this was as much a test as it was an honour. He nodded.

"By being Anideshi, I'll learn a lot more about leading others and setting the right example." He said soberly. "Like Nagoya-senpai did, when he trained me - I'll be able to do that, too. And if I can...succeed at this...it means that maybe people won't view me badly when it comes to finding a squad for me afterwards. I can't say I want to take the job, Sensei. Not when you say that there'll be a lot of friction and tension from the students who didn't get promoted and maybe those who did. But I won't run away, not when you've explained it to me like that. I'll be Anideshi, if that's what you want from me. And I won't let you down."

Genryuusai sat back in his seat, a relieved look on his face.

"Then I know I will not be disappointed." He said frankly. "Because I am well used by now to your obstinacy, Juushirou. Regardless of obstacles, if you wish to do something, you will push to do it. And I can rest easy knowing that you fully understand the reasons for my choice."

He paused, then,

"One more thing." He added quietly. "I expect some amount of unease from members of the Kuchiki Clan in the next few months. You should be aware of it - not just since you consider two of that Clan to be close friends, but also because your family live in this District."

"Unease? Why?" Juushirou was alarmed, and Genryuusai held up his hand.

"As yet, nothing has developed." He said gravely. "But notification came to my ears a short time ago of a mysterious misfortune to hit some of the members of Guren-dono's Sixth Squad. Thanks to the intervention of the Unohana - and so I hear, thanks to young Edogawa's unique skills - most of those hurt in the...incident...have begun to recover. However, there was one who could not be saved, and worse, he is someone of some significance. His loss means that the Clan will be somewhat on edge until the future is more firmly settled."

"That sounds very cryptic, Sensei." Juushirou bit his lip. "A mysterious misfortune? Please, if you can tell me exactly what you mean, I'd appreciate it. If I'm to leave my family and go to District One, I want to know they're safe."

"Unlike the Endou-ke, the Kuchiki are not in the habit of starting all out civil wars nor wiping out their peasantry with their unrest." Genryuusai shook his head. "They tend to keep the majority of such things within their ranks - although if it does become serious, there's no doubt that blood may well be spilled among those ranks. The facts I know are sparse ones, but I understand that six members of Sixth Squad were found unconscious in the forestlands surrounding the Kuchiki main estate after having been sent to investigate an alleged report of Hollow activity. Unohana Retsu-sama left for District Six's main house almost as soon a word arrived in District One, and I have heard from her since then that the source of their collapse was not natural but some form of poison. By whose hand and for what reason is as yet unknown...but the fact remains. The young man who lost his life is Ribari, Guren-dono's son and the heir to the Kuchiki-ke. It seems more than likely that he...was the original target, for though rendered insensible, none of the others bore any physical wounds on their body to imply they had been attacked. Even the boy did not appear badly harmed - but Retsu-dono is suspicious of his manner of death. She believes..it was not coincidence that he was the one who died."

"An assassination?" Juushirou's eyes became huge, and Genryuusai sighed.

"It has happened before, with Guren-dono's father, and then the blame fell on the Shihouin with scant little proof." He said tiredly. "It concerns me that the same might happen again, though I have already spoken to my neighbours in District Two and have been assured that there was no Shihouin involvement in this whatsoever. It is a mysterious, troubling circumstance, but most acutely, Ribari was Guren's only son. The Kuchiki-ke cannot be inherited by _hime_ - just as many of the Clans still do, they cling to their outdated values and ignore the fact that there are successful, strong female heads of Clan in this age. Their rules are strict and rigidly defined, essentially meaning that no daughter of the Clan and no son who does not bear the Kuchiki name can be eligible to inherit the title. Therefore who should succeed Guren as head of the family has become a matter of concern. It may or may not be something that you need to know - but given your family's location and your own alliances - I wanted to be sure you were prepared. The Clans will already know and probably most of your classmates will have heard some of the details through Inner Seireitei. You deserve to have the same information since you now move in the same circles as they do and will soon do so even more when you enter full shinigami life."

"Guren-sama has no other sons." Juushirou murmured. "But...surely he has a brother? Doesn't...Ryuu's father is..."

"There is a special and complicated circumstance surrounding Guren-dono's twin brother." Genryuusai got to his feet. "And it is not my place to dig up ancient history and explain such things to you, since they were decisions made a good long time ago. Suffice it to say that he and he alone is debarred from the Kuchiki inheritance - and there is no way of reversing that fact."

"Then..."

"He alone. Not his children, Juushirou." Genryuusai shot his student a piercing gaze. "Think on this for a while and understand my meaning...for now, I have to make my way back."

"I...yes sir." Juushirou frowned, nodding his head. "I understand, and I'll think about everything very carefully. About being Anideshi, too. And about how best to deal with the problems in Senior Class, if they happen."

"Good lad." Genryuusai smiled slightly. "Then I'll pay my respects to Kaede-dono and take my leave. I have faith in my decisions, Juushirou - I'm sure you won't let me down."

With that he was gone, and Juushirou moved to the window, a troubled look on his face.

"Not his children." He murmured, resting his fingers against the glass.

_Which means that Ryuu himself could be a candidate. Especially since he and Nagoya-senpai are the only ones left now of that generation, and Nagoya-senpai doesn't have the Kuchiki name, so must also be counted out. And...why should it be that Ryuu's father can't hold the Clan inheritance? I suppose Sensei was right not to tell me, but it makes me curious all the same. Did he do something so terrible to be so ruled out? But if that was so, surely his whole family would also be...and Ryuu has never spoken of...  
_  
He frowned, shaking his head as if to clear it.

_Such things are not my business, anyway. Sensei told me because Ryuu may well need support - or if someone is trying to hurt Kuchiki heirs, he might even be a target himself. If trouble happens...if it's not one Clan it's another. That being the case, maybe Sensei's choice is a wise one, to pick someone who has no direct Clan affiliation for Anideshi this year. Either way I'll do my best not to let him down - no matter how complicated things are about to become!_

_

* * *

_

"Guren-sama...I want to express my deepest sympathies for the loss of your son."

The tall, slender young woman bowed her head respectfully towards her companion, her tones soft and gentle as she raised sympathetic eyes to his. "For one so young to have been taken so quickly and suddenly - it is a very tragic thing and I am sorry I was not able to prevent it."

"It sounds to me as though nobody was able to prevent it."

Guren sighed, rubbing his temples as he sank down in the big chair that marked his position as head of the Clan. The Kuchiki court central hall was currently empty except for him and his companion, and somehow it seemed eerie and abandoned, their voices echoing slightly against the polished sheen of the wood panels that covered all four walls. They were carved with important images - sakura blossoms and soldiers on horseback, depicting the proud and long heritage of arguably Seireitei's most significant Clan. Yet at that moment Guren felt only hollow when he thought about his family. As though, once again, he had lost someone because of the huge burden that weighed upon his shoulders.

"I thank you for all you've done since you came, Retsu-dono." He added now. "I appreciate the speed and urgency with which you yourself answered our summons. I am sure that your swiftness has helped save lives - and I am indebted to you."

"Mm. Perhaps." Unohana Retsu, head of the Unohana-ke and former student of Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni looked thoughtful, running her fingers absently against the white fabric of her _haori _as she considered his words. "Though really I was able to do very little except examine the scene after the fact. I was able to do nothing for your poor son, and as for Nagoya-fukutaichou..."

"I understand that Mitsuki was the one who saved his life." Guren murmured, and Retsu nodded.

"Without doubt she did." She said gravely. "Her talents are raw but her instincts are always to save and to help wherever she can. Her being in closer proximity than me enabled her to be at his side before I was. Without her intervention I believe he would have died too. I have seen him myself, this morning - and his aura is still quite distressed from the incident. I can only imagine how close he came to losing his own life - I am sincerely glad that that was not the case."

"I also." Although he had only just sat down, Guren got to his feet, pacing restlessly about the chamber. "Retsu-dono, as a Clan leader and as a Father, I must hear your report. My son's death - could it have been prevented? By anyone with him, or anyone here?"

"No." Retsu looked grave. "I am not familiar with the hallucinogen administered to your men - in fact, from what I've seen so far, I would not call it so much a hallucinogen as an agent that heightens senses and paranoia to an unmanageable level. Such a drug on its own could easily cause cardiac arrest - as was so nearly the case in Nagoya-fukutaichou's situation. However, once it has worn off, if the body has survived its initial onslaught, it requires no active antidote. It is not intended to kill - for it to do so would be a by-product of its true purpose, which was distraction."

"Then Ribari...?"

"Ribari-sama was killed with a second poison, one I know a little better." Retsu said blackly. "I feared it, when I first saw his body and heard the reports of how he had died. The inhaled agent doubtlessly affected him, but mostly it rendered all of the group inattentive to the situation around them. During this time, some unknown agent was able to administer this other poison into Ribari-sama's body. There was a tiny puncture mark on his neck - which would have been the most likely point of entry."

She folded her hands together, eying her companion pensively.

"There have been like cases in the real world where this has occurred, using such things as darts to poison a companion." She added sadly. "It is not a common method of murder in Seireitei, but even so, I am certain that is how it occurred. It may be that whoever it was waited until the group were unconscious and then plunged the chemical directly into his jugular - or it may be that it was fired from a distance beforehand by someone with a considerable amount of aiming skill. Perhaps an archer - or something of that nature, modifying their technique to hit their mark. I'm sorry,"

As Guren flinched,

"It distresses me to report such things to you, for a Father should not have to hear them. But..."

"I need to know how Ribari died. Please, don't mind my feelings in this." Guren shook his head. "My duty is as head of this Clan and I must bear all of that - no matter how unpleasant it is to hear."

"Then that is my conclusion." Retsu said softly. "That the members of Sixth Squad were incapacitated with a strong inhaled drug that confused their senses - whilst another, more lethal drug was administered to the young Kuchiki prince in order to take his life. None of those with him would have been able to do anything to prevent it. In fact, they were fortunate not to have lost their lives since with an inhaled compound...it is far easier to take in a fatal dose by accident."

"Which Shirogane almost did." Guren sighed. "All right. Then the target was undeniably my son, and nobody else. That seems confirmed, doesn't it?"

"I would agree, yes." Retsu nodded. "But who or why remains unknown. And my medical investigation cannot answer those questions, I'm afraid. Someone with access to poison...someone with a reason to see your son die. That is all."

"I can't imagine any reason to see Ribari die." Guren admitted. "None whatsoever, since the Clan all looked on him fondly. When he was born, it brought so much celebration...when he was..."

He faltered, feeling tears pricking at his eyes, and Retsu stepped forward, putting a gentle hand on his arm.

"You must grieve as a father, too." She murmured soothingly. "If you are to face your family as a Clan leader, you must allow yourself your grief in private. Ribari-sama was a much loved young boy and that is the truth. I have seen nothing but horror and consternation from your kinsfolk since I have been here and none have hesitated in offering me or my people the slightest bit of aid in our investigations. I do not know why he was killed - but please, do not judge your family with suspicion until you have any indication of it."

"I have no proof of anything, so I'm unable to act at all." Guren said heavily. "That's the greatest burden in this. I am useless. Even as I am...there is nothing I can do. I have no clues to go on bar what you have told me - and there are any number of people in Clan and District who may have access to poison."

"The poison that killed Ribari-sama is not a rare poison, even if the method of application was unusual." Retsu agreed. "It is often used to kill vermin in both Clan households and lower level ones. But the inhaled sense enhancer - that is something else. I cannot discern its composition, nor can I be sure of its significance. Perhaps that is the greater clue. Those who have inhaled it and lived may be your step forward into solving this investigation."

"Yes. Perhaps." Guren nodded wearily. "But the fact of it also is that Ribari's birth brought a good amount of relief to a difficult situation. Because I had no son of my own, and because my brother...is..."

"Unable to inherit." Retsu finished the sentence lightly. "Through no fault of his own, though the circumstance is an unavoidable one."

"In that instance, there was some tension. Some confusion...over who should be my successor then." Guren rubbed his temples. "I have two nephews, Retsu-sama. Two very different nephews, with both of whom you are acquainted. One is Seiren's son Ryuu, and the other Masane's son Shirogane. Before Ribari was born...there was great debate in the Kuchiki court as to which of these two...should be named as my successor. It became quite an ugly discussion at times...and then Ribari was born, and so all settled. But now...even so soon after his death...the whispers have once more begun. And I do not know currently what to do about it. I want to grieve my son, but I cannot ignore..."

He broke off, and Retsu looked thoughtful.

"Do you seek my advice?" She asked softly, and Guren looked startled, then he nodded.

"Perhaps I do." He agreed quietly. "You know that despite the image I project, there are unconventional thoughts and ideas in my heart that have not gone away. You knew that I had fondness for my bastard cousin Raiko, even when the rest of the family saw to sending her away. And I am sure you know where my instincts lie this time - but even so, that is not so easy to accomplish."

"You wish to put the succession in Nagoya-fukutaichou's hands." Retsu reflected, and Guren nodded a second time.

"Yes. That would be...my personal choice."

"Then why do you not simply do so?" Retsu questioned. "The boy is older than Kuchiki-kun is, and has more experience. Your Clan seems to respect his ability and he was always seen as a Kuchiki prodigy and favourite by those of us in outside Clans. What should stop you from naming Nagoya-fukutaichou as your successor?"

"Shirogane is extremely talented and very bright." Guren ran his fingers through his thick dark hair, devoid for once of the usual fancy ties that held it in place. "Everyone knows that, and always has. But he does not carry the Kuchiki Clan name, and the tradition of this family is that those who do not carry it cannot inherit it. This is because no Kuchiki Clansman has ever inherited through a female line before. Added to that, Shirogane's father was only a Fourth Degree Kuchiki, although a man I trusted and approved of. Masane fell very much in love with him and he was a good man, so I allowed the pairing to go ahead. Masane was my younger sister, and always delicate. I wanted her to have happiness since it was always thought her life might be short. In the end, it was - though I cannot say if it was happy. She lost her husband before her, and her baby daughter died within days of being born. Shirogane, therefore, was her everything. She was not strong enough always to keep up with how active and bright he was - my adoptive brother Futsuki and his wife were more usually involved with things like that, and I tried where I could, too, because I liked the boy's spirit. But when she died, she made me promise to not abandon Shirogane. I have not. I sent him to Genryuusai-sama's Academy and I have made a good Vice Captain of him. The Clan accept and welcome this because they see and recognise his talent. But there is a difference...between Vice Captain and potential successor. And old habits are hard to break."

"The Kuchiki-ke are complicated indeed." Retsu sighed, and Guren nodded.

"Seiren would not accept Shirogane as a candidate for the succession, back before Ribari was born." He agreed. "He didn't like the child because of his father's birth level and the fact that giving birth to him almost cost my sister her life. It certainly made her more fragile, since it was a difficult birth and it was not certain whether or not she would survive it at the time. Seiren holds onto things - he's never forgotten those reasons and now I'm sure they'll come to the forefront again. Seiren was also very fond of Ribari - he spent much time with him in the library and took time to tutor him on his history and his heritage. But before Ribari was born, Seiren was adamant that I should put the Clan inheritance on Ryuu's shoulders - a thought that many other traditional Kuchiki supported. He did not approve fully of my making Shirogane Ribari's _shishou_, although he accepted that it was the right and logical thing to be done at the time. Essentially the fact that I had Ribari meant that the succession no longer became a problem. But..."

"I see." Retsu pursed her lips. "Without the cork, the wine may once more overflow and flood the cellar."

"An apt analogy. Yes." Guren acknowledged. "The Kuchiki seldom agree on something, but one thing they were all agreed on was that Ribari was the true heir of the Kuchiki and that they should support him to that end. That is why this is so horrific to contemplate. He had the backing of the whole Clan - now the family is far weaker than it was before, and old factions will doubtless break out."

"Perhaps that was the point." Retsu reflected. "But I will not speculate on what I do not know. I thank you for taking me into your trust, however. Kuchiki-kun is still a student of Genryuusai-sama's, and of course, Genryuusai-sama is most concerned with all of this as well. I hope you will allow me to report this conversation to him."

"I see no reason why not." Guren nodded, and Retsu smiled.

"Also, I will tell him to keep a close eye on Kuchiki-kun when he returns, in case his life also becomes in danger." She murmured. "And I suggest you do the same with Nagoya-fukutaichou, too. If all within your Clan supported Ribari-sama, then the one responsible may not be from within your Clan. And they may not stop at one death - they may decide that more are needed to sate whatever blood need they have."

"I understand." Guren's expression became grave. "I will do as you say, and thank you."

"It is not a pleasure, to examine the body of such a young man." Retsu said gravely. "But I am at your service and will continue to be so should you need me again. Also...please do put faith in Mitsuki-san's abilities. Your having done so this time without doubt saved a young man's life. That faith may go on to save more lives in the future."

Before Guren could respond, there was a knock at the door, and a voice came from outside.

"Niisama? It's Seiren. May I enter? I have a report to make to you."

Guren glanced at Retsu, who inclined her head slightly to indicate she had no objection, and so the Clan leader nodded, raising his voice.

"Enter, Seiren, and make your report."

The door slid back, and the other twin entered the chamber, bowing his head to acknowledge Retsu's presence before turning his attention to his brother.

"I have done as you suggested and have spoken to each of the four other young men who were with Ribari-sama the night he died." He said quietly, his eyes clouded and grave. "But though all are recovering well, none of them even recall leaving the Kuchiki compound that night. Each of them say the same - that they remember receiving a summons, but nothing more."

"I suspect that their fear and disorientation has foxed their memories." Retsu murmured. "It is not an unexpected result - probably an intended one - of using a chemical such as that. A way of rendering no witnesses without rendering more people dead. I am not surprised, Guren-sama. This would be in keeping with the subtle nature of the crime."

"Is there a chance they will remember?" Guren asked her, and Retsu shook her head.

"I doubt it." She admitted. "If they even now have no recollections of that night, I think it unlikely they will retrieve those recollections now. Their minds have shielded them from some terror they could not explain - the greater probability is that they will not recall why."

"Shirogane claimed to remember things from that night." Seiren remembered, and Retsu spread her hands.

"Perhaps he does." She agreed. "Or perhaps they are merely trace effects of the drug that almost killed him. His reiatsu is far higher than those he was on patrol with - but he was also far more deeply affected by this chemical they all inhaled. I cannot say at present if Nagoya-fukutaichou's recollections are accurate or hallucinations. It is possible his sense of duty to Ribari-sama is forcing him to put together a false memory from fragments of broken recollection."

"Then we should take everything he says as being imagined?" Seiren's eyes widened, and Retsu sighed.

"I cannot be sure of that." She said cautiously. "There is the other possibility that, given Nagoya-fukutaichou's strength of spirit power and his loyalty to Ribari-sama, he may have retained more genuine memory than the others present. I think that it was reported to me that Nagoya-fukutaichou was clutching Ribari-sama when they were found. It is almost as though he tried to protect him, which may mean he was the last shinigami to lose his grip on consciousness. If the drug took longer to affect his senses...it is not inconceivable that he might remember more."

"But we can't know for sure, is what you're saying?" Guren let out his breath in a rush, and Retsu nodded.

"Sadly, that is what I'm saying." She agreed. "Time may tell whether or not his memories are real or false - or it may not. For now, though, it is hard to be certain of what happened that night. Even Ribari-sama would probably not have known what was happening to him."

"I see." Guren pursed his lips, then, "Seiren, I do not want harm to befall Shirogane any further than it already has. If his mind is playing tricks on him, then I do not want him to say or do anything that may compromise his standing as my trusted Vice Captain. I have many things to do before my son is even able to be laid to rest. The other day I believe you said you'd take charge of Shirogane in escorting him back to his room. If that's the case..."

"I have already told him to report to me before he tries to report to you." Seiren said grimly. "I have no idea whether his thoughts are correct, but I won't have him flailing around the halls half-dressed in a drunken delusion when there are grieving members of the Clan struggling to put this whole tragedy into clear context. If I feel he is rational and able to report something of use, then I will send him to speak to you. But with Retsu-sama's remarks, I will be even more vigilant. In order to ensure he does not damage the pride of the Clan with what may be delusions."

"There is truth in that." Guren owned. "That in his desire to help Ribari, he may find falseness in his recollection and it may take time before we discover that he is mistaken. I will speak to him, Seiren, but not until things are a little calmer. For now...your judgement is sound, and I rely on you to maintain it."

"I will." Seiren nodded his head. "I'm glad you agree with me."

"I am very fond of Shirogane." Guren said softly. "I seek justice and I said this crime would not be forgiven – indeed, it will not. But I also spoke as an enraged father, not entirely as a rational leader of a Clan. It may be that, given Retsu-dono's remarks, I have to reconsider my desire for vengeance in case it brings about other deaths. If Shirogane saw something important, then even so, Ribari's life cannot be saved even if the guilty party is revealed. My punishing the offender will bring some peace of mind, perhaps…but it will not bring back my son. If Shirogane remembers truthfully what occurred, then probably I should know of it. But whilst there is a chance he did not...if he simply _imagined_ something...he might put himself in danger by trying to help. The Clan cannot afford two significant losses in a short space of time. For now, therefore, till everything is more settled, I will not risk him. Even if it costs my son quick justice – I _must_ protect Shirogane's life."

Seiren's eyes narrowed.

"Do you believe that Ribari-sama was killed by a Kuchiki?"

"Retsu-sama thinks it unlikely, and I cannot imagine why anyone here would want him dead." Guren shook his head. "Since his existence prevented all the complications that are now beginning to stir again."

He paused, then,

"You have not directly said anything of it before me yet, and I am grateful for it. But even so, Seiren, I am aware that you now once more consider Ryuu the Kuchiki Clan's only eligible heir."

"By blood and tradition, there is no other choice." Seiren said categorically. "I cannot inherit, and this has always been known. But Ryuu is not like me. He is not so hampered. More, in the last year, he has learnt the name of his _zanpakutou_. The majority of the Clan believe in the traditions that have kept us surviving as a family as long as we have. That being the case..."

"I still do not wish to discuss this now. Not when my son is unburied." Guren held up his hand, and although faint frustration touched Seiren's expression, he inclined his head, indicating that he would not pursue the matter any further at that moment. "You and I have had easier relations since Father's death, because we were both robbed then of someone we loved. Ribari was someone we both loved too, was he not? In light of that...please take a little pity on me and give me some time to think the whole thing out."

Seiren was silent for a moment, then he sighed, bowing his head once more towards his brother, his gesture more in recognition of Clan hierarchy than concession to Guren's feelings.

"You are right." He murmured. "Ribari-sama was bright and promising and I enjoyed teaching him about the Clan. I too feel his loss. I have simply been trying to prevent the unrest that has struck our Clan in times past...I am sorry. I do not mean to disrespect my nephew's honour in any way."

"I know." Guren offered him a faint smile. "Father's death may have marked the first understanding between us, but Ribari's existence also allowed us to find more common ground and work in tandem for the good of this Clan. I have come to rely on you in the way Father hoped that I would...I'm glad that even now you feel the same way."

Seiren nodded his head, then,

"I have not spoken to Ryuu about the succession and I will not do so for now." He acknowledged. "It did not seem prudent to yet open such discussions. But it is a pressing matter for the Clan nonetheless. I will allow him to return to the Academy after the requisite memorials have all been conducted, for it is true that his training is not entirely yet complete. But at a later date, Nii-sama, we will discuss this again. We must, as you well know, review why my son alone is the only possible claimant to hold the Kuchiki in the future."

With that he withdrew, shutting the door softly behind him, and Guren bit his lip.

"A reconciliation that fractures just beneath the surface." Retsu murmured, and Guren nodded.

"So it is, so it always has been." He agreed heavily. "But Seiren is grieving too. He cannot show it - he will not show it. But that is my brother's way. It always has been. To channel his pain into the path forwards. I do not know if it makes him better or worse than me in respects of this family. But he is also not wrong. Most of the Clan will see things that way."

"And yet you do not consider his son as your potential heir, do you?"

"I have no real disregard for him." Guren responded pensively. "I suppose it can be said that I do not know him - he is there and my nephew, but he has always kept distant from the family even without his really knowing it. He is...not the same kind of person as Shirogane, and I do not know whether he is strong enough to think and act beyond the orders and guidelines given him by others. He has been raised perfectly by Seiren and his wife into respecting and observing the pride of this Clan with diligent precision. But...I worry that it is not enough. Ryuu is...talented. But...so was Shirogane and I would not take him as my Vice Captain until I could see clearly that he was able to lead and train as well as simply have ability. The same applies to Ryuu. He is an unknown. He does not mix with Shirogane and he did not mix with Ribari. His sole companion within the Kuchiki is your own young apprentice, the Edogawa _hime_. That in itself...may suggest even you know him better than I do."

"No. No, I don't think so. He is a very private young man and not given to deep confidences." Retsu replied thoughtfully. "But I think you are for now wise to act as you do. Ribari-sama must be honoured first. For your own sake as his Father, you must grieve and allow yourself this closure. A hasty judgement will only cause the unrest you seek to avoid."

"Yes. True." Guren nodded. "My Father always put faith in the Unohana as reasonable and neutral allies and I consider the relationship a similar one, Retsu-dono. I don't know what your personal politics are, or if you even have any. But you are often a voice of reason...and this grieving father is grateful for it."

Retsu smiled.

"Then my job here has been some way a successful one." She said lightly. "I'm sure you have much still to do, and I won't detain you longer. If I may, though, I will stay so long as tomorrow - to attend Ribari-sama's first memorial and offer my own prayers to help his soul. I never do like the deaths of anyone, but in particular the young - I want to do my best to ensure his spirit is able to pass safely on."

"I have no objection." Guren agreed. "You are welcome, and I'm sure the Clan will understand your gesture of respect in the same way I do."

Retsu made to leave, then she paused, turning to eye Guren carefully.

"I wonder, then, if you have wholly resigned yourself to Mitsuki-san's choice of vocation." She said softly. "She is the most talented young healer that I have encountered since I became head of my Clan - her Kuchiki reiatsu allows her to outstrip even the most gifted of the Unohana. I realise such a thing to be contrary to your Clan's traditions, but Guren-sama..."

"I have accepted her being your apprentice and I will not stand in her way." Guren shook his head. "She saved Shirogane's life because of that knowledge, and I am not fool enough not to understand that. It is unnatural to me - and to the Kuchiki - that one of our people should choose to heal instead of fight. But...Mitsuki is genuinely a healer and I've seen that fact now. When she graduates, I won't try to move against you taking her to District Four or to your own healing squad's base in Inner Seireitei. But wherever she goes, I'm quite decided now. Mitsuki remains a Kuchiki - whatever her path."

"As you wish." Retsu inclined her head, then she too was gone, and Guren was left alone.

He moved to the window, a troubled look on his face.  
_  
The Kuchiki has always been a tempestuous family tightly restrained by so many rules in order to keep everyone rigidly in line. But now, I wonder if that remains the case. A nephew I know nothing of, a nephew who the Clan may not accept...a young cousin whose powers are alien to this Clan, and now..my son, dead before he could claim adulthood and his killers gone without a trace. There is such a sense of unease in all of this...I wonder if we shall find an easy, clear path forwards ._

_

* * *

_

_**Kuchiki Clan Names**_

_As requested, the meanings of the Kuchiki names are as follows:_

_Guren _紅蓮 _(Crimson Lotus)  
Seiren _蒼蓮_(Azure Lotus)  
__Masane _雅音_(Solo Note)  
Yorune _夜音_(Night Note)  
Ginya _銀夜_(Silver Night)  
Ribari _李梁_(Plum Weir)_

_Shirogane's name is written with the same kanji as the "Gin" from his father's "Ginya", whilst Yorune's name was constructed from the "ya" (can also be read as yoru) from her father and the ne (note or sound) from her mother. Kawaii ne ;)  
_

_They haven't been introduced yet, but I'll add these to the pile too. Ryuu's sister's names are:  
__Murasaki _紫_(Purple)_  
_Kinka_ 金華_ (Golden Blossom)_  
_Momoko _桃子_ (Peach child)_  
_Miouko _美桜子_(Beautiful Sakura Child)_

_And two others - one of which has had a story reference before - and who will be part of this story too:_

_Kinnya _金若_(Golden Youth)  
Senaya _閃彩_(Spark of Brightness)_

_Because Kubo has colour kanji in the names of "Byakuya" and "Ginrei", I've kept somewhat to this theme as you can see. Of course, the two main Kuchiki in Meifu (Ryuu and Mitsuki) do not have colour related names. There is a reason for this...which may or not become apparent with time ;)_

_BTW, before any purists poke me, I know that I've cheated in using that kanji for Seiren's name ._

_Also, a little taste of the mad Ukitake family. I haven't really had a chance to expose their, erm, random madness quite as much as I had hoped, but here's a little sample of them anyhow :)  
_


	4. Waking Nightmare

**Chapter Three: Waking Nightmare**

_He was in the forest._

_His sword clutched in his hand, Shirogane made his way cautiously through the trees, feeling the sensation of eyes on him yet not being able to pick out the reason for his uncertainty. The hairs pricked on the back of his neck and he swung around, but there was nobody there. He was quite alone, yet the darkness was stifling him, threatening to overwhelm his senses completely._

"_Shirogane."_

_A voice drifted through the cloying blackness, sending chills through his heart as he struggled to find the speaker. It was Ribari's voice, he knew that, yet he could not see the boy, no matter where he looked. He stumbled forwards, Ginkyoujiki clutched desperately in a slick, sweat-drenched hand as he searched for his student._

"_Ribari-sama!" He called, his voice hoarse and urgent as he searched in vain for the Kuchiki heir. "Ribari-sama! Where are you? Ribari-sama!"_

"_Shirogane." _

_For the briefest of moments, he saw the young boy, staring at him with empty, tragic eyes from between the thick trunks of two katsura trees. He was pale and indistinct – almost unreal, and Shirogane blinked, trying to bring the apparition more clearly into focus. In that moment, though, the mirage was gone – and he wondered if it had ever been there at all._

_Something moved in the darkness, and he swung around, breathing hard as he tried to pinpoint what it was and where it had gone. Was it an animal? A wild beast slipping through on its way to hunt for the night? Or was it something else – someone else? Had it been a different kind of hunter, primed with a weapon he did not understand?_

_Something silver glinted out of the darkness, and Shirogane darted forward, lunging into the shadows as he tried to pin down the mysterious creature. As he did so, Ribari's words echoed through his thoughts once more, clear and vivid enough as though the youth was truly at his side, speaking them for the first time._

"_**I thought I saw…a young man. A man with…golden eyes. And…long hair. His skin…was…dark. And…that's all I saw."**_

_Something moved in the darkness, and Shirogane reached out to grab it, but whatever it was slipped easily through his fingers and disappeared into the woods beyond. The Vice Captain dropped to his knees, gripping the soil helplessly as he felt the forest closing in around him. The trees were imprisoning him, the trees were stopping him, the trees were…_

"_**I thought I saw…a young man. A man with…golden eyes."**_

_Ribari's words echoed through his thoughts again._

"_**They seemed to be looking right through me."**_

"Ribari-sama!"

Shirogane sat up in bed, breathing hard as he struggled to bring the world into focus. His heart was racing in his chest, he realised, and he had been sweating profusely – from fear or from something else? He could not tell, but when he brought his fingers to his brow, he realised that even his thick dark hair was damp to the touch.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

_It was a dream._

He sighed, staring around his darkened chamber with a sense of regret.

He was no longer in the forest. He could not look for Ribari. The boy was dead, yet he found it hard to truly accept it. His dream had been frightening and distorted, but he could not shake the feeling that parts of it had been real. Ribari's pallor, and the words he had spoken suddenly rang more true through his senses than anything else he remembered from that night.

Ribari had seen something. Something important. And Shirogane was the only one who knew what it was.

He pushed back his covers, pausing cautiously to check that he was truly alone in the darkened chamber. Mitsuki had given him something to help him sleep, and he had slept, but she had clearly assumed it would last longer than it had, for the girl was nowhere to be seen. Tentatively Shirogane reached out his senses to make sure she was not waiting just outside the door, allowing him time to rest and recuperate from the effects of his poisoning, but there was nobody there. Not even a guard stood near his chamber, and for this, Shirogane was grateful.

He got carefully to his feet, pulling his robe more tightly around his body with one hand whilst activating the kidou lamps that lit his chamber with the other. Mindful of Seiren's scathing criticism of his appearance the last time they had spoken, he moved to pick up his Clan clothing, then stopped, pausing to choose the black and white _shihakushou_ instead. He was Ribari's tutor no more, and he would not upset the balance by trying to flaunt his Clan bloodline so soon after the boy's sudden death. Yet till he had seen the body for himself, he could not robe in the dark colours of Kuchiki mourning. Instead, he would draw a compromise, wearing the attire that befitted his rank as Vice Captain of the Sixth Squad. The colours would not show disrespect to his fallen kinsman, but would also emphasise his rank and his duty to the Clan. Insecurity was not a familiar sensation for one of his confidence and ability – but recent events had made him insecure.

_But nobody can chastise me for wearing my robes of duty, and nobody can say that shihakushou are unsuitable for mourning. As Vice Captain of the Sixth Division, Ribari-sama's safety was my responsibility. As that, it's my duty to find out what happened to him. And to bring justice to his killer – or killers – no matter what._

For once, he had no real interest in his appearance, but as a last thought grabbed a white ribbon from the unit, tying it firmly into his thick dark hair to pull it back from his face and out of his eyes. He was not as unsteady on his feet, now – Mitsuki's potion had obviously done him some good, then – and as he peered at his reflection in the finely crafted mirror, he realised that he looked less ghoulish than he had when he had first staggered from the chamber to face his Uncles downstairs. Perhaps he was not fully fit yet, he acknowledged, reaching up to touch his cheek absently. But it would do. For now, it would do.

He pushed back the door of his chamber, glancing along the hallway in both directions to make sure the coast was clear. It was, save for a serving maid who paused to glance at him uncertainly. He offered her a glare, and her eyes widened with alarm. Immediately she scuttled back to what she had been doing, and Shirogane sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Girl." He spoke aloud, and the girl paused, staring at him warily.

"Yes, sir?" She asked softly, and Shirogane bit his lip. She was only young, he realised – seventeen or eighteen, no more than that – still a child, and obviously scared just at the sight of him. Such people were beneath his notice or his concern, but those with eyes also had voices, and it would not do any good if she was to report having seen him leave. Mitsuki would doubtless be back soon – her vigilance over him had not yet faltered for any length of time – and the last thing he wanted was to spark off a hunt around the whole of the manor.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked softly, muting his tones so as not to scare the girl further, and she bowed her head respectfully, raising her eyes to meet his apprehensively.

"Nagoya…Shirogane-sama." She whispered, and Shirogane nodded.

"Good. Then if you know that, you know I am nephew to Guren-sama and that my orders are to be immediately obeyed." He said crisply.

"Yes…yes, sir." The girl bowed again.

"Listen, then. I'll say it once and expect you to remember." Shirogane spoke evenly, though his heart pounded in his chest for he knew the longer he lingered here, the less likely he would be able to make any form of escape. "If anyone comes by this way, and seeks me, you have not seen me leave my room. Do you understand? No matter who it is that asks you, unless it is Guren-sama himself. I have an important errand that shouldn't be impeded by lesser kinsfolk such as the Edogawa _hime_ – so if she in particular asks after me, you may tell her you have no knowledge of me. Understood?"

"..Yes, sir." The girl nodded emphatically. "I will remember."

"Repeat to me my order, just so I can be sure your peasant brain has absorbed it."

"I have not seen you this morning." The girl repeated obediently. "I've been busy at my tasks and have not seen anyone pass by me. If Edogawa-hime-sama speaks to me, this is what I will say. I will only say otherwise to Guren-sama."

"Good girl." Shirogane nodded. "Mind you keep to it."

He paused, then,

"What's your name?"

"Nanaki, sir." The girl seemed surprised. Shirogane's eyes narrowed, and he nodded.

"I will remember that." He murmured. "That I gave those instructions to a maid called Nanaki, and will see them obeyed."

With that he was gone, not even bothering to turn back though he knew that the young girl was staring after him all the same. He didn't really care to know what the wench – or any serving wench – was named as, but it was a trick he had learnt as a boy to ensure complete obedience to his orders. If a lord asked a servant's name, then that servant would be twice as diligent in obeying the instruction – for they knew that failure would bring direct consequences down on their head.

_She will not speak to Mitsuki, or anyone else who asks where I might be gone to. That should give me a little time…time to get where I want to go without being interrupted or disturbed._

He slipped into the stairwell, closing his eyes to steady his racing spirit power, and then forcing his body into_ shunpo_. Although he was far from well enough to be using such things, he somehow managed to make the step, dropping in an exhausted, dizzy heap outside the family mausoleum and drawing a deep, shaky breath into his lungs. He felt sick and giddy, the world swimming around him. But even so, he pulled himself to his feet.

He could not truly believe Ribari was dead. Not yet. Not until he had seen it for himself.

Aside from two Kuchiki retainers standing guard at the entrance, the mausoleum too was deserted, and the men did not question his being there, bowing their heads in respect to him as he passed. Wearing the uniform of the Sixth Squad had been the right decision, he realised, for they obviously assumed he was there in his official capacity to pay respects to the corpse of a slain comrade. It wasn't all about kin, and when he considered it, Shirogane realised that this was true. Ribari was his kin and his social superior, but also his _deshi_ and his subordinate officer.

_If I'm honest, more and more my world here has revolved around Ribari-sama's. Guren-sama did that on purpose, I'm sure of it. He chose me as his Vice Captain, and wanted to see me prove myself as a trainer of others so that he could utilise me – to teach Ribari-sama, to guide him, and perhaps, one day, to work as Seiren-dono does in Guren-sama's own court – to support and advise the Head of the Kuchiki Clan. _

_Perhaps it was for mother's sake, or maybe it was for mine. But clearly Guren-sama planned for all of this – to forge a bond between Ribari-sama and I so that I would feel a connection to him and come to offer him my undivided loyalty. Instead, it's made me feel undivided grief. We're burying a boy who I cared for a lot – but in doing so, we may also be burying my own future, too. My fate and Ribari-sama's – my position and Ribari-sama's…may well have been connected. And now he is gone…how will people view it? How will they view me? As Ribari-sama's grieving _shishou_ – or as one who sought to usurp his position or to protect my Vice Captaincy? Guren-sama intended us to work together – for me to establish myself alongside his son. But others may glean other motives…I'm not safe, now. Nothing is safe, now. Perhaps Seiren-dono was right in his concerns . The image I present now…may determine everything from this point on._

He paused inside the entrance to the mausoleum, resting his hand against the wall as his vision became grainy and blurred.

_But I need to see for myself. I need to see Ribari-sama…I need to see it for myself._

Repeating this a few times to himself, he managed to regain control of his balance and his senses, and he forged on, heading deeper and deeper into the Kuchiki-ke's memorial sanctuary. It had been built entirely from white stone, the two swans of the Kuchiki family carved deeply into the stone above the entrance as a symbolic sign that all who were remembered within this place were honoured members of a blessed Clan. Though Shirogane knew that the memorials and tombs were all for show, it still held a certain amount of reverence in its atmosphere – as though his ancestors truly slept here, waiting for their fellows to join them in eternal rest.

Shirogane's own parents were remembered here, though their corpses had long since gone to dust and joined the spirit matter that permeated every part of Seireitei's atmosphere. He had very seldom been to pay his respects there, for he had known that he would only be praying to stone and incense and therefore had seen little point in the ritual pilgrimages that some family members made to their lost ones. To Shirogane, death was death, and rebirth was the start of a new life, not the continuation of an old. His parents were gone, and they could no longer either see or hear him – therefore it was a waste of his time to mourn them when he could be doing far more positive things to forge his path among the living instead. But even though death was a finality to him, Ribari's death still seemed cloaked in unreality.

Even the most skilled embalmer could not preserve a Clan corpse beyond a week, on account of the high level of spirit power most noble individuals possessed. Shirogane knew that for that reason Ribari's memorial and interment would happen sooner rather than later, even despite the uncertainty over his cause of death. The first ceremony was scheduled for the morrow – so today would be the last and only chance he would have to see his _deshi_ face to face to say goodbye.

A pang of sadness struck through him at this.

Ribari had been wilful, selfish and sometimes more than a handful. But Shirogane had seen real potential in him, and he hated that that now had gone to waste.

The mausoleum, unlike other family tombs, was not all encased in stone walls and high-vaulted, patterned ceilings. Instead it was built in a square, four long blocks of passages and arched tombs that each led out into a central space where cherry trees bloomed and grass grew green and strong. This expansive garden-like space was meant for contemplation – for the mourners to offer prayers to their dead, rather than a place where family members were buried. However, as Shirogane crossed the damp grass towards the embalming chamber on the furthest side, he thought absently how much nicer it would be to be buried in this spot with the sky above him than in the cobwebby darkness, surrounded by cold marble slabs.

Perhaps, when it was his turn, he would ask for that. That his spirit be allowed to rest beneath the sakura, rather than among the dust.

Not that the mausoleum was neglected or dusty, he acknowledged to himself as he carefully and gingerly mounted the steps that led up to the embalming chamber. On the contrary, the Kuchiki employed more servants than any other Clan, and some of those were hired simply to keep this place tidy – to sweep the floors, remove dead branches, and make sure that the final resting places of some of Seireitei's most esteemed souls were kept in a state worthy of their continued repose. Even the embalming chamber, where Shirogane knew Retsu-dono had been making her investigations into Ribari's cause of death was as clean as a pin – and as he pushed back the door, he could see the figure, covered by a dark blue sheet yet unmistakeably that of a person.

His throat seemed to suddenly close up, making it harder for him to breathe and he stumbled forward, suddenly finding each step harder than the next as he drew closer to the bier.

There was no lingering sense of reiatsu in the room, only a mixture of herbal scents and the drifting vapours of both preservative spells and the Unohana leader's investigative magic. Yet even though Ribari's spirit was absent, Shirogane felt a lurching sense of reality as his fingers brushed against the edge of the dark blue blanket.

Though he had known it was true, at that moment, he truly felt it was, too.

Carefully and not without misgivings, he drew the cover back, almost dropping it as his gaze rested on the face of his young student. The boy's features were reposed as though he was sleeping, his eyes shut and his expression peaceful. Yet this gave Shirogane no comfort, for he knew that it was an eternal sleep from which Ribari would never wake. On his neck, brought out and bruised from the length of time he had been dead, Shirogane could see the mark that possibly indicated the means of his murder, and anger flooded through him at the imperfection that touched the pale-as-chalk skin. It was a small mark, yet it seemed as though Ribari had been defiled – that not even in death had he been able to find perfection.

"Ribari-sama." He whispered, uncharacteristic tears touching his eyes as he sank down onto his knees, pushing his hands together instinctively as though to pray for the young boy's soul. Shirogane did not believe in gods or spirits or superstitions beyond those that marked his official duty – he believed only in the world around him and the power of the Kuchiki that he had seen every day since his early infancy. But in that moment he wanted something to pray to – some comfort that he could reach out towards to dampen the swirling uncertainty in his heart.

Ribari was dead. That was the end. There was nothing else.

Shirogane drew a breath into his lungs, feeling giddy and unsettled. Even the boy's serene expression seemed surreal and wrong, and in a brief, horrific flash he saw the boy's face in a different way – in a frightened, panicked way, as fear had gripped him before his collapse in the forest. Was that memory real? He did not know, but it was enough to make his heart skip a beat, and his hand went automatically to his chest, half afraid that he would pass out.

"What are you doing here?"

Seiren's voice startled him from his daze and he swung around defensively, wariness sparking in his grey eyes as he met his uncle's quizzical, disapproving stare. To begin with he could not find words, and Seiren's eyes narrowed. Two hands came down on Shirogane's shoulders, and the Vice Captain found himself hauled unceremoniously to his feet.

"I asked a question." The older man said softly. "You are meant to be in your chamber – so why are you here?"

"I came to see Ribari-sama."

"You have no permission to do so, as well you know."

"With respect, Uncle, the business of Sixth Squad is a shinigami's concern, and not yours." Shirogane gathered his wits, shaking himself free of his companion's grasp. "Ribari-sama was my _deshi,_ and my subordinate officer. Therefore for me to come here is a natural state of affairs."

"For you to come here…" Seiren gazed at Shirogane long and hard for a moment, then, "And is it also a natural state of affairs for you to tie your hair with parchment ribbon and to grovel on the ground before a body when I have not once seen you kneel and pray before your mother's monument?"

Shirogane fell silent once more, and Seiren sighed, grabbing the younger man by the arm.

"Leave, and I will not report it to Guren-sama." He said quietly. "He is concerned enough about you and your odd behaviour without adding this to the equation. Perhaps I don't always see the same world as you shinigami do, but I have seen you grow up and I know better than you think your views on the matter of death. To you it is a final step – a door closing and nothing more. You haven't come to this place since your mother's death, and then you came only as a matter of ceremony. Now you come here of your own free will even though tomorrow you will be here by duty's command to mark his interment formally. You don't even realise it yourself but you aren't making clear sense. And Guren-sama will only worry more…"

"Guren-sama has not told me I cannot offer grief or prayers for my student!" Something inside Shirogane snapped, and he flung back his hand, knocking Seiren's away as he took steps back from his companion. "I have every right to come and pay respect to a comrade – much more to a cousin and a boy who was the heir to this Clan! You do not have the authority to order me otherwise, not unless Guren-sama has said so! You are just my Uncle, Seiren-dono – a man with no right to rule this Clan and no power that Guren-sama does not give you! You cannot so easily command me, just because you are Guren-sama's brother!"

"And you are simply the son of my younger sister and of a man of fourth level descent." Seiren's voice became edged with anger. "You should guard your words, boy, because your position is more precarious than mine. If not for Masane's blood-link to Guren-sama, you would be cast outside of the degrees of this Clan. If not for Guren-sama's promises to her, you would not hold any form of office in this family. There are people who speak and think well of you, but they do so because Guren-sama has done so. I am not so easily won over – and I am not going to be spoken to by my junior – both in age and in rank."

His eyes narrowed to near slits.

"I cannot inherit this Clan, but my standing in it remains the same." He added coldly. "By blood I am brother to the Clan leader. By blood I am closer to him than you or anyone else ever will be. Remember that before you cast words against me. I am not just your Uncle. I am your superior and you will listen to my words just as surely as you expect those shinigami to listen to you."

"My orders come from my Captain, and that Captain is not you." Shirogane snapped back, no longer caring that he was flinging decorum to the winds. Seeing Ribari's body had brought back the horror and uncertainty of his night in the forest, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness flooded over him, blinding him to reason and making him speak without thinking. "I am here as Vice Captain of Sixth Squad – a body to which you have no connection whatsoever."

"If I spoke of this to Guren-niisama, do you think that he would continue to tolerate your connection to it? When you can behave like this, before the corpse of his only son?" Seiren shot back. "Your actions disgrace both you and your mother. They disrespect Ribari-sama. You should leave here and not come back – in fact, I will recommend to my brother that you do not attend the ceremony, either. You are currently in unstable mind – and I would not have you defile the memorial in the way you've defiled this place today!"

"Ojisama!"

Shirogane did not know what had possessed him, but in that moment he felt certain that he would lunge at the older man, even swing his fists in his frustration and distress. Yet before he could do so, someone's fingers closed around his wrists, and he realised that despite his precautions, his nurse had tracked him down.

"Shirogane-senpai, please, calm down!" Mitsuki's words were gentle yet firm, and something in her aura made him take a breath, the tension seeping out of him as he gazed at her in confusion.

"Mitsuki." Seiren's gaze flitted to the newcomer, then, "I thought you were supposed to be keeping an eye on him. This is not good enough – you've seen the reasons why."

"I'm sorry, Seiren-dono." Mitsuki bowed her head, chastised. "This is entirely my fault. I didn't think that Guren-sama would mind if Shirogane-senpai came to pay his final respects to Ribari-sama like this – it was distressing him, but he seemed otherwise calm, and so…I thought it would be all right. That it might help, in fact…to give him closure before tomorrow's ceremony."

_What is she saying?_

Shirogane stared at her in astonishment, not quite believing what he had heard.

_She did no such thing – she had no idea that I was intending to come here, and she certainly has no reason to take any blame for it. Why is she protecting me – what does she gain from this?_

"I see." Seiren let out a heavy sigh. "You may be apprenticed to a Clan leader, Mitsuki, but you do not have the authority to act in District Six without the consent of your own. Remember it. Shirogane is clearly still quite unwell – you should make better judgements if you want to be a good healer in the future."

"Yes, sir. I understand." Mitsuki bowed her head again. "But please, do not punish Shirogane-senpai for wanting to see Ribari-sama one last time. They were very close – and this was the last chance he would ever have to…say any kind of goodbye. At present Shirogane-senpai's emotions are still very raw. I thought if he could see how peacefully Ribari-sama is sleeping – it might help assuage his guilt and put his mind at rest."

Seiren shook his head slowly from side to side.

"You are lucky." He said at length, fixing Shirogane with a dark glare. "That she will speak for you. Also, that I do not want to trouble my brother with anything that he doesn't need to address. But I warn you, Shirogane – if you cause any trouble at the memorial service, there will be consequences. I will deal with you myself, if that's the way it is. Remember that – I won't warn you again."

With that he was gone, cloak rustling against his body as he made his exit, and Mitsuki sighed, relief touching her expression as she released her hold on Shirogane's wrists.

"Good. I found you in time."

"Why did you say those things to Seiren-dono?" Shirogane eyed her warily, trying to judge her motives. "I didn't even speak of my plans to you. I slipped out while you weren't attending me. You had no reason to claim any responsibility – why did you?"

"I left you alone. That was my fault. Therefore it doesn't matter, really, what I'm scolded for." Mitsuki said matter-of-factly. "Besides, Seiren-dono was angry, and so were you. It wasn't a good situation – and I'm less significant in any of this. I'm just a _hime_, just third degree, just a healer already known for being somewhat unusual. If I get blamed, so what? I wouldn't care if I was evicted from the Clan, so I have nothing to lose."

She reached across to smooth down his _shihakushou_, and for a brief instant, though the girl was his junior, Shirogane felt something almost protective in her touch.

"_You_, on the other hand, have a lot to lose." She said frankly. "And I don't want to see you lose it."

"I see." Shirogane faltered, then he sighed. "I…I'm sorry."

"It's all right." Mitsuki shrugged. "Unlike Seiren-dono, I know your grief is real. I can feel it, in your aura – it pulses away even though you try to conceal yourself. My senses are much harder to deceive than most people's – so when I felt your reiatsu flicker and flare, I came here as soon as I could. I knew that Seiren-dono was with you – and I didn't want you to do anything you would regret."

"I very nearly might have." Shirogane admitted, glancing at his hands. "But you stopped me. And…I am grateful."

"I shouldn't have left you so easily alone." Mitsuki shrugged. "We're even. But for now, come back to your room. Till things calm down a little, all right? I know how you feel, but others feel it too. You're not the only one with a grieving aura. Seiren-dono's is raw as well. Right now people will more easily fight over things – and it's harder to mend bonds than it is to break them."

Shirogane pursed his lips, then, slowly, he nodded his head.

"You speak reason." He admitted reluctantly. "And not for the first time recently I'm realising that. I confess I scorned it when I heard you'd decided to become a healer, but I'm beginning to realise that it wasn't so much a choice as a vocation, was it? If you can read my aura so clearly as that...even from such a distance..."

"I was born that way, so this is what I have to do with what I have." Mitsuki agreed. "Just like you're in the position you're in, I'm working towards being a shinigami who mends stuff, not breaks it. That's my hope, anyhow."

She dimpled.

"But I still have work to do. My training isn't over yet. And I still make mistakes. Like letting you wander unsupervised around the manor when everything is how it is."

She glanced at him.

"Will you come back upstairs with me? I can't drag you by force, but..."

"I will." Shirogane agreed. "Since I can't lie to you, I won't. My head is spinning and I'm not steady on my feet, even though I thought I'd recovered sufficiently to do this. Tomorrow I will keep very quiet and say nothing unless I am addressed directly. Even the slightest flare of emotion currently sends me completely out of my easy control - and I do not like the sensation."

"Grief is an unpleasant one all around." Mitsuki's gaze flitted to Ribari's body, and Shirogane realised that although she had not known the boy that well, she understood his feelings all the same. With a start he registered that she had probably lost someone dear in the past - and that with her sensitivity of awareness, she too had suffered in the way he was suffering now.

He had never cared about such things before, but now he found himself thinking of it with a whole new perspective. Was this the lingering effect of whatever drug had poisoned him, or something else?

"Whatever this chemical is, it still lurks within me." He said softly, watching as she drew the dark sheet once more over Ribari's features, concealing him from view. "And I wish it to be gone, but it is not. How long, Mitsuki, before I can think like a rational soul again?"

"How long is a piece of string?" Mitsuki shrugged. "However long it takes. The drug is no longer in your system, senpai. The after effects of it are something completely different."

Gently she took him by the arm, and Shirogane did not resist as she ushered him out of the chamber and back towards the garden.

"This is an impolite and intrusive question, so forgive me." She added quietly, as they walked towards the main house. "But I know that you're an orphan - that your father and mother have both passed on. Yet your reactions to this are...almost as though this is the first person you've cared for and lost. And so I wondered..."

"Whether I hated my parents so much that I didn't grieve for them?" Shirogane offered her a wry smile. "You're right. That is an impolite and intrusive question. But since you just deflected blame from me, I will answer it. My father was often away from home and I barely knew him. My mother was always weak and sickly, and though I considered her close to me, I was not grieved by her death. She stopped suffering...and so I could let her go."

He turned back towards the mausoleum for a moment, then.

"Guren-sama has been very good to me, and so have Meroka and her family, as much as that girl drives me to distraction." He added. "So I did not feel the loss so greatly when either passed away. But Ribari-sama was very...alive. And he had a lot of future left. Besides, I was there. There and yet helpless...even while he was dying, there was nothing I could..."

He faltered, his hand going in horror to his face as he registered the warm wet sensation of tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. He cursed, dashing them away, but more fell and Mitsuki bit her lip, eying him in concern. Shirogane stared at her through the blur of his emotions, both fearing and dreading her next words, but instead of something nauseating and sympathetic, the girl's tones remained firm.

"This was not your fault." She said frankly. "Grieve if you must, but don't blame yourself. Ribari-sama would not blame you, and therefore nor must you."

"Mitsuki..." The firmness in her words brought some measure of control back to him, and Shirogane finally managed to stem the flow of tears, wiping his eyes on his sleeve and taking a deep breath.

"We'll go back to your room now, and you can rest some more." Mitsuki did not say any more, simply turning back towards the house, and Shirogane found he was grateful for her understanding of both his feelings and his pride.

She had acted as though it had not happened, yet her eyes had told him that she would not forget it had, and he nodded his head slowly.

"I'm coming." He said quietly. "Lead the way."

They walked in silence for a while, both deep in thought, and Shirogane found he was grateful for the silence as much as he was for Mitsuki's gentle presence at his side. As they crossed through the halls, several retainers bowed their heads to acknowledge them, and Shirogane was aware of at least one whispered conversation that was hurriedly hushed up as they passed, with lower Clansfolk sending anxious and pensive glances his way.

His eyes narrowed. He did not need to hear their words to understand what they were saying. They were talking about the Clan's succession - and as they reached the stairwell that led to his own chamber, he clearly heard the name of his uncle, followed by that of his cousin Ryuu.

_So Seiren-dono is already beginning to move on the opinion that his son will now be heir to the Clan._

Shirogane bit his lip as he processed this.

_Though in the circumstances, I can't criticise it. Ryuu's bloodline is acceptable and Seiren-dono has always grasped for power so long as I can remember. This only sets things back the way they once were - back before Ribari-sama was born. Ryuu probably is the next heir to the Kuchiki Clan - I doubt there are many at court who would argue it, especially since there is nobody else to take on the burden._

Mitsuki shot him a glance, as though trying to read his thoughts, but she said nothing, merely leading the way along the hall to his bedroom. The young serving girl was long since gone, and despite himself, Shirogane was glad. He did not feel in any mood to explain himself to an insignificant peasant wench.

Once inside the chamber, Mitsuki frowned, leaning up against the door with a heavy sigh.

"You know, it might be considered inappropriate for me to have a young kinswoman alone in my room like this, Mitsuki." Shirogane pointed out softly, and Mitsuki's cheeks flushed red as she hastily shook her head.

"I'm not really considered as a kinswoman for the most part. Not here." She said simply. "Besides, I have Guren-sama's direct instruction to treat you and make sure you recover. Therefore it is explained. Nobody will question it - or your honour in this regard, senpai."

Shirogane frowned.

"I wasn't thinking of my honour." He owned. "I was thinking of yours."

"Oh." Mitsuki paused for a moment, then she grinned sheepishly.

"I suppose nobody thinks that anything amiss would happen." She reflected. "Besides, it's such a very small concern, and I don't like to listen to rumours from outside."

At her tone, Shirogane eyed her keenly.

"You also heard them whispering, then, as we came here?"

"I've heard it a few times lately." Mitsuki looked troubled. "Though nothing official has happened, many people are already talking about the succession and Ryuu's name has come up a few times. I don't know...it seems too soon...but I think Seiren-dono has firm ideas, and I know that he can be hard to sway."

"Ryuu is probably the right choice, by blood." Shirogane shrugged. "I just find it hard to so easily replace Ribari-sama when his body is only just cold."

"Mm." Mitsuki chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "By blood...perhaps. But I don't think...Ryuu isn't..."

"You know him more than I." Shirogane dropped down onto his bed, leaning back on his elbows as he gazed across at her. "I confess I barely know my cousin outside of formalities. He seems always in Seiren-dono's shadow when here, and rarely tries to make himself noticed. When he does, nothing good comes of it. To be truthful, I've never seen any value in communicating with him. There didn't seem to be any need. But..."

"Ryuu isn't anyone's shadow." Mitsuki shook her head. "He and Seiren-dono have never been that close either, beyond the formalities, and he has his own ideas too. He's someone who's helped me numerous times, and I consider him a very dear friend - almost like a brother. Even though the rest of the Clan more or less shuns me, he never has. He's always seen it as his duty to protect me from all of that."

"Ryuu as a protector?" Shirogane smiled hollowly. "Somehow I find it hard to see."

He sighed.

"Either way, blood dictates in this Clan." He said resignedly. "I imagine Seiren-dono will have his way, so perhaps, if your words are true, it's a good thing. A good choice. For the Clan in the future. If Ryuu is really so strong as you say he is."

"Mm." Mitsuki did not commit herself any further, instead coming to kneel at his side as she reached across to touch his brow.

"You're not fevered, but something is distressing you." She observed. "Other than your fight with Seiren-dono - something else. Did anything happen before I found you? I felt your reiatsu spike, but..."

"I was sleeping." Shirogane's lips thinned as he remembered the dream, and Mitsuki's expression became one of understanding.

"Dreaming? About that night?" She asked softly. Shirogane nodded.

"I don't know what was real and what wasn't." He agreed slowly. "But if it was real - any of it - I don't want to dream it again."

"You know, if you remember things about that night, Guren-sama should..."

"I'm not allowed to see Guren-sama unless I go through Seiren-dono first." Shirogane cut across her, shaking his head. "And today's encounter makes me even more sure that anything I said to Seiren-dono would be treated as hallucination. He seems to believe me rendered completely unstable by this - and so he wouldn't consider my words as serious. Truthfully, I don't know if they are or not. Not entirely. But there are things...things that Ribari-sama...things that..."

He faltered.

"I won't bring you into it." He decided. "They're things you have no birthright to know, nor any reason to understand."

"That doesn't take away from whether or not you can talk to me about things. Even powerless people can listen." Mitsuki did not seem at all put out by his words, and Shirogane sighed heavily.

"No. Not something of this nature. Something relating to Sixth Squad...to Guren-sama's son...something that...could create waves..."

He moistened his lips, then,

"I will simply have to keep it to myself for the time being."

"If you're sure." Mitsuki eyed him keenly. "Though bottling up things isn't good for you - especially not when you're still recovering from a horrific attack. You should relieve yourself of whatever burdens you have - if not to me, then to someone."

"I can't..." Shirogane stopped mid-sentence, raising his gaze suddenly and reaching out to grab her by the wrist.

"Senpai!" Mitsuki let out a yelp, pulling back in surprise. "What are you...?"

"When do you go back to the Academy? Genryuusai-sensei's Academy?" Shirogane did not notice her discomfort, merely boring his grey eyes into her gentle ones. "I know you'll be here so long as the memorial happens, but...after that? You will go back...you, and Ryuu - both of you are still students, aren't you?"

"Yes." Mitsuki rubbed her wrist, looking confused. "I imagine it's as you say - when things have got calmer, we'll return. We're to be Senior Class this year, and so I wouldn't think Guren-sama would prevent us. Not even if Ryuu is the favourite for the Clan leadership. In fact, probably because of that - he'll want to have Ryuu prove himself the same as he wanted you to for your Vice Captaincy."

"Mm. Exactly." Shirogane's eyes lit up with a faint glimmer of hope. "In that case...perhaps there is something I can do. Someone I can speak to."

"Senpai?" Mitsuki stared at him, and Shirogane shook his head.

"For now, I'm going to rest." He said frankly. "Sleep and conserve my strength for tomorrow. I won't disgrace Guren-sama then, Mitsuki - you have my word. But afterwards...after the first ceremony is over, then..."

He trailed off, laying back against his pillow with a sigh.

_It's a gamble, but one I have to take, now. If what Ribari-sama said is true, this isn't something I can simply babble to anyone and everyone. If he was right, if he was wrong - there are political implications. But I must do something, and if I can't get to Guren-sama, that leaves me with only one course of action._

He closed his eyes.

_Perhaps it's time to see if you're right, Mitsuki - to find out whether my first cousin Ryuu is as reliable or as strong as you consider him to be._

_

* * *

_

The building was more or less deserted by the time Juushirou arrived, and for a moment he paused at the front entrance, stopping to gaze up at the familiar, well-worn grey stone of the old Yamamoto manor house that had some fifteen years earlier become the home of Genryuusai's illustrious Academy. It had begun quite small, with only a handful of students, yet now it was beginning to thrive, and Juushirou knew that this year for the first time there would be thirty new students for the first year - almost twice the number that had originally populated his own. At least half - maybe more - of these newcomers were District students, and Juushirou was glad. Little by little, they were finding their voice in a still largely Clan dominated society - paving the way for the future of Soul Society as a whole.

Juushirou knew he was at the head of that change, and that thought reminded him of exactly what responsibility he now held. A fleeting sensation of sadness washed over him as he realised that this would be the last spring he would stand on these steps. If all went well for them this year, they would graduate at the end of the winter - and then step out into an unknown future among the Gotei of Seireitei.

_But that in itself is a challenge and an exciting one._

Juushirou pursed his lips, reflecting on this fact.

_I love the Academy. I've loved being here, and I hope this year will be as full of new things and fun experiences as the last four have been. I really really want to make the most of what time we have left. But everyone else being here is a part of that experience. If they graduated without me, I'd be lonely - so I won't look back. If this is to be my last year...I'll grab it with both hands and take every chance that comes my way._

"You look far too deep in thought considering term doesn't begin for another twenty four hours."

A voice startled him from his reverie, and he turned, hearing a familiar chuckle as he met the laughing brown eyes of his closest friend.

"Shunsui?"

"Yes, you thought you had a day of peace and quiet before I showed up, didn't you?" Kyouraku Shunsui's grin widened, and he reached out a casual paw, patting his companion sympathetically on the shoulder. "But you're out of luck. I decided to ride a day early, since everything at home was getting a little noisy, and I actually realised I'd get more sleep here than I would in District Eight."

"I see." Juushirou's confused expression broke into a warm grin. "I wasn't expecting to see you - but I'm not unhappy you're here. The school seems quiet like this."

"That's because the hordes won't arrive till tomorrow." Shunsui observed. "There's just you and I and the teachers about today - at least, I assume. Unless anyone else got here early."

"You don't seem as surprised to see me as I am to see you." Juushirou pursed his lips. "Why would that be, I wonder?"

"Well, when Niisama got the letter about us being promoted to Senior Class, I sent word to Sora to find out all the details from her father." Shunsui shrugged. "Since I was fairly sure that it would mean you being chosen as Anideshi. And I was right, so I decided I'd come keep you company while you freaked out and adjusted to your new responsibilities. You were the obvious choice - I'm glad Yama-jii was wise enough to break with convention and do it."

"I don't feel very obvious." Juushirou said pensively. "But I guess that's your way of congratulating me, so thank you...I think."

"I suppose it was." Shunsui grinned unrepentantly. "Well? Are we going inside? Or are we standing out here admiring the view instead?"

"We can go in." Juushirou reddened. "Sorry."

"Don't apologise." Shunsui shook his head. "I know you. Soaking up the environment and making memories out of it before we've even left. But we'll have plenty to do, don't you worry."

"What's so noisy in Eighth District, by the way?" As the two boys walked through the unusually quiet halls, Juushirou cast his companion a quizzical look, and Shunsui pulled a face.

"My nephew." He said dryly. "Who has just discovered that if he puts his paws in front of his knees, he can move at speed from one side of a room to the other. He's also getting quite vocal - he's saying half words and even occasionally it sounds like he's speaking. But he doesn't really understand the meaning of 'quiet' and 'lie in', and his chamber isn't far from mine, really. Between him, his nurses, and Nii-sama fussing over whether everything he's doing is dangerous or whether him having eaten this or that random object is going to hurt him...I was happier coming back here."

He grinned.

"Although he's going to be an enterprising little tot. The day before yesterday, he got away from the maid in charge of him and somehow managed to get into Rae-chan's chambers. I guess she must've left the door open, but when they found him, he'd pulled a whole bunch of her underclothes down on top of him and was happily playing with them. And the week before that, he was in the grounds with his chief nurse, and he grabbed hold of her apron and clean pulled it right off. He's already got the right idea. With a little teaching from his expert uncle...he could go far."

"I see." Juushirou was amused. "Yes, I forgot you're not used to that. People think babies are noisy...but really, when they begin to move - that's the craziest time. And Harumatsu must be about a year old now, or thereabouts...mustn't he?"

"Yes. Just a bit more than." Shunsui agreed. "I'm fond of the tyke, don't get me wrong -and more than happy that one day the Clan will fall to him, and not me. But...like you said, I'm not used to small, screeching things invading my space at random intervals. It's remarkably unnerving - I have a new respect for you with all those younger siblings of yours. And even more for your stepmother."

"It's not so bad." Juushirou laughed. "But it will only get more crazy from this point. In comparison, being a Senior at the Academy will seem a walk in the park."

"Rae-chan seems to be starstruck enough by Haru that she's already talking of having a large family." Shunsui shook his head as if he found this hard to believe, letting out a sigh. "I don't know why, since you could hear her screams from the grounds when he was born. But I guess women are stronger than men in the end...we take battle wounds and fret and bleed all over the place. But they give over their bodies knowing that it could kill them, give birth yet still smile and laugh and talk about the next time. I don't understand it - not one bit. But that's how it is."

"Okaasama was always the same." Juushirou said thoughtfully. "Even though Hahaue died when I was born, Okaasama never seemed scared. And Chihiro's already talking about wanting her own children, too. P'raps you're right. Women are strange things...but thinking like that, it's quite a relief not to be one."

"Yes. I think I agree." Shunsui laughed.

"Shunsui...while it's just the two of us..." As they reached the foot of the main staircase, Juushirou stopped, turning to cast his companion a troubled glance. "Have you heard anything...I mean, about...Ryuu and Mitsuki and..."

"You're the District Six native, so I imagine you'd have heard more." Shunsui's eyes immediately became grave and he shrugged his shoulders. "I know what Niisama told me, which is that he had received a message sent via the Council of Elders that Guren-sama's son had been unexpectedly killed in a suspicious incident and as such Guren-sama would be observing mourning and not attending the Council until the memorials were all at an end. That's all I know. No more, no less. But I imagine it will mean a while before Mitsuki or Ryuu turn up here, if they even do."

"I thought of writing, then thought it might create further uncertainty." Juushirou sighed. "To have a letter arrive from a District nobody in the midst of a family crisis. So I haven't, and I've not had any communication from either of them. I know what I do because Genryuusai-sensei told me when he came to ask me formally to be Anideshi...but even though I don't know much, it bothers me."

"Assassinations happen in Clans - either from the inside or from the out." Shunsui said bleakly. "Unfortunately its one of those unpleasant facts about the high nobility that never seems to go away. Though this one is a mystery by all accounts. Nii-sama said that Ribari-sama occasionally came to Council these last few months, since he was approaching his majority. He seemed harmless enough - and more significantly, well liked. Niisama said that a few times in the last few months both Seiren-dono and Ribari-sama attended the Council and that while debates were in session, Seiren-dono and Ribari-sama would have their heads bent together, Seiren-dono explaining to Ribari-sama the things he didn't understand. Niisama said he'd never seen Guren-sama and Seiren-dono attend Council together before - but because Ribari-sama was there..."

"Seiren-dono...is...Ryuu's father?" Juushirou asked hesitantly, and Shunsui nodded.

"Apparently. I've never met him, so I can't be certain, but I think so." He agreed. "I don't know that Guren-sama has any other blood brothers."

He shrugged.

"Either way, I'm sure the whole Kuchiki is currently in uproar. Things will settle - they do because they have to - and Ryuu and Mitsuki will probably be sent out of it as soon as it's possible to do so. What will happen in the long run, only the Kuchiki know. But Sora didn't mention anything to me about either of them being withdrawn from the academic roll or anything like that. So if you're worried about that, Juu..."

"No...I mean, I am, but...I'm worried about Ryuu." Juushirou sighed. "The way Sensei said it...ah, perhaps I'm over-reading it. I just...got the impression that things would get difficult for him now. That's all."

"When is the Kuchiki anything other than difficult?" Shunsui asked simply. "Listen...I know what you mean and why you feel that way. And probably if there's anyone other than Mitsuki-chan that Ryuu will confide in, it will likely be you. But he isn't the kind of person to blurt out home truths or troubles on a whim - he may not want to talk about this at all. And so you mustn't try and make him - all right? He's not that kind...and probably he'll just be glad to get back to some semblance of normal."

"Mm. I know." Juushirou nodded. "As Anideshi, I'll probably have more things to do than I'd like anyway - no matter how worried I am."

"Well, it seems that there's one more early arrival than we anticipated this morning."

Genryuusai's voice from the hallway made both boys turn to meet the amused gaze of their headmaster, his customary cane clutched between wizened fingers and his long bristling beard glistening white in the patchy sunlight that streamed through the windows. Yet there was a gravity in his expression too, and Juushirou frowned, bowing his head in acknowledgement of the other man's presence.

"Good morning, Sensei." He said quietly.

"Good morning, Anideshi." Genryuusai replied evenly. "And you too, Shunsui. Though for you to turn up quite so early for school is out of character – to what do we owe this pleasure?"

Shunsui grinned wryly.

"Sensei, you knew I was coming here probably before I even left District Eight, so don't think I believe you were surprised." He said frankly. "But I came to give Juu some support on his first day in such an important role. That and to get a quiet place to sleep for at least one night before everyone arrives - that's all right, isn't it?"

"I have no objections." Genryuusai relented, shaking his head slowly. "At present, much is in disarray in any case. There are a good number of new students coming tomorrow, and it will not hurt to have extra help. Retsu-dono is not currently with us, and Uebashi-sensei has been delayed by a family matter that will see him arrive late tomorrow night rather than early in the morning. Consequently, if you're offering help, I won't refuse it."

He sighed, then,

"In truth, I am not upset to see you." He admitted, reaching out a wrinkled hand to rest it on Shunsui's arm. "You will know better than most that my choice of Anideshi this year is a sound one. I expect Juushirou to make a fine leader – but there will be those who question him. I am sure I don't need to ask you to support him as much as you are able."

"Of course not." Shunsui looked surprised. "I would've argued with you, Sensei, if you'd chosen me or anyone else. It has to be Juu this year. Nobody will bother about it. But of course I'd support him. What else would I do?"

"Shunsui." Juushirou reddened, shaking his head. "It's not so simple as that."

"Why? Because you're District?" Shunsui snorted, but Juushirou shook his head.

"We're all being promoted, but most of last year's Fifth years aren't." He said quietly. "Only four of them are coming up with us, and I've been chosen over all of them despite their Clan positions. It may cause unrest to begin with. That's what Sensei means."

"I see." Shunsui's clever eyes became thoughtful. "That's quite a bold move then, actually. I had wondered why all of us…and what had happened to our immediate senpai."

"They have only themselves to blame if they are upset about their current places." Genryuusai said gravely. "But sometimes it takes time for students to realise that faults lie with them and not with others. Doubtless there will be some dissatisfaction, but the truth is that whilst the four students promoted with you are about equal to some of your classmates, even as Fourth Years you both outshone them in all of the four disciplines. You will remember that your class were asked to sit special assessments at the close of last year. Those assessments confirmed what we all as staff already knew. You must be promoted to Senior Class this year. Not to do so would be a travesty on both of your abilities."

Shunsui looked rueful.

"I'm not sure I like the implication of that." He said with a mock-heavy sigh. "It sounds like this year I'm going to have to actually work to keep my place."

"Yes, I expect you to work." Genryuusai's eyes became flinty for a brief moment. "If you do not want to disappoint your brother and your Clan, Shunsui, you will do so from the very start. There is at least one student entering Fourth Year this year who fights with the left hand, and considering your particular skills in that area, I have already earmarked that student to become your _deshi_ once such things can be timetabled."

"Not really?" Shunsui looked aghast, and Genryuusai smiled, nodding his head.

"Really." He agreed.

"I feel bad for the poor kid already." Shunsui rubbed his temples. "Sensei, why me? Juu also fights with his left and his right, why would you…"

"Because you are naturally skilled that way, whereas Juushirou's left hand is still weaker than his right." Genryuusai replied. "There's no point in complaining about it…if you intend to wear a _haori_, this year you will truly earn it."

"Will I get to take a _deshi _too, Sensei?" Juushirou asked eagerly, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Yes. Without a doubt." He agreed. "The year below your own are a remarkably bright and spirited bunch, if not quite on a par with your own endeavours. I expect at least four or five of them to be ready to being formal practical _zanpakutou_ training this year – and of course, that's something that Anideshi would not be able to excuse himself from."

"I wouldn't want to." Juushirou's eyes sparkled. "Nagoya-senpai helped me so much when I was raising Sougyo…I'd like to be able to do the same for someone else."

Genryuusai glanced at them both, then chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

"You are both still such opposites, even now." He murmured. "Very well. Then for the time being, both of you must settle in. Juushirou, I imagine you know where Anideshi's nest is located – the room has been cleared and emptied and,"

He paused, slipping his hand into his _obi_ and pulling out a key,

"Here is the key. Shunsui, you will be sharing a room with Endou Hirata who will I expect arrive fairly early on the morrow. So I have heard from his father, in any case."

"Sensei, about Ryuu and Mitsuki?" Juushirou asked, and Genryuusai nodded his head.

"As I'm sure you've surmised, they will not return tomorrow." He said gravely. "They will come to District One when the formal memorials and statutory mourning for the young boy's passing have been correctly observed. I had worried that they might not return...but it seems Guren-dono intends them to finish their shinigami education regardless of what problems now face his Clan. So we can expect them in maybe a week or two from now."

"The death of an heir is a serious business." Shunsui reflected. "In those circumstances, we didn't expect anything else."

"Then I want you both to understand the real severity of this matter." Genryuusai said quietly. "Ribari-dono's killer is an unknown identity at the current time. They may be Kuchiki, they may not. Either way, it is not something either of you should try and get involved in. Understood? Ryuu may or may not confide in you. Mitsuki also. But even so, this is a Kuchiki matter. I want you to be aware of that - Juushirou, you most of all. With your blood heritage...you may cause more harm than good."

"I'm sure I'll have plenty to do without that, sir." Juushirou said evenly. "It's all right. We'll be careful. My family still mostly live in District Six and I'm fairly sure the Kuchiki aren't interested in an illegitimate Kuchiki son getting involved in their matters of state. I won't even mention it unless one of them do."

"Good boy." Genryuusai seemed relieved. "Then you understand the delicacies of this matter clearly. Very well. Then I will leave you to settle yourselves in. Tomorrow will be a busy day - and there is still much to do today!"

* * *

"You can go when you've finished piling those up, Nanaki."

In the laundry room below the main house, the young maid turned, smiling and bowing her head slightly to her superior as she placed the last of the fresh towels in their proper places.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you." She murmured, carefully straightening the soft white stack. "I'm grateful for you giving me an afternoon - otherwise my brother..."

She faltered, looking grave, and the older woman smiled, clapping her hand down kindly on the young girl's shoulder.

"Ah, I know." She said quietly. "Raised two of my siblings myself after plague took mother and father so I understand. You run along and see to him for a while. We'll see you back here around sundown - you've done more than your share here already and there are some others I can whip into working for the time being."

Nanaki dimpled, bowing her head once more and withdrawing from the chamber, her fingers moving to unfasten the ties of her servant's scarf as she went.

She walked slowly and thoughtfully down the hallway, bowing her head almost automatically to the various members of the Clan and those members of staff who ranked above her as she made her way calmly to the servant's entrance. As she stepped out into the cold air, she took the servant's scarf from her head, lifting up her face to feel the breeze against her skin. It was a cool, crisp afternoon - and as she gazed up at the sky she judged that she probably had three or four hours to herself - precious time indeed for a servant of the Kuchiki.

But she had been lucky in all respects, this time.

Picking up her pace, she ran along the back lanes and over the uneven grounds towards the dirt pathway that led to the small, insignificant village shrouded by trees just beyond the Kuchiki estate lands. Her thick braids of dark hair flapped against her shoulders as she ran, the ribbons loosening in the breeze but she paid them no attention. In fact, she relished their loosening, for she had never liked her hair fastened up in this way, even if she understood the necessity.

But right now, she did not have to think about those things. Instead, she could focus on something else - the true purpose for her being here.

Her lips thinned and she let out a slight sigh as she reached the outskirts of the village.

It was her duty and she understood it - no, she corrected herself, she had offered to do it, since she had known it would bring both praise and approval in her direction. But she felt abandoned in this place - and no matter how she tried, she disliked the pattern of her new way of life.

Still, she reflected, even as she waved and called out a friendly greeting to the son of the village elder, it was necessary this way. All of it was necessary.

She slipped behind the derelict, half-abandoned shrine, clambering over the staggered tree stumps as she reached her temporary home - a hovel of three walls with a rag slung across the opening to act as both a fourth wall and a curtain like door. For a moment she paused, steeling herself, then she flung it back, stepping into the dimly lit shack and gazing around her for any sign of the other occupant.

As she expected, he was sitting on the floor, his back to the wall, something sharp and glittering between his fingers. It was a dagger, polished and gleaming in the faint light, and Nanaki sighed, stalking across the chamber and taking it firmly from his grasp.

"You've been told enough times not to play with those." She said sharply, her voice changing in an instant from the soft-spoken, neutral tones of the serving girl to someone far more authoritarian. "Where did you even get it? It wasn't from me, that's for certain! If you don't do as you're told, you won't have any use at all. Sit here and wait for me - isn't that what I said?"

The other occupant raised his gaze, his vivid golden eyes meeting hers, but there was no emotion - not even the slightest hint of remorse - in his glance, and Nanaki sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"I suppose I'd better feed you." She murmured, more than half to herself. "Since you won't feed yourself, and there's nobody else to take care of it. But oh, I wish I hadn't been left here to deal with you alone. Like this...I have no idea what to say to you."

She closed her eyes briefly, as if gathering strength, then,

"Stay here." She instructed. "I'll be right back."

* * *

_**Author's Note**_

_Gomen for the late update...yesterday I spent in two cars, three trains, one underground train and one aeroplane. Therefore by the time I got home...after 12 hours of travelling non-stop...I sort of just went *flop*. _


	5. First Day

**Chapter Four: First Day**

The world was cloaked in mourning.

Ryuu rested his hands on the sill of the Kuchiki archive window, gazing down pensively at the milling people in the courtyard below. Though it was a mere few days since the death of his cousin, the estate was a flurry of activity, servants going about their usual duties as though the entire future of the Clan that watched over them had not been thrown violently into question four nights earlier. Yet even so, it was impossible to ignore the change in atmosphere, for every servant was robed in deep indigo - the Kuchiki colour of mourning - and even the members of the Clan itself had discarded their usual green and cream finery to wear the more muted blue and black associated with the death of a High Clansman.

He glanced down at his own robes, touching his finger pensively to his dark blue _hakamashita_. It felt strange, he reflected, to see everyone walking around in the same grief-tinged attire, for blue and black had never been Kuchiki colours and it was as though a whole other family had suddenly invaded the centre of Sixth District power. The tradition went back, Ryuu knew, to ancient Kuchiki history - to a legend of warriors who had used the dark, muted colours to shroud their dead in the hope of fooling their enemies. Many Kuchiki slain had been returned to their families successfully because of the lack of ornamentation or identification surrounding the bodies, and so, even in this day and age the same traditions were observed. Ribari had been dressed in black and blue death robes for his final journey to the mausoleum - and in honour of his memory, the family would discard their Clan badges and glamour, dressing simply and respectfully until the succession of memorial and mourning ceremonies were fully over. They had begun that morning with the boy's official interment, but there would be more of them as the week progressed, and it would be some time before the cloud of gloom lifted from District Six.

Ryuu turned from the window, moving back to the bookshelf to skim his gaze over the shelves. Absently he pulled out a volume on kidou history, running his finger gently over the patterned cover as he considered the situation.

Ribari's death meant that he would not return to the Academy on the following day, and nor would Mitsuki. They would be required to remain with the Clan until the ceremonies surrounding Ribari's burial were fully over, and Ryuu knew from past experience that that would take perhaps another full week at least. Kinsfolk from all across the District were still arriving, and all would have to pay their respects before any closure could be firmly sought.

Although Ryuu was grieved by the attack on the young boy, he found that he regretted far more this unexpected disturbance of his expected schedule. Though he was a Kuchiki, and proud of his roots, Ryuu was not foolish. In this place he was stifled, the Archive his only place of refuge from the social expectations put upon him by his parents and sisters. Yet he knew there was nothing to be done about it. He was the only son of Seiren, brother of Guren and therefore an important soul by blood to the heart of the Kuchiki Clan. And he had long since resigned himself to that connection, knowing that he would never entirely be free of it.

Well, to be truthful, Ryuu did not want to be free of it. But in attending the Academy, he had learnt that to be a shinigami was his true calling - and that in studying under Genryuusai, he had begun to find the abilities and strengths that his constant upbringing in the intense Kuchiki social structure had suppressed. At the Academy, he felt confident to act and to think for himself. But here, he could not help but retreat back into his shell and use his studies as his shield.

And now Ryuu was worried.

So long as Ribari had been alive, all the hopes of the family had rested on his shoulders. So long as Ribari had been there, Guren's succession was certain and secure, and nobody had questioned it. All had been smooth and well, and the future of the Kuchiki had seemed bright and prosperous. But that brightness had been extinguished in one fell swoop, and the Clan had been plunged into confusion. While Guren grieved, the other Clansfolk had already begun to whisper about the succession. And Ryuu, knowing that his name would almost certainly be raised in the discussion, had immediately sought sanctuary in his favourite place. He did not want to talk about the future of the Kuchiki or what his blood ties to it might eventually mean. Yet he was not stupid enough to think he could avoid it forever.

_Father is ambitious for me beyond my means and always has been, whether I like it or not. My sisters will all see it as a good opportunity, and my Mother concerns herself with nothing that doesn't imply the highest level of status. Given those things, I have too many people to oppose me even if I were to speak my mind and tell the truth. I am not Ribari and I would never be able to take on his guise or gain the loyalties and the affections of the Clan like he did. I am not a suitable candidate and I am not a willing one either. But will I even have a choice? Given normal proceedings, Father should be the one...but...Father...cannot be. And so..._

"So here you are."

At the sound of the voice, Ryuu physically jumped, his grip tightening on the book in his hand as he swung around in consternation to face the speaker. He had been so immersed in his own thoughts that for once he had not detected the other's approach, and at his frightened hen reaction, the other raised a faint, humourless smile.

"Yes, I didn't think that you'd sensed my coming."

"Shirogane-senpai?" Ryuu recovered his wits, swallowing hard. "I thought...wasn't...aren't you...?"

"I'm well enough now to be risen." Shirogane dismissed his faltering questions with a flick of his fingers. "And unlike you, I do not seek to hide from the Clan in the dust and shadows of family history."

Ryuu flushed red.

"I was not hiding." He said softly, although he was lying and he knew his companion knew it too. "I was looking for something specific to read. I will soon be returning to my training - and I do not wish my delay in attending the Academy this year to reflect badly on my rank."

"Mm." Shirogane crossed the room in a few short steps, taking the book from Ryuu's grip and glancing at it before the other boy could react. "Kidou history? And you can focus on such things even despite the chaos going on around you?"

"I can." Ryuu said primly. "Just as you are able to rise and return to your duties, Senpai - even though you still lack colour in your cheeks and have shadows beneath your eyes."

Shirogane pursed his lips.

"Perhaps I am not entirely recovered." He acknowledged. "But I do want to attempt to be useful to Guren-sama in the days and weeks ahead. That is my duty. It is yours too, Ryuu - or perhaps you don't know what topics are being talked about around the halls?"

Ryuu's eyes darkened, and Shirogane nodded.

"Yes. You do know." He said quietly. "That with Ribari-sama's death, the most obvious one to inherit the Kuchiki clan after Guren-sama is..."

"It is not me, Shirogane-senpai." Ryuu cut across him, shaking his head. "I have none of the characteristics to recommend me as leader of this or any Clan. The Kuchiki are the greatest Clan with the most illustrious history in all of Seireitei. To hold such a position would require someone of esteemed ability. I am not that person. Therefore I will not become involved in such casual idle chatter. If nothing else, it is disrespectful to the soul of Ribari-sama and to Guren-sama's grief to begin speaking of such things so soon after such a tragic incident. I am surprised you should be raising it now."

Shirogane looked faintly taken aback, then he sighed.

"I see." He murmured. "Then that is how you see this? You have no designs on the Kuchiki inheritance, even if it were to be said that you were the only one with an acceptable blood claim?"

"That is correct. Yes." Ryuu agreed flatly. "I will return to the Academy, I will resume my training and I will qualify as a shinigami. But such illustrious titles are not mine to hold."

"Your Lord father seems to disagree." Shirogane pointed out.

"Naturally, Father sees things from the perspective of supporting the Clan." Ryuu said stiffly. "However, he has not discussed such matters with me, so I don't think you can consider them at all concrete. It is far from a secret that my blood kinship to Guren-sama is of an adequate level. But the reality of it will settle differently. I have no intention of becoming the next head of the Kuchiki Clan."

Shirogane leant up against the bookshelf, looking thoughtful.

"You do know your own mind, then. I had wondered...many times, whether you acted in Seiren-dono's shadow, or cast your own."

"With respect, Senpai, I am not my Father in any regard."

"No. Perhaps not." Shirogane's eyes narrowed. "Well then. I suppose things will become more interesting now for all concerned. That is, if you can call such a situation interesting."

He rubbed his temples.

"I was fond of Ribari-sama, and I want to bring his killer to justice." He said softly. "But there are a number of things I lack to be able to do so. Guren-sama will soon be fully embroiled once more in the uncertainties of Clan, whether he wants to avenge his son or not. Seiren-dono has made it clear that he looks to the Clan's future too, although he considers the deed unforgivable as all do. And I...as he so kindly told me, I am a shinigami Vice Captain reliant on the favour of the Clan leader. My training Ribari-sama so closely gave me more freedom of movement within the Clan. But no matter how strong or able I am, I don't hold the Kuchiki name and therefore my status is only ever confirmed by Guren-sama's direct kindness to me since Father's death. Within the Clan, I have earnt respect as a shinigami and have proven my abilities. Therefore they accept me. As a shinigami. But...Ribari-sama's murder is beyond my jurisdiction. And I have been made to feel it...very strongly...since that night."

Ryuu's expression became one of surprise.

"So you come to me...why?"

"Because my age and experience - dare I also say, ability - surpass yours, but in this, your rank is above mine." Shirogane responded heavily. "And more, I wanted to find out just how rigid your sense of justice was. Mitsuki...your young healer friend - she seems to think that you are fair and just, and I wanted to see it for myself. Ribari-sama's death creates shockwaves in all areas and people are unsettled. I suspect that as time passes...I will be the only one who seriously wishes to find true justice."

Ryuu's brows knitted together as he interpreted this.

"You were with him the night he died." He murmured. "And..."

"Yes. From the whispers and the stares, I'm sure some have begun to suspect my involvement in his death, though not Guren-sama or Seiren-dono." Shirogane looked suddenly weary, and far from the peacock Clansman Ryuu was used to seeing his cousin as. "Rumours will begin in a circumstance such as this. Unohana-sama has at least put the important minds at ease on that count - my poisoning is my alibi, and under the influence of a drug such as that, I would have been incapable of doing anything. But because of that, indirectly those who suspect me may be right. I wonder if I killed him because I could not protect him. Even though it was impossible...I shall always think I should have done."

"What motive would _you_ have for killing Ribari-sama?" Ryuu looked bewildered. "You just said...by training him, your position in the Clan was further elevated. Surely such rumours will quickly die, too, if Unohana Retsu-sama has spoken and found that possibility false."

"In order to strike a coup against his position? Take advantage of Guren-sama? Who knows?" Shirogane groaned. "Rumours don't have to be founded on fact or logic, nor do they take into account evidence. I thought my position was quite safe and secure here, but perhaps it was a facade ."

He sighed heavily.

"I don't know, I don't understand." He admitted. "I just know the paranoia of people towards those who were at the scene of an incident, and I've certainly felt unwelcome gazes and heard unwelcome whispers since I left my bed this morning. Even at the memorial ceremony, I felt it - the darkness in the auras of some as they looked my way. Most of all, even if they know there is no reason to, perhaps it is easy to blame me. I'm a second degree Clansman, but that only because of who my mother was. As you know, the Kuchiki have always focused far more on our paternal bloodline - and that leaves me with no actual rights or position beyond Guren-sama's favour. Perhaps it comforts them somehow to think I had a motive - that when Ribari-sama came of age, I might have lost my rank in Sixth Squad...and I may have never regained any real position after that. To have suspicions is less frightening than to have no knowledge at all about who was responsible."

"Are you trying to talk me into believing your guilt?" Ryuu arched an eyebrow. "You have my assurance, senpai - I have not thought that, and will not think that, no matter how you try to persuade me."

A wry smile touched Shirogane's features and he nodded.

"You do have your own opinions. Mitsuki was right - you just keep them to yourself." He reflected. "And I do not wish to make you suspect me of a crime I have not committed. The truth is simply that I was fond of Ribari-sama. If he had taken my rank, then as a Kuchiki, my duty would have been to accept it, and as his _shishou_ I would have been proud..."

He trailed off, and Ryuu was suddenly struck by the odd, uncharacteristically fragmented manner of his cousin's speech. It was as though his emotions and his reactions were still shattered by the shock of the murder and the impact of the drug, and for once Shirogane had let his cool, sardonic guard slip, revealing someone who for the first time since they had been children, Ryuu began to see as vulnerable. He had never thought of Shirogane's position before - in fact, he had always considered his cousin to be above him in almost everything, because of his place in Guren's favour. But now he saw a different side - how easily such a position could be undermined, and how much Ribari's death had shaken the Clan to its very foundations.

At length, Ryuu spoke, not wanting to linger in silence any longer.

"And you think I am such a person that I believe unfounded rumour over logic and common sense?"

"From what you've just said about the Clan, I can't see that you'd care either way." Shirogane was unusually blunt, and Ryuu's eyes narrowed, his suspicions confirmed once again.

"You are still not well." he murmured. "For you to speak this way...so carelessly..."

Shirogane started, then pursed his lips, slowly shaking his head.

"No...I'm well enough and rational enough to know what I'm saying." He said tiredly. "My emotions are unsteady, that's all. For the first time since I can remember, someone has died and I feel a genuine sense of real anguish for their loss. I don't know how to deal with that in the full scrutiny of the Clan. So I suppose I came here...to find someone who didn't seem to be scrutinising me. It may seem illogical, but..."

"What do you want from me, then, Senpai?"

"You can escape here in a few days, with luck." Shirogane managed a faint smile. "Escape and go to District One. There is something...I want you to find out for me."

"Something?" Ryuu looked confused. "In District One?"

"Not specifically." Shirogane shook his head. "Listen. Your Father insists that if I want to report to Guren-sama at present I must go through him, and I am sure that he's stifling my chance to report anything because he doesn't want me in Guren-sama's line of sight for whatever nefarious reason of his own. Probably while he's trying his best to garner support for you to take over as Guren-sama's heir, he's also going to use it as a means to remove as much influence from me as possible. So what I have to say I will not tell him - but because of him, I can't tell Guren-sama. Then I thought...about you. And whether or not...you were your own man in this."

"And...?" Ryuu's curiosity was piqued, and Shirogane took him by the arm, leading him away from the window to a quieter corner of the library.

"The night that Ribari-sama died, he saw someone." He said, muting his tones and glancing cautiously around him. "His last words, in fact, were telling me what he saw. A young person in the trees, with dark skin and golden eyes. That's what he said."

"A _Shihouin_?!" Ryuu's eyes widened, and Shirogane shrugged.

"He was already poisoned, then. He said himself he might have imagined it because he felt strange, so I don't know." He replied helplessly. "Since there's a past precedent of Shihouin apparently assassinating Kuchiki, it may just have been a subconscious fear overriding reality. Believe me, the concoction we inhaled could have made him see anything. I could've sworn the trees were coming to attack me, even though that's clearly impossible - so what Ribari-sama said may also mean nothing."

"And you didn't see this golden eyed creature, then?"

"No. I was only aware of a shadow between the trees." Shirogane shook his head, and Ryuu noted the tentative way in which he did it. "Nothing more, and I'm the only other living person who remembers anything from that night. Everyone else has lost all recollection of what happened, so it's down to the scraps I can piece together. That and finding someone who believes me."

"But in District One...on the border with Shihouin land, there may be clues?" Ryuu questioned. Shirogane nodded.

"You have a Shihouin in your class, don't you? I seem to remember...from when I was a Senior the first time...and everything blew up with Kamuki-dono and the _reidoku_..."

"Yes." Ryuu's eyes darkened. "Kai."

"Then..."

"Kai is not the kind of person I consider a friend, and would barely wish to acknowledge as an acquaintance given the relationship between our two clans." Ryuu said slowly. "But after four years, I cannot say I believe him to be a silent assassin. He is not...whatever he is, I don't think..."

"But he may know something." Shirogane cut across him. "And right now, this is all I have. So please, Ryuu, try and find out for me. If there's any chance any Shihouin were in District Six that night - whatever their reasons for being there. I've met Midori-dono and I don't think she's the same as the sneak killers that Clan has produced to lead it before. But Ribari-sama's words are clear in my mind now. And I can't forget them. So for his sake..."

Ryuu hesitated for a moment, then he nodded his head.

"All right. I will try."

"Thank you. And Ryuu? Not a word of this to Seiren-dono or anyone else here. You may speak to Mitsuki, if you think you need her help - but please do not do so until you both leave this place for more neutral ground. I would rather not create panic and raise fears about the past repeating itself...not until I can speak to Guren-sama."

Ryuu solemnly nodded a second time.

"I understand." He said quietly. "And I promise to do my best."

* * *

First day.

Juushirou paused, glancing at his reflection one final time in the long dust-aging mirror that stood in the far corner of his chamber. In a short few moments, he would be thrust once more into the pell-mell craziness of the start of term, but for that brief instant he was alone with his thoughts and he relished the rare chance to properly process the honour that had been placed on his shoulders.

It was far more than just a name, he knew that. He had been a student of Genryuusai's long enough to realise that the old man took his choices seriously, and would not have appointed anyone he did not have confidence in. A faint swell of pride curled up inside his heart at this and he smiled, meeting his hazel gaze as he inwardly made up his mind not to let anyone down.

Did he_ look_ like a Senior?

He reached up a hand to touch his hair absently, his fingers brushing against the long straggly ends that now reached down beyond his shoulders. He was resigned to the lank whiteness now, and the fact it only accentuated his natural pallor. But it was long enough now to be properly fastened, and instead of cutting it, Juushirou had decided this year he would leave it long, as if trying to cultivate the image of the warrior in his fragile, skinny form.

He grabbed a length of blue ribbon from the unit, pulling it firmly around the stray ends and knotting it tightly, pursing his lips as he examined his reflection once more in the mirror. Yes, that looked better.  
_  
You are spending an awfully long time over this, Juushirou._

The voice of You, one half of his_ zanpakutou_'s spirit rippled across his consciousness at that moment, and he started, putting a hand to his chest as he tried to regain his composure.

"You startled me." He murmured, and there was a peal of amused laughter.

_Obviously._

You was unrepentant.

_You were so engrossed in what you were doing...did you forget that being punctual is also important? You've only a few minutes before you're due at the main entrance and it wouldn't do to be late on your first official day in the position._

"No, true." Juushirou bit his lip, looking a little sheepish. "I'm sorry, You. Thank you for poking me. I just...want to look like I'm a Senior, as well as be one. It's the first time I've let my hair grow really long and not cut it back before school - so..."

_You're nervous and we understand that._

This time it was the gentle voice of In who spoke.

_But really, you should simply have faith in yourself. Your sensei has faith in you, and so do we. And we're with you, no matter how much of a challenge you find it. So its time to head downstairs - before someone comes looking for you._

"All right."

Juushirou nodded, reaching to grasp the black-sheathed weapon from atop the shelf by his bed and sliding it into his _obi_. "I'm coming. Let's do this."

"So you are coming out of there this morning, then." Shunsui's voice greeted him as he stepped out into the hall, and Juushirou turned, nodding his head.

"I was getting a pep talk from In'you." He said sheepishly. "And being reminded that being on time is as important as anything else, so yes."

"Good, because I made a special effort to wake up on time in case I needed to drag you downstairs myself." Shunsui grinned. "I figured after spending a night in Anideshi's nest, it would be starting to sink in and you'd be nervous."

"It was weird, sleeping in there." Juushirou agreed. "It's not like I'm not used to having my own room, but here...I think I'm going to miss the dormitory spirit. I'm a little envious of all of you - sharing rooms even in pairs is less lonely."

"That's all right. We know where you are and we can come invade, even if we're no longer roommates." Shunsui patted his friend on the arm reassuringly. "We won't isolate you. And the Seniors have a study to themselves, too. If you don't want to hole yourself up in your room, we can hang out there. Don't focus on the irrelevant things - besides, it could be far worse."

"Worse?" Juushirou eyed him quizzically, and Shunsui nodded.

"You didn't take a look at the room roster list yet, did you?" He asked, and Juushirou shook his head.

"No. I was unpacking and then I fell asleep...it was a long journey from District Six. Why?"

"Ah. Well, I'll tell you then." Shunsui pursed his lips. "Because it seems to me Yama-sensei's testing other people this year, not just you and I."

"Meaning?" Juushirou frowned, and Shunsui grinned.

"I'm rooming with Hirata, Mitsuki-chan's rooming with Sora. So far, so good." He said frankly. "Enishi's rooming with some guy I don't know anything about, but I guess he's one of last year's fifth years. Who does that leave...?"

"Kai-kun...and...Ryuu-kun." Juushirou's eyes widened. "Shunsui! You're kidding? Sensei's assigned them together?"

"Yep." Shunsui's eyes twinkled. "Can you imagine the reaction when they find that out? Ryuu in particular. Kai's more nonchalant about the whole thing these days - I think Ryuu amuses him more than anything else. But Ryuu...and his pride..."

"The timing could not be worse." Juushirou bit his lip. "With Ryuu and his family already under pressure, then this...Shunsui, maybe I should..."

"Go and speak to Yama-jii? Bad idea." Shunsui shook his head. "You know that he'll have done it on purpose - he's not going to be ignorant of the fact they don't get along. Like I said, he's testing more than just us this year."

"But...with everything..."

"It might prove a good distraction." Shunsui pointed out. "If Ryuu has something else to vent temper and stress on than his situation back home. Leave it be, Juu. Yama-jii doubtless knows exactly what he's doing. If you start trying to change it, he'll think you don't have any faith in either of them to act like adults and get along for a year in the same room. They have been rooming together since first year, so it's not as though..."

"They had us to referee." Juushirou said darkly. "Oh, I see what you're saying...and I won't go, now you've said that. But it bothers me. Before, it might've been enough of a problem, but..."

He rubbed his temples.

"I'm worried about Ryuu." He murmured. "Because of the way Sensei told me about all of this. It was as though he was making a clear indication that...Ryuu...might be picked on to be the Kuchiki heir."

"There are worse things than that." Shunsui observed. "Hirata, Kai and I have all survived being in that position. Admittedly, I'm glad to have relinquished it to Haru-kun, but even so..."

"No. This is different." Juushirou chewed down hard on his lip. "I don't intend on asking questions or making things awkward, and we promised Sensei not to get involved, so obviously I don't plan on doing that either. But I am worried. Ryuu...is a proud and loyal Kuchiki. But..."

"Not always a happy one?" Shunsui asked. Juushirou nodded.

"More than once he's told me how being at the Academy allows him freedom of thought and choice he never had before." He said heavily. "I know Ryuu. I know he won't run away from his family any more than Hirata or Kai have from theirs. But the Kuchiki is a smothering Clan. It stifles so many things in the name of pride and prestige. And now the heir has been murdered, too. The last thing he needs is to come here - to a neutral ground - and be thrust into conflict of another kind."

"Mm." Shunsui was silent for a moment, then he nodded.

"Then we'll talk to Kai." He suggested. "You or I, or both of us - and tell him to try to keep the peace. I'm sure he will - I don't think he cares about the rivalry half as much as Ryuu does."

"Maybe we should. Or I should." Juushirou reflected.

"Let me." Shunsui shook his head. "You don't want to make it an Anideshi topic, do you? I can just nudge him as a friend...and that will be that."

"Okay." Juushirou looked doubtful. "But being Anideshi doesn't mean I'm going to stop talking to my friends as friends, you know."

"I know that." Shunsui elbowed him playfully. "Don't be stupid. But you're going to have enough to do today without that. I'm technically a free agent. So leave it to me."

He winked.

"I promised Yama-jii to back you up." He added. "Even if it's on an informal, unofficial, underground basis - I plan on keeping that promise."

"My secret deputy?" Despite himself, a smile played at the edges of Juushirou's lips. "All right. I guess when you say it like that...thank you, Shunsui. Hopefully by the time Ryuu comes back, I'll be more used to this new job of mine, and if he needs to talk to someone, I'll be able to listen. But if you would speak to Kai...I'd appreciate it."

"Consider it done." Shunsui nodded. "In the meantime...I think chaos is about to descend on the school."

"No kidding." As they rounded the corner into the main entrance hall, Juushirou was aware of a bevy of conflicting spiritual traces, and he sighed. "All right. Work begins now."

"Do you want me to stick around, or are you all right?" Shunsui questioned. Juushirou shook his head.

"I'm fine." he said firmly, hoping he sounded more convincing than he felt. "This is just another part of my job. Thank you for the support, Shunsui - but I can manage this on my own."

"Then I'll see you later." Shunsui patted him on the shoulder with a grin, then was gone, and as the doors of the old building slid back, Juushirou took a deep breath, making his way purposefully towards the sign-in book as a white, red and blue blur of students began to press through into the foyer proper.

There were a lot of them, milling and talking and as the first group made a bee-line towards him, there were a few exclamations of recognition from those students who had previously been ranked in the same year. As Juushirou raised his hand in a wave to acknowledge Kira Hideharu and Kamitani Jun, he felt a faint swell of bittersweet nostalgia in his heart. They had not been his immediate classmates, but he had worked with them and become fond of them nonetheless. Now his year numbered at least four strangers who - from Genryuusai's words - sounded as though they might be at least a little bit hostile to the changes imposed.

_But I'll just have to deal with that as it comes._

Juushirou pulled himself together, turning back towards the crowd as a youngster tumbled and tripped, almost falling headlong into the Senior. Instinctively more than anything, Juushirou reached out to grab the youth, steadying him and hauling him back to his feet. The other students pressed forward, oblivious of the accident they had almost caused, and Juushirou frowned, annoyance glittering in his hazel eyes.

"Stop pushing!" he exclaimed, his words clear and carrying through the bustling entrance hall. "Everyone will get signed in, but your impatience almost caused an accident! If you're going to push, I'll make you wait outside and call you in one at a time!"

Dead silence greeted his words, and Juushirou swallowed hard as he realised that in that moment all eyes had turned to him. The pushing students had stopped, each of them gazing at him uncertainly, and Juushirou knew without looking that the youngster he had rescued was gaping at him with similarly wide eyes, his jaw open as he tried to gauge what had just happened.

The silence continued for a moment, then a tall young man pushed through the crowd to the front, meeting Juushirou's gaze directly.

"Are you planning on barking out orders for everyone from the first day, even though, technically, some of us are your senpai?" He asked coldly, a challenge in his gaze, and Juushirou's eyes narrowed as he understood the unspoken accusation in the student's tones.

"There's no need for me to do anything of the sort." He said calmly, fixing the other with a pointed glance. "Providing everyone understands that trampling first years on their first day is not acceptable by any standards."

"The kid got in the way, that's all." The older student was impatient, and Juushirou's eyes narrowed.

"And now _you're_ getting in the way of everyone else, too." He said pleasantly. "I'm sorry that I don't know your name, and I hope you don't consider me rude because of it. I will try and learn as many as I can whilst Anideshi, but for the meantime, would you please set the example to your junior students and indicate how best they should sign themselves in?"

He smiled, though there was a faint reserve in his smile.

"You're clearly a Fifth year." He added. "And therefore in the perfect position to lead by example."

He stepped back, gesturing to the sign in book, and the other student glared at him before flouncing forward, scrawling his mark by his name with very bad grace. As he did so, Juushirou glanced at it.

_Kamaki Azusa_

"Thank you, Kamaki-kun." He said lightly. "Now, I'm sure, everyone understands how busy the school is on first day, and will be able to sign themselves in with more care and patience."

He gestured to the book, and slowly, one by one, the students filed forward, each carefully checking and signing their name under their form lists before withdrawing into the school building proper.

Once he knew that the chaos had quieted, Juushirou turned his attention to the frightened youngster still sheltering at his side.

"Are you all right?" He asked softly, and the boy gulped, swallowing hard and nodding his head so vigorously his floppy tail of hair swung from side to side. Juushirou grinned, patting him on the head.

"No need to be frightened." He assured him. "What's your name?"

"T...T...Tsukabishi...T...T...Tsunemori, Senpai."

"Tsukabishi-kun, huh?" Juushirou's grin widened. "Well, welcome to the Academy."

"...T...T...Thank...y...y...you." The boy managed to stammer out, and Juushirou laughed.

"What class are you, Tsukabishi-kun?" He asked quizzically, and Tsunemori stared at him, quite lost for words by the unexpected attention of such a senior student. Fleetingly Juushirou remembered his own first day, when Urahara Yunosuke had singled him out so specifically, and he understood the young boy's fear with startling clarity.

"You know, we were all first years once." He said softly. "It's fine to be nervous to begin with. But we Seniors are here to help you - so don't be afraid to ask if you need to know something, all right?"

"Y...yes, sir." Tsunemori whispered, and Juushirou chuckled, leading him over to the lists.

"Tsukabishi Tsunemori." He mused, skimming over the columns upside-down as a group of second years clustered around their form lists. "Here you are. Class One."

Tsunemori reddened, glancing down at his feet.

"Yes, senpai." He whispered, taking the brush that Juushirou proffered his way. He hesitated for a moment, gazing at the list, and Juushirou poked a finger in the direction of the boy's kanji.

"There." He said amiably. "Mark yourself off there, then follow the hallway straight down and to the right. The dormitory lists are on a board in the Great Hall, and you'll be able to find your way from there. Kazoe-sensei is there and he'll help you if you're not sure. Understand?"

"Yes, senpai." Tsunemori bowed hurriedly, doing as he was bidden with a careless, haphazard slash of the brush before bowing again and scampering off in the direction Juushirou had indicated.

"Looks like you found yourself a new Hirata to adopt, Juushirou-kun." As he watched the boy disappear, a voice at his right shoulder made him turn, and he cast the speaker a grin, nodding his head.

"I suppose." He agreed. "Good morning, Sora...how was your trip?"

"Swift enough that I was able to see you put an idiot in his place." Sora's eyes sparkled. "Kamaki Azusa's a kinsman of mine - but not one I like very much, so you can spew at him as much as you like. He's apparently written a few times to Father over this being kept down business, hoping Father can use his Clan connections and school connections to change things. But Father's not interested and nor is Sensei - so...hence you get the fallout."

"I'm expecting fallout." Juushirou said simply. "It's a little easier to actually face it than to anticipate it. I'd rather deal with it up front than have it simmering in the background."

"It's going to be an interesting year." Sora reflected. "You...know about Mitsuki and Kuchiki, I suppose?"

"Yes. Sensei told me." Juushirou frowned, and Sora nodded.

"It worries me too." She murmured. "Mitsuki sent me one letter- only to tell me she'd be late back, and why. It's a big thing, Juushirou...I only hope it's not going to send shockwaves through Seireitei."

* * *

"How long, exactly, are you going to sulk for, Akira?"

Souryou Kanshi leant up against the wall of the bedchamber, casting his companion a look of weary frustration as he interpreted the dark tension in the other boy's aura. "I can't see what you're complaining about. You wanted to be a Senior this year, and we're Seniors. What's the problem? You got what you wanted - why are you stomping around here like someone's stamped on your pride? It's barely the start of term."

"Seniors? Yes. Properly respected for that? No." Yamamoto Akira dropped down on his bed, glaring up at his friend crossly. "Does this really not bother you, Kanshi? Four of us. Four! What happened to the idea of promoting students through the years? And not only that...we're now stuck with a bunch of kouhai as our classmates? Like we're meant to take them seriously or something. I don't get it. Why would Genryuusai-sama make a decision like that? And especially for me..."

"So you wanted to be Anideshi, but don't you think everyone would've called it favouritism if you had been?" Kanshi sighed, sinking down onto the empty bed opposite as he met his companion's gaze evenly. "Your father is current Head of the Yamamoto Clan. Genryuusai-sensei is also a very important Yamamoto. Don't you think that people would consider it fiddled if you were given that kind of responsibility?"

"It wouldn't matter, since I deserve it." Akira was not to be dissuaded. "I'm the top ranked student in our year and whatever anyone says, that isn't going to change. Besides, even if you were right, how do you explain what he's done instead? Some District brat has been given that position - do you think anyone is going to take that seriously? Some peasant boy who isn't even top of his year being given the role of Anideshi? You don't think that's some kind of 'biased point' being made? I do."

"Maybe." Kanshi shrugged. "I guess it is a 'point', as you put it. But why bother about it? This is how it is. You'll just have to outshine the kid in everything and make Sensei feel he made a mistake, if that's the case. Probably that's why he did it anyhow. To challenge you to fight back. You know what he's like...and there's never been anyone to challenge you in our year. Not really. Aoi, Suzuno and I are all reasonably good students and so we're promoted too. But you've always been a leap and a jump ahead of us so...I'd say Genryuusai-sensei wants to spark your competitive instinct."

"Try my homicidal instincts." Akira growled. "Mark my words, Kanshi. This isn't going to be easily forgotten."

"No, I can see that." Kanshi sighed. "And I'm fairly sure the same will be true from those left down. You forget that Kamaki's kin of mine, in a roundabout way - and I've had to put up with his complaining on the subject this last week or two."

"I had a ranting letter from Kamaki over the break." Akira admitted. "Because he missed promotion, essentially, by two marks. That's all that divided him from Suzuno on last term's ranks."

"Two marks or two hundred, doesn't make a difference since there has to be a cut off - that's what Sensei would say." Kanshi reflected. "And, even though I'm happy to be promoted, I'm also very happy not to be sharing a room with either him or you this year. I have a feeling poor Aoi is going to listen to a lot more of this over the next few months and I like to be able to sleep from time to time. You take things too much to heart, Akira. If you think something's not right, there's no point sulking about it. Just fight back and prove that it's wrong instead. That's all you can do."

He shrugged.

"I don't know what I think of this whole thing, yet." He added pensively. "There were slackers in our class and I've heard that these Fourth Year promotees are some kind of class of prodigial talents so it might be interesting in the long run. We'll see."

"Who's side are you on?"

"Yours, predominately. We've been friends too long for anything else." Kanshi grinned. "But if you're being an idiot, I'm going to tell you so. That's part of unconditional friendship and you'll just have to put up with it. You should know by now - I don't mince my words for anyone. I have no intention of pandering to our new classmates or our Anideshi particularly, but I'm not going to make trouble with them either. Not until I've built an opinion of them - at which point I'll decide whether they're worth bothering with or not."

He stifled a yawn.

"Besides, I was up early." He added. "I had to come here from the border of Fifth, therefore I've been travelling for much longer than you. I'm going to head to my own room - and try and take a nap."

"You're going to just abandon me? I hadn't done talking yet." Akira was put out, and Kanshi snorted.

"You've never done talking." He said dismissively. "Besides, Aoi's on his way. I can sense him - can't you? You can tell him your grievances instead. He'll probably listen to you far more attentively than I have."

Before Akira could respond, the door of the room slid tentatively back to reveal the tall, gangly form of their classmate, Michihashi Aoi. An Urahara by birth, yet through the female line, Aoi had thick blond hair that was cropped at his neck, and his fair complexion and pale eyes gave him a slightly dreamy look which teachers had often mistaken for inattention in class. Aoi was not as scientifically adept as many of his kinsfolk, but he was far from stupid. On the contrary he was an astute thinker who had always scored well in Sakusen in particular. Despite his considerable skill with his sword, he was not a particularly assertive individual, preferring to keep out of any unnecessary conflict. It was for that reason that Kanshi had made his comments, knowing as he did that no matter how much Akira ranted, Aoi was unlikely to criticise, argue or complain.

"Your timing is perfect." Kanshi said now, offering Aoi a grin. "I was just heading to my room, and Akira apparently has some things to still rant about."

"Rant about?" Aoi's eyes widened, and his gaze flitted to Akira apprehensively. "Are you already bothered by something, Akira-kun?"

"A few things." Akira said darkly. "Where do you want me to start? The fact only four of our class were promoted, yet nine Fourth Years are now supposed to be considered our equals? The fact that our Anideshi is not only one of those Fourth Years but worse, a District boy? The fact that none of this makes even the slightest bit of sense?"

"Oh." Aoi's brow creased in consternation. "I had heard something about that. I was worried when I found out that there were only four of us - but I'm glad it was the ones it is. I mean, we are the best students in our year."

"That doesn't make any of this right!"

"I didn't say that!" Aoi held up his hands hurriedly as Akira's tones took a rather unpleasant edge. "I didn't mean that at all. Just that it could have been worse."

"Indeed it could. I don't think it's the end of the world at all." Kanshi clapped his hands down playfully on Aoi's shoulders. "We'll just do what we can to prove ourselves from this point. Won't we?"

"Yes." Aoi agreed, shooting Kanshi a grateful glance. "That."

"And you're not angry that our Anideshi is a District boy?" Akira demanded. Aoi pursed his lips, looking thoughtful.

"I heard something about him." He said slowly. "That he raised his _zanpakutou_ as a Second Year and that the only reason he wasn't skipped up to our year before was because of his District roots. I think he's meant to be some kind of prodigy. If that's true, then..."

"District kids as spiritual prodigies?" Akira arched an eyebrow. "I don't think so."

"I've heard that rumour too, though." Kanshi admitted. "That this Ukitake raised his sword in Second Year. He was trained by Nagoya Shirogane-senpai - and he summoned his _zanpakutou_ stupidly early. Maybe Aoi's right...either way, I'm interested in waiting and watching what happens. If he really is that special, it might be fun to see."

"I still think it's a lot of fuss about nothing." Akira grumbled. "Well, whatever. If he's going to be Anideshi, he's going to have to prove himself. And I'm going to make sure he does that. No matter what."


	6. Riri

**Chapter Five: Riri**

The sun was high in the sky over District Eight as Chihiro made her way carefully down the rocky path towards the village that lay in the shade of the valley below. It was not a cold day, for although in other regions spring had only just begun, in District Eight the frosts were never so heavy and as a consequence the meadows were already bright with early blooms. Even the trees bore the first distinct sign of buds that would soon burst into blossom, and Chihiro smiled to herself, tucking her fingers absently into the folds of her sash as she contemplated the peace and tranquility of her surroundings.

Of course, it was not the same as where she had grown up. Back home, she knew, the sakura trees would be approaching their zenith and it would not be long before the Kuchiki would doubtless name their festival day as they had done so many years before. Yet although she missed her homeland and her family still quite dearly, Chihiro was content in her new life here.

As her mother had said when she had made her commitment to marry, no daughter could truly trail behind her mother's apron strings for the rest of time. It had been a bittersweet parting, and Chihiro wrote home to her family every week - but though there was some sadness in knowing she would not see the first summer sun over the waves of the cove near her home, she was also excited about what the future would bring.

_Just like Juu-niisama, I've discovered my own path and have found the courage to walk it._

She pursed her lips, raising her gaze once more to the sky at the sound of a songbird winging its way towards the forests below. The birds were nesting now, she knew, and soon there would be babies - a thought that made her wonder whether in time she too would have a family of her own.

_If Juu-nii had never gone to the Academy, and had never broadened his horizons outside of District Eight, would I ever have come here at all? If not for Juu-nii becoming a Shinigami, would I have met Takeshi and fallen in love with him? Would I now be the wife of one of the Kyouraku's retainers - or would I still be at home, helping Mother and waiting to see what the future held?_

Chihiro's hazel eyes became thoughtful.

_Nii-sama's choices have impacted on all of us, but I don't think they've been bad ones at all. We've all grown up a little more, and taken our own steps forward. I never imagined when we were children that Hiro, Juu-nii and I would wind up in such different places - but now it seems as though everything has fallen into place. Juu-nii will be a shinigami. My future is here with Takeshi in District Eight. And Hiro will take the Ukitake family and look after it the way Father would have wanted. Juu-nii will help too, I know - and so will I, if ever I can. But Mother was always afraid of me being left behind, or marrying simply for local political advantage. _

"Chihiro-neesan!"

A voice struck her from her reverie as she stepped through the arched trees that made the unofficial gateway to the village of Kaoka, and she paused, offering a warm, sunny smile as she recognised the young girl now tugging at the sleeves of her robe. Shizuka was no more than four or five years old, yet already she was independent and exciteable, running barefooted through the village to greet her without a moment's thought. Behind her came the sound of other steps, followed by the voice of her brother, Inori - barely more than a year her senior, yet somehow so much older in his sense of duty towards his sister.

"Shizuka! You shouldn't be running off like that! Riri-nee will worry, and then..."

"I came to see Chihiro-neesan." Shizuka said firmly. "Chihiro-neesan, you did come to see Riri-nee and us today, didn't you? That's why you walked to the village, isn't it? You did come to see us and play with us...didn't you?"

"As a matter of fact, I did...though I have some business to carry out for Takeshi's mother in the next village afterwards, so I can't stay all day." Chihiro laughed, bending down to ruffle the muzzy dark hair that covered the child's head. "Inori's right though, Shizuka. You shouldn't run off. It's dangerous - what if someone was riding a fast horse through the village? You might get knocked down and killed."

"I'd run out of the way, then." Shizuka said frankly. "And you were walking here, so it was fine. Else Chihiro-neesan would have been knocked down too."

"That's true." Chihiro laughed. "All right then, you win."

"You haven't been to see us for a long time." Inori remarked as she held out her hands to each of the children, not minding the grimy nature of their fingers as they slipped tiny paws into hers for the walk back to their home. "I thought maybe you forgot about us, but Riri-nee said you were just very busy and couldn't always come."

"I have been busy." Chihiro sighed, nodding her head. "Takeshi's sister was not well after she had her baby, and I have some experience of nursing, so I was helping Takeshi's mother to look after her and the new little one. It meant I couldn't come see you, though everything is all right now."

"Babies scream a lot and make a mess." Shizuka screwed up her face. "I don't like them. They smell funny and they never do anything but cry."

"You were a baby once, you know." Chihiro teased, and Shizuka shook her head.

"I wasn't." She said frankly, tossing her head and sending wild chestnut brown curls in every direction. "I was always grown up, cos I didn't scream like that."

"Yes you did." Inori told her firmly, though Chihiro was certain he would be too young to have remembered such a thing. "You screamed and screamed and screamed. Mother said so, so there, Shizuka."

"Mother never did!" Shizuka was indignant, and Chihiro laughed at the expression in the girl's brown eyes.

"Okay, enough." She scolded lightly. "What will Riri say if she hears you bickering like this?"

"I s'pose." Inori sighed, shaking his head. "Sorry, Chihiro-neesan. Riri-nee will be happy to see you, so we shouldn't make her cross."

"That sounds like sound advice to me." Riri's own voice prevented Chihiro from responding, as the woman herself emerged from one of the ramshackle village buildings.

She was taller than Chihiro by a few inches, and slender on the verge of skinny, for through the winter months in the villages food was often scarce. Dark hair was curled into a neat tail at the base of her neck, and she was not unattractive to look at, whilst in her deep brown eyes was a sharpness that gave away the girl's native intelligence. She was robed in simple fabrics, yet her clothes were clean and fairly neat, and Chihiro knew that she had most likely made them herself from the scraps and off-cuts she had been able to acquire thanks to her friend's help.

Riri had no family of her own, but on the death of a close friend she had become guardian to that woman's two children, and had taken full responsibility for them, putting them first in every way. Chihiro had never met Riri's dead friend, yet she could tell from the affection that was shown towards Shizuka and Inori that their bond had been a true one and that, by looking after the children, Riri was keeping that friendship alive inside her heart.

She would be twenty one years old that spring - not far from Chihiro's own age - yet her experiences and situation had given her the air of someone some three or four years older. They rarely discussed it in depth, but Chihiro knew that Riri had been soliciting since her own mother's death when she had been fifteen - and that now she was looking for other ways in which to raise money, hoping that she would not guide Shizuka into the same danger-tainted path. In this, Chihiro had become an invaluable friend, for she was both literate and capable in skills that she had quickly proposed to teach. Riri had proven a good student, and by now, Chihiro knew, she had begun to think of other ways to further forward her life.

Riri was not her real name, yet it was the only name Chihiro had ever called her by. It was a nickname given by the father Riri had only ever met once, derived from the kanji that made up her first and last names, and though Riri had never been able to read the characters or understand the significance of where the name had come from, she had kept it as a memento of a man who had been nothing more than a ghost in her life. For Chihiro, who had lost her father as a young teenager, the resonance was all too familiar.

"I thought I heard a familiar voice." Riri said now, offering Chihiro a grin and a bow of her head. "So you've managed to shake off your shackles and come to see us, then, ?"

"I have. All is well now at my sister in law's home and everything is as normal." Chihiro nodded, moving to grasp her friend by the hands. "I'm sorry, Riri - but I will make it up to you."

"It's all right." Riri offered her a grin. "When you come, it makes everyone happy - so if you came too often, we might get bored of you. Come on inside, anyway. As ever, I've not much to offer you - but at the very least you can sit down."

"You have your company, which is all I come here seeking." Chihiro returned the grin. "Thanks to your help I've made friends in District Eight more quickly than I expected - so I'm sure I would never get bored of you."

Riri chuckled, ushering her companion inside.

"Inori, Shizuka, go fetch water from the well." She instructed. "Just because we have a visitor doesn't mean you can forget your chores, and there's plenty of cleaning to be done."

The children exchanged looks, but they clearly knew it was futile to argue, for with heavy faces they trudged off to find the pails, a resigned nature to their steps.

"That was a little harsh, considering I haven't seen them in a while." Chihiro reflected, and Riri nodded, sinking down onto the bare wood floor and indicating for her companion to do the same.

"I know, but I had hoped to talk to you alone for a moment." She admitted. "That you came here today was good fortune - I was about to try and send a message to you, so you must have read my intentions."

"Is something wrong? Are you in trouble?" Chihiro stared at her companion in alarm, but Riri shook her head.

"I'm quite fine, thank you." She said wryly. "You should know that a woman in my profession is well used to protecting herself in all ways possible - and I do mean, all ways. I have two hungry mouths to feed and their mother would not forgive me if I let harm come to them - so no, you can rest assured I take no unecessary risks."

"Then...?" Chihiro was confused, settling herself more comfortably on the floor. "If it's about my teaching you your letters, or about the matter of cloth I promised to bring you, those things can be spoken of before the children, surely? Your stitching and your writing is getting much better and you've said you intend to teach Shizuka to decorate silk as well, so that she can support herself through a different method than the one her mother died doing. Therefore..."

"It has nothing to do with those things, though I am grateful to you beyond what I can repay for your help to date." Riri shook her head. "And I have continued to practice even in your absence - in fact, I found Inori studiously copying one of the kanji lists you left me, so perhaps you will find another student soon enough. Shizuka shows no interest in such things yet - but I would like them to be literate too, if at all possible."

"I don't mind." Chihiro shook her head. "My situation is comfortable and I have no real burdens pressing on me beyond ordinary life. Takeshi knows I come here and approves of it - the Kyouraku Clan would certainly not object if they knew of it. In fact, the cloth I brought you was originally from Rae-hime for me to do with or distribute as I saw fit - so I suspect they do know I come to the villages a lot. But you wanted to speak to me of other things - and if not trouble and not education - what?"

"Perhaps it is trouble, but not my own." Riri chewed down on her lip. "It's a strange situation, but traders passing through this way have brought disturbing rumours from far afield. Normally I pay no such attention to these things - but a client of mine the other night was well in his cups and started talking about things happening in District Six. Since that is your homeland..."

"District Six?" Alarm flashed into Chihiro's eyes as she thought of her family. "What kind of things?"

"It's only a rumour, but it's said that the heir to the Clan there has been murdered, and everything is all unsettled." Riri shrugged. "I wanted to tell you so you could write to your people and make sure they are all safe. Your older brother - the one who claims an acquaintance with our Clan - isn't there at present, is he? So that being the case, I thought..."

"I would be concerned. Yes." Chihiro nodded. "Thank you, Riri. I will write home directly I get back, and I will try and make sure all is well. I'll also write to Juu-nii, I think, and see if he's heard anything about it either. He wouldn't necessarily tell us unless we asked - and I'm too far removed from the main Kyouraku estate to hear gossip there as a rule. Because of being with my sister in law, I haven't been able to see Kyouko-chan for some weeks either."

"Well, probably it isn't something to affect your family too greatly. But I thought you should know, since I'd heard the story from a trader who was there three or four days past." Riri said simply. "I have very few ways to repay you for our friendship, or to make it worth your while - but if I can bring you odd tid-bits of information such as that, then I will."

"Friendship isn't something that requires repaying, but I appreciate it all the same." Chihiro sighed. "All right. That aside, there's nothing else?"

"No. Nothing that should concern you." Riri shook her head, a rueful smile touching her lips. "The business of prostitutes is not something for the ears of an honourable soldier's wife - so as far as that matter is concerned..."

"I understand." Chihiro nodded. "All right, then. In that case, let me make myself useful and help prepare some tea. I brought some scented leaves that Rae-hime gave me - they have an unusual flavour, but I think you'll like it."

"You really are in favour with the Clansfolk in this district, aren't you?" Riri eyed her pensively, and Chihiro grinned.

"It's thanks to my brother." She admitted. "And the fact he has such a close friend with Tokutarou-sama's younger brother. Takeshi's a soldier Shunsui also has a lot of respect for, and he's been transferred under Yasuhiro-dono's direct command this past winter which is a considerable honour and promotion. So I suppose...in that respect..."

"I see." Riri pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Your husband has been drafted into Tokutarou-sama's bodyguard regiment and you have social interaction with the lady Rae. All because of a brother who breaks convention to become a shinigami. One day I would like to meet this brother of yours, Chihiro. He seems to be quite a startling individual, if he can break down social boundaries not just for himself but for those who surround him."

"Well, the Kyouraku aren't all that stuck up or frilly. They have a lot of good sense." Chihiro reflected. "But I'd like it too, if you had the chance to meet Juu-nii. It seems a shame my family are too far away for you to meet properly."

"Your mother mayn't approve of you socialising so much with prostitutes." Riri pointed out.

"But like I said, my husband knows and approves of my coming here." Chihiro said wisely. "He likes me to have what friendships I can outside the manor, and I am in no danger here. Besides..."

"Besides, he probably also knows - or his master does - that prostitutes learn things." Riri grinned.

"I don't come here for that reason." Chihiro objected, and Riri shook her head.

"No. I know. I didn't mean to imply otherwise." She said apologetically. "But it does explain their acceptance of it. And if that's their thinking, I don't mind. It means I get to spend time in your company, which I and the children enjoy. So we all benefit, don't we, in the end?"

"I suppose so." Chihiro sighed. "I dislike politics, though. To me we're just friends, Riri. Nothing else. Nothing ulterior. Just that."

"If I thought otherwise, I wouldn't let you in my house, let alone near the children." Riri told her firmly. "Now we were going to make tea? I thought you said..."

"Riri-nee! Riri-nee!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Inori burst into the room once more, excitement in his bright eyes. "Riri-nee, Momiji-nee is here and wants to speak to you! I told her you had someone visiting, but she said you asked her and she hasn't much time..."

"Momiji?" Chihiro looked surprised, and Riri nodded.

"A sister in sin." She said ruefully. "It's all right, Inori. Tell her she can come on in. It won't take long, and she can be on her way again quickly."

"Okay! I'll tell her!" Inori disappeared, and Riri moved to the window, picking up a box from the unit by the table and opening it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect her this quickly." She said apologetically. "I asked her to come here because an old necklace of mine is broken, and she's quite good at fixing things like that."

"I don't mind." Chihiro shook her head. "I haven't met her before...is she a close friend of yours?"

"I suppose more like a sister. More than many of the others, in some ways." Riri shrugged, pulling the necklace from the box and curling it absently around her fingers, the pendant clasped tightly in the palm of her hand. "She came here from Seventh when there were bad things going on there. A few years ago it was common - a lot of people broke borders and came here. She was one of them. We kind of crossed paths, and...well, she's someone who's easy to like."

"I see." Chihiro grinned. "Then I'll be happy to meet her."

"Riri?" At that moment the divide was pushed back and a petite girl with big blue eyes and a mass of dark hair stepped into the room, robed as simply and as neatly as Riri was. She was probably the same age as Chihiro herself or a little younger, her guileless expression making her appear innocent and unassuming. Unlike other prostitutes in Riri's acquaintance, she was not heavily made up, nor had she gone to great pains to style her hair, yet despite it she was still very pretty and Chihiro realised with a rueful grimace that she would probably find no shortage of clients among the menfolk of the surrounding area.

"Oh! You have...someone here." As Momiji's gaze met Chihiro's, she faltered, shooting her friend an apprehensive look. "But...you're not working, right? I mean...it isn't a bad time...Inori-kun said..."

"This is Chihiro, Momiji." As the girl trailed off, Riri shook her head. "The wife of one of the Kyouraku retainers - the one I've told you about before."

"_Oh_!" Momiji's eyes became even wider as she absorbed this. "The one who teaches you to write and read?"

"Yes." Riri confirmed. "Chihiro, this is Momiji, one of my close friends."

"Pleased to meet you, Momiji-san." Chihiro grinned, and Momiji dimpled back.

"Likewise." She said warmly. "I've heard a lot about you from Riri, and I didn't mean to intrude on your visit."

She glanced at her friend.

"Shall I just collect the necklace and go, then? I have an appointment in the city in a short time, and so..."

"All right." Riri opened her hand for a moment, glancing at the pendant, then nodding as she held it out to her companion. "I'm trusting you with this, Momi. I wouldn't trust it to anyone else, but the clasp is broken and I can't wear it as it is. You've the deftest fingers I know, so if you can fix it..."

"Mm." Momiji grasped hold of it, glancing at the fine chain for a moment and then nodding. "I should be able to mend that. It's not a difficult one. Don't worry, Riri. I'll have it fixed for you in no time."

She cast Chihiro another grin.

"I'll be going, then." She added. "Nice to meet you, Chihiro-san. I hope we can talk more next time - Riri thinks very well of you, so in that case so do I."

With that she was gone, and Riri sighed, amusement in her dark eyes.

"Momiji trusts people a little too easily." She reflected. "But given her past, I suppose it's a miracle she trusts at all."

"You said she came from Seventh." Chihiro murmured, and Riri nodded.

"You can tell it in her accent, if you listen, though she's worked hard to eradicate the sound from her speech." She agreed. "It was a bad time, and she doesn't like dwelling on bad things. Her father worked in fine craft - metalwork, jewellery and so on, and she learnt a lot from him, before things fell apart there. But her family were wiped out in one of the Endou-ke's raids and Momiji was the only one who escaped to the border and beyond. She was fifteen or thereabouts when it all happened, so when she came here she had no money and nothing to recommend her except herself."

She sighed.

"You can see how she fell into this life, although it's obvious from her manners that she came from a good family originally. Some of the girls I know are very rough and ready, scraping together their livelihoods from what they can scrounge since they were born, but Momiji isn't like that. Perhaps that's why we get along...since I hope I can say I have decent etiquette, even when dealing with drunken men."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Either way, she and I met a short time after she started to ply trade in Eighth...and since then I suppose I've taken her under my wing the way Inori and Shizuka's mother did for me when I first started...in this work. She's far too kind and open for this life, yet sometimes I envy the way her past hasn't scarred her. She still lives every day with hope and enthusiasm...I suppose that's one of the reasons I like spending time in her company."

"She seems nice." Chihiro reflected. "A happy person, you're right. You wouldn't know what she'd been through...it takes a strong person to keep smiling even despite losing so much. And she must be clever too, if she can fix jewellery."

"Yes. She has skills" Riri nodded. "Though as I said, she's too guileless sometimes to be as wise to the world as she should be by now. But she_ is_ trustworthy, at least. The pendant I gave her is precious - it's one of only two mementos I have from my dead father, and so I've always kept it close. But the clasp is broken...so I hope...she will be able to fix it. I daren't give it to anyone else, because...well, I guess it's valuable. I normally wear it under my robes when I'm not working - I haven't been able to for a while, and I don't like leaving it lying around. Things get stolen easily from prostitutes when entertaining drunken guests...so..."

She trailed off, looking sheepish.

"It seems foolish to cling to something given to me by a man who I met officially only once, and who was never even my mother's husband." She acknowledged. "And I should probably think badly of him. But...I don't suppose that I do. Since I know he died...not long after he first came to see me. And...well...he did leave me those things, even though I wasn't a child he planned to have. Most fathers in that situation would never have come back, especially given that he and my mother didn't exactly move in the same circles. Yet he did...and I think if he hadn't died, he would have come again. Mother thought so, anyway. She would never let me speak badly of him, even though he wasn't there. So...I don't suppose he was a bad person. And I keep his mementos for that reason."

"I'm sure he wasn't a bad person at all." Chihiro grinned. "And I bet he would have come, if he could have. Your mother was probably right, Riri. He would've been glad you kept those things even now she was gone."

"Yes. Maybe." Riri agreed. "In any case, though, they're both long gone now."

She shrugged, a faintly bittersweet smile on her face.

"And we were going to make tea." She added. "With the leaves Rae-hime gave you."

"We were." Chihiro nodded, realising that her friend wanted to change the subject. "So we'll do that, and then I have to run off to collect things for my mother in law from the town market, so I won't intrude on your time any more. I want to go back and write to Juu-nii and to Okaasama anyway...so let's brew up a hot drink and you can tell me everything your Sixth District merchant told you about the Kuchiki!"

* * *

"There's a decidedly odd atmosphere buzzing about this place since term began."

Shihouin Kai let out a heavy sigh as he rubbed the coarse fabric of the towel briskly through his thick violet hair, tossing it aside and turning to glance at his companion. "You've felt it too, haven't you? The whatever it is just lurking under the surface. We've been back twenty four hours at most, and yet...already..."

He trailed off, shrugging his shoulders. It was the start of the second full day of term, and class would begin for the first time that day, but even at this early stage it had become clear that the new Senior Class were not simply going to shake down into one happy group right away. On the contrary, Shunsui mused ruefully as he settled himself on the bench of the Senior baths' changing room, rubbing a towel absently through the straggling ends of his own growing hair, it seemed more likely that a war might break out even in that short space of time. Though nothing had been said, exactly, it had been not said with pointed disapproval, and Shunsui knew he was not looking forward to their first Sakusen seminar.

"Things are moving. Yes. I've felt it too." He agreed now. "Given the situation we find ourselves in, though - are you surprised?"

"No." Kai admitted. "Not really. But even so..."

He grimaced, running his fingers through his still damp hair before winding a ribbon into it and shaking it back from his face. "There. That'll do. And it's just as disturbing to find you up and around early in the morning, to be honest - let alone dragging me here before breakfast. Did Hirata start talking in his sleep or something? Because I swear you're usually harder to wake than the dead. The number of times that Ukitake had to physically assault you to get you out of bed in time for breakfast and class in the past few years... I have to admit that you were the last person I expected to come knocking at my door at this time."

"No. Hirata was sleeping like a baby when I left, as he's generally prone to doing." Despite himself, Shunsui grinned. "You know Hirata. He's very inobtrusive, and I didn't disturb him. As for my early rising - you'd be surprised. Now there's an infant in the Kyouraku family, early mornings and sleepless nights are becoming far more commonplace events."

"Ah yes. Baby Kyouraku. Of course." Kai pursed his lips. "But he's not here, so you should have slept right through. You've obviously got something on your mind - want to share what it is? Because whilst I don't mind getting up at dawn or taking a bath, I'm not fooled for a moment that you just wanted to spend time in my company. Let's hear it, whatever it is - I'm all ears."

"Kai-kun!" Shunsui affected a hurt expression. "I thought we were friends. I have no objection to spending time in your company, and I'm hurt you'd think otherwise!"

"Kyouraku." Kai arched an eyebrow, and knowing he was defeated, Shunsui let out a sigh, sending his friend a rueful grimace.

"I'm sorry." He agreed with a frown. "You're right, as it happens. I did want to talk to you, but that Michihashi guy was here when we got here and I didn't want to make things more awkward by avoiding sharing water with him."

"Mm. I wondered." Kai shrugged. "Like you, I didn't really want to be rude to the guy, but I did wonder if he was ever going to leave. Obviously it isn't just me who likes to take a bath early rather than late - so I guess this isn't going to be the most secluded of places to talk about anything in future."

"No. Perhaps not." Shunsui mused. "Either way, for now we're alone. Michihashi doesn't seem that confrontational in general and we did manage a little awkward small-talk without an argument breaking out - but it meant I couldn't address what I wanted to talk to you about."

He groaned.

"Bad, isn't it? This early in the term and already battle lines are being drawn in the sand without anything actually actively happening."

"That's probably why." Kai said thoughtfully. "It's the anticipation of something, not the something itself. It's blatantly obvious that Sensei's decision has shaken up two years worth of students, not just ours. And that there are some roundly not happy people...is to be expected. You heard Ukitake last night, didn't you? Talking about that Kamaki and his general attitude when he signed in. Sora said it too, and they're kinsfolk. There are going to be bad vibes for a while - it can't be helped. Nobody's going to take on Genryuusai-sensei about his decision, because nobody would survive that confrontation and everyone knows it. So...instead..."

"We wind up like this." Shunsui pulled another graphic face. "Yes. You're right. That's exactly how it is, even so soon in the term. And it will be difficult to talk privately about anything, considering that the Senior areas are so, well, cosy I guess is the general word for it."

"Well, we're alone now, and we have a little time." Kai dropped down opposite him. "What's the deal? It's not like you to be cloak and dagger - more, it's not like you to leave Ukitake out of secret chats like this. Is something the matter with him? That's the only thing I can think of - but..."

"No. Juu's fine." Shunsui shook his head. "In fact, he knows about this too. We talked about it first, and agreed I'd talk to you if I had a chance to. It's nothing to do with our class situation. Actually it's about Ryuu. And the whole situation...when he comes back."

"Oh. The Kuchiki assassination." Kai's lips thinned and he nodded his head. "I see. You guys think that us being roommates might make for some explosive moments?"

"That's one way of putting it." Shunsui nodded. "I know you're fairly tolerant of him these days, but...with everything that's happened in Sixth of late..."

"Mm." Kai looked thoughtful. "It was a surprise, to be honest. No, a shock, actually. That anyone would try to assassinate a Kuchiki...that's odd enough in itself. But to assassinate Ribari-sama...seems like complete madness. It's a death that benefits nobody within the Kuchiki or outside of it, either. It just creates chaos and ripples and god knows what else."

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's all right, by the way." He added. "I'd already seen the potential. Kuchiki is Guren-sama's nephew. Doubtless he's in the front line of all this and he'll probably be wound twice as tightly as he usually is when he and Edogawa get back on campus. I'm prepared for rooming with a prickly customer - it's fine. I'm not going to do anything to kick him off, if that's what you and Ukitake think."

He offered an amused smile.

"Odd as it may seem, I don't mind his stand-offish behaviour as much now as I did when we first came here." He reflected. "It's become almost reassuring in some ways."

"Reassuring?" Shunsui blinked, and Kai laughed.

"Well, there's still some Shihouin pride inside of me, despite everything." He owned. "When my Uncle was disgraced, the Clan almost fell. We suffered a huge blow both figuratively and actually when he was put to death by the Council. But Neesama has worked very hard to bring our family back to an acceptable level."

He shrugged.

"The fact that Kuchiki still looks on it and me with such disdain means he still considers the Shihouin a Clan of the standing it was before my Uncle's misdemeanour." He added. "Which means that, in a backwards way, he respects it. In a Kuchiki way, of course - since Kuchiki are meant to hate Shihouin."

"That kind of logic is far too twisted for this early in the morning." Despite himself, Shunsui grinned. "Save it for Sakusen class, all right? Next you'll be saying that you and he are friends, evidenced by the level of hate you have for one another."

"I guess it's a fine line." Kai joked, then he shook his head. "No, I don't hate him. He's socially awkward and stiff as a board, but I've realised that's just his personality disorder coming out. I can handle it, and I won't provoke him any. You have my word, Kyouraku. I'm not going to antagonise him over this. If we're going to share a room this year, well, I'd like to be able to sleep through the night from time to time."

"Good." Shunsui looked relieved. "It's not that we thought otherwise, but..."

"We need to stick together, anyhow." Kai added. "Us who have been doubly promoted, I mean. Michihashi may seem inoffensive, but mark my words, it's not just about him. We've already mentioned the weirdness in the atmosphere, but mark my words, Kyouraku, it isn't going to stay just atmospheric for long. Even if we forget for the moment those like Kamaki who were overlooked so we could be promoted, you can't have missed the genuinely malignant nature of some of the dark glares Yamamoto Akira's been sending our way since we arrived. At dinner last night especially...he was a thunderstorm waiting to break out and his lightning rod was aimed firmly at Ukitake."

"He obviously doesn't know that Juu has a particular talent for dealing with lightning. And I mean that literally." Shunsui said wryly. "Yes, I saw. And felt. His aura was full of negative vibes, and I suppose I hadn't thought that it would just simmer and not erupt somehow as term goes on. It's more how and when that concerns me, honestly - rather than if. And while we're on the subject, I'm not sure about his friend either - Souryou, isn't it? Michihashi is also probably a different matter when in their company...and as for the girl, I don't know anything about her yet."

He shrugged.

"She has curves in the right places and a pretty smile, so I'm prepared to think kindly towards her right now, but you never know what hides behind a girl's smile." He reasoned playfully. "So you're right. We should stick together. Yama-jii asked me to back up Juu, and I guess that goes for us all. _We_ know he should be Anideshi. We're also the majority. We just need to educate those who don't understand it yet."

"I'm with that." Kai winked. "Yamamoto might fancy his skills, but he hasn't encountered proper competition yet. He's supposedly a good fighter, if Houjou's to be believed on the subject - I asked him last evening about it. He's taken Houjou's sword once or twice in combat practice. But then, so have I. And if need be, I'm quite happy to prove I wasn't ranked top in Ouyoudou every year so far for no reason."

He flexed and then clenched his fists.

"I'm quite looking forward to having the chance to put him to the test, you know."

"Well, if it makes you happy." Shunsui laughed. "Me, I think challenging an idiot is far too much like hard work. And we're going to have enough of that to deal with now we're expected to act as Yama-jii's unofficial officers alongside our normal studies. Somehow I don't think this year is going to be even the slightest bit quiet."

"Me either. But that might be fun, too." Kai said reflectively. "I guess we'll soon see. Come on. We'll be late for breakfast at this rate, and I at least am hungry."

"Right with you." Shunsui nodded. "And Kai? I'm glad you understand about Ryuu. He is...well...socially awkward is an understatement. But...even despite it...it's hard not to be fond of him. Or worry about him. Juu especially is worried - but I guess I am as well."

"Mm." Kai's expression clouded for a moment, and he nodded his head.

"I understand." He said softly. "It's all right. Of all Clans, the Shihouin have most reason to not want to upset the Kuchiki in our current states of being. I won't be rocking that boat. Not if I can possibly help it."

* * *

"Wooooh! No kidding that the Senior Class get all the perks and modcons when it comes to classroom space!"

Houjou Enishi let out a low whistle as he pushed back the door of the Senior Seminar Chamber, pausing to gaze around him at the bright, sunshiny room that lay ahead. At his side, Juushirou hid a smile, giving his tall companion a playful nudge.

"And if you stand there, Enishi-kun, nobody else will get to see any of it, much less have a class in it." He said, his hazel eyes glittering with amusement. "I don't suppose you plan on keeping Sensei out in the hall when he arrives, do you?"

"Not a chance." Enishi sent his friend a rueful grin, shaking his head as he obediently moved his broad frame from where he had been blocking the doorway almost completely. "Sorry, Ukitake. I guess I didn't mean to be a roadblock. It just took me by surprise, that's all. That we'd get to be studying in a room like this."

"Let's see." Juushirou stepped over the threshold, glancing around him as he absorbed the chamber's high ceilings and wide windows. "Ooh. This must have been an important chamber, once, I guess - back when it was a Clan home? Enishi, you're Yamamoto-ke - do you know what kind of thing might have happened here before it became a school?"

"Not the foggiest." Enishi admitted good-naturedly. "I'm not really much for history, and truthfully all the cultural finesse of Clan life is still beyond my brain most days. I guess maybe they held parties here or something like that? I don't know. It's not big enough for dancing - but..."

"I'd say it was a lady's parlour." Shunsui put in from the corridor behind, ducking into the room and casting both boys a grin, and Juushirou could see Kai behind him, his long violet hair still trailing faint traces of water across his school uniform. "Good morning, Enishi. Good morning, Anideshi. How are you both this morning?"

"You're up early." Enishi looked surprised. "And your hair is damp - you got up early and had a bath? What about breakfast? Did you manage that too?"

"Of course, you oaf." Shunsui grinned. "I'm a Senior now. I have to behave myself and be on time - at least to begin with."

"And you don't have to call me Anideshi, which I shouldn't have to tell you." Juushirou glared at his friend darkly. "It's weird enough having the rest of the school do it, let alone you."

"What about you, Enishi?" Before Shunsui could respond, Kai cast the oldest member of the class a quizzical look. "Where were you for breakfast? Tisn't like you to miss a meal."

"Sensei's study." Enishi said matter-of-factly, as if that explained everything, and Shunsui arched an eyebrow.

"Yama-jii's? Already? When term has barely begun?" He demanded. "You can't have been fighting with your roommate already - surely?"

"Souryou?" Enishi looked genuinely surprised. "Why would I fight with him? He seems an okay sort. Quite direct, and I like it that way. But no, it wasn't about that. It was about the bane of my life, if you must know."

"Kidou?" Kai asked, and Enishi nodded.

"Everything else I have to Senior level. Sensei said it himself." He acknowledged. "And because of it, he didn't keep me down. Said it would've been harsh, with everyone else going up and with my skills in swordwork and so on, you know? But my kidou sucks. It's no secret, it just does. And so even as a Senior, I can't afford to skip Fifth Year Kidou work. Which means I have extra coaching. Again. Story of my life."

"But he didn't keep you back, so it's a small price, surely?" Juushirou asked. "And you know that you can ask us to help, too. Your Kidou isn't as bad as it was before, and even Sensei knows that, I'm sure."

"It's no worse than Hirata's swordplay, I'd imagine." Kai agreed. "Although the kid's coming on more and more, so maybe I won't be able to say that for much longer."

"I'd like it most if you didn't call me a kid for much longer, Kai-kun." At that moment Hirata himself stepped into the classroom, a faintly hurt expression on his pale features as he glanced between the members of the group. "And you didn't wait for me this morning, any of you. Shunsui-kun - where were you first thing? And then by the time I got to the dining hall..."

"You mean, you were the one who slept in and not me this time?" Shunsui laughed. "I'm sorry, Hirata. I had to talk to Kai about something and so dragged him to the baths so that we wouldn't disturb you. As for breakfast, we thought you'd already gone without us, to be honest. I went back up to the chamber but you weren't there - I figured we'd meet you here. And we should find seats, before our classmates arrive and take the best ones. I want a window - so I can stare out at the grass and any pretty _kouhai _without Yama-sensei getting suspicious."

"Sensei knows you. He'll be suspicious before he even steps into the room." Kai said smartly, and Shunsui held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Hirata, you're not really mad, are you?" Juushirou shot the young boy an anxious look, and Hirata sighed, shaking his head.

"No," He admitted. "But I don't like this new way of doing the dorms at all. We're scattered and separated and...it was far more fun when we were all together."

"I agree with you." Juushirou looked pensive, as the group made their way over to the long wooden table that stood parallel with one of the windows. "It's not that the Nest isn't comfortable or a nice place to sleep, but it seems very quiet. Even at home, I can hear kids running around all over the place from my room - but the Senior area is so secluded, and I feel almost locked away. Maybe past Anideshi liked peace and quiet...but I'm not sure that I do."

"You will once Sensei sticks us with an assignment to write." Enishi said wisely. "You'll have somewhere to go study where you can lock the door and not be disturbed."

"I suppose that's true." Juushirou pursed his lips. "But I still don't really like it. Studying together is more fun - I'd rather do that."

"Then we'll take it in turns to lock ourselves in the Nest, Enishi, and Juu can take whichever room is vacant." Shunsui suggested. Enishi laughed, nodding his head.

"I'm going to need all the help I can get, so I'll go with that." He agreed. "I'm going to have to be well on my game this year, if I'm going to graduate with all of you."

"You will." Juushirou assured him, as his friend picked a seat and squeezed his considerable frame into it. "Sensei has faith in you, so you will. Simple as that. Besides, it's not just about academic knowhow. It's other things too. Remember Nagoya-senpai? He aced his exams the first time around. But he still had to stay on longer until he'd completed other areas, too."

"We all vividly remember Nagoya-senpai." Shunsui said wryly. "And we're very glad he's no longer at the school."

"Hey, he was a good _shishou_ and I learnt a lot from him." Juushirou objected. "He was harsh and strict, true, but it worked out in the end."

"He was downright rude." Shunsui reflected. "But I suppose you did get Sougyo out of it, so maybe you're right. Still, I prefer this year's choice of Anideshi, if you want to know the truth. I think the junior students will be in very safe hands for the next year."

"That depends on whether any of them are pretty young girls." Juushirou shot his friend a mischievous look. "And whether I can get to them before you do."

"Juushirou!" Shunsui feigned horror, staring at his friend in dismay. "Are you saying that you'll abuse your position and let your head be turned by a pretty teenage something this year? What has happened to your morals over the break?"

"No, you idiot." Juushirou thwapped the other boy playfully across the back of the head. "I meant that I could get to them first to protect them from _you_. Don't be stupid."

"Ah, and for a moment I thought the pressure had got to you." Shunsui grinned, not noticeably put out by the scolding. "My bad. I guess I forgot you still have Mitsuki - and she'd be rather jealous if you started courting younger models."

"You make Edogawa sound ancient." Kai sighed, flopping himself down into the vacant seat opposite Enishi and gesturing for Hirata to take the one next to it. "Sit down, the pair of you, and be glad Sora wasn't here to hear that last remark - else you'd get a proper lecture on your attitude and it's too early in the morning."

"I don't have Mitsuki, as you put it." Juushirou reddened, obediently doing as he was bidden and after a moment, Shunsui shrugged, moving to take the window seat alongside. "Mitsuki and I are just friends. We've been just friends for four or so years now - I would have thought that was long enough for you to realise and understand exactly what's what between us."

"I do. We all do. Very clearly." Shunsui said blithely, holding up his hands. "One, you love Mitsuki. Two, she loves you. Three, you're both idiots. Hence four years of just friendship."

"Kyouraku." Enishi chuckled, shaking his head. "That's harsh."

"But true." Shunsui shrugged his shoulders, lowering his hands as he met Juushirou's dark gaze. "And don't look at me like that, Anideshi-sama. You know it as well as I do. You guys are the most obvious non-platonic platonic pair in the whole Academy - possibly in the whole of District One, for that matter. You might have both chosen the hands off approach when it comes to your socialising - but don't pretend to us that there's nothing between you but friendship. More sparks fly when you're together than do when Enishi lets off a Kidou spell and blows up half the training ground - so now you know."

"They do not!" Juushirou looked aghast, and Kai let out a snort.

"Ukitake, you rise to his bait way too easily." He remarked lazily. "Also, Sora and Shikibu are coming this way, along with our former senpai - so shut up, huh? It's not good for them to come in and see that the school's Anideshi has been replaced by a beetroot."

"I didn't know Juu could go quite that red." Shunsui acknowledged. "It's quite a pretty colour on you, you know."

"Oh...shut up." Juushirou glowered, but folded his arms, turning pointedly away from his friend. "Kai's right...well, not about the beetroot, but the other stuff. We can't squabble like fourth years now. We're Seniors."

"There speaks Anideshi." Shunsui intoned in a grave voice, and despite himself Juushirou grinned.

"Yes, so pay attention." he ordered. "Otherwise you'll find yourself summoned for horrific punishment at my pleasure."

"That sounds like a juicy story of some kind." Sora made her entrance at that moment, bouncing across the classroom towards them with excitement in her eyes. "Shunsui, you even managed to dress yourself and get to class on time for the first day...is that a first? I think it is."

"Morning, Sora-chan." Shunsui offered her a return grin. "You're full of energy as ever."

"Mm. Well, it's exciting. First class and all." Sora nodded, her curly dark hair bobbing over her shoulders as she did so. "First class as Seniors...don't you feel a buzz?"

"Sort of." Enishi nodded. "But it still hasn't fully sunk in yet."

"I suppose." Sora sighed. "And Nao and I are still missing Mitsuki...which sucks, but oh well."

"Mm. But they will be back soon, won't they?" Enishi pointed out. "They are coming back, cos Kuchiki's name is on Shihouin's door...so..."

"Yes. Oh yes, both of them will be here." Sora agreed. "But I'm probably going to write to Mi-chan after classes today and tell her what we did and stuff. If I send it by Clan Courier she should have it tomorrow - and then she won't feel left behind."

"Maybe I should write, after all." Juushirou murmured, then he sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "But it would probably be less controversial coming from you, Sora - from a neighbouring Clan who has good relations with the Kuchiki. I don't want to upset any applecarts by intruding where I'm not wanted."

"It's fine." Sora dimpled. "I'll tell her in my letter that you're thinking of her and that you hope everything settles down soon. Okay? That way you don't have to worry, and she'll know."

"Thank you." Juushirou returned the grin. "If you don't mind, that would help."

"Well, so I see that our new friends have already chosen themselves new seats."

Before Sora could respond, a fresh voice broke through the conversation and Juushirou glanced up, consternation in his gaze as he recognised the tall form of Akira heading across the room towards them. His arms were folded across his chest, his eyes dark and preoccupied, yet he kept his tones low and even, his gaze flitting from Juushirou to his companions and then back to Juushirou again.

"I suppose it's to be expected that Anideshi would arrive some time before the bell."

"I'm sure Sensei would like it that we're all here before the bell, regardless of the order in which we arrived." Kai said acerbically, and Akira snorted.

"I was talking to Anideshi. Not you, Shihouin." He said quietly. "I'm sure he can answer for himself."

"Did you ask me a question, Yamamoto-kun?" Juushirou's lips thinned, and he gazed at the older student quizzically. "I thought you were just making an observation. And since it's true, I didn't see any reason to comment on it...I'm sorry if I somehow missed your point."

His words were calm and even, but a faint flicker of indignation seared through his heart as he read and understood his classmate's disdain.

"Yamamoto-kun." Akira repeated softly, and Juushirou nodded.

"That is your name, isn't it?" He asked pleasantly. "Yamamoto Akira-kun. I'm fairly sure I remember it from the class lists first night."

Akira pursed his lips.

"Remember it." He said gruffly. "And don't refer to me in that condescending way again. I won't be talked down to by anyone - not Anideshi, not a Clansman and especially not a District boy with no connections of his own to speak of. You should pay attention to this and remember it well. My name is Yamamoto. My father is the Head of the Yamamoto Clan and this Academy is the brainchild of my kinsman Genryuusai-sama. This land belongs to my family. All of it. To _my family_. So be careful. Don't forget easily. This is Yamamoto land and I am first degree Clan."

There was a moment of silence, then Juushirou raised his head, his eyes hard and faintly defiant as he met the challenge in Akira's gaze.

"And yet _I'm_ Genryuusai-sensei's Anideshi." He said evenly, making no attempt to raise his tones yet in the sudden silence of the classroom his words carried clearly. "So I suppose Clan connections really aren't everything."

"..."

Akira's fists clenched, words failing him at the calm cheek of Juushirou's pointed response, but before he could react, Enishi was on his feet, giving his cousin a little push back.

"Don't, Akira." He said frankly, with more well meaning than tact in his mode of approach. "You don't know Ukitake yet. You don't know what kind of person he is. You'll see soon enough why Sensei chose him - so don't make fights on first day. It isn't worth it."

"Enishi..." Akira's eyes narrowed, but at that moment Kanshi let out a yelp, grabbing his friend by the arm and hauling him back.

"Damn you, calm down, already." He hissed. "Sensei's coming - do you want him to hear you? Sit down and shut up a while - you can finish this later."

"Fine. Whatever." Something in Kanshi's tones seemed to break through Akira's annoyance and he nodded, allowing himself to be dragged across the room to another table where he took a seat with decided bad grace. Juushirou eyed him for a moment, then turned away, aware that the other boy's dark glare was still locked onto his back from the other side of the chamber. He sighed.

"There we go. Day one." He murmured, almost half to himself, and Hirata shot him a sympathetic look.

"Houjou-kun is right, though." He said softly. "Yamamoto-kun doesn't understand yet, why you're Anideshi. He will...so..."

"What Hirata's saying is, don't get into any fist-fights with a guy brawny enough to shatter bones." Shunsui said acidly. "Enishi, I don't know if you helped or not in what you said, but probably you stopped him from losing his temper outright. Juu, you need to be careful with that one. What he says sucks, but is also true. Sensei did choose you as Anideshi, but it doesn't take away from the fact this is Yamamoto land and he is a Yamamoto bigwig."

"He's really the son of the Clan leader?" Kai asked, and Enishi nodded.

"Yes." He agreed. "Younger son, but yes."

"Then you won't get into trouble, will you, for stopping him like that?" Juushirou looked anxious. Enishi shrugged.

"The whole Yamamoto Clan expect me to do tactless and inappropriate things." He said casually. "So if I do, it doesn't usually get me into trouble. You people are the only ones who really bother about those things - most people at home already gave up on teaching me what to say when and to whom."

He laughed.

"Sometimes I can use that to my advantage. I'm not as stupid as people like to think."

"How stupid are you, then?" Shunsui asked innocently. "I'll re-set my gauge so it's reading accurately."

"Kyouraku." Enishi warned, but there was a broad grin on his face, and Juushirou laughed.

"Well, I'm fine. Yamamoto-kun can hate me, it's fine." He said decidedly. "I have you people around me and backing me up, and that's all there is to it. No more problems. I'm going to forget about him and focus on what Sensei's going to tell us. We're not little kids now. It will be all right once everything's settled down a little more."


	7. Treasure Hunt

**Chapter Six: Treasure Hunt**

It was a cool morning.

Pulling his cloak more firmly around his shoulders, the slender individual ducked beneath the gate that marked the entrance to the town of Teika-chou, pausing to glance around him with keen mud-slurried eyes. It was early yet, but already the town's market was beginning to bustle with life, and his quick gaze soon picked out the distinctive colours and panelling of the buildings that flanked the streets. Although dusty and old, it was clear that for a peasant settlement, Teika was not one of Seireitei's more impoverished towns, and the stranger's lips pursed together as he reflected on this, remembering the broad spread of fertile agricultural land that he had already travelled through to reach his destination. There were a few abandoned settlements in District Eight, he knew - some deserted by plagues or by the drying up of essential water sources. Yet wherever he had been, he had seen the influence of the Kyouraku - the charred remains of a civil war now almost forgotten and consumed by the greenery of the early flowering spring plants. What had once been a District wracked by civil war was now one of the most peaceful and profitable in all of Seireitei.

The Kyouraku were a successful Clan under Tokutarou's leadership, then. Well, so much to the good. On his travels, the stranger had heard many times that the people were content with their lot - that in times of bad harvest, Kyouraku retainers would try to distribute food to the starving and medicine to those suffering from winter agues or water-borne diseases. Some were even from Seventh District, plying their livelihoods now in this new land instead of in their own, and for a moment the stranger's eyes softened, remembering some he had known who had made that exact choice.

For that reason alone, he reflected, he was reluctant to cause disruption to the common people in District Eight. And yet, he had a job to do. He had to map out everything...little by little, piece by piece, as though putting together a jigsaw. If he missed even one fragment, the whole picture would fall apart. And he had already taken a step too far...he would continue, and keep to his plans.

This town was the closest town to the Kyouraku main house. Stories he had heard on his journey had only become consolidated as he had reached his destination - that once, many years ago, before the civil war had changed the future of the Kyouraku-ke, this place had been the favourite haunt of significant Clansfolk. That there was still evidence of that connection had excited his imagination. As yet he had found nothing, but surely, here...in Teika-chou...there would be the thing he was seeking. Surely in this place, which had such a close connection to the Kyouraku family's stronghold, he would find the evidence he sought.

The next piece in the puzzle.

His fingers strayed to the pendant that hung about his neck. It was the last memento he had of a loved one, and yet to him it was more a tool in his plans than it was anything sentimental. He had not ever put much stock in things - nor, he acknowledged, in people either - for both had proven unreliable in the past. Instead he had put his faith in himself - and in his unwavering ability to prevail no matter what the circumstances.

His fingers loosened their hold, brushing down the fabric of his clothing as he approached the market. He was an old hand at this now, he reflected, and yet he knew that this close to the main house he would have to act with considerable care. He was walking almost into the lion's den with this particular mission, for there would be Tokutarou's retainers in the vicinity, and perhaps even those who could see through his simple attire and innocent appearance to the plans that lay beneath. But nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Sometimes the pleasure of the challenge was heightened by attempting not to get caught.

"Looking for some good quality cloth, sir?" A woman called to him from a stall, and he smiled, crossing towards her as she gestured to her wares. Good quality cloth it was not, he knew, but by the standards of peasants, far better than the ragged urchins had worn in the last District he had spent time in.

"I can do a deal, if you're interested." The woman's eyes sparkled as he brushed a finger against one of the bolts, and he smiled, nodding his head slightly. Peasant cloth was useful, because peasants wore it. And becoming a peasant meant becoming unnoticed - a way of hiding in plain sight from the eagle gazes of Clan seniors.

"I'll buy a length in black." He agreed, slipping his hand into his pocket for the money that he had accumulated on his journey. At the sight of his good-quality purse, the woman's eyes widened, and she nodded eagerly, cutting and folding the cloth deftly before he changed his mind.

"You're a man of good means, sir, that I can see." She commented, as he dropped a handful of coins into her hand. "Would you be seeking anything particular? You must be travelling through Teika - but if it's accommodation you're seeking..."

"No..no." The man shook his head. "I already have lodging preparations in a local tavern, though I thank you for your kindness. I have travelled the length and breadth of the District, it's true - on Tokutarou-sama's commission, looking for some lost treasure belonging to the Clan."

"On Tokutarou-sama's..." The woman's eyes could not become any bigger. "Ah..no wonder you speak so nicely, and dress so neat. I should have realised...that you were one of the Lord's people, and to speak with such kindness to a market woman like me..."

"It's better to speak kindly to people if you hope to gain their help." The stranger offered her a broad grin. "Keep the change from the coin I gave you - consider it payment for any help you can give me in my quest. And I'm not robed in Clan colours, so you are forgiven for not knowing right away. But you see, it is true."

He pulled the pendant from beneath the folds of his clothing, tilting it so it caught the light.

"This is my badge." He said playfully. "My proof that my errand is a just one - and that any information you give me would be in the interests of the Lord himself."

"What information are you seeking, sir?" The woman wrapped up the fabric deftly with string, handing him the parcel and he took it, slipping it beneath his cloak. "Though I don't know what we can help with. Treasure, you said? Something lost by the Clan? But...we common folk aren't in possession of any such treasure. We'd know, for sure, if we were."

"Mm. This is a particular kind of treasure. One you'll know when you see it." The stranger said cryptically. "I'm not at liberty to describe it, because I have never seen it myself. But I know it exists. And I...seek to find it. As soon as possible. For the lord Tokutarou, on his command."

"Well, if it's treasure..." The woman looked doubtful, then turned to call to a young boy who was lingering curiously at the rear of the stall. "Jin, come watch the stall for a while! I'm going to take this gentleman to speak to Gaugen - if anyone knows of treasure in Teika, I imagine it would be him."

"Gaugen, huh?" The stranger looked interested, and the woman smiled.

"He trades in jewels and other bright things." She agreed. "He's a magpie of a man - greedy and unscrupulous, some say, but he knows the value of items sure enough and if you ask him, he'll tell you for a price. Trade you, too, if you're so inclined. He's the one who'd know, if any treasure had passed through Teika. If you'll come with me, sir..."

"With pleasure." The man bowed his head. "Thank you, Obasan. I appreciate your cooperation."

"You don't know yourself the form this treasure takes, sir?" The woman asked as they walked, and the stranger shrugged, shaking his head.

"I know...its vague form, but not its exact one, no." He agreed. "I have never seen it, but am sure I would...if I saw it...I would recognise it at once for what it was. It is a...delicate matter, though. I can't disclose information beyond that to anyone. I've simply learnt that if someone knows of it, they will know enough to tell me what I seek to know. Such is my faith from the lord Tokutarou - no more than that can I say."

"Well, then I hope Gaugen has seen something in his dealing." The woman said sincerely. "You are kind and you didn't take your change. I would like it if I earned those coins by introducing you to the treasure man."

"You have more than earned it already." The man assured her. "For a tired traveller running out of places to look, your help is a breath of fresh air."

He glanced ahead of them, seeing a middle-aged man robed in dark colours hunched over a stall in the shadows, and as they approached he saw the faint glitter of gold from the surface of the wooden display, proof that Gaugen was indeed a dealer in treasures. As they approached, the man eyed them suspiciously, but the stranger stood forward, bowing his head.

"Gaugen-san, I apologise for intruding." He said quietly, holding out the Kyouraku pendant and the man's greedy eyes lit up with interest as it once more caught the light. "I come from Tokutarou-sama on a special errand - I seek a piece of Kyouraku treasure that I have heard is in this locality. This kind obasan has assured me you might know something of it, being that you deal in such things. I have been instructed to give a considerable reward to any who can help me obtain this treasure - a _considerable_ reward, to resolve my quest and end my journey."

He nudged his cloak back slightly, showing the man his purse, and suddenly the dealer was all smiles and politeness, bowing his head towards his enigmatic companion.

"Treasure, sir? That's my business...but Kyouraku? Of the Lord's? You can't be specific, sir? I mean, such a vague term..."

"No. I cannot." The man shook his head. "It is a delicate matter. I can only say...that it will be recognised when it is seen."

He affected disappointment.

"You have, then, seen nothing that might fit that description?"

Gaugen looked troubled, shaking his head.

"No. No, sir, I have not." He admitted reluctantly. "But...but that doesn't mean I won't. I transact in treasures every day - trinkets mostly, but if such a thing is in Teika, then I will surely see it soon enough! No such things are traded through Teika without my advice and knowledge. I'm sure, given some time, sir - I could find such a treasure for you?"

"Good." The stranger smiled, patting the purse that hung tantalisingly at his belt. "Then I shall be staying for the foreseeable future at the Kankou tavern - if you should discover any such information, please do not hesitate to contact me."

He turned to go, but the trader called him back.

"Wait! Wait, sir - I don't know your name. If I should come to the tavern with information...how will I find you?"

The traveller paused, then smiled, pushing a wisp of stray brownish hair back from his face. His gaze rested on the blossoming branches of the trees that lined the town, and his smile widened.

"Masaki." He said quietly. "You may ask for Masaki."

* * *

The memorial garden was quiet that morning, as Ryuu made his way pensively between the sakura trees to the heart of the outdoor mausoleum. Ribari had been laid to rest now, though prayers would continue to be offered for some days yet, and amid the bright pink and white of the blossoms dark-clad figures flitted, their mourning attire flapping on the spring breeze as they continued their vigil over the young man's tomb. For Ryuu, it all seemed somewhat detached. As in life, he mused absently, Ribari was little more than an existence at the periphery of his awareness. That Ribari had been there had meant that he had been left alone - and for that he had been grateful. But though many had wept at his interment, Ryuu had not. He had closed his eyes and had prayed as others had...but the wails around him had only succeeded in making the whole situation seem more surreal.

And Shirogane's words were still rattling against his consciousness.

He sighed, sinking down beneath one of the sakura trees and gazing up at the branches as he tried to process it more clearly. He had not managed to speak to Shirogane again since that meeting in the library, and to all appearances the Sixth Division Vice Captain had now made a good recovery, for he had behaved with impeccable dignity at Ribari's funeral services, acting both the grieving kinsman and the respectful Shinigami officer. It had struck Ryuu with a particular kind of irony, watching the careful, perfect way in which Shirogane had dealt with each and every situation.

Shirogane, who was every bit the Clan child, yet who could not inherit the Clan. And he, Ryuu, who was on the outside looking in - yet with the bloodline to make him acceptable. He had noticed that already a few people had begun to speak to him with increased warmth and fervour, and that for the first time in some months his mother had deigned to associate herself with him in public circles, treating him suddenly as though he were the most precious thing in her life and the centre of her world. The previous night she had insisted on him being seated beside her at dinner - and for the whole of the meal, Ryuu had been forced to listen to her affected voice discussing with others in not-so-subtle tones how accomplished her only son was.

Ryuu had hated it. But he had also expected it. He was Kuchiki. This was how his Clan worked.

_Senpai doesn't know it yet, but he's the lucky one. _

Ryuu pursed his lips, his gaze tracing the sakura petals absently.

_He lost someone he cared for, and in a horrible way. But...he can grieve for that person. He doesn't have the whole Clan ready to pounce on him and make him heir. Although...if it was Senpai, probably he would take it into his stride. He's always been far more Kuchiki than me in that respect. No matter how much I try, I don't have that way with people that Guren-sama has or that Senpai has. I would be a poor shadow of a successor - and is it selfish to wish that my blood was somehow tainted and ineligible? For me, as a Kuchiki, surely to think such things is unforgivable?_

He rubbed his temples.  
_  
Besides, even if I wished for it, I know it is not the case. I look like my father, and many people attended my mother when I was born. My pedigree cannot be doubted, even if I wanted to try and prove otherwise. I am a Kuchiki and a blood heir to the Clan. No matter how much I want to escape it, that much is true._

"This is a good place for you to be, Ryuu."

A voice startled him out of his reverie and he glanced up, scrambling into a more upright position as he met his father's gaze. At his movement, Seiren's lips twitched into a smile and he crossed the petal-coated grass, holding out a hand to haul his son to his feet. Despite his slight frame, Ryuu was reminded once more that Seiren was no longer the sickly twin - and he felt a faint flicker of resentment that his father's unique situation had passed the buck down the line to Ryuu himself.

"I came to think." He said now, brushing the petals from his blue _hakama_ and then standing up straight. "In a peaceful place. About...everything of late."

"Ribari-sama's death is a terrible thing." Seiren's gaze shadowed for a moment. "My brother's pain resonates through him - and through us all."

"Yes." Ryuu faltered, then, "Yes, I suppose it does. Of all people, he could ill be spared."

"Well, whoever killed him has much to answer for." Seiren said frankly. "If he ever crosses my brother's justice, I imagine he will pay with his life."

"As he should." Ryuu said softly. "Any who murders the heir to a Clan is already damned. But one who murders the heir to the Kuchiki is doubly so. It shall not be forgiven, Father. Not by anyone."

"No." Seiren agreed. "So it won't."

"Do you think...that the assassin will be found?" Ryuu asked, and Seiren sighed.

"We have no clues." He said sadly. "No matter how much Guren-niisama wishes it, even he realises that without proof none of us can act. We don't know who would even dream such an act...and there was nobody who witnessed the incident on whom we can call for advice."

"Shirogane-senpai..." Ryuu began, then stopped, and Seiren grimaced.

"His mind is a delusion of wild thoughts." He said bluntly. "The boy remembers trees attacking him with branches and other such mad things. In that circumstance, can Guren-niisama trust anything he says as valid?"

"I suppose not." Ryuu sighed, suddenly feeling weary.  
_  
Was the golden eyed stranger also a delusion? Ribari-sama's? Senpai's? Yet I don't think Shirogane-senpai was lying, or that he...he had hallucinated it. He sounded...rational to me. And I promised to believe him...at least enough to try and find out..._

"Ryuu, walk with me a while." Seiren suggested. "We have things I wish to discuss, and here is not an appropriate place to do it."

"Things?" Suddenly apprehensive, Ryuu gazed at his father warily. "What manner of things, Otousama? Surely nothing cannot be discussed under the protection of the Kuchiki's blessed flower?"

"Ah...the sakura." Seiren sighed, resting his hands on Ryuu's shoulders and meeting his slate grey graze with clouded ones of his own. "As you say, the flowers that bless us...but in this place of death..."

"Is it something you would not wish Ribari-sama's soul to hear, Father?" Ryuu asked softly, and Seiren started, then frowned.

"I suppose not." He acknowledged. "Very well. If this place is giving you solace, I shall speak here. But quietly...what I have to say is something that is not yet for other ears."

"I see." Ryuu bit his lip. "I understand, sir. I will listen and I will not repeat."

"Good boy." Seiren patted his shoulder, then, "I'm sure you haven't been oblivious...to the things that have been spoken of since Ribari-sama's death?"

"That an assassin stalks our Clan is frightening enough." Ryuu shook his head, feigning ignorance although he was sure his eyes gave him away. "What else is there to consider greater than that?"

"The future, of course." Seiren replied gravely. "That this murderer cannot be allowed to succeed in destabilising our family. Ribari-sama was Guren-niisama's only son. His death is a tragedy beyond all tragedies and nobody can dispute that the wound cast is the most serious of all. But...beyond that...the Clan cannot be allowed to falter. Beyond this tragedy...the future is..."

"Father." Not wanting Seiren to finish his sentence, Ryuu held up his hands, consternation in his grey eyes. "What you're considering...please..."

"You are the only blood heir left to this family, Ryuu." Seiren said firmly. "You aren't ignorant of that - I can tell from your face that you have thought through this as much as I have. You are the only one who can possibly now inherit should anything befall Guren-niisama."

"Nobody wishes such a thing." Ryuu said quietly, and Seiren shook his head.

"The heavens forbid it." He said emphatically. "But for the Clan, the future must be clear. It must be settled. It must..."

"I am still a student, Father." Ryuu broke through his words once again. "I cannot dispute my bloodline - I know full well what that means, and the duties that carries. But I am not yet a full fledged shinigami. I still have things to learn. And..."

"You bear a _zanpakutou_, do you not?" Seiren demanded, and Ryuu nodded reluctantly.

"Yes...yes, but..."

"And can wield it with confidence in your own ability?"

"I believe so..."

"Then you are a shinigami. You do not need the Academy to tell you that."

"Otousama!" Fear flashed into Ryuu's eyes. "You...don't intend on...withdrawing me from my schooling? You surely..."

"No. No, you will return to District One for this year." Seiren shook his head. "While there is an assassin in this District, I would rather you were some place safe. But while you are there, Ryuu, I want you to resign yourself. I am the closest blood relative Guren-sama has. I cannot inherit the Clan, but in my stead, you can. More, you _must_. You must resolve your mind to this - that when you graduate Genryuusai-sama's Academy, it will be as heir apparent to the Kuchiki Clan and the future leader of Sixth District."

"Father..." Ryuu stared at him, aghast.

"Think of it as your duty. You have always been diligent to that end." Seiren told him simply. "Guren-niisama will understand it in the same light, when his grief has had time to fade. The Clan is ready to acknowledge you - you must be ready not to let them down."

With that he was gone, and Ryuu took a deep breath, glancing at his hands as he realised they were trembling.

_So, he finally said it._

Ryuu swallowed hard, feeling faintly sick.

_Father's ambitions for me from birth finally coming to fruition. He really intends...he will really push for this, just as he did before Ribari-sama was born. And will I...can I fight it? Can I overturn it?_

He clasped his hands together to stop their shaking, closing his eyes as he fought to calm himself down.  
_  
But I have a little time. I can return to District One for my own safety - and I will use that time. I must...I have to think my way around this. It's all very well telling Senpai that I have no intention...but opposing Father...even Guren-sama..._

He sighed heavily, opening his eyes as resentment filled his heart.

_Father cannot inherit, so I must take the burden in his place? His ambitions are thwarted, so I must become the vessel instead? What of my wishes, Father? What of my thoughts or my prospects? I am not cut out to lead a Clan - but you will not see it. Or listen to me. And so...and so..._

He turned on his heel, heading slowly back across the grass towards the mausoleum exit.  
_  
I will go to the library. The archive. And I will look. I will look and look and look. I will...if there exists anything that might be used to stop this, I will find it. If there be an ancient decree in Kuchiki tradition that says the son of a sealed shinigami cannot inherit the Clan, I will locate it. No matter how hard I have to search - if there is even a faint ray of hope in finding a way around this...then I will find it. I must find it. Or else...this Clan will swallow me up, and then...  
_  
He swallowed again.

_I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. I told Shirogane-senpai I know my own mind. Now...it's up to me to prove it._

_

* * *

_

"You wanted to see me, Genryuusai-sensei?"

Kazoe Ginji, the Academy's Kidou master and a member of the Unohana Clan pushed open the door of the head's study, bowing his head slightly in acknowledgement of his companion. As he did so, the old man raised his head, gesturing for his subordinate to come and seat himself more comfortably before the desk.

"Yes. Yes, I did. Thank you for being so prompt - I didn't interrupt your class preparations, I trust?"

"I'm fairly well organised by now." Kazoe offered the other a rueful smile. "And I know my students well enough to know what to give them. No, sir. You haven't inconvenienced me at all. I am surprised, though - that you'd summon me like this so early in the term. I can only imagine it has something to do with Kidou instruction...but..."

"Indeed." Genryuusai looked grave, resting his chin on his hands as he met Kazoe's gaze with his dark eyes. "Ginji, you're a smart individual, and one of the best experts on Kidou theory and practice that I know of. Your opinion is one I trust - and so I must trust it again on a matter of...well...some delicacy. It relates to the Senior Class - no, in particular, it relates to one student among the Senior Class's numbers."

Kazoe's eyes narrowed behind his glasses.

"Houjou Enishi?" He murmured, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Exactly so." He agreed with a sigh. "That you didn't need to wonder which is further confirmation of my anxieties. You have taught him vigorously for the past four years, Ginji. Tell me- is there any hope at all for that boy's spell-casting, or am I giving him vain hope in his ability by putting him in the class that I have?"

Kazoe was silent for a moment, then,

"If I may ask Sensei's reasons for promoting Houjou, despite having such considerable doubts about his ability?" He questioned. Genryuusai smiled, nodding his head.

"Such a question is fair." He agreed. "I believe...a good part of the problem lies within Enishi himself. He is not incompetent - but he has never quite fitted into Clan society and because of it, he lacks a certain confidence in his own skill. He is fair, even-tempered and I know he has become popular with his peers - but even though he is older than all of them, he still considers himself beneath them when it comes to ability. Yesterday morning, I summoned him to my office to speak to him about his Kidou, and he accepted quite meekly the fact he would have to be coached additionally - in fact, he seemed to have expected it. That kind of attitude, whilst not insubordinate, is..."

"As though he's resigned himself already to failure." Kazoe sighed. "I'll be honest with you, Genryuusai-sensei. Houjou's Kidou is abysmal. And I don't think that he isn't trying to learn - he just isn't naturally given over to it as a skill. He has trouble remembering incantations - and the end result, given the kind of power his body can produce, is often...well...dangerous."

"Hrm." Genryuusai's moustache twitched slightly, then,

"Do you think I was mistaken, then, in his promotion?"

"I'm not fool enough to question the Headmaster's decisions." Kazoe said ruefully. "No, I'm sure there are reasons beyond his Kidou prowess that have made him a Senior this year. I've heard Minabe rail and rant about Endou's swordsmanship for the past four years, yet nobody is questioning his position as a Senior this year. If that's the case, I'm certain Houjou's other attributes even out his spell weakness."

"As you say." Genryuusai sat back, eying Kazoe pensively. "Though Hirata's sword abilities have come on greatly since he awoke Tsumi no Fuuhi and was able to better bond with the weapon in his hand. With a plain sword, he still lacks confidence, true - but with his own, he is a different matter. I have no concerns regarding him."

"Yet Houjou you do?" Kazoe raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that Houjou's own _zanpakutou_ was something quite impressive."

"Yes. Yes, it is." Genryuusai agreed. "A combat-centric sword that puts his strength to its greatest use, and his sword skills have always been greatly superior to most of his peers both within the Yamamoto Clan and his Academy brethren. But my main reason for putting Enishi into the top class this year doesn't really have anything to do with any of his academic grades. Though they are acceptable - Kidou excepted - for all of the curriculum, I wanted him there this year. Because I have...faith...that Enishi is built to be a leader. And more, that if he could only find that confidence inside of him, he would make an outstanding one. I saw signs of it...when they were second years, and we sent them out to camp. It was clear then that he had attributes that can't be taught no matter how many years of education a student receives. And for that reason, I would risk his promotion despite his Kidou. But..."

"But you worry that his spell-casting is dangerous, and his confidence in himself is low?" Kazoe observed. Genryuusai nodded.

"I am his kinsman. No words from me will be considered objective." He said with a sigh. "He's not a fool, that boy, though he has often been treated as one. He knows that I have a good relationship with his father and his grandfather before that, and he might even suspect partiality on my part in bringing him into the top class like this. Truly, that's nothing to do with it - but I worry nonetheless. His Kidou is a significant weakness, and I wanted to know if I had been foolish to disregard it when promoting him."

Kazoe looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head.

"No." He said cautiously. "All the things you've said about the boy are true. Despite his struggles, I find it difficult to remain frustrated with him for long. He does give his best - try his hardest - and he has improved, though he has done so slowly. Probably...in a squad situation...Kidou will never be his greatest weapon. I am fairly certain that by the time this year ends, Houjou will not have a standard of Kidou befitting a Senior. More, he may well not pass his Senior examination in Kidou Theory and Practice because of it - because I have no intention of teaching him new information when he is still confused over the old. But...if your concern is simply that he be safe and capable enough to enter a Gotei squad...that, I think, I can do. If...I'm not trying to bring him to the same level as his companions...I think I can render the boy's Kidou safe. He will graduate with basic magic at best. But it will be basic magic he can use properly - not complicated magic that he cannot."

Genryuusai's lips twitched into a smile beneath his moustache, and he nodded.

"That was my hope." He said softly. "You already know that graduation from this school does not depend on academic excellence if other skills are lacking. Houjou Enishi - kinsman of mine or otherwise - has those skills in abundance. He is kind, even-tempered, eager to learn and does not bear grudges easily. He is not suited for high Clan society, but in the rough and ready everyday of squad life in the Gotei we are slowly putting together, that will be an asset, not a negative. He is the kind of boy that will inspire loyalty from those around him - because he gives it unequivocally. If he can only fire spells to third year level, then so be it. If his other skills remain on course, I will still pass him at the end of this year and allow him to join a squad."

"Then I will work with him as best I can." Kazoe promised. "To achieve that goal, if no other."

"Thank you, Ginji." Genryuusai looked grateful. "This has already proven a complicated year for me in a Clan sense - denying Hashihiko's son the position of Anideshi, and promoting Enishi despite his Kidou problems...but I have confidence both decisions will be borne out."

"If I may say, Sensei, not giving Akira the rank of Anideshi is one of your better decisions." Kazoe said acerbically. "Whilst his skills are a long way ahead of adequate in most areas, and I cannot fault his prowess in my classes, there are...if you will forgive me...certain areas of personality that he could do on revising during the next twelve months."

"I have always appreciated your sharp opinions." Genryuusai said mildly. "Even when discussing the son of my Clan's leader. Yes, I know - and I knew when I decided that it would cause shockwaves. But I will not choose an unsuitable Anideshi. Hashihiko knows and understands my reasons. It is now for Akira to learn them for himself. That the fault lies in his heart, not in others."

"He will blame Ukitake." Kazoe said bluntly, and Genryuusai nodded.

"He will." He agreed heavily. "And it means another burden for that boy to bear. But if he could not bear it, I would not have chosen him, either. This is the real test of Ukitake's mettle, Ginji. Whether, in the eyes of the Clans, he can stand up and lead...yes. This had to happen - what comes next is up to him."

Kazoe's eyes became slits.

"You sound as though...you already have plans for Ukitake beyond this year." He murmured, and Genryuusai shrugged.

"When the year ends, I will know for sure." He said simply. "For now, Juushirou is young. He is still naive. He still has things he needs to learn - and being Anideshi will teach him those things. That there are people he cannot convert to his side. There are situations he can't change. And that one person alone cannot hold all the answers. He knows that he has an influence on his peers - I've told him before that he has to lead in the right direction, else he will drag others along with him into disgrace. Now is his chance to prove he understands that. I don't think I've made a mistake. But only time will tell me that."

Kazoe offered a faint smile.

"I don't have favourites. I don't believe in such things." He said evenly. "But I don't believe you have made a mistake either. No...not just in making him Anideshi. From the first time I taught Ukitake, I realised that you had not made a mistake in picking him as your District advocate. He is...the one...who has turned the scale. Because of Ukitake and his success, the District student intake increases year on year. Perhaps...perhaps because of Ukitake, the Clans are coming around to the idea more and more."

"I don't think even he appreciates quite how important he is." Genryuusai acknowledged. "But that doesn't matter. In some ways, I'm glad he does not. Next year I will be sorry to lose him - him and his classmates - to the Gotei. But I will also be quite proud to see it. Of all classes since the Academy began, that one has best crossed Clan boundaries and created a team spirit before even reaching the squad stage. By the time they enter divisions - and some of them must enter quite high - that team ethic will be an instinctive part of their shinigami behaviour. Surely nothing else could be better for the Gotei than that?"

"I still worry a little that the Kyouraku-ke will give that lazy brat the _haori_ so easily." Kazoe sighed. "But I realise I have no way of preventing it."

"Shunsui has grown up a good deal." Genryuusai shook his head. "Now, perhaps, he is ready. That's something else we will see...but age doesn't define ability. Shunsui is one of the most naturally adept shinigami this Academy has ever - and probably will ever - produce. If a boy like that can't wear a _haori_, nobody should."

"I understand that." Kazoe agreed. "But his attitude..."

"He won't let anyone down. Not when it matters." Genryuusai reflected. "As I said, he's grown up. They all have."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Returning to the subject of Enishi, I will leave it to you to decide how to tackle the situation." He added. "You have taught him in Kidou long enough to know the best way to manage him."

"I'll think over what you've said carefully." Kazoe bowed his head. "And I'll do my best. I won't give up on him easily, Sensei, even if it means giving up free hours to tutor him. Now I know your mindset in this regard, I'll make sure I give him whatever help and opportunity I can to improve."

"I knew you would." Genryuusai smiled. "Thank you, Ginji. I can rest easy now, knowing that it is in your safe hands."

* * *

"You know, I really wish that Mitsuki was here."

As they walked back from the dining hall to their dormitories, Sora let out a heavy sigh, twisting a loose curl of black hair around her finger. "Don't you think so? We're Seniors. Everyone stares at us and stuff, like we're some special beings or something. And all these exciting things are happening - but...Mi-chan isn't here with us. Doesn't it feel wrong that she isn't here? I don't like it at all."

"I know. Me either, as it happens." Her companion, Shikibu Naoko shrugged her shoulders, a thoughtful look in her clever eyes. "But with what's happened...well, it can't be helped. My Clan leader was even sent for - I imagine she examined the boy's body herself, which means that it's a serious matter and absolutely not an accident. You know what Clan protocol is like even when someone dies naturally. For something like this...and in a Clan like that one..."

She trailed off, and Sora nodded, letting out a heavy sigh. It was the evening of their second full day of classes - or rather, of proper academia, for the Seniors were left largely to their own devices as regarded their assignments and deadlines. For the newly promoted Fourth year students, it was a novelty to have had only one class in Kidou and in Sakusen so far that week, and then to be sent away with a list of reading materials and a topic title to produce work on their own. For that reason, Sora and Naoko had spent most of the day in the busy Academy library, Sora revelling in the fact that the secure Senior section was now something she had a key to and as a consequence she had spent far more time exploring what books were there than she had doing any research. Yet fond as she was of Naoko, she knew she would have rather have shared the experience with their missing classmate and partner in crime since the first year. Mitsuki was not a loud or dramatic member of their coterie, but her presence was easily missed, and for Sora, the magic of being a Senior had been somewhat dampened by the absence of her closest ally and friend.

"I know." She said now. "But it sucks. And it sucks more that someone probably bumped the guy off. Because it means some mad person is roaming around Sixth waiting to kill people...and I don't want anything else bad to happen."

"I don't suppose an assassin is interested in Mitsuki, Sora." Naoko offered her a wry smile. "The Clan don't put as much value on her as we do, though they're foolish and they should. She's a _hime_, so se can't inherit anything even if she wanted to - and besides, there's no reason to suppose there will be any more assassinations. There's been nothing else since Ribari-sama was murdered - probably there won't be anything more, either. Sometimes these things just strike out of nothing - and they're never solved, but they never reoccur."

"I know. I know that. It's just..." Sora sighed again. "I feel guilty that we're here and that we can enjoy all this Senior stuff. And she's there..."

She shook her head as if to clear it.

"I wrote to her, like I said." She admitted. "But I don't suppose she can write much back. Not with things how they are. So I worry that it's a lot of strain on her. That she's in the middle of all of this - why she had to be at the heart of the Clan when it happened, I don't know. If she hadn't been..."

"The heir to her Clan was murdered. She would've been expected there for the funeral. Not to go would be disrespect." Naoko pointed out. "The Kuchiki of all Clans would not overlook that. Besides, Retsu-sama hasn't spoken to me about any of this, of course. But I did hear her speak to Kazoe-sensei when she arrived back last night. And I got the impression that Mitsuki had been using her healing skills to help the people hurt at the same time Ribari-sama was killed. So probably it's a good thing she was there. Even if the boy himself was beyond help - probably she was able to make a difference. Isn't that what we're all learning to do? Surely in that case..."

"Yes, I suppose so." Sora nodded, pushing open the door of the main building and allowing Naoko to slip in past her before following her into the narrow hallway that led towards the Senior wing's back stairs. "Perhaps I also don't like having a room that's quiet and lonely, either. I like talking after the lights go out - and right now I can only talk to myself."

Despite herself, Naoko laughed.

"Well, I can't do much about that." She said, amused. "Though I'm sure knowing you you could hold a full scale conversation with yourself without any trouble at all."

"That isn't the point." Sora snorted, though there was humour in her green eyes as well as she realised how funny she had sounded. "Oh well. I hope the Kuchiki finish all their formal memorial stuff soon. I want Mitsuki back where she belongs. With us. And I'm sure I'm not the only one missing her. Juushirou's had all this Anideshi pressure and that idiot Akira needling at him – and I know he's worried about her and Kuchiki too."

"Ukitake-kun, huh?" Naoko's expression became thoughtful and Sora nodded, looking surprised.

"Yes, of course. Nao-chan, you know as well as I do how things are with those two. Even if they call it 'just friends', it's a very…well…close kind of friendship."

"Mm. I know." Naoko pursed her lips. "It just occurred to me…that's all."

"What did?" Sora tilted her head on one side, staring at her companion quizzically. "Whatever it was can't have been that clear-cut, because I don't follow you at all. What occurred to you?"

"That with the Kuchiki in disarray, quite probably the last thing the Clan needs is to discover the 'friendship' Mitsuki has with a District boy. That's all."

"Naoko." Sora pulled a face. "Don't be stuffy and stuck up. For a start, it's harmless and innocent enough. If it was Shunsui, well maybe I'd see your point. But Juushirou has good manners and he wouldn't ever do anything to compromise Mitsuki's position or her honour. They are just friends, and I think it's cute they have feelings for each other. There's nothing wrong with it – and I doubt Guren-sama would care as much as all that."

"Really?" Naoko arched an eyebrow. "I think he might care quite a considerable amount."

"Why?" Sora demanded. "He's never bothered about Mitsuki. Why would it matter now?"

"If I'm right…that Mitsuki was there and did help to heal the people who were injured…" Naoko said thoughtfully, "That means Guren-sama sent for her. And that also means that he acknowledges her vocation and has accepted it even despite her Kuchiki blood. It means he's recognised her as part of his Clan, Sora – and more, she's now within his direct notice. Before that wasn't the case – she has always been an outsider and she's never cared too much about the connections of her Clan. But if Guren-sama has now seen her skills for himself…"

"You're contradicting yourself." Sora objected. "A few minutes ago you were saying that the Kuchiki don't value Mi-chan. Now you say that they do. You're confusing me, Nao-chan – I don't see what's changed. Sure, maybe Mitsuki did help out – and so she should have, considering what she can do. But that has nothing to do with her being friends with Juushirou."

"Not at present, perhaps. But what about when we graduate?" Naoko asked matter-of-factly. "Right now they're classmates and they've kept themselves as just friends. But once we all leave this place, and enter squads…everyone's lives will be very different to what they are now. Mitsuki will probably be with Retsu-sama – that's almost a certainty. But she will be a Kuchiki within Fourth Squad, and one that her Clan leader has come to recognise. If she was to…take silly risks…"

"Do you think Mitsuki would take silly risks?" Sora looked doubtful. Naoko sighed.

"I don't know." She admitted. "Don't get me wrong, Sora. I like Ukitake-kun and I consider him quite a reasonable person in most respects. I understand Mitsuki's fondness for him and so far as it goes, it isn't a bad thing. But…now we know more about his background…and…that he isn't simply a District boy but…"

"An illegitimate Kuchiki grandson." Sora's eyes narrowed. "That's what you mean, isn't it? That Guren-sama might find that out – or might already know about it – and that might cause problems for Mitsuki later on."

"Yes. Exactly that."

"I don't know." Sora sighed. "It's all a mess of nothing to me, honestly. If she likes him, she should like him. Life's too short for sticking just to duty and honour all the time. But I do see what you're saying. The Kuchiki aren't like the Shiba or the Unohana when it comes to judgement on things. They're pretty…strict about everything, particularly a pure bloodline. Though I think maybe you're worrying too much. Mitsuki knows she and Juushirou can't progress beyond friendship and he knows it too. I don't think they'll be stupid about it, Naoko. And I really don't think we ought to get involved."

"Well, hopefully there won't be a need." At that moment they reached the Senior hall, and Naoko put her hand against the wood door of her room, shooting her companion a quizzical look. "Well? If you're lonely, you can come in for a bit. Suzuno won't mind – but we ought to change the subject if you are."

"I'll come in." Sora nodded, and Naoko grinned, pushing open the door and stepping into the chamber. Her friend followed, to find the girl's roommate and fellow Unohana, Amai Suzuno, curled up quietly on her bed. She was reading a faded Kidou text book on healing arts, but at their entrance she smiled, setting it aside.

"Good evening, Naoko, Shiba-san." She said pleasantly, in her soft, gentle tones.

"Hi." Sora offered her a rueful grin. "You don't mind me crashing your space for a while, do you? It's lonely in my room until Mitsuki gets back, and Naoko said it would be all right."

"I have no objection." Suzuno shook her head. "On the contrary, the company is welcome."

"You're not mad at us then, for jumping up classes like this and displacing your old buddies?" Sora questioned, sinking down onto Naoko's bed and the older girl laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

"People are promoted on merit and that merit is judged by Sensei." She said sensibly. "Even if I did have reservations about it, it would only be him to whom I could complain. No, Shiba-san. I really am not troubled by it at all. Besides, Naoko and I are acquainted kinsfolk, and I have so far seen no reason to consider any of my new classmates beneath my notice."

"Suzuno's not the kind of person who'd start a fight with anyone." Naoko said simply, sinking down beside Sora and leaning up against the wall. "She's an Unohana, don't forget. We're not a combative people."

"Well. Maybe _she's_ not." Sora fixed Naoko with a pointed look, and Naoko glared back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She demanded, and Suzuno chuckled.

"Your friend knows quite well that if any of our kin stand up and fight back, Naoko-chan, it's you." She said complacently. "But I'm sure she also knows you only fight for what you believe is true."

"Absolutely." Naoko nodded firmly, and Sora laughed, patting her on the back.

"I know that." She assured her indignant companion. "But I guess I'm used to living with a more militant Unohana. Amai-san, it's nice to properly meet you – and I'm glad at least that the girls don't seem to be starting war, even if the boys are."

"Boys will be boys." Suzuno let out a sigh, shrugging her shoulders. "And that's all that can be said about that. They'll come around eventually – once they've bruised and bloodied each other a little, no doubt."

She smiled.

"In the meantime, how are you finding our Kidou project?" She asked curiously. "I saw you heading to the library earlier on."

"I spent most of my time exploring the books, but Nao-chan did some reading and took some notes." Sora looked abashed. "I guess I'll go back tomorrow and do some proper study this time. I still can't fully get my head around it – being Seniors this year and all."

"It seems perfectly logical to me." Naoko admitted. "We've all worked hard ever since the beginning, so this is our reward."

"I suppose so." Sora agreed. "I just hope that the tension settles down a little more soon. Preferably before Kuchiki and Mitsuki come back to the Academy – since they've already dealt with enough."

"Ah yes. I have heard about the Kuchiki incident." Suzuno's expression became grave. "A terrible occurrence indeed."

"As you say." Naoko sighed. "But at least Retsu-sama and Mitsuki-chan were around and so nobody else lost their lives. Whether they'll nail their killer or not, I don't know. But with any luck no other people will get hurt as a result."

"Yes. I hope so also." Suzuno bit her lip. "I do not like uncertainty or conflict – and the idea of assassination troubles me."

"Troubles all of us." Sora said matter-of-factly. "Especially with Mi-chan and Kuchiki in the middle of it."

"I know a little of Edogawa-san, being that she is Retsu-sama's deshi." Suzuno reflected. "I am not acquainted with our other classmate – Kuchiki Ryuu-kun, I believe?"

"Yeah…well…social skills aren't his forte, shall we say." Sora said ruefully. "But he's all right, beneath the awkwardness. He's probably dealing with this a whole lot worse than Mitsuki is, honestly. He's rather steeped in duty and stuff at times."

"He's closer to the centre of the Clan." Naoko pointed out. "In fact, Sora, he may well be the next heir, considering the bloodline in that family."

"But Guren-sama has a brother. Doesn't he?" Sora demanded.

"He does." It was Suzuno who answered now, a thoughtful expression on her face. "But Naoko may well be correct. After all, Seiren-dono's spirit power was sealed a long time ago. A sealed Kuchiki cannot possibly be designated heir to the Clan."

"Sealed? How do you know that?" Sora demanded, and Suzuno laughed.

"My family are healers, like Naoko-chan's, and kinsfolk of Retsu-sama's central line." She said pragmatically. "Such things are known among healing families – that is all."

"Seiren-dono's spirit power was sealed because he was too fragile as a baby to survive if they didn't act." Naoko explained. "That's all. It's not done often, but in some cases…Seiren-dono's parents chose to save their son's life rather than sacrifice him to uncontrollable reiatsu. He was only a younger son, so the magic at that point didn't matter. They would have assumed that Guren-sama would have grown to have sons – which he did, until this all happened."

"I see." Sora sighed. "So _that's_ why Juushirou's so worried about Kuchiki. I guess he knows about that, too…about Seiren-dono's ineligibility and all. That does make it more complicated – the sooner they get away from District Six and back to normality the better."

* * *

_**Author's note**_:  
_  
The Japanese name "Masaki" can mean 'flourishing tree' in Japanese. :) The tree theme rears its ugly head yet again! Though there's no significant reason for that name's choice in this fic. It's just something that connects to something in my head not yet written...and I will shut up about it now because you'll all think me more weird than you already do!  
_

_Also, you may have noticed. Enishi is going to get a role in this story, since he didn't so much in the last. Yay! Without putting a point on it yet, he has a significant role in the future of SS, so I want to build on that a little now...(mysterious)_

_Oh yes. And the reasons for Seiren's ineligibility have been revealed. Mundane as they might seem...they are quite important, so don't forget them!  
_


	8. Trading Secrets

**Chapter Seven: Trading Secrets**

It had been another unproductive day, and as he prepared to pack away his wares, Gaugen let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his hands absently against the heavy folds of his rough clothing as he fought to suppress his rising frustration.

Since the appearance of the mysterious Masaki the day before, the trader had been certain that it would be only a matter of hours before the precious item fell into his hands - but despite his being doubly vigilant as usual, he had come up empty. He had even wasted two or three _ryou_, he thought to himself darkly, paying street urchins to run errands and ask questions of his rivals just in case the sought after item had shown up with them first.

Though Gaugen didn't know what it was he was seeking, he was smart enough a businessman to realise that it had some Clan significance - and therefore had decided it must be some precious piece of Kyouraku memorabilia. Perhaps a sword, he had pondered, or some relic of the civil war that had ripped through the land briefly after the accession of the current Lord. Gaugen remembered that time well - he had profited from the insecurity around him by obtaining treasures cheaply from fleeing townsfolk, and so he recalled the disruption and chaos with a sense of detached nostalgia. But, he reflected, in peacetime, prices for resale were also more stable. Therefore, he reasoned to himself as he packed the precious chains into a secure box for transportation back to his home, it was his duty to do what he could to make sure whatever this missing treasure was, it was returned to its owner safely. And if he, Gaugen should accrue a reward for such a thing, why not?

His eyes twinkled for a moment, then he sighed, shaking his head slowly.

But even though he had tried every thread he knew to trace the mysterious artefact, he had still not had any results. Perhaps Masaki had been mistaken - maybe it wasn't so close to the main estate. Perhaps it had already been traded outside of the District, he added to himself bitterly, kicking his foot bad-temperedly against the sturdy support of his stall as he contemplated that fact. In which case, some foreign trader was likely to cash in on a huge price somewhere, and despite his hard word, Gaugen would receive nothing.

_Even though the treasure belongs to our District's Clan, too._

His eyes narrowed, forgetting for a moment that his grievance was entirely self-motivated as he glared down at the remaining wares on his table.

_Unforgivable behaviour, that they should seek to profit from Tokutarou-sama's misfortune. No wonder that Masaki has been dispatched. It's my duty as a good citizen of District Eight to support him in whatever way I can._

"Gaugen-san! Gaugen-san!"

A piercing voice broke through his musings and he paused in his packing, raising his gaze irritably to see the speaker running across the sandy trackway towards him. She was out of breath, he realised with a jolt, messy black hair flowing free around her shoulders and her cheeks flushed with the exertion as she reached him. She grabbed hold of the wooden structure, taking a deep breath into her lungs, and then raising bright blue eyes to his.

"Gaugen-san, please, tell me you aren't closing for the night! It's early yet...please, Gaugen-san, I have a favour to ask you and it's important!"

Gaugen eyed the girl for a moment, trying to work out where he had seen her before. For a moment he drew a blank, then it came to her - she was Momiji, one of the town's prostitutes and one which he himself had imposed upon a few times when business had been good. Momiji was pretty, young and obliging, with curves in the right places and a guileless innocence about her that made her seem both helpless and untouched to greedy, exploitative males - and consequently she plied a good trade, with several regular customers. Gaugen did not count himself among them, for he had a wife at home, and it would be shameful if a man of his standing in the town should be seen with a prostitute on a regular basis.

Still, Momiji's charms were undeniable, and the wide-eyed way in which she looked at him made him bite back the snappish retort he had planned to give, gazing at her quizzically.

"I was." He agreed. "There's a storm heading this way - surely you can feel it too? I've a lot of precious items, and I won't let them damage just for the sake of an hour's more business."

"I'm sorry." Momiji looked chastened. "I was so busy I hadn't noticed...that the sky had got so dark and overcast. I'm holding you up, aren't I? I'm sorry. I suppose...I will come back to you...tomorrow?"

Gaugen eyed her for a second, debating on what to do. His wife would be waiting for him, he knew, and would already be preparing a good meal to welcome him home. Yet the flush of the young girl's cheeks and the haphazard knot of her _obi_ made him think again, and he glanced up at the sky, judging the proximity of the storm-clouds.

Yes, he had a short time yet. The storm would be held back over the mountains, and in any case, his wife did not like it when he arrived too early back at the house.

"What is it?" He asked, turning his gaze back to the young girl. "If you're plying trade, Momiji, you should be careful. There are Clan retainers in the town who frown on...such open displays...and..."

"I know." Momiji shook her head, offering him a dazzling smile. "But you're kind to think of it and me, Gaugen-san. You're always kind and thoughtful to me - hence I knew I should come to you when it was something so important."

"Important?" Gaugen stared at her, and Momiji nodded, slipping her hand into the folds of her kimono and rummaging around for something, completely oblivious to the effect her action was having on the trader's composure. At length she let out a cry of triumph, pulling her hand out and holding out to her companion. For a moment Gaugen did not react, then as she opened her delicate fingers to reveal what she held inside, his eyes widened in surprise and he grabbed her wrist, staring at her in surprise.

"Momiji! Where did you...what...?"

"I can't tell you things like that." Momiji pulled her hand free, shaking her head firmly. "Just that it's been trusted to me. It's...my responsibility."

"You're looking to trade it?" Gaugen's heart skipped a beat in his chest. "Is that why you sought me so late, girl? A pendant of that nature...you came to trade it with a man you trusted for good cash? Because..."

"I can't trade it." Momiji shook her head. "Besides, that's not why. It's broken. Look." She held out the chain, showing him the clasp, and Gaugen found it difficult not to shout out as her hand closed once more around the pendant itself. "I want to fix it - but I don't have the right size clasp to replace this one. I thought...it's an unusual style, and none of the normal traders have anything like what I need. So...I thought...Gaugen-san sees plenty of necklaces and rare items like this. Maybe...you'd know...what I could use to fix it?"

Gaugen took a deep breath, composing himself. Then he nodded.

"You're a wise girl." He said, somehow keeping his tones even. "And listen, I think...I can help you. But not here. Not now. You'll have to trust me - because this is a very...specialist item."

"Mm. I know. It's a precious keepsake and I don't want any harm to come to it." Momiji clasped the pendant once more to her chest. "Thank you, Gaigen-san. I'll listen to whatever you have to say."

"There's a gentleman I think you should meet with." Gaugen said softly. "An...a person who knows about...this kind of thing. I can't provide the kind of clasp you need. But I think...he'll be a useful person to talk to."

"Really?" Momiji's eyes lit up. "What kind of man? Where? How will I meet with him, Gaugen-san?"

Gaugen pursed his lips.

"His name is Masaki." He said quietly. "But tonight, I'm afraid, you won't be able to see him. He's far too busy with other important affairs for the Clan."

"For the...Clan?" Momiji repeated softly. "He's that important a person?"

"Yes." Gaugen agreed. "But tomorrow...tomorrow, you should come to the Kankou Tavern when the sun sets. I'll get a message to him somehow - and make sure that you meet with him, all right? He'll be able to help you. I think...he'll know...all about the item you have."

"The Kankou Tavern. Tomorrow. Masaki-san." Momiji repeated softly. "All right. I understand. But Gaugen-san - won't it cost money to send him a message? And I don't want to put you to any trouble...after all..."

She trailed off, and Gaugen smiled at her.

"There are ways to repay such favours." He said softly. "I don't need money from you, Momiji-chan. You have far more attractive things to offer a man than that."

Momiji blinked at him, then she grinned.

"I understand." She said solemnly. "If Gaugen-san is going to help me, I'll wait on him in return. But I can't tonight. I have...I must go somewhere else tonight. And tomorrow I must meet with Masaki-san, mustn't I? But the day after - I promise."

"Good. Keep the whole evening open, then." Gaugen winked at her. "I will find plenty for us to do."

"You've done me a favour." Momiji dimpled. "So I won't forget. I'll see you then, Gaugen-san. And thank you again. I'll be sure to go to the tavern tomorrow...just as you said!"

With that she slid the pendant back out of sight, skipping away across the track and as she went, Gaugen could hear her humming a soft song under her breath.  
_  
She really is far too cheerful to be a prostitute in a town like this. _

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

_But who would have thought it? That a girl like her would...still, I should have considered it before. Prostitutes have clients at all levels, don't they? Probably she took it as payment when a man couldn't meet her rate - and now she's looking to mend it before she trades it on. Well, so much to the good. Masaki-san said that when I saw it, I'd know it - and I'm sure that must be it._

His eyes narrowed.

_That pendant was engraved and coloured with the crest of the Kyouraku. It isn't a sword. It's not a weapon or a relic from the civil war. It's a pendant. A pendant belonging to the Clan. And once I report this to Masaki-san...I'll be in for a goodly share of the reward._

He shut the box of wares with a snap.

_So when I've taken this home, I will go see him directly. I'm sure he'll be glad to see me...when I can tell him something so useful. A reward, for sure - and then, the unmistakeable charms of Momiji to look forward to the night after. Fortune has smiled on me, it seems!_

_

* * *

_

He had been in the library for most of the day.

Ryuu sighed, setting the dusty volume aside and reaching for the last one in the pile.

It was starting to grow dark outside now, and he knew that very soon he would have to leave his quest for the day, since the evening meal would be served and no matter how much he disliked it, currently Ryuu knew he was unable to avoid sitting down with his family when his name was being discussed in so many areas of the estate. Though the last thing he felt like doing was having any kind of conversation with his mother or his sisters, Ryuu knew from long experience that avoiding them carried a far harsher penalty in the long run - and his gaze drifted to the window, judging how long he had before a servant would come to summon him to the evening meal.

_A little time yet, I think. The sky is heavy today, but I don't think it's quite time yet._

He sighed again, turning his gaze back to the genealogy books he had been poring through since dawn, looking for any loophole he could possibly find in the chart of Clan succession. The Kuchiki, being one of the oldest families in Seireitei had always been diligent and pedantic about recording every single instance of their family's history right down to the last letter - but try as he might, Ryuu could not find anything that looked amiss.

Not that he had really expected to. Kuchiki scribes were valued highly in the Clan for their ability to not only record but recite the family genealogy from several generations back until the present, and these records were consulted at the birth of every important child, so that their charts and suitability could be written into the records without delay. This last book was the most recent, and as he turned the pages, he paused, reaching his own entry.

"_Ryuu, eldest son of Seiren, second son of Senaya. Second grandson of Senaya, of second degree Kuchiki direct descent._" He muttered, tapping his fingers bitterly against the curled wings of the Kuchiki swans that illustrated his father's particular family crest at the top of the entry. "An auspicious date, an auspicious time, a favourable moon and constellations in the right areas of the sky. My mother always said she knew when she saw the stars that I would be a boy - and that there were great celebrations when I was born. No wonder - if you read this, you might imagine I was to be the heir of the Clan. I suppose...at that time...maybe I was considered to be such a thing. But things have changed. And I'm not. I'm not, dammit. I'm not!"

He skipped forward a page, his heart clenching in his throat as he read over the most recent record - that of his unfortunate deceased cousin.

**Ribari, eldest son of Guren, eldest son and heir of Senaya. Third grandson of Senaya, of first degree Kuchiki direct descent.  
**  
Someone had clearly had this book out very recently, for beneath the entry was the single kanji 亡, an indication that the young boy had passed away.

Ryuu shook his head slightly as if to clear it, turning the pages back once more, and then pausing. Only male births were recorded in this tome, for only the male line was relevant to the Kuchiki inheritance, yet to his surprise he found Shirogane's name had been entered all the same.

**[Nagoya] Shirogane. Eldest son of Masane, sister of Guren and Seiren, sons of Senaya. First grandson of Senaya, of second degree Kuchiki female descent.**

_So Senpai was also born under auspicious stars, was he? Maybe that's why he was recorded here - though I bet it was only because he was in such favour with Guren-sama - or at Masane-dono's instruction. Because he was a grandson of Senaya-sama - Grandfather - and everyone revered Senaya-sama like a saint because he was a murdered martyr. His death brought Father and Guren-sama together after years of hostility...so I suppose any with a blood claim to him have a right to be mentioned. I wonder if Father would approve, though - he certainly doesn't seem to like Senpai at all._

Ryuu turned back a few more pages, seeing his father and his uncle's entries, then before that, the entry for his grandfather, Senaya, and his grandfather's younger brother, Kinnya. At the latter record he paused, his eyes narrowing.

"No offspring." He whispered, running his finger down the column of kanji.  
_  
A convenient lie - writing Raiko-dono out from the history, removing her from the Clan. As a daughter, her name would not have been recorded here anyhow, but as with my sisters, mention should have been made of her existence. Even illegitimate, since she began her life at the centre of the Clan. Father's entry clearly lists four daughters as well as myself, even if they are not each named. To simply write no offspring...that's been added later. Maybe my Grandfather added it himself...after she had been evicted. The handwriting is different from the rest - so maybe it was him._

He rubbed his temples.

_Ukitake, your family are fortunate. That dismissal gave you a freedom from all of this that the rest of us simply do not have._

He got to his feet, closing the book with a snap and lifting it to put it on the pile with the others. As he lifted them to return them to their shelf, something slender fluttered out from between the pages of one volume, dropping with a soft rustle onto the smooth wooden floor. Frowning, Ryuu set his burden down, bending to retrieve the fallen article. He soon realised that his first impression of it being a loose leaf from this book was incorrect, however, because it was made of a much finer paper and had been well folded, as though it were a letter that had been used to mark a particular section of the volume by a previous family researcher.

The older books had not been touched for some years, and from the age of the folded sheet, it did not look as though it was recent either. The page was faded and discoloured, and as Ryuu slowly unfolded it, he realised that it had probably remained that way for longer than he had been alive - perhaps even longer than his father and his uncle, he mused, smoothing it out and placing it on the table to read it.

It was a page torn from another book, he noted, but this was not a book written by a professional Kuchiki scribe. Instead the hand was elegant but casual, and though some of the characters were written in an old-fashioned style, it was clearly from someone's personal notes as opposed to from an official record.

His curiosity piqued, Ryuu squinted to read the faded and blurred ink more clearly. The light was failing, and even the kidou lamps did not help him make out every word, for the ink had lost some of its density over the years. Yet as he persevered, he found himself able to make out what had been written on the creased sheet of paper.

As he read down the columns, however, he felt his heart tighten in his chest, and he took a deep breath, pushing the sheet away as though it had burnt him and staring at it with big, alarmed eyes.

_I should not have seen that. What I just read...I should not have...read..._

He swallowed hard, feeling faintly giddy, and he took another deep breath, urging himself to calm down.

_That was taken from wherever it belonged...for a reason. It was taken so that people would not find it...then lost among the pages here and forgotten. Such evidence...should it come to light...if people were to see it, then what would happen to me? To Father? To us? If people were to know...that...such a thing had occurred...but is it even true?  
_  
With shaking hands he reached for the sheet, gazing at it again. Then he grabbed the final volume of the genealogical history once more, turning through the pages feverishly to find Kinnya's page a second time. Placing the torn sheet alongside the entry, he glanced at the kanji, biting his lip as he realised they bore a great similarity of style to one another.

He gazed at the torn page once more, re-reading the contests with a pounding heart. Certainly it sounded authentic - and as though it had been penned by someone very close to the heart of the family itself. Most likely the former leader Senaya himself - a man so long in his grave that he had taken such secrets about his family with him.

_It looks the same. And if Grandfather exiled Raiko-dono and wrote that...and also wrote this...that would surely give it authenticity. But I don't know...it seems real, but I don't know...if it really is. If it isn't...and someone saw it...but...but if it is...and someone did..._

Ryuu closed the book, grasping the sheet in his left hand as his first impulse was to destroy it. Then he paused, as another alarming thought shot through his brain.  
_  
Who _else_ knows about this? For it to be here, in _this_ place...someone else _must_ know. It can't be so well kept a secret that I alone have discovered it. Wherever it was originally hidden...now it is hidden there no longer. A secret such as this could compromise the whole Clan - yet whoever put it here has not revealed it. I...I must make sure that it remains hidden...but how? Where? This whole library is unsafe...and if I don't put it back where I found it...if someone is keeping it a secret for another reason..._

He buried his head in his hands.

_Is _that_ the reason Ribari-sama was murdered? If so...if so...then that would mean..._

He screwed his eyes shut, forcing the thoughts from his mind.

_**No**__! I won't...I won't think that way. It might not be...how it seems. It might be a secret that...is not known any longer. It may be...that Ribari-sama's murderer was from outside. Remember...what Senpai said the boy saw. If that is true, then this...this is not...important._

His grasp on the sheet tightened, then he took another steadying breath.  
_  
For now, I must put it back where I found it. For now, that's all I can do. Because if someone did plant it there...and is watching...then they'll know I know. And if they know that...I don't know what might happen next. At worst, I might become a target. Or even...something...else..._

With difficulty he refolded the sheet, returning it to its hiding place within the middle volume. His hands still trembling, he replaced the volumes on the shelves, brushing the thick dust from his fingers as he stared at them for a long long while.

"Ryuu-sama?"

A voice from the door made him physically jump and he swung around, seeing a young maidservant standing there watching him. At his unsettled reaction, she stared at him, then she bowed her head.

"I apologise for disturbing you, sir." She said respectfully. "But dinner is about to be served and I was sent to fetch you from here."

"Thank you." Ryuu drew breath into his lungs, offering her a stiff smile. "I will go presently."

"Yes, sir." The maid bowed her head again, thick dark hair falling over her shoulder, yet even as he passed her, Ryuu felt sure she was watching him out of the corner of confused blue eyes. There was something unnervingly familiar about her, but Ryuu knew in his current flustered state he was prone to overreading situations, and he dismissed the thought, instead ruminating on the reaction he had given her.  
_  
She must think I've lost my mind. Well, possibly I have._

He swallowed hard.

_I must somehow not let anyone know that I have found this. And I must...move now, to act on Senpai's words, too. I must get to the bottom of this...even if it means the worst is the truth. No matter what - if this was why Ribari-sama was killed, I have no choice. Even if this takes my family apart...to protect this truth and to protect my Clan, I must!_

With that thought uppermost in his mind, he hastily dusted himself down, hurrying through the corridor to the main Dining Hall where the senior members of his family were beginning to take their seats.

"Ryuu-nii!" The voice of his youngest sister was quickly accompanied by thin, determined fingers around his wrist and he turned, eying the girl warily as he felt himself dragged across the chamber towards the uppermost dais.

"Miouko...what are you...?"

"You're to eat _here_ tonight. Father insists on it." Miouko hissed, sending him a dark look. "So at least try and be charismatic and intelligent through the conversation, okay? Futsuki-dono has been dispatched on an important mission, and in his absence, Father suggested to Guren-sama that you be called to eat with them. Guren-sama agreed - so don't screw it up! You know what it means - what all of it means - to be asked to eat with the leader of the Clan!"

"That I will most probably end the meal with indigestion." Ryuu muttered, pausing at the foot of the dais and raising his gaze to where his father and his uncle were already seated. Miouko snorted, giving him a subtle elbow in the ribs.

"That's the exact reason you're of age and yet still not wed." She whispered disapprovingly. "Shut up and listen, all right? A lot of people have been talking about you and it's been good talk - about your achievements and your _zanpakutou_ and how you're high in Genryuusai-sama's trust at his Academy. That kind of thing - how you've been promoted to the Senior Class and that you'll be entering a Gotei squad from next spring. There's never been a better chance to be noticed - so be noticed, all right? And in a good way."

She glowered.

"If you embarrass us, you know we won't ever forgive you."

With that she released her grasp on his arm, flouncing off across the floor to find her own husband, and Ryuu sighed, rubbing his arm absently as he inwardly pitied the poor soul that had accepted her hand in marriage.

But Miouko's intervention had brought him back somewhat to himself, and he frowned, slowly mounting the dais as he realised he had regained his normal composure.  
_  
I can keep it a secret. No, I _must_. For now, at least. And deal with it calmly - if I can. Maybe it's better I know this now - given everything that has happened. It gives me a chance to observe things at home as well as when I go to District One. Although I might share the information with Shirogane-senpai. Can I trust him, though, with something like this? If I am to leave here soon, I will not be able to see as many things as he will...and he did put some trust in me. But something of this nature...  
_  
"Ryuu!" His father called his name, and he turned, schooling his features in a polite smile as he bowed properly before Seiren and the leader of the Clan.

"I beg pardon for the intrusion, Father. Guren-sama." He said, his tones even as he raised his gaze. "Miouko has indicated that I should join you here, and if that is not of inconvenience, it would be my honour to do so."

"You are most welcome, Ryuu." Guren said quietly, though Ryuu could detect faint tension in the other man's aura and he greatly suspected the invitation had been a matter of dispute between the brothers earlier that afternoon. "I should welcome your company before you depart this place for District One, in any case. I have few opportunities these days to address you directly - your Father has brought that to my notice, and I have acknowledged it."

"At this difficult time, Guren-sama, you do me great honour indeed." Ryuu obediently took the seat that was indicated, once more lowering his head to acknowledge his companion's superior status, but Guren shook his head.

"No. No." He said with a sigh. "In fact, the opposite is true. I should have summoned you long before this - you have been of age a good two years now, I believe - perhaps even longer than that. What is your age now, exactly? I am sure you have long passed your majority, and as such, given that you are my nephew, I should take such things into consideration."

Ryuu's eyes narrowed slightly, taking in once again the faint tension in Guren's tones, and the doubt in his grey eyes.  
_  
So Father has been needling you about me. But even if he has, there is nothing I can do but bear it. Still, your reaction gives me some hope, Guren-sama. That even if Father seeks to make me your heir, you yourself are far from convinced of it. And I...will try and play to those doubts without bringing shame to my kin. If...I possibly can._

His gaze shifted to Seiren's face, and his lips thinned.

_If I possibly can._

"I am almost three and twenty." He said quietly. "When my studies are concluded, I shall have reached that age. I am ready to serve in whatever way Guren-sama deems appropriate - and am gratified that you have allowed me the opportunity to train under Genryuusai-sama for so long. I believe that I can put those skills to the best use of the Kuchiki - and hope...that if my skills meet your expectations, you might also view me in that light."

"Your skills will be more than adequate, Ryuu." Seiren told him warmly. "You are already a shinigami, registered and accepted before the Council, and Genryuusai-sama has shown great judgement in promoting you a year early to the Senior Class. You should not be so modest - Guren-niisama and I both have great expectations of you in the future."

"Yes, sir." Ryuu did not meet his father's eye. "I understand, and I shall do my best to fulfil them."

There was a moment of silence, then Guren spoke, his expression pensive.

"Ryuu, you are better acquainted with the Edogawa _hime_ than I am, I believe." he said quietly. "You were the one, weren't you, who advised that she be sent for as swiftly as possible?"

"Yes, sir." Ryuu was startled, staring at the Clan leader in confusion. "I was."

"I am grateful for that foresight." Guren offered him a smile, and this time Ryuu sensed that it was genuine. "I don't pretend to understand that girl's gifts - but that she has them is something to be thankful for. Thanks to her arrival, lives were saved. Thanks to your instinct, too."

"I didn't do anything at all, sir." Ryuu shook his head, his eyes becoming regretful. "And I am sorry...that my suggestion was not fast enough to change...to...for...Ribari-sama's sake."

"My son's life was taken before he arrived back at the manor." Guren spoke matter-of-factly, but Ryuu could see the other man's pain reflected in his gaze. "Retsu-dono told me so - that there would have been nothing that could have saved him, even had she or Mitsuki been on site sooner. You should not hold any guilt about such things. Your contribution was invaluable and I am grateful for it."

"I am glad, then, that my knowledge was of some service." Ryuu said solemnly.

"I had wondered whether your knowledge of Mitsuki's skill stemmed from a special connection between the two of you...but your father assures me not."

"A connection?" Ryuu started, then he smiled ironically, shaking his head.

"Mitsuki is more like a sister to me than anything else." He said thoughtfully. "No. There is no other special relationship we share, Guren-sama. In any case, I do not believe Father or Mother would sanction such an idea. Mitsuki is...not a traditional Kuchiki _hime_. And..."

"And she is born of third degree from a female line, therefore is barely within the confines of the Clan proper." Seiren agreed frankly. "Even though Edogawa Teitou is a valued member of the Kuchiki inner court. As I told you, Oniisama - Ryuu understands the level of his birth and the expectations that places on him to marry well - for the benefit of not only himself but the prestige of his sisters, too. Shouko and I have no objection to his friendship with the Edogawa_ hime_ - her manners are good and she is not an offensive playmate, given their ages. But there has never been any suggestion of anything else."

"Ah, but I am sure I recall Ryuu being betrothed as a child to a niece of Edogawa Teitou." Guren's eyes narrowed. "Am I mistaken, Seiren?"

"You are not." Seiren shook his head. "But that niece's bloodline was, if you will forgive me, far more suitable for a second degree son than Mitsuki's is. Her mother's blood was...only half of this Clan, and her ways somewhat...unusual at times. Perhaps it's safe to say the daughter too is a little...unique among our Clan. Therefore...given his standing..."

"I see." Guren rubbed his chin pensively. "Then that accounts for it."

He cast Ryuu a glance.

"I am sorry. We are discussing you as though you are not present, though as an adult your voice should also be heard. Since the death of your fiancee, you have had no formal bonds of betrothal - correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Though we have had communications from other Clans, enquiring about Ryuu's availability." Seiren said hurriedly. "None of them have been of acceptable birth to consider. Being that they're foreign _hime_, such things have to be very carefully considered."

"I see." Guren nodded. "And you, Ryuu? What thoughts have you on this matter?"

"I should seek to complete my training first, Guren-sama." Ryuu said firmly. "I am cognisant of my duty as a second degree Clan son - and I am not afraid to face that duty. But I am in no hurry to accept a bride simply because I do not yet have one. I should sooner finish my training and become of value to the Clan as a whole."

"Ryuu..." Seiren gazed at him, then he sighed.

"My son means that he seeks to be of use to you first and foremost, Oniisama." He said wearily, and Guren nodded.

"I had understood it thus." He said thoughtfully, his grey eyes meeting Ryuu's for a brief instance. "And I am gratified for his consideration. I shall give your words careful deliberation, then, Ryuu. That if you seek to be of use to me, you will doubtless accept my advice and views when it comes to things such as marriage?"

"Yes sir." Ryuu swallowed the lump in his throat, nodding his head. "I will."

"Very well." Guren smiled. "Then it is understood. We will doubtless discuss this again, Seiren - when the boy has completed his training. Perhaps it is fortunate he has not yet been committed to a marriage match."

"I agree." Seiren seemed relieved, and Ryuu allowed himself an inward sigh. "I too am grateful for your consideration towards Ryuu this evening, Oniisama. In light of...our current situation...it makes me most at ease."

"Yes." Guren looked troubled, and his gaze met Ryuu's again. "Such things have not yet gone before the Kuchiki council, and by the time they do, Ryuu will be once more at his training. As you have rightfully advised, it is probably a safer place at present, until we understand more what has occurred in District Six. But...until my son's memorial is over, I will not have such a subject raised. And so we shall not speak of it here either, Seiren. Even though I realise it is pressing, we shall not."

"Yes, Guren-sama." Seiren bowed his head slightly. "As you wish."

* * *

"I see."

Masaki sat back against the wall of the tavern, eying his companion in thoughtful, lazy silence. Then he nodded, offering the trader a smile. It was later that evening, with a storm brewing on the southern horizon, but inside the bustling bar of the Kankou tavern the voices and noises of the many customers drowned out the howling wind that had begun to pick up through the small town.

Masaki pursed his lips, realising that he had chosen a good place to hide within plain sight. Though there were many patrons that evening, none of them had paid him a second glance, and even the establishment's landlord seemed more interested in extracting the right coin from a difficult customer than the fact two men were discussing top secret business under his roof.

He ran his tongue pensively across the tips of his teeth, resting his gaze once more on his companion's broad, shiny face.  
_  
Perhaps it is because of him. He is a well known face in these parts, and if he trades as he says he does, he must make many deals in places like this. I suppose they think I'm just another of his out of town clients - and that suits me just fine. I'd rather be thought of as a travelling trader - for now._

Out loud he said,

"Yes, I see. You really were the right person to come to in a matter such as this, Gaugen-san. I'm indebted to your hard work and industriousness - and so will Tokutarou-sama be, I'm sure."

"Yes, sir." Gaugen agreed eagerly. "When I saw what she had - I knew, sir, that that must be it. It was unmistakeable - though I didn't get a close look, I was quite sure. I've dealt with so many of these things before, and..."

"There was no chance of it being a fake?" Misaki asked curiously, and Gaugen shook his head firmly.

"No sir. With all respect, I can tell that at a glance." He responded proudly. "The workmanship of Clan items is very particular - and very few are capable of using the same exact skills. Therefore it's very easy to tell someone's inferior work from an original."

"I see." Masaki pondered this for a moment, then slid his fingers into his _obi_, pulling out his own pendant and setting it down on the table. "You'll have to forgive me - I'm not at all schooled in the finer arts of this business. But you can tell, then, by simply looking - that this is genuinely Clan and not a fake?"

"Yes, sir." Gaugen agreed. "It's how I know your words are true, sir - because there's no mistaking it. The craftsmanship and carving is absolutely for certain."

Masaki's eyes narrowed.

"Will you explain to me, please, how you can be so sure?"

"With pleasure." Gaugen reached out to pick up the pendant, tilting it slightly so that it caught the dim light of the tavern lamps. "Do you see, sir? The way the light reflects off the surface? That's because the person who crafted it cut it with absolute exact accuracy. Only Clan craftsmen have that kind of training - and they spend years learning the art. The surface is then glossed with a very particular element to keep it fine and bright despite the passage of time. And the colours are mixed from the highest quality sources - so they are smooth and unblemished. All of those features are very clear in your pendant, sir. So therefore it belongs to the Kyouraku Clan, and so do you."

"You really are a very intelligent man." Masaki looked impressed, scooping up his pendant and glancing at it. "Yes, I see - now that you say it, I see how such a thing would be hard to falsify. But that you'd know so much at just one glance...I am truly glad that we met. I think my quest may at last be nearing its end."

"Then the pendant is what you seek, Masaki-san?" Gaugen asked, and Masaki frowned.

"I will know more tomorrow, when I meet with the girl." He said quietly. "Tell me about her, Gaugen, so I might know her when first I see her."

"She's young - about eighteen or nineteen, perhaps not that." Gaugen reflected. "Momiji is her name, though if she has another I don't know it. Her trade means that such things aren't generally known by most people - if you follow my meaning."

He smiled.

"She's raven haired, and bright eyed. Very guileless and easy to win over. She's a good natured girl, sir, despite her profession - but because of her profession, her favours are easy to procure. She agreed to come here to meet you quite willingly...though she will probably..."

"Expect good payment for her services." Masaki pursed his lips. "Very well. That I can provide."

He grinned.

"And you, for yours."

He reached down to his belt, pulling the purse free and tipping some of the contents on the table. Gaugen's eyes became wide at the gold coins, and Masaki nodded.

"For your help so far, I give you half of the reward I promised." He said softly, pushing the coins across the table and watching as the trader scooped them up greedily in his fat fists. "This you do not need to return, but when I have spoken to the girl, and if your information is proven correct, I will reward you fully. Is that fair?"

"Yes, sir." Gaugen agreed, sliding the coins into the sash of his kimono. Masaki nodded.

"The girl is raven-haired, you say?" He asked lightly. "And her eyes - what colour are her eyes?"

"Blue, sir."

"Blue?" Masaki seemed surprised, and Gaugen nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"_Blue_ eyes." Masaki's gaze became thoughtful. "Unusual, wouldn't you think, for District Eight?"

"The story goes that she was a refugee from some other place - though she doesn't talk of it, and I don't know where." Gaugen dismissed this with a flick of her fingers. "Such things as a prostitute's background are not really very interesting to me."

"No. I understand." A strange smile touched Masaki's lips. "I apologise - an upstanding man like yourself would not know such things in detail, of course."

He rested his chin in his hands.

"I shall have to meet her for myself, I think." He decided out loud. "And then I might know better how things are. Certainly, from what you've said, it sounds like she is in possession of something very important. But I wonder..."

"Sir?" Gaugen looked anxious, and Masaki shook his head.

"No. It's nothing you should concern yourself about." He said with a flick of his fingers. "Please, finish your drink. I'm imposing on your time, and your family are probably worried."

"You're right. It's growing late and the storm will be fully on us before long." Gaugen's eyes widened at this and he scooped up his drink, downing the rest in one gulp before getting to his feet.

"Thank you, sir. It's been a pleasure doing business with you."

"Likewise." Masaki smiled again. "I will look forward to meeting the girl Momiji tomorrow - and from there, I will doubtless speak to you again."

"Doubtless." Gaugen agreed. "I wish you luck with your quest, sir. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Gaugen." Masaki murmured, watching as the man left the bar, inclining his head to the hostess on duty as he did so.

He pursed his lips, glancing down at his own drink.

_Black hair, blue eyes. A refugee. I wonder...if she's what I'm looking for or not._

He sighed, running his fingers through his thick brownish hair and loosening it from its ties.  
_  
But it does sound as though...she has something of use to me. And even if she isn't what I'm looking for...it strikes me that another door might have opened even if one has closed. Because if she has something so precious...and she's one without family in this place...I can make use of that. It might not matter if she isn't exactly the thing I had sought. On the contrary, the benefit may be greater. Either way, I can find a way to utilise this situation to our advantage. Yes, I'm quite sure I can._

Amusement twitched at the corner of his mouth, and he lifted his glass, toasting an invisible companion before putting it to his lips.

_Black hair. Blue eyes. I see. Perhaps this will be a more interesting game than I thought._


	9. Class

**Chapter Eight: Class**

Morning.

Juushirou pushed back the shutters, gazing out pensively across the school grounds as he watched the last rays of the rising sun spread their light across the budding trees and dew-soaked grass. District One was a far cry from his seaside home, and he always missed the scent of the sea and the soft lapping of the waves against the cove that had been such a part of his childhood. Yet this place was somewhere he had come to feel just as much at home, and he smiled, pausing for a moment to watch a pair of songbirds building their nest in the branches of a nearby elm tree.

It had been a busy start to the term, with seminars in Kidou, Hohou and Sakusen all on the first day and the pile of library books that sat on the chamber's small desk was testimony to the heavy project workload the Senior class had already been given to contend with. It was very different, he mused, to be given this time to complete their work on their own, but Juushirou found he did not dislike it. On the contrary, he felt that a certain amount of trust had been put on their shoulders, and he had relished the challenge.

_Not that it will be all like this._

His gaze flitted to the top book, noting the three or four slithers of ribbon that already marked pages.

_Kazoe-sensei made it clear when he finished his class that we'd have proper assessments once we'd submitted our written projects, and we still have to report once a week for more lectures and so on. And then there's Ouyoudou. We haven't even begun classwork in that yet, though most of us have been to the gymnasium at least once since term began. I guess I can see how Nagoya-senpai was able to organise my zanpakutou training around my schedule, though. If his time was as much his own as this, he must've been able to balance everything else he had to do so that he didn't disrupt my lessons. I'm learning a lot with every day about being a Senior. But it's not all plain sailing. This is the start of term, but I know that we're going to be far more involved in the lower school as term goes on. Coaching, study groups, implementing curfew...things like that. I suppose when all's said and done, I won't find I have a lot of free time._

"Ukitake?"

A knock at the door made him turn, crossing the floor and unfastening the lock, sliding the divide back. Kai stood on the other side, offering him a grin at the other boy's surprise.

"I know it's early, but I thought I saw you spacing out and staring out of the window as I came back from the gymnasium." He explained. "I collected my mail, and you have a letter already. I wasn't sure, but I thought it might be from your sister - it's from District Eight, because I recognise the messenger's mark."

"From Chi-chan?" Juushirou looked startled, taking it and glancing at it. "Yes, you're right. Thank you, Kai-kun. This is her handwriting...but I didn't expect to hear from her quite so soon as this. Term's only just started - I wonder what's up."

He offered Kai a smile, pushing back the door fully.

"You want to come in?" He asked. "It's unfriendly out in the hall - and wait, did you say you've been to the gymnasium already this morning?"

"Mm. Meimei Anshi and I like our early workout." Kai patted the black hilted weapon that hung at his waist. "Shihouin training regimes are quite intense, you should know that by now. I don't want to get out of practice by being here - Midori-nee wouldn't forgive me, since she has high hopes of me after graduation."

"To take over her new special force - isn't that what you said?" Juushirou sat down on his bed, slitting the letter's seal as he did so, and Kai nodded, coming into the chamber and pushing the door shut. He leant up against it, folding his arms absently across his chest.

"Onmitsukidou is the name she likes to use, though it sounds a fair bit too fancy for what will actually happen." He said, amused. "But Midori-nee is very keen on getting this off the ground. And that it won't be just a Shihouin thing in the long term but a far wider ranging organisation. She wants to use our Clan's innate skills in stalking and camouflage and all of that - and put it to the Gotei's benefit rather than using it as previous leaders have, as a form of secret assassination. I don't know, quite, what my job will work out like yet. But I think it's more my speed than fighting over _haori _or rank within Second Division, and so...I'm all right with it. I don't want Midori-nee's _haori _or position, so I wish she'd make like Kyouraku's brother and marry and produce spawn to inherit. But in the meantime, if I can do a good enough job of this Onmitsukidou business - which is better suited to me and my _zanpakutou_ anyway - even if I did inherit the Clan, I might not have to change my rank of office."

Juushirou chuckled.

"I guess it's more complicated for Midori-sama to do that - marry and stuff - while she's still consolidating the Clan." He observed. "As a woman, she'd have to do the whole baby-having herself, and so..."

"That's what she says. That and the fact she has no interest at present in screaming, peeing, puking things that get in her way." Kai sighed. "Oh well. I can't pretend I don't know what she means about that. I'm not hugely excited about the prospect of babies either."

He shrugged.

"Everything all right with your sister, by the way?"

"Yes. She's fine, there's no problem there." Juushirou skimmed down the contents of the letter. "Though she's talking about being a little broody, so I guess Chi isn't quite on the same thought pattern as Midori-sama, huh?"

He pursed his lips.

"She heard about the Kuchiki assassination and she was worried about its implications on the rest of our family." He added, folding the letter and setting it aside. "I guess she must've heard that from Takeshi's position in Tokutarou-sama's guard. What do you think, Kai? It's concerned me a little too, but Sensei said the Kuchiki weren't in the habit of killing common folk over their Clan battles. You know the Clan world better than me - do you think there's any risk?"

"From the Kuchiki? Creating civil war in Six?" Kai looked thoughtful, then shook his head. "No. The Shihouin and the Kuchiki have had their issues, but I don't think they're the kind of Clan to sear through the countryside to prove a point. Mostly because they're a proud Clan when it comes down to it. To destroy their District would be to draw negative eyes their way - and they also think a lot of how pretty Six is, particularly with the sakura trees and everything else. While it wouldn't surprise me if this business created absolute chaos within the Kuchiki Clan - I doubt the peasant classes - no offence - will feel more than the slightest ripple. They aren't the Endou-ke. You don't need to worry about that."

"No offence taken." Juushirou smiled, relief in his hazel eyes. "That was my view of it too - but I wanted to check. Thank you, Kai-kun. I'll write back to Chi and tell her she needn't worry about everyone at home. The concerns are above their head - and I'm glad of it."

"You...are the only one that it might touch." Kai said pensively. "Being that you are such close friends with Seiren-dono's only son."

"Yes." Juushirou admitted. "But I promised Sensei not to get involved in the business and I plan on sticking to that. It might have consequences for my family if I did - so I won't. I'll listen, if Ryuu wants to talk. Mitsuki too. But more than that...isn't my place."

He sighed.

"And I have plenty to deal with already, because being Anideshi is not going to be any kind of a picnic."

"No, but you knew that before you said yes, right?" Kai arched an eyebrow. "I can't imagine you didn't see that Yamamoto and his friends would be bitter towards you."

"I've given up caring if people are small-minded enough to use my District birth as a reason to hate or resent me." Juushirou said pragmatically. "I'm not letting it, or them, interfere in my becoming a shinigami, and Sensei didn't offer the role to Yamamoto-kun. He offered it to me - and me alone - and to refuse it would have been to say I didn't have faith in myself, wouldn't it? If Sensei has faith in me, that's enough to tell me I can do this job. So I will do it. Even if I did expect some trouble, once I knew Sensei was challenging me, I knew I wouldn't refuse."

"Of course not." Kai's eyes twinkled. "You're stubborn like that."

He laughed.

"I still remember how you overrode my every attempt to hate you when we were first years." He added nostalgically. "It's very frustrating wanting to hate someone and not being able to. I imagine Yamamoto and the others will find the same - that in the end, they can't win against your obstinate insistance on being friends with the world."

"Kindness moves you further than fear." Juushirou said sagely. "Father used to say that, sometimes, and I think he was right."

He grinned.

"And you don't regret it, do you? Us becoming friends."

"No..." Kai looked thoughtful. "My entire outlook on life, the world, my Clan and everything has changed since I came here. But I'm glad I did. And that I was a part of this class. It will be odd when that's over - I really think that my Uncle and Shouichi-sama underestimated Genryuusai-sensei and his ability to instill values in the students here. But they also underestimated the influence of being in close quarters with so many different people. Different Clans, different ideals, different opinions. Kyouraku's words to me about being unable to change anything if you're dead still sticks with me now."

"Mm." Juushirou nodded. "It's good advice."

He smiled ruefully.

"Even coming from Shunsui, it's good advice. As shinigami, I guess none of us will know what the future holds. And whether we'll go into danger. But...so long as we hang onto that thought...I think we'll come through those things and be fine. If you want life, Kai - I don't think it can be easily taken away from you. You only lose it if you give it up."

"That's a tad naive." Kai chided. "There are plenty of people who die who don't want to. What about your own folks?"

"Mother died to give me life. That was her choice." Juushirou said seriously. "She chose death for my sake, therefore she accepted it. Father too - he risked himself to protect me from the Hollow, therefore he accepted that risk before he acted. I don't like it, or think them weak for it. But...they were decisions they both made. Death over life."

"Perhaps." Kai acknowledged. "My Clan has been far too steeped in blood and death for far too long - and its members far too willing to sacrifice their lives for pride or honour or revenge. I'm not really in that mould - so I'm not looking to sacrifice my life. While I'm alive, I will support and fight for my Clan - but I don't intend to go seeking death."

"This is a grim conversation." Juushirou looked rueful. "So we shouldn't continue it."

"Probably not." Kai agreed. "Though I think the death of Ribari-sama has made everyone a lot more aware of how suddenly death can come. He was nineteen, you know - the same age as Hirata. And he wasn't a weakling. I guess it shows that we're still living in a dangerous world, and the only enemies aren't the Hollows."

"I know." Juushirou nodded gravely. "That's why I intend on becoming the best shinigami I can be. I can't do anything for the Kuchiki at the moment - in fact, being that my bloodline is as dodgy as it is that way, it'd probably be far better if I didn't do anything - but if I can become a strong shinigami, maybe I can help in other ways. In a bigger picture, in the longer term."

He frowned.

"I haven't written to Mitsuki or Ryuu because of that dodgy bloodline and because of who I am." He added. "I keep thinking I should, then I remember...what Ryuu and Mitsuki found out about my blood grandfather and my mother's past and...I stop. I don't know whether Guren-sama does or doesn't know all of that story, but right now with the Clan in chaos...I'm the worst person to be writing to any of the members. I hate it, but I've held back. I hope that that at least is the right thing - if it's the only thing I can do, not creating greater chaos."

"I think your judgement is sound." Kai agreed. "The Kuchiki are the strictest Clan about things like bloodline and so on. Kuchiki and Edogawa will both realise why you've held back, and they'll appreciate it."

He sighed.

"Well, breakfast calls." He added, as a gong rang out through the school. "You and I are up, so we should head downstairs. The first years have a habit of pushing in the queues in, and if we're Seniors, we ought to stop that at least. It's a hassle, but rather that than a lecture from whichever sensei is on duty instead."

"Agreed." Juushirou nodded, getting to his feet. "We'll go down now - and make sure everything is calm. Do you suppose anyone else is up? It might be better to go in force."

"Not sure." Kai admitted. "Like you, I'm rooming alone at the moment, so I haven't seen anyone else this morning. But we can knock on doors and find out - though you can take the blame if we wake Kyouraku before he's ready to get out of bed."

"He's been surprisingly prompt so far this term." Juushirou said reflectively, grabbing his sheathed _zanpakutou_ from the unit and sliding into his _obi_. "All right, I'm ready. Let's go."

"It's a nice privilege, isn't it, being able to carry _zanpakutou_ without needing special reason to do so." Kai observed as they stepped out into the hallway, Juushirou closing and locking his door behind him as they did so. "Makes me feel like I really am almost a shinigami."

"I know." Juushirou agreed. "Though it's also a little bit strange as well. I don't come from a military family like you, so I'm not used to carrying my sword at all times. I suppose I'll get used to that, though, as time goes on. At home, I tended to leave it in my chamber a lot unless I was going out to do some kind of practice at the beach. Honestly, if I'm going to the library or to class, I'm more likely to leave Sougyo here."

"That makes sense." Kai nodded. "But just having the right to carry the thing - shows that Sensei has faith in us, doesn't it?"

"It does." Juushirou responded. "Strengthening the bond between _zanpakutou_ and wielder."

"It's a lot more new a sensation to us than it is to you, though." Kai laughed. "Since you've had Sougyo a full year longer or more than most of us. The novelty's still there for me - I've only had Meimei Anshi for about six months, and I still like the feel of having him at my side all the time."

"I guess so." Juushirou acknowledged. "Though Sougyo isn't what you'd call an easy sword to master, so I'm not sure about that. There's still a ton of stuff for me to learn about it even now."

"Good morning, Kai-kun. Good morning, Juushirou-kun." As they passed Shunsui and Hirata's door, it slid back, revealing the youngest member of their class who offered them a smile as he rubbed the lenses of his spectacles against the sleeve of his _hakamashita_. "I thought I heard your voices - are you going down to breakfast?"

"We are, and you're welcome to join us." Kai replied warmly. "Kyouraku up or still asleep?"

"Asleep." Hirata replaced his glasses on his nose, stepping into the hall and softly shutting the bedroom door behind him. "I woke up a good while ago and was reading something for our Hohou assignment, but he hasn't stirred at all. When I heard you going by, I thought I'd come tag along - and let him sleep a while more. We don't have to be up early, and he never seems to mind if he misses breakfast."

"Are we going to call on Houjou too?" Kai wondered. "He and Souryou both are quite early risers."

"We could." Juushirou nodded, pausing to knock on the door of their other friend's room. "So long as we're not waking anyone, I don't mind."

"What if Souryou-kun comes too?" Hirata looked apprehensive, and Juushirou shrugged.

"I don't have anything against him or anyone else." He said frankly. "He hasn't said anything unpleasant to me, and Enishi seems to like him enough, so..."

He stopped midflow as the door slid back, revealing the subject of their conversation, and at their startled expressions, Kanshi shot them a quizzical look.

"Why are you looking at me like that? You people knocked, didn't you?" He asked. "Did you not expect anyone to answer?"

"We were wondering if you guys were coming down to breakfast." Kai recovered himself first, offering Kanshi a grin. "Since someone will need to keep an eye on the kids going in, and it should be some of us."

"Me included, huh?" Kanshi raised an eyebrow, shooting Juushirou a questioning look. "That's all right with you, is it, Anideshi?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Juushirou was surprised. "I don't have any reason not to include you - if you wanted to come. I don't have control over who does and doesn't enter the Dining Hall - and besides, I'm not looking to carve out rivalries with anyone."

"I see." Kanshi shot him a thoughtful look, then grinned. "Well, I appreciate that. And you needn't worry. I'm not for carving holes in other people either, if you want the truth. Whether you should be Anideshi or not, I don't know - but I dare say I'll find out soon enough, and till then, I'm reserving judgement. In the meantime..."

He shrugged.

"I'll come down with you." he agreed. "Akira and Aoi were heading to the gymnasium to do some sword drill, but I'm not really interested in fighting before I'm fed, and I've nothing better to do."

He paused, then,

"But Houjou isn't here, and I know it's him you came looking for." He added. "He's gone to see Kazoe about something. Kidou, logically - though he didn't really tell me much about it. Just that he'd agreed to go straight there this morning - he woke me getting dressed before dawn."

"Enishi's going to skip breakfast again?" Kai looked startled, and Kanshi grinned.

"No, I think he said he'd grab something quickly en route and then go." He replied as he joined them in the hallway. "Does he not like Kidou or something? He seemed glum."

"He doesn't." Juushirou agreed. "Since first year, we've helped him with it as much as we could, and in return he's helped us with our sword skills. Enishi is pretty strong, Souryou-kun. But nobody can be strong in all areas, and Kidou is his weak link."

"Ah. That makes sense." Souryou nodded sagely. "I got that impression - he's very straight down the line. A powerhouse if ever there was one, but the kind of guy who wouldn't hurt a fly unless he had strict orders that it needed to be taken out for the good of everyone else. It surprised me too when I found out how old he was - older than I am, even though he's only just been promoted up. I guess this is why?"

"No...Houjou has always been with us." Kai shook his head. "The age has never really mattered. Not with any of us - right Hirata?"

"Mm." Hirata nodded slowly, though he shot Kanshi an apprehensive glance, and Kanshi grinned.

"You're the Endou kid, aren't you?" He remarked, and Hirata nodded again. "Yes, I thought so. I've heard a few things about you being some kind of prodigy - though I hear that about a lot of people, and I never believe it till I see it for myself."

"I'm not trying to be a prodigy." Hirata said quietly. "I'm just trying to be a good shinigami and not let my family down."

"Mm." Kanshi's expression became serious. "I'm sorry. That was a mite insensitive, maybe. I know that District Seven's had a lot of stuff happen in recent years...I should learn to hold my tongue, else you'll think I do have a vendetta against you people."

"Will Yamamoto bother if you eat with us?" Kai wondered, and Kanshi snorted.

"I'll whack it out of him if he tries." He said bluntly. "Akira and I have been friends a long time, since before we were old enough to think about being shinigami, because his mother and mine were educated together and when we were small we spent a lot of time together. I know him better than probably anyone else does at this Academy. He knows well enough that I'll do as I like and have what opinions I choose, just as he will and as he does. I don't base my actions on his preferences or vice versa. He can live with it, or he can hate it - but it doesn't make a difference to me."

He cast Juushirou a glance.

"Now, if you had done something to really spite him - then that'd be different." He added evenly. "I stick up for my friends and I don't forgive things like that. But right now, it's all about a decision neither of you made. And that's completely different. Besides, I already like Houjou. And I'm not really all that bothered about the students left behind - some of them drove me crazy, and more than one of them I was inches away from mangling in Ouyoudou before the end of last semester. If you guys can provide more of a challenge than that - bring it on."

Juushirou chuckled.

"That sounds like something I can work with." He agreed. "All right. I don't mind if you reserve judgement on me or on whether Sensei was right until later. I think we'll all be doing that - me included. And I don't mind if Yamamoto-kun doesn't want to work with me or accept me either. That's up to him. I'm not going to force him to do so - or to consider me anything other than his classmate."

"Oh-oh. Those are dangerous words." Kai looked amused, and Juushirou shot him a confused look.

"Huh? What are?"

"You saying you won't force anyone to do anything." Kai laughed. "That's what you said to me, too, remember? In first year. That you weren't going to force me or anyone to be friends with you - yet here we are, four years on."

"Silly." Juushirou snorted, swiping his hand playfully in his companion's direction. "That was different. And besides, I didn't force you. You decided it, not me, so shut up."

"Speaking of shutting up..." Kai ducked deftly out of Juushirou's reach, gesturing to the corridor ahead. "I hear kids. Noisy kids. And we should do something about it before we get the blame."

"Agreed." Juushirou nodded. "Well, there are four of us...so..."

"Ah, that idiot Kamaki is in the middle of it." Kanshi pulled a graphic face. "A kinsman of mine, I'm afraid - and a decidedly annoying one at the best of times. Leave him to me, huh? I'll handle the Fifth years. He'll throw his weight about and push to the front of the queue if he thinks he has a better right to be there than the younger ones - but he'll listen to me, probably. He won't even look at you."

"But _Juushirou-kun_ is Anideshi." Hirata said doubtfully. Juushirou shook his head.

"Souryou-kun is right." He said matter-of-factly. "It's too soon for last year's left down Fifth years to meekly accept us promotees as Seniors and senpai as opposed to kouhai. We'll deal with everyone else - thank you, Souryou-kun."

He flashed Kanshi a grin.

"I'm glad you came down with us."

"Idiots are idiots, no matter what class you put them in." Kanshi shrugged his shoulders. "And like I said, he's kin. Therefore it's my responsibility to thwack him before he causes a bigger problem."

With that he was gone towards the midst of the melee, where Azusa was indeed holding forth to a bunch of juniors about something none of them could make out, and Hirata sighed.

"I guess I understand what he means." He said quietly. "But Juushirou-kun, they...have to accept it, sooner or later. Your authority, I mean. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise there isn't a point in me having it. I know." Juushirou's eyes clouded and he nodded his head. "But for now, Hirata, having Souryou-kun not acting against us is a step forward. Enishi's said he seemed all right - direct and straight forward - and what he said made me feel better about the situation in the Senior Class. That this is simply an issue Yamamoto-kun has with not being chosen for Anideshi, so it might...it might not be so hard to handle. It will take a little time for everyone who's been displaced to come to terms with the new order, and I intend to be patient. In the meantime..."

"Anyone below Fifth year, plus our own former classmates will probably acknowledge Ukitake without a problem." Kai put in. "The years below ours are far more mixed with Clan and District, and so I doubt that issue is quite such a problem with most of them. They'll back up his authority by acting on it. And we're here to do that too, Hirata. To back him up. Kyouraku said it to me as well - that we need to do that. So we shouldn't worry about Yamamoto and we should just do our job as seniors. Come on. Let's go shut up some screeching brats and get them to line up properly. Hirata, you come with me - Ukitake can handle himself all right here."

"All right." Hirata looked troubled still, but he nodded his head. "I'm coming, Kai-kun."

With that he followed his dark-skinned friend across the Dining Room to help untangle a gaggle of Third year students apparently having some dispute over bowls, and Juushirou was once more left alone.

He sighed, rubbing his temples.

_Hirata is right too - he often is. I'll keep it in mind, and do what I can to make sure other people do accept me. That I am Anideshi._

With that in mind, he moved purposefully to the head of the room, mounting the dais nimbly and taking his sheathed weapon from his belt, banging it down firmly against the smooth wooden surface of the lectern that stood there.

Several people, who had been unaware of the appearance of the Seniors, let alone their own Anideshi physically jumped, many turning guiltily to face the stage as though expecting a teacher to be standing there. A murmur began to spread across the hall as the students registered Juushirou's presence, and he frowned, nodding his head.

"What if it had been a sensei who came in and heard that?" He asked softly, his voice gentle yet carrying across the four corners of the chamber in the sudden lull of voices. "Everyone will get breakfast and there's plenty of time before morning classes begin. There's no need for a stampede or a riot. Queue properly, please."

"Senpai!" A second year girl raised her hand, looking put out. "Senpai, our dorm had a table at the back by the window, but another group came and took it, and..."

"Then find another table." Juushirou told her calmly. "I'm sure you know that tables are only fixed seating for the evening meal. Breakfast is another matter. If you were too late to get the table you wanted, find another table. You can still sit with your friends, so there shouldn't be a problem, should there?"

"Senpai, Baraya broke a bowl." A boy from the third year piped in. "There's rice all over the floor!"

"That's only cos you were shoving past me!" Another boy protested indignantly. "Charging in like some great oaf!"

"I did not!" The first boy looked obstinate. "I was just coming to line up and..."

"Stop it." Juushirou held up his hands, his gaze flitting across the room to where Kai and Hirata were watching. "Kai-kun, could you help them sort that out? I'll report the breakage to Sensei. It was obviously an accident, so nobody will get into trouble - but the chaos in here might see a lot of people in trouble, and none of us want that."

"No problem." Kai agreed, and Juushirou stepped down from the dais, taking in a deep breath as he registered that little by little the room had begun to take on a semblance of calm. Between Souryou's handling of the rebellious fifth years, his own interruption and Kai and Hirata's on-hand interventions, order had been restored to the Dining Hall - and just in time, for at that moment the door slid back to reveal the Hohou sensei Uebashi, with the school's Headmaster in tow. Several people drew a collective gasp into guilty lungs as they realised how close they had come to a proper scolding, and Juushirou let out his own breath in a rush.

"Just in time." he murmured, as Hirata came to join him across the busy chamber.

"Yes, but if we have this every day..." The younger boy rolled his eyes, and Juushirou sighed again.

"Don't." He begged. "Once is enough – let's hope they've got the message now. Besides, I'm hungry too. I don't want to be refereeing food-fights by the end of the year at the expense of my own meal."

Despite himself, Hirata smiled.

"They listened to you, though." He observed, and Juushirou nodded, opening his lips to reply. Before he could, however, he caught Azusa's eye, and was taken aback by the strength of the dislike in the other boy's gaze. He frowned, biting his lip.

"Well, let's hope it lasts." He said quietly. "Come on, Hirata. Now things are calm again - lets eat."

* * *

"Well, at the very least I'm glad to see you've arrived promptly."

As Enishi stepped apprehensively into the Kidou arena, he found his instructor already waiting for him, a thoughtful expression on his face. At his side, leaning up against the plaster facing of the surrounding stone wall was his customary wooden stick, and as Enishi's gaze flitted to it a smile twitched at his thin lips.

"I hope that won't be needed today." Was all he said, however, removing his glasses from his nose and wiping them absently on his sleeve before replacing them and fixing Enishi with a sharp look. "But you know as well as I do what's required of you now, don't you? That we've reached the end of the road in some respects – everything from now depends on you."

Enishi sighed, lowering his head meekly.

"Yes, sensei." He said softly. "Genryuusai-sama made it clear to me…that I was to do my best as always in attending these extra sessions. And I do…I always do, sir. I mean, it's not that I'm not trying – I just…"

"We'll save excuses for later." Kazoe cut across him, getting to his feet and gesturing towards the targets that lined the far end of the arena. "If excuses could pass your exams for you, I'm sure we wouldn't need these sessions – but sadly, they can't, and so here we are."

He sighed.

"This year is your last year, Houjou, is it not?" He asked frankly.

"Yes, sir." Enishi agreed, though he could hear the doubt in his own voice as he spoke the words, and Kazoe's eyes darkened.

"Well? Is it or isn't it?" He challenged, and Enishi faltered, slowly dropping his gaze.

"I…hope so." He admitted softly. "I want to…graduate…with everyone else. With my friends. At the end of this year."

"I see." Kazoe's lips thinned, and he nodded his head. "Well, then. If that's the case, we have work to do."

He tilted his head on one side, eying his companion for a moment, and Enishi could feel those sharp dark eyes boring into his broad frame.

"At the end of last year, you had about mastered firing a handful of basic spells and were moving towards some confidence in using binding magic." He remembered evenly. "Spells such as practical Soukatsui, of course, are mainly first year spells – that one is usually perfected at the latest by the early to mid-point of the second year. Still, you managed to fire it to some good level of accuracy before your final examinations. You even managed to produce a decent enough example during your final assessment – so that seems as good a place as any to begin our revision."

"Yes, sir." Enishi nodded, glancing at his hands for a moment as he tried to remember the right incantation. "Soukatsui…all right."

"Which number Hadou is Soukatsui, by the way?" Kazoe asked quizzically, and Enishi offered him a rueful smile.

"Thirty three, sir." He said wryly. "That much at least I know, thanks to Ukitake's drilling me on them over and over again at the end of last year."

"Good." Despite himself, Kazoe returned the smile with a dry one of his own. "Then if you're aware of that fact, there shouldn't be a problem. Aim for the middle target, please – and try not to set any bushes alight. I still remember the chaos at the beginning of last year when you nearly managed to set fire to the forestland beyond with Haien – so we'll avoid that, if you don't mind."

"Yes…yes, sir." Enishi agreed apprehensively, flexing his fingers then nodding his head. "All right. The middle target, sir? I'm ready."

He closed his eyes, focusing his thoughts as he dredged through his memory for the right incantation. Juushirou had spent a lot of time testing him on these as well, for ever since they had first covered Soukatsui and Shakkahou in first year theory he had struggled to remember which incantation belonged to which. To fire red flame instead of blue flame now would be an embarrassment, and he screwed up his eyes in concentration.

"_Kunrinsha yo_!" He muttered, sweat beading on his brow as he struggled to keep his powerful reiatsu focused only on the palm of his hand. "_Chiniku no kamen, banshou…h…habataki, hito no na o kansu mono yo!_"

He took a deep breath, knowing that so far he was correct, for Kazoe's stick had not come down on his hand to stop him, nor had the teacher's voice broken the silence of his concentration. Now was the important bit. Which half of the spell was it? Something to do with walls…wasn't that what Juushirou had taught him? He swallowed hard. If he hesitated for too long, the spell would not work anyway, and he decided to take the gamble.

"_Souka no kabe ni, souren no kizamo_." He continued reluctantly, half-expecting something awful to happen at any moment. "_T…Taika no fuchi o enten ni tematsu! Hadou no Sanjuu San! Soukatsui!_"

A burst of energy shot forth from his palm at this juncture, and he opened one eye cautiously, letting out a sigh of relief as he realised he had made the right call. The flare of magic was indeed blue – and more, though it had sparked a little at the edges and lacked the perfect form of some of his more capable classmates, it had not exploded in mid-flight. On the contrary, it blasted through the target, leaving only the very right hand edge in tact, and Enishi sighed again, lowering his hand as he turned to face his companion.

Kazoe looked thoughtful, and for a moment he didn't speak. Then he nodded.

"I'm glad you haven't forgotten." He observed softly. "That was a well-executed spell, Houjou – but you hesitated for rather a long time in mid-incantation. You should know that by doing so you make the job of firing more difficult on yourself – the longer you have to hold your _reiryoku_ together, the more chance you'll make a mistake."

"Yes sir." Enishi looked sheepish. "The truth is, I was trying to…to make sure, sir. That I fired the right spell…and not Shakkahou instead."

"You really do have trouble with incantations, don't you?" Kazoe sighed, and Enishi nodded.

"Yes sir. I do."

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped." Kazoe seemed resigned. "In either regard, you fired that in an acceptable manner – and safely, too. Providing you can speed up your recall on the incantation, I think you could even fire it more cleanly – there was a good level of control even despite a few stray sparks at the beginning."

"Yes, sir."

Enishi sighed.

"But that's considered an easy spell, isn't it, sir? I mean, it's a basic incantation – we learnt the spell words back at the start the first year. Ukitake and Kyouraku were firing it easily even that year…and yet…"

"Ukitake and Kyouraku are very skilled at Kidou." Kazoe agreed evenly. "And you are not. Using them as your benchmark is a futile gesture from the start, Houjou – I suggest you drop such aspirations right now. You will probably never reach their level of Kidou proficiency, so to aspire to it seems somewhat foolish."

Enishi's heart clenched and he stared at his companion in dismay.

"But sir, I'm a Senior now! And if I can't…surely, if I don't…I must…"

"Listen to me." Kazoe folded his arms across his chest, coming to stand before his student. Enishi towered over him, yet even though he lowered his gaze to meet the teacher's, still somehow he felt cowed by the piercing look he found there.

"Kidou is your weakness." Kazoe continued softly. "Four years of teaching you has told me that, and should have taught you likewise. You say you try your best – and the sad truth is, I know you do. You have always tried your best, and yet even so, here we are. This will never be a strength for you – I think it unlikely that you will ever master the level of spells I intend on teaching your classmates over the course of this year. True, some of them will not master them fully either. But for you…I won't even begin to teach them. There is just no point – it would only be dangerous."

Enishi's shoulders slumped, and he nodded his head hopelessly.

"Yes, sensei."

"Now, don't look like that." Kazoe sounded impatient. "I told you to listen to me. Kidou is not the only art in becoming a shinigami, and nor is it always the most important. You have very potent _reiryoku _and great physical strength – such students are rarely given to the delicate precision that Kidou requires. That doesn't make you a weakling…or a failure."

"But I want to graduate with the others." Enishi looked helpless. "I know…last year, my Kidou grade was a bad one. I wondered…if I was promoted to the Senior Class because everyone else was, and because as the oldest it would have looked strange if I was kept down. I know my grades weren't good enough to promote me…and so…I wanted to do my best this year. In this class especially. Because…I don't want to be left behind."

"Mm." Kazoe pushed his spectacles further up his nose, regarding Enishi pensively. "This is also a subject that Genryuusai-sensei and I have discussed in some detail regarding your education. Whether you graduate or not will be up to you, Houjou – whether you grasp the duties and responsibilities of being a Senior and prove to everyone that you are capable of entering a squad when this year ends. I can't tell you how to do that, or even if you will succeed. What I can tell you is that I don't intend on teaching you advanced Kidou. You will focus on third and fourth year level spells, and revise the ones you learnt before that, too. You will perfect them and we will go over them again and again until you are safe. Because _nobody_ will let you graduate from here and join a squad if you can't use those skills safely."

"With that level…can I still graduate?" Enishi was doubtful.

"You have classmates who don't excel in the areas you do, I'm sure." Kazoe reminded him. "I doubt that Endou can take your sword – and I know that Edogawa has stopped taking Ouyoudou classes completely now, hasn't she?"

"That's true." Enishi brightened somewhat. "Even though Edogawa's training as a healer, the others have trouble fighting me blade to blade. Shihouin is the only member of our class who's ever been able to best me, and he can best everyone. I always aim to overreach him in class lists and I've come very close sometimes. Last year I had an almost perfect score in _kenjutsu_ and I was one of the few chosen to study _hakuda_ as an additional at the end of Third Year. And everyone thought I'd have trouble with Hohou, but really it's quite simple once you get your head around it. I guess I'm still shaky on writing up theory reports for it – but I can do it, and Uebashi-sensei said I performed well on our assessments at the end of last year."

"Then I'll tell you something that I want you to give some serious thought." Kazoe said gravely. "Your Kidou must be made safe. There is no question about that. But to graduate the Academy, you have to pass a certain number of units and you have to prove yourself ready for squad life. I won't tell you how to do the latter – that is up to each individual student to realise for themselves. But you just told me yourself you're studying _hakuda_. That's an advanced Ouyoudou class that very few students undertake at the Academy – most only learn those skills within their Clan or in the squads themselves. I expect your physical strength probably gives you an edge in such things – am I right?"

"Yes, sir, though I'm quite quick and agile too, and the Hohou helps." Enishi agreed eagerly.

"Then probably you will be assessed in that for your final grades, rather than this class." Kazoe tapped his fingers thoughtfully against the fabric of his _hakama_. "Genryuusai-sensei didn't say as much to me, since it isn't my area – but I imagine he's mentioned it to Minabe-sensei already."

"Really?" Enishi's eyes widened. "Can I…I mean, I could do that? Instead?"

"You will still be required to take Kidou, and make yourself safe in it." Kazoe said cuttingly. "I will not be assessing you at Senior level, but I _will _be assessing you and if you fail I will _not _be recommending you for graduation. I want you to work just as hard this year as you have the last four – if you do that, I think we can at least steady your abilities and make you able to use a basic array of Kidou without being a danger to other people. The rest is up to you – but I don't want you to think that you've now found an easy path. Just that by studying more basic spells than your companions, you aren't necessarily doomed to repeat Senior year."

Enishi's brows knitted together, and slowly he nodded his head.

"I understand, sir." He said solemnly. "I had decided already to work hard in Kidou this year, and what you've said…has made me feel better. At least…somewhat."

"Mm. I imagine it hurts your pride a little to know that the majority of the classmates you've now left behind scored more highly than you did last year." Kazoe mused, and Enishi nodded his head once more.

"It does." He admitted. "Although…I'm quite used to it. In a way…that people don't expect me to achieve very much. My family aren't particularly bothered when I fail at something – it's as though they wait for it, sometimes. So I really don't want to be held back at all. I don't want to prove them right."

He sighed.

"They might laugh, some of them, if they knew my Kidou was being held back this far." He owned. "That I can't even manage fourth year spells properly yet, even though I've been put in the top class. My Father was surprised, you know, when he got the letter from Genryuusai-sensei – and I heard him say to my mother that Clan ties had obviously had some part to play in it. I don't think…they believe I can be a proper shinigami. Not on my own merit."

"Then why would they send you to the Academy in the first place?" Kazoe was surprised, and Enishi offered a wry smile.

"Because if they did that, it meant that they didn't have to deal with my lack of social awareness or my constantly putting my foot in my mouth at events." He said with a resigned shrug. "Nor answer questions about why I'm nearly twenty four but not yet wed or even promised in marriage. I'm big and ungainly, and I don't really understand all the etiquette rules Clan folk are meant to. I understand girls even less than that, if I'm honest – it's as though they speak a language that I just don't."

He shrugged.

"My people love me, and support me - but I think they are embarrassed by me, sometimes." He concluded. "So when I showed some aptitude with Ouyoudou, they decided that they might as well send me here."

"Do you _enjoy_ being here, Houjou?" Kazoe demanded, and Enishi started, then nodded his head.

"Yes, sir. I like it very much."

"Then do _you _believe you can be a proper shinigami?"

Enishi paused.

"I don't know, yet." He owned. "The Kidou…has bothered me for a while. Even though I summoned my sword at the end of last year…even though I know that it and I have forged an understanding…I haven't ever been completely sure. But with what you've said today…I suppose it's up to me, isn't it?"

"It is." Kazoe agreed. "On which note, we'll get back to work. I will still require you to write the same theory assignments as your classmates, whatever practical work you may or may not do – so be aware, I don't intend to be lenient."

"I'd rather it was that way." Enishi owned, rubbing his sooty fingers together as he settled his reiatsu for the next spell. "I'd rather…they didn't know that I was only doing basic Kidou this year, if you don't mind. I mean…"

He looked sheepish.

"I know it's bad, but I suppose I do feel…that being the eldest, it's a matter of pride and so on." He acknowledged. "I'd like for once for people to look at me and see what I _can_ do, not focus on what I can't. I can't do Kidou and I don't really like it but…I'll do as you say and I trust you to help me as much as you can. But as a Senior…I want to be…like the rest are. Considered that I should be there…because I'm good enough to be."

"As you said, that's up to you." Kazoe dismissed this with a flick of his fingers. "I have no business spreading rumours about one student to others anyway, and I certainly don't have time to do it, either. You work hard and you will graduate. That's the truth for every student in Senior Class. You aren't the only one with weaknesses – and believe it or not, you aren't the worst student I've ever had, either."

"Really?" Despite himself Enishi was surprised, and Kazoe smiled.

"Really." He agreed. "So that should give you some hope, I think? Let's get back to work, Houjou. Your timetable is more flexible than mine and I have first year theory to take in less than half an hour. In that time I want to make sure we've thoroughly revised all the things you ought to know – so let's begin."

* * *

"Sensei's late this morning."

Thus Kira Hideharu as he glanced out of the gymnasium window, a troubled expression on his thin face as he gauged the position of the sun over the big school building. "That's unusual, you know – for us to get to class and for the teacher not to be here after the bell has rung."

"True, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing." Iwai Kenji leant up against the wall, casting his classmate an amused grin. "I would've thought you'd be happy about it, Kira. You hate Ouyoudou, don't you? If Minabe's late for once, that means less of her yelling at you – surely?"

"I don't hate it. I'm just not good at it." Kira reddened. "But Minabe isn't often late. You don't suppose something's happened, do you? Maybe someone's in trouble or something like that."

"More likely she had a meeting with Genryuusai-sensei and that's the reason why." Kamitani Jun put in sensibly. "Calm down, Kira. I'm sure everything is fine…and she'll be here soon enough, like Iwai says. If we're just standing around talking, she'll probably be cross when she gets here – so we should grab sticks and start warming up."

"It feels strange having class like this, though." Kira reflected, obediently moving to take a wooden _bokutou_ from the rack and testing it for weight. "I mean, in the past we've always been with…but now we're not, and it feels…well…strange."

"Hostile is the word I'd use, but the hostility is directed upwards, so it's all the same to me." Iwai put in reflectively. "It's not so weird for Kyouraku and the others to get promoted – they were always leagues ahead of the rest of us, and we all know it. But I know what you mean, Kira,"

He paused, swinging his _bokutou_ experimentally.

"I was hoping I'd be able to disarm a couple of them this year. It's quite a disappointment not to get that chance, since I've been practicing a lot over the break."

"More likely they'd break you." Kamitani reflected. "We're talking about Seniors with _zanpakutou_ at the ready. Not all of us are even near that standard yet – only one or two of us even have _zanpakutou_ we can call on, and even that is shaky at best. There's still no contest, Iwai. We're not Senior material yet."

"I don't begrudge it them." Iwai shook his head. "And I know what you mean. But in a fight of straight sticks or _asauchi_…I had hoped I might take on Shiba or Shikibu at the least this year. Being beaten by girls is kinda embarrassing, and I still owe Shiba at least some bruises."

"You might take Endou." Kamitani looked amused. "And definitely Edogawa-san, since she hasn't done proper Ouyoudou since the second year. But I wouldn't count out Shiba-san or Shikibu-san if I were you."

"And there are people to challenge all the same." Kira pointed out. "Last year's Fifth years aren't going to be weaklings either – you will have to work hard to disarm them first, Iwai-kun."

"I'm not really bothered by any of them." Iwai snorted, twirling the _bokutou_ defiantly. "Everyone knows that the Fifth years last year who were the scariest with a sword were Michihashi and Yamamoto. They're both promoted, so not our problem – although I would like to see the pair of them take on Houjou and Shihouin in a proper all out match. But the rest of them? I'm sure I could take _them_. No problem."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." Kamitani reflected. "Since Kamaki's coming over this way. I guess he's wanting to warm up too – you should ask him for a practice spar, just until Minabe arrives."

"I should, too." Iwai agreed. "Hey, Kamaki! Are you game for a little stick combat before Sensei gets here? It's nice to spar new opponents and I've been looking forward to finally getting back into the gymnasium this year!"

"We've heard that you guys are pretty strong opponents." Kamitani added. "It's a big change for all of us, and we've not had much chance to mix yet, with one thing or another."

"No chance at all." Azusa pursed his lips, then nodded. "All right. Iwai, isn't it?"

"Yes." Iwai agreed, bowing his head slightly in playful acknowledgement. "These are Kira and Kamitani, too. We look forward to working with you – may the best Fifth year win."

"Doesn't it bother you guys at all that it's like this?" As he grabbed a _bokutou_ from the rack, Azusa cast the three a quizzical glance.

"Like what?" Kamitani looked confused, and Azusa snorted.

"That you guys were held back while that bunch were pushed up to lord it over you all as Seniors?"

"Not really." Kamitani shook his head. "We've worked with them for a long time so…well, it kinda makes sense, to be honest."

"Kamitani-kun is right." Kira agreed thoughtfully. "I mean, not that you people were held back!" He added hurriedly, as a dark glint entered Azusa's eyes. "But that Ukitake-kun and the rest were promoted how they were. Both Ukitake-kun and Kyouraku-kun had their _zanpakutou_ released before the end of Third Year, and Endou-kun was working with his too before we started last year's _zanpakutou _sword classes."

"Ironic, really, considering Endou is hopeless with a sword." Iwai parried his _bokutou_ lazily, then nodded. "I could take him, absolutely for sure. So long as it was just sticks or katana, and not his _zanpakutou_."

"Well, I guess you guys haven't been cheated." Azusa reflected bitterly. "You're where you should be. Fifth years. There's no shame in you being held back to progress through normally. But holding back almost a whole class is unheard of. One student here and there, maybe, but a whole class? It's insanity. It's like saying we failed Fifth year – which none of us did. That we're not good enough to compete with kouhai – and now one of them is telling us what to do as though he rules the school."

"That would be Ukitake-kun." Kamitani said wisely, and Azusa snorted.

"I know his name." He muttered. "The District boy – everyone knows his name. Sensei's favourite, so I've heard…but that he'd take it to this extreme is unheard of. All this kind of thing does is go to the brat's head – the way he spoke to me on first day, you'd think I was a first year and he'd been in the Senior Class for generations."

"Kira's District, too." Iwai said mildly, and Azusa peered at the pale boy, before shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm Shiba. I don't have a problem with District kids, if they can do the same as the rest of us." He said simply. "It's that one personally I have a problem with – talking down to me as though he's my senpai. No matter what classes we're in – that'll never be the case. If that's the attitude he has for the rest of the year…a lot of people's noses are gonna be out of joint."

"I think you probably got him on a bad day, then." Iwai reflected. "Ukitake's quite level-headed, really. I mean, for someone with the reiatsu he has, he doesn't shout about it a lot. He's pretty damn strong, Kamaki – even for a skinny District guy. No offence, Kira…but you know what I mean."

"Ukitake-kun is strong." Kira agreed thoughtfully. "It's all right, Iwai-kun. I know what you mean and I'm not offended."

"Well, all I can say is that promotion obviously doesn't agree with him." Azusa brought his _bokutou_ through the air in a vicious swipe as if to emphasise his point. "Because he snapped at me and yelled at everyone as though he was suddenly Sensei himself. That ain't going down well with me – Anideshi or otherwise. He'll have to learn, like everyone else. There's an order to things and you respect it, else you find life hard."

Kamitani and Kira exchanged glances, and Kira saw Kamitani's clever pale eyes flit to Azusa, as if assessing the tension in the other boy's aura. Then he smiled, reaching out to tap his fair-haired classmate on the arm.

"If Minabe turns up now, we really will be in trouble for standing around. Kira, you and I should go over here and practice. We'll get in Iwai and Kamaki's way if we stay here, and we can't spar as four."

"All right." Kira sent Azusa a worried look, but nodded his head, obediently separating himself from where Iwai and Azusa were standing. Kamitani led the way across the gym, and once they were out of earshot, he shot Kira a grimace.

"I didn't really want to get any more involved in that." He admitted. "And I didn't think you did too. I like Ukitake – and I know you do too. And we know the kind of person he is, so Kamaki probably just got him on a bad day, like Iwai said. But I'm not looking to fight with our new classmates. It makes for bad feeling and I don't want that."

"No, I agree with you." Kira said fervently. "Besides, Ukitake-kun is a good choice as Anideshi. Everyone in District Six was very excited about it too, you know. His mother told mine and they were talking about it for ages."

"What has it to do with your family?" Kamitani looked surprised, and Kira grinned.

"A lot, as it happens." He said lightly. "Since my younger sister Hikari is betrothed to his brother Hiroyuki. So from this autumn we'll be family. They could marry now, since both are old enough. Only they don't want to formalise it until Hiroyuki-kun turns twenty officially, because since Ukitake-kun is becoming a shinigami now, Hiroyuki-kun is taking over his father's estate properly when that happens. And Hikari will be…part of that too. So we'll all be family, in fact."

"And by association, Ukitake will be sort of your brother in law." Kamitani observed. Kira nodded.

"Sort of. Yes."

He grinned.

"It isn't quite Clan grandiosity, but everyone is happy about it regardless. Hikari-chan and Hiroyuki-kun have always been close, and this is just…what is going on over there now?"

As a sudden crash of wood echoed through the gymnasium, making both boys jump.

"Looks like that bout didn't last very long." Kamitani observed, as they saw a rueful Iwai bend to pick up his _bokutou_, dusting it down and giving his opponent a grudging nod of approval. "For all his words, I guess Kamaki isn't a pushover in the combat department either."

"No. I guess not." Kira pursed his lips. "Or our talking made him angry. You don't think he will do anything to make life hard for Ukitake-kun, do you?"

"I don't know." Kamitani's eyes became thoughtful. "I'd like to say not, but it's hard to tell. He might just have been spouting off...and that'll be the end of it. Let's hope so, huh?"

"Yes." Kira agreed. "I just want a quiet year, really – and to work hard on rounding up my grades so that next year I'm not left behind when you all become Seniors. So I…I think that if we can distract Kamaki, and…you know…involve him in what our Class are doing…"

"That makes sense." Kamitani nodded. "If we can. They and we are still quite separate at the moment, but Kamaki wasn't unpleasant towards us just now. And he isn't prejudiced against District kids, either, which means you, Atsudane and Nakamura-san shouldn't have any trouble with him. I think he's the leader of those who were left down – so like you, I'd like to be as cooperative as we can with him."

He sighed.

"Of course, there's no accounting for Nakamura-san in general." He reflected absently, and Kira nodded, his gaze flitting to where Nakamura Hanako, the only District girl in their year and an outspoken young lady at the best of times was choosing between two _bokutou_ for weight and size.

"True." He admitted. "Maybe…we should warn…someone about that?"

"Erm…only if you want Nakamura-san to hunt you down." Kamitani shook his head emphatically. "Your funeral not mine, Kira. Stay out of it. The only one who can pacify Nakamura-san's tempests is Kyouraku and he's no longer on hand to smooth things over. I still don't know what on earth he did to her to make her so docile around him – but whatever it was, I wish he'd left notes."

"That sounds like something Atsudane-kun would say." Kira observed, faint amusement in his blue eyes, and Kamitani nodded.

"He did. More than once." He agreed sheepishly. "But he's right, so I'll say it too."

"Are you going to pick a weapon or are you going to stand there stopping everyone else getting to the rack?" A voice cut through the gymnasium, and Kira winced instinctively as he saw a broad, brawny individual square up to Hanako, glaring at her as he reached out to grab one of the _bokutou_ with his meaty fist. "There isn't time for a princess to pick her tools – if you can't tell one from t'other by looking at it, there's not much point you being here."

"Whoops." Kamitani murmured, and Kira nodded in agreement as Hanako swung around, fixing the brute with a hard, indignant glare.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are." She said coldly, reaching out to grab the _bokutou_ back and pulling it roughly from his hands, dropping it pointedly back down into the rack. "But if you can't wait for a girl to finish before coming in like an ape and wrestling for a stick, maybe you ought to go down to fourth year, rather than be kept back in Fifth."

"You shut your face, you little…" Anger coursed across the male student's broad face, but before he could react, Hanako had brought her hand clean across his cheek, a resounding slap echoing through the gymnasium and causing silence to fall across the whole chamber.

"Where I come from, men are raised to give respect to women." She said acidly. "And people are taught to wait their turn. I wonder what things they teach Clansfolk sometimes, when they can't even observe simple manners."

And with that she pushed him aside, stalking resolutely across the gymnasium with her preferred _bokutou_ in hand.

"What the…hell was that?" The boy stood there, staring after her in disbelief, and despite himself, Kira sighed.

"I think it's going to be a long year, Kamitani-kun." He said plaintively. "And it's only just begun."

"And I hear footsteps." Kamitani said frankly, shifting his feet into a proper striking stance as he readied his grasp on his weapon. "I think Minabe-sensei's on her way, so let's at least pretend we're practicing."

"Got it." Kira obediently followed suit, and their _bokutou_ had touched ends a few times as the gymnasium door was flung open and the school's Ouyoudou mistress strode in, a frustrated look on her face as she glared around at her waiting students. Seeing that most of them were occupied with _bokutou_, however, she sighed, seemingly somewhat mollified that they had not been wasting their time.

"Wretched first years fighting in the halls." She muttered, more than half under her breath as she thumped her way across the room, but Kira's sharp ears picked up her words and he inwardly decided not to do anything that class to antagonise the monstrous woman any more than his meagre skills usually did. "Well? Kobayashi, why are you standing staring at the _bokutou_ as if they might eat you? Everyone else has a stick and is warming up – surely by now you don't need me to tell you protocol!"

"No, Sensei." The brute of a boy whose name Kira now knew was Kobayashi suddenly seemed to become meek as a mouse, grasping a stick from the rack and hurrying to join Azusa and a couple of the others. As he reached them, Kira saw his gaze meet Azusa's, and he bit his lip, again wishing that Hanako had some restraint over her tongue.

_But it's done. It's done now and they'll soon realise she's like that with most people._

He glanced down at his _bokutou_ pensively.

_What Kamitani-kun and I were talking about is a bigger problem. I really hope Kamaki-kun and his friends aren't going to be out to make trouble for the Seniors this year. But I'm a little afraid they are. And that they might try to get us involved in it…_

He sighed heavily, and Kamitani shot him a curious glance.

"Kira? What's up?"

"Nothing." Kira shook his head. "I'm just remembering how many bruises I normally pick up in this class. That's all."

"Time to get a few more, then." Kamitani offered him a grin. "But they say no pain no gain, right? So chin up and let's go."

* * *

**_Author's Note: OCs_**

_Especially when writing lately, I realised this - there are a lot of Kuchiki moments in this story. And even though all of it is devised as the history leading up to Byakuya's Clan - none of those Kuchiki are canon characters._

_ The biggest trouble with Meifu from the start has been that there are only what...four characters who are absolute central canon who can be involved? Juu, Shun, Retsu & Yama-jii. There are other canon characters who have cameos and others again whose ancestors do. But the vast majority of the story has to be structured around the actions of OCs. It worries me a little at times that folk might get put off by that, though it hasn't happened yet. _

_Juu and Shun do have significant roles to play in this story, but panning them out takes a little more time I suppose. Hopefully folk will bear with me on this xD. *bribes with cookies*_

_On another note, I'm really happy lately to have seen the love for Enishi in the reviews =D_

And...I hope people appreciate the double meaning of this chapter's title!  



	10. A Future Prospect

**Chapter Nine: A Future Prospect**

"It seems funny to have our first class of the day this late in the afternoon."

Kai pushed back the door of the gymnasium, ushering his companions into the spacious, airy wooden training room before following them inside. It was the next day, and the sun was hanging lower in the sky over District One as the Senior class made their way to their first Ouyoudou session of the new year.

"Although I imagine it suits _you_, Kyouraku – since Hirata said you were still sleeping by the time he came to call you for lunch."

"I quite like having the chance to sleep in occasionally on a school day." Shunsui acknowledged with a rueful smile. "But I'm not planning on doing it all the time. Contrary to popular belief, Kai-kun – I don't intend on sleeping away the whole of Senior year."

"Nobody would stand for it, if you did." Enishi reflected with a laugh. "Even if you do ace your tests, Kyouraku – we already have assignments we should be writing, and if you get behind you'll get in it deep with Sensei."

"Mm. I know." Shunsui said casually. "I haven't forgotten and I won't miss the deadline. Don't worry about me, Houjou. My brain has an annoying habit of retaining information even when I don't want it to – so I'll manage somehow. I'm not intending on spending day after day in the library if I can help it."

"If Kuchiki-kun was here, he'd probably get cross with you for saying that." Hirata observed softly, a faint smile twitching at the edge of his features. "He likes the library and he'd tell you that you shouldn't waste so much time doing nothing."

"I miss Kuchiki." Enishi reflected pensively. "You're right, Hirata. That's exactly what he'd say."

"Hell, even _I_ miss Kuchiki." Kai snorted, looking sheepish. "And I never thought I'd say that, but it's true nonetheless."

"You don't have anyone to tease or wind up, that's why." Shunsui chuckled. "Though you should take advantage of having your own room more, Kai-kun. You're up far too early in the mornings and you don't make the most of it at all."

"I have been, actually." Kai reflected. "This morning I spent a good two hours writing up Sakusen notes for the opening section of my assignment. If Kuchiki'd been there, doubtless the whole time would've been spent spatting over desk space – though Hirata has a point and he'd probably be in the library."

"Even so, though, you miss him?" Enishi asked, and Kai nodded.

"Weird, isn't it?" He reflected. "But yeah. I'm used to his stiff-backed awkwardness now, and I think Kyouraku's right. Teasing it is fun. That he's not here reminds me that someone got murdered – and that's a mite too close to the past for me for comfort. Hell, I didn't even bring my Shihouin blade with me to school this term, just so nobody could look at it funny. Only Meimei Anshi. So…I'd much rather have him here, looking down his very straight nose at me. It would mean things were normal, and I could deal with that."

"Nothing here is normal at the moment." Hirata said with a sigh, moving across the gym reluctantly towards the _asauchi_ racks. "I don't really want to do Ouyoudou with Yamamoto-kun and the others. And Juushirou-kun isn't here, either – which makes it worse."

"Where_ is_ Ukitake, anyway?" Kai glanced around him in confusion, and Shunsui grimaced.

"Yama-jii hoicked him off to the office to discuss something or other with him about an hour ago." He said with a sigh, and Hirata nodded.

"He and I were going over Kidou notes in the Nest when a message came." He agreed. "I don't know what it was about, and nor did Juushirou-kun. But he's been there for a good long while now, and he's still not back. Do you suppose he's in some kind of trouble?"

"Doubtful." Shunsui shook his head. "More likely it's some Anideshi thing or other that we're not party to."

"Mm." Hirata looked pensive, but he didn't say any more, and Kai cast him a glance before changing the subject.

"I hope to get a good chance to spar with someone today." He said reflectively, clenching and unclenching his fists before turning his attention to the rack of _asauchi_. "The fact that these are here means Minabe's going to let us go at it with blades rather than sticks today – and it's about time we started the year on a high note. Bad enough she won't let us bring _zanpakutou_ into Ouyoudou classes – but at least it'll be blades this time around."

"Hey, aren't you guys missing someone?" Sora came to join them, Naoko in tow, and Shunsui nodded.

"Juu's with Yama-jii." He agreed. "We're short on the ground today, Sora-chan. No Juu, no Ryuu. Kinda weird really."

"I said I saw Ukitake-kun heading to the study, Sora." Naoko selected her weapon, running her finger along the blade carefully before nodding her head. "Obviously it was something important, if he's still there."

"Let's hope Minabe thinks so, too." Kai reflected. "Else he'll be in for it next session."

"If it's Yama-jii, Minabe won't say a word about it." Shunsui said wisely. "She's his lackey, isn't she – more or less. She won't argue with the Principal if he's laid down an order."

"You people haven't taken the best swords, I hope." Before anyone could reply, Kanshi strode between them, running his fingers over the sword hilts one by one. "Not that it matters, since I'm not really that focused on fighting without my _zanpakutou_. I guess I might sit this class out – what about you, Akira? You don't want to sit it out, do you?"

"Damn right I don't." Akira snorted, patting the black hilted weapon at his waist and Kai's eyebrows raised as he realised it was a custom-designed katana and not one of the school's regulation _asauchi_. "I already have my weapon – you should follow my example and then you wouldn't be left with a lightweight sword."

"I'm a lightweight fighter so it suits me." Kanshi laughed, pulling a sword from the rack with a shrug. "I'm not into pro sword fighting like you and Aoi – I don't need to be shown up by my weapon."

"Don't you like sparring, Souryou?" Shunsui shot him a quizzical look, and Kanshi shrugged.

"I can do it. I don't really care for it." He admitted. "Not like these two, who are gung-ho blades at the ready every minute of the day. If I'm not fighting with my _zanpakutou_ I'm not really interested in fighting – but rules are rules, and so I make do."

"You liar." Sora snorted, shaking her head. "You can fight plenty well enough if you want to, Kanshi-kun – so stop pretending otherwise."

"Kanshi…kun?" Kai stared at Sora then back at Kanshi, who grinned, shrugging his shoulders again.

"Sora's a Shiba. I'm half Shiba. Hence we share a percentage of blood." He said casually. "Not that I'd expect a Shihouin to know that."

"I didn't." Kai admitted. "But knowing the Clans, I shouldn't be surprised."

"Get your swords and line up by the wall! This isn't a social gathering!"

Minabe's words cut through the conversation and as one the Seniors scrambled to do as they were bidden just as they had done as first years as the formidable Ouyoudou sensei strode into the centre of the room. She did not look pleased, a look which grew darker as she ran her gaze across the assembled students, but she did not make a comment, merely pulling her weapon from her belt and wielding it in Akira's direction.

"Yamamoto. Come out here."

"Yes, Sensei." Akira was surprised, but did as he was bidden, stepping into the centre of the room. Minabe pursed her lips, her gaze resting on his katana for a moment, then,

"Bringing that sword here tells me you want to fight this afternoon." She said quietly. "So I'll grant you your wish."

"I'd_ like_ to fight against Ukitake." Akira's eyes narrowed as for the first time he seemed to realise the District student was not here. "But he doesn't seem to have arrived yet, Sensei."

"Ukitake is with the Headmaster." Minabe said shortly. "And so is excused."

"With the…" Akira faltered, but Minabe's attention was already off him, her eyes roving around the rest of the group for a suitable opponent.

"Houjou." She said at last, flicking her weapon in his direction. "Let's make this a Yamamoto showdown, shall we? You can be Yamamoto's opponent and we'll see how you match up."

"Yes, Sensei." Kai saw Enishi's eyes light up at the challenge, and he sighed inwardly.

_Pity. I'd have liked to have slashed that look off Yamamoto's face myself, but I guess it's more politic to let him face Houjou than me._

"Shihouin, you'll get your chance soon enough." As though she had read his thoughts – and to Kai it wasn't impossible that she had, given her other ferocious tendencies – Minabe's gaze suddenly swivelled in his direction and he flinched, shooting her a sheepish look. "For the time being, stand and wait your turn."

"Yes, Sensei." Kai murmured, and once she had turned her back he caught Shunsui's eye, smiling faintly as his friend offered him a supportive grimace.

"I can do the same for you too, Kyouraku, and you won't be fighting double-handed in today's class." Minabe snapped out her response without even a glance at Shunsui, confirming for Kai that somehow this beast of a woman _had _managed to perfect reading her students' thoughts. She paid them no further mind, however, instead turning her attention to Akira and Enishi as they stood facing one another in the centre of the gym.

"You two have fought each other before, I trust?" She asked softly, and both boys nodded their assent.

"How many times?"

"Not sure, Sensei." Enishi scratched his head thoughtfully. "A few. Six or seven, maybe."

"With swords?"

"Yes, Sensei." Akira agreed. "Enishi's right – we've probably fought about that many. I've definitely taken his blade at least four times, so seven sounds right to me."

"Seven, with four going to Yamamoto." Minabe pursed her lips. "Fine then. You are fairly even despite Yamamoto's one year extra experience at Academy level – so I expect this to be a quick and productive fight. You are fighting seriously to disarm your opponent. You are not fighting to kill him. Understand? I have chosen you two because I believe you know enough about one another to fight safely without holding anything back. Please don't prove me wrong – I will not be writing any letters of condolence to grieving family members if you do."

She stood back, gesturing for them to make their opening stances, and Kai's gaze darted from Enishi to Akira and then back to Enishi. Though they were from the same Clan, he decided, they did not follow the same style of swordsmanship. Enishi was probably a good few inches taller and broader than Akira, but Kai knew from past experience sparring that Enishi was just as swift on his feet as any other fighter and that it would not be an easy match.

_Four to three in Yamamoto's favour, huh. Then this is your chance to even things up, Houjou. Minabe chose that match because she wanted one of us to fight one of them – and it was the only safe pair-up she could manage. But I'm curious to see it too. How Houjou's level matches with Yamamoto's – because I outrank Houjou, and if he can't take Yamamoto, I might have some competition._

"_Hajime_!"

Even before the word had left Minabe's lips, there was a sudden flash of brightness, sunlight reflecting off Akira's expensive weapon as he drove forward towards his opponent. Enishi's reaction was instinctive, bringing his own _asauchi _up to meet Akira's and then neatly parrying his companion's blade back, forcing his greater strength to put Akira on the defensive. Enishi's next swing was just as easily countered by Akira's blade, however, and Kai knew they were sounding one another out, not yet fully into the tempo of their fight.

Enishi's brow was creased in concentration as he moved from left to the right, bringing his sword across to block Akira's swings and thrusts before sweeping his weapon low across Akira's left hand side. It was perfectly judged in terms of distance, for the tip brushed very faintly against the sleeve of the _hakamashita_, causing Akira to pull back instinctively and allowing Enishi a few paces advantage. But Akira was not easily kept down for long and a series of swift blade strikes soon forced Enishi to relinquish the ground he had gained.

_It's a pity Ukitake can't see this._

Kai sighed, leaning back against the wall of the gym as he watched the two Yamamoto move up and down the wooden floor, the squeak and thud of their sandaled feet in harmony with the clashing rhythm of their two blades.

_Yamamoto's good – he's worthy of that sword, no doubt. Could I take him? I wonder. I'd like to try, since he's giving Houjou a hell of a time. But Houjou's not outpaced, either. They are quite evenly matched. Maybe Yamamoto just edges it – but it's very close, really._

A driving thrust from Enishi at that point brought Kai's attention firmly back to the battle, as with some difficulty Akira managed to push the blade back, bringing his weapon up at an awkward angle and hurriedly shifting his weight from left to right as he managed to rectify his position. Enishi feinted to the side to easily dodge Akira's hastily concocted counter attack, but the next moment Akira had regained his rhythm, and the sound of the blades clashing together once more rang out through the gymnasium.

"Enough!"

Minabe's voice brought the spar to an abrupt halt, Enishi skidding slightly on the smooth floor but just about managing to hold his balance. Akira stepped back, lowering his blade and the Ouyoudou sensei turned to face them both in turn as they fought to catch their breath.

"That was a good fight." She said frankly. "Yamamoto, you need to be more careful when someone invades your space – you were far too vulnerable from the left and it showed when Houjou threatened that side that you hadn't properly defended it. Houjou, you need to capitalise on your opponent's weaknesses with more conviction. You have the strength to follow those attacks through and you've proven just now that you can be creative. It's a matter of putting those pieces together every time you fight."

She turned back to the others.

"At Senior level, you _should_ all be capable of fighting in that manner." She said crisply, and Kai saw Hirata flinch as the teacher's gaze dropped momentarily on his diminutive form. "If you want to pass your final assessments next spring, you will strive to match or overcome what you have just seen from your classmates. Your combat skills will make up a significant part of your final year grade – and I won't be holding your hands to guide you through it this time around. We will meet once a week at most – I will expect you to spend your own free time working on your weaknesses and bringing your style forward. You cannot always rely on a _zanpakutou_ to win a fight. You must also be able to wield the weapon in its base form."

Her gaze rested on Kai.

"Shihouin, you've seen now the competition you have if you want to hold on to your top rank in this class." She said quietly, a challenge in her tones. "I wanted you in particular to see it. I won't tolerate anything less than absolute perfection from you this year – bear it in mind."

"Yes, Sensei." Kai bowed his head.

"The same goes for you, Michihashi. And you, Kyouraku." Minabe's gaze shifted across the room. "Michihashi, I know you are capable of the same level of skill as Yamamoto, on your day. Kyouraku…I have no idea _what _you are capable of most of the time, since I can't remember a single Ouyoudou class where you gave one hundred percent effort from start to finish. I want to see that effort this year – and if I don't, I will fail you. Regardless of how fancy your _zanpakutou_ skills are and irrespective of whether your Clan hope to honour you with high shinigami rank on graduation. Do you understand?"

"I'll do my best, Sensei." Shunsui said cheerfully. "At least, to make sure I reach that standard with one hand. Or can I balance it out between the two and give fifty percent from each side?"

"Kyouraku…" Aoi shot Shunsui a startled glance, and Kai smothered a smile as he saw Minabe's brow creasing in annoyance.

"If I could throw you out of my class, I would. Physically, if given the right opportunity." She said darkly. "But watch your words and put that cocky spirit into what you do with your blade. Otherwise you will find yourself studying swords with the Fifth Year – you might like to joke, but I am quite serious."

"Yes, Sensei." Shunsui adopted a suitably contrite expression ,but Kai could still see the mischief in his eyes as he bowed his head. "I'll bear those words extra-specially in mind."

"Then for the time being, I will expect an extra-special fighting display from you." Minabe said blackly. "We're a person short because of Ukitake's absence – no, _two_ people short on account of Kuchiki's, too. Very well, that makes ten. Houjou and Yamamoto, catch your breath and then work on your swings – I wish to spend a little time with each of you this class going over a couple of advanced technical points. The rest of you will spar _safely_ in the following pairs. Shihouin-Michihashi. Amai-Shikibu. Kyouraku-Souryou. Shiba-Endou. Endou, you were making some vague progress in sword skills at the end of last year, and I hope to see you give Shiba a proper fight. Understood?"

"Yes, Sensei." Hirata murmured, letting out a heavy sigh as he trudged reluctantly across the gym to where Sora was standing. Minabe nodded.

"Then you may begin when you are ready." She said curtly. "Yamamoto, Houjou, over here."

"Houjou isn't a bad fighter, is he?" As he joined Aoi, the fair haired Urahara cast a thoughtful look across to where the two Yamamoto were gathered with the broad shouldered teacher. "He gave Akira as good as he got – Akira said himself that Houjou was a decent opponent, but I wasn't sure until I saw it. He doesn't look like someone who'd have that kind of agility."

"He's a surprise package, I suppose." Kai shrugged. "You can't judge a swordsman by his appearance, that's for sure."

"What about you then, Shihouin?" Aoi asked quizzically. "Sensei seems to rate your skills - do you think you could beat Akira?"

"Yes. Probably." Kai pursed his lips. "Though I would have found it harder if I hadn't seen his fighting style. Now I have – I've seen the strengths and weaknesses in it, so I think…I probably could."

He grinned.

"But if you're the same kind of level, that's the challenge." He added. "I don't know a thing about your fighting style, Michihashi."

"Likewise." Aoi offered a smile in return. "But I do know the reputation the Shihouin have. I hope you live up to it."

"My sister would probably have my head if I didn't." Kai said ruefully. "Though I don't have a fancy weapon like yours with me, I'm afraid. My swords are mostly still in District Two – aside from my _zanpakutou_, I didn't think about bringing them with me. I do sometimes have one or two on campus, but I didn't know Minabe would allow them in this class."

"We're Seniors. A level away from Squad." Aoi said, glancing at his own weapon with a shrug. "Besides, I like sword sparring, even without my _zanpakutou_. So I like to have my own on hand – just in case I want to practice when others are in use."

"Hrm." Kai pursed his lips. "I'll think on that one then."

"What about your classmates? Are they any good with swords?" Aoi asked. "Kyouraku, for example – what was that about?"

"Kyouraku is probably very good, but doesn't often fight properly, so it's hard to really know." Kai sighed, preparing his stance to begin the match. "He's like that with most everything, though – don't let your guard down if you're ever called to spar him."

"Noted." Aoi nodded. "But…_two_ handed? Does he fight that way?"

"His _zanpakutou_ is twin bladed and he's ambidextrous." Kai agreed. "Like I said, you can't let your guard down because it's impossible to know what he might do next."

"I see." Aoi's eyes narrowed, as he too readied his position. "And Ukitake? What about him?"

"Ukitake is…" Kai hesitated, then, "I can beat Ukitake." He admitted. "But I don't know…I wouldn't let your guard down around him, either."

"Then we might have some fun spars in Senior Class." Aoi looked pleased. "I'm glad – last year there wasn't much competition for that kind of thing, but this time it looks like there will be."

"I hope so, too." Kai agreed. "Starting with this one…_Hajime_!"

* * *

It was proving to be a long afternoon.

Juushirou sank down into a seat beside the Headmaster's desk, a hesitant expression in his hazel eyes as he met the wary, doubtful gazes of his two unfamiliar companions. To his left sat Genryuusai, silent and pensive as he oversaw proceedings, and Juushirou sighed inwardly, realising that it was probably going to get a good deal longer before he was released to rejoin his peers.

_The day as a whole hasn't been that productive._

He sighed, turning his mind back to earlier that afternoon, when a third year had come to the Nest bearing a summons from Genryuusai. He and Hirata had been deep in discussion about the intricacies of one or two particularly complicated kidou techniques, and he had been reluctant to leave, but an order from the Principal was an order not to be refused and so with a sigh he had left Hirata to his own devices and had obediently made his way to the Head's study to find out what was afoot.

Genryuusai had not been alone when Juushirou had arrived, and as he had entered, the old man had stood to greet him, gesturing for him to come in and sit down. Before the desk had been a man and a woman, their mode of dress marking them out to be people not of the Clans but of Juushirou's own section of society.

"Juushirou, thank you for coming." Genryuusai had spoken softly, even as Juushirou had bowed his head to greet the strangers. "I realise I've disrupted your afternoon's activities, and your class schedule and for that fact I apologise. But I felt that in this particular situation you were the one I should call on – and I hope you will forgive me."

"It's all right, sir." Juushirou had found himself saying, even though his inner thoughts had been quite the opposite, and Genryuusai's moustache had twitched slightly into a smile as if he had read his student's thoughts. He had not commented on them, however, merely indicating his guests as he retook his seat.

"These people are tenants of my Clan, and residents here in District One." He had said quietly. "Hikifune Kenichi, and his wife Amiko-san. They are tenants of my Clan and residents of the borderlands between District Eight and District One…and they have come here to speak to me directly about the possibility of their daughter becoming a student of mine in the not so distant future."

"I see." Juushirou had not seen, but Genryuusai had not given him time to ask any more questions.

"Kenichi-san and Amiko-san are very worried about the prospects for their child in an establishment like this." He had said gravely. "They have encountered difficulties in raising a spiritually gifted child, since neither of them are particularly that way inclined – and they know full well that the pathway for District shinigami is a tough one for all concerned. Therefore I thought it might put their minds at rest…if they could meet with our most senior District student and hear from you first hand about life at the Academy."

In that moment, Juushirou had understood, and he had nodded his head, resigning himself to spending the rest of the day holed up in Genryuusai's office. Still, as the silence threatened to drag on, he heard the bell ringing out for the late Ouyoudou class and he pursed his lips, his gaze flitting to his Headmaster.

"Minabe-sensei has been sent a message not to expect you." Genryuusai seemed to be reading his thoughts once more. "You needn't worry, Juushirou. You have all the time in the world."

"Thank you, sir." Juushirou offered a faint smile, then, "I wonder what questions Hikifune-san might have…regarding the Academy as a whole?"

Kenichi and Amiko exchanged glances, and Genryuusai smiled.

"Juushirou is the son of a family who live in a coastal region of District Six." He said quietly, casting Juushirou a look to confirm his words, and Juushirou nodded his head. "He's the eldest of quite a long family, but the only one among them to possess such a startling level of spiritual ability. Given your own situation with your young charge, I thought Juushirou's opinion might be of value to you so please, don't hold back from speaking to him."

"Well, it's a difficult situation for us overall." Kenichi cast his wife another glance, then sighed, shaking his head as though to clear it. "Kirio isn't our child by birth, you see. Actually, we took her in a year ago – because she was on her own and had nobody else to turn to. She came from District Seven, originally, but wound up a refugee in District Eight, and she and her family seem to have travelled further before becoming separated or…something of that nature. Either way, Kirio's had a very unsettled time and has lost many people. We took her in because of that – and we're fond of her. Truly fond, since we can't have children of our own. To send her away again is not what we want to do…but…"

"Her spirit power is troublesome." Amiko added softly. "To a point where…it might prove destructive to people around her."

"Neither of us want Kirio to feel that we're moving her on again." Kenichi looked troubled. "When we first came across her she was…very weak and sickly and hadn't eaten in some days. She didn't speak for a full three or four weeks, and when she did, she didn't want to tell us much about what had happened or where she'd been. That she and her family had been in a refugee camp in District Eight was as much as we could get from her – that and the fact she had been separated from her older sister and younger brother. We got the impression that…"

"That they had abandoned her." Kenichi glanced at his hands. "Because of her…unusual abilities and that she has trouble controlling them."

"Unusual abilities?" Despite himself, Juushirou was intrigued. "Spiritual abilities…of some sort?"

He cast Genryuusai a look. "Sensei, do they mean…like Shikiki had abilities, even without training?"

"Kirio doesn't appear to be like Shikiki, but she does seem to be quite powerful a young lady." Genryuusai said evenly. "At present she is with Retsu-dono in the healing bay – because this conversation would be much more difficult with her present. She's a youngster of about twelve, Juushirou – very intelligent and clearly she's been through a good deal in her short life. Retsu-dono offered to show her around the infirmary and she seemed interested in the things there – but she's not a healer, that much is for sure. And what nature of spirit power she has isn't clear either – but it has a habit of railing out of control at times."

"At…times?"

"She's managed to cause a few explosions at home." Amiko said reluctantly. "Not on purpose, but when she's been angry, frightened or upset…these things just…"

Juushirou's eyes widened, and Genryuusai nodded.

"I think that's something you can identify with a little bit, isn't it?" He said softly, and Juushirou pursed his lips.

"Sort of." He admitted unwillingly. "I never…blew anything up at home. I think Father protected me far too much so that that didn't happen. But I know sometimes I…pushed people away without meaning to, when my spirit power flared up. And I knew…I was different and could hurt my family. I guess I knew that…most of all."

"That's what Kirio's said too." Kenichi admitted. "That she doesn't want to hurt more people."

"She won't talk about what happened with her family, just that these episodes began after they left the refugee camp in District Eight…about a year and a half or just more ago." Amiko added. "Clan officials by the border started investigating the disturbances at our home, and so…when they realised what had happened, they said we should come here. That Kirio's power needed to be trained – else she wouldn't…"

She faltered, her voice shaking.

"She wouldn't be safe around other people as she got older." Juushirou whispered, his heart clenching despite himself. "I understand, Hikifune-san. I understand really well what you're afraid of – and what Kirio herself is probably afraid of. Because in the Clans, this kind of ability is normal. But in the Districts, it isn't. And most people don't really understand it, even if they don't persecute for it like they did in District Seven a few years ago."

"Kirio's family fled there because of spirit power raids, I think." Amiko wiped away a tear. "She's been so abandoned and uprooted so many times for such a young girl…we wondered if all of that could have…somehow…unsettled her spirit and made things worse. We want her to be…safe. Feel safe. But…as it stands…"

"This is the first year that I've had a Senior student who understands things from Kirio's perspective." Genryuusai folded his hands pensively in his lap. "Juushirou, will you forgive me if I tell our guests a little more about your own situation? Then I would like you to speak to Kirio herself, if you would – because I think you might understand things where other people cannot."

"Yes, sir." Juushirou was surprised, but he nodded his head. "In the circumstances, I understand."

"Most District students are sent to me because they show a moderate amount of ability. But every so often, one with a tremendous amount of power surfaces." Genryuusai addressed the anxious couple gravely. "We don't know Kirio's pedigree, or how she came by the power she has. But I am left in no doubt after having met her – that your daughter is one of those few unique individuals. Juushirou is another one – a child with power to rival a Clan descendant and yet without the training available from early infancy to control and manage that ability properly."

He smiled.

"Juushirou would probably be the first to admit he hasn't always had good control over his skills." He added ruefully, and Juushirou reddened, lowering his gaze. "In fact, there was an incident I seem to remember with lightning striking a tent on a camping excursion – which doesn't seem to have been the result of simple nature. Juushirou's native ability relates to storm and sea – and on occasion we've had storms in District One that we weren't entirely expecting to see!"

"Then you do understand." Kenichi looked relieved, and Juushirou nodded ruefully.

"I do." He agreed. "But Sensei, I'm not proud of things like that."

"But now you're at a level when such a thing shouldn't happen." Genryuusai said calmly. "You have your _zanpakutou_ and you have good control over it, even though there is much still to learn. Your Kidou is of a high level and you are a very competent fighter. That is what I would like to give Kirio – the chance for her to follow your path and attain the same ends."

"That is what we want." Amiko was anxious. "But without Kirio thinking we're punishing her by sending her away. Because we're not doing that…we don't want to send her away if she's unhappy going. But…"

Juushirou frowned, getting to his feet.

"Shall I go to the Healing Bay and speak to her, then?" He asked softly. "I assume Unohana-sensei will be expecting me, and that seems the best thing for me to do. If she's apprehensive about the Academy – maybe I can change her mind."

"She is very young. Far younger than any student I've accepted to my school up to this point." Genryuusai agreed. "And I'm not quite sure as yet what I intend to do about it, to be honest. But I think she'd understand the situation better from you than from me – so yes please, Juushirou. If you wouldn't mind."

"Yes, sir." Juushirou bowed his head towards his teacher, then towards the visitors, before withdrawing from the study, closing the door softly behind him and making his way slowly along the hallway towards the Healing Bay.

_Sensei is using me as an example of what his School is about. Right from the start people have called me his project – but it seems now I've become more than that. Do I mind being used in that way?_

He considered this for a moment, then discarded it.

_No. I don't think I do. In fact, maybe I'm glad of it. If I'm useful – if I can help – that's all part of being Anideshi and I won't run away from it. Maybe that was Sensei's reason for choosing me over Yamamoto-kun – I suppose I won't know for sure. But I see his reasoning, even if that is true. I went into this school blind, and had Kamikura not known Sensei, I would never have even got that far. I didn't have someone like me to talk to me then and explain to me what it would be like – it might have been nice, if I had._

He put his hand to the door of the Healing Bay, knocking gently against the wood. Retsu's voice called him in, and he pushed the door back, realising as he did so that he had not seen the school's fleeting medical consultant since the beginning of that term. Suddenly he wanted to ask her all kinds of questions about the Kuchiki Clan and how everything in his home District was faring, but the next moment the thoughts faded as he met the uncertain gaze of a young girl, thick reddish waves cascading messily over her shoulders as she huddled on the end of one of the chamber's empty beds. She was robed in simple dark shades, hugging her clothes to her body defensively as though protecting herself, and at the sight of her Juushirou frowned, closing the door behind him.

"Are you Kirio?" He asked gently, and the girl started, wariness creeping into the green eyes. Slowly she nodded, and Juushirou smiled.

"It's all right." He assured her. "I've been sent here by your parents – they're worried about you, and they hoped I might talk to you for a bit."

"Are they going to leave me here?" The girl's voice was full of doubt, and Juushirou's heart went out to her. Ouyoudou and half-formed Kidou theory forgotten, he moved to sit down on the end of the bed. Kirio eyed him cautiously, but she did not run away from him, and Juushirou offered her another smile.

"Your parents won't leave you here unless you want to stay." He said gently. "They made that very clear, you know. They're very worried for you and about you – they seem to care for you very much."

"I do bad things, but I don't mean to." Kirio glanced at her hands. "They've been kind to me and I…like them. But now I'm here, and they might leave me behind. Just like…"

She faltered, and Juushirou's eyes softened.

"Did your family leave you behind, last time?" He asked quietly. "Because you had special skills and they didn't know how to handle them?"

"I…" Kirio sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I don't really know what happened. Just that I woke up and they weren't there. A lot of stuff happened…I don't even know if they're alive. But they didn't stay with me, so I…didn't look for them. Because I thought they were dead, or they didn't want me. And so I didn't…I didn't look for them."

She cast Juushirou a quizzical look.

"Who are you?" She asked curiously. "Why did my parents send you to talk to me? I don't understand. You study here, right? So..?"

"My name's Juushirou, and yes, I study here." Juushirou nodded. "This is my final year – I've been here four full years already. But like you, I'm not from the Clans. And like you, I haven't always been able to control what I could do. It scared people – me too – until I learnt to get it under control."

"I see." Kirio's eyes became pensive. "So they want you to tell me that I should come here so that they can leave me behind and I won't be sad…something like that?"

"No, I don't think they'll leave you unless you choose to stay." Juushirou said thoughtfully. "Even though they said you've only lived with them a year…they seemed to think of you entirely as their own daughter, now. I think they're as scared of losing you as you are of losing them – that's the impression I got, anyway."

"Do you think so?" Kirio was surprised, and Juushirou nodded.

"Did your family worry about you, then, when you came here?"

"Yes. My stepmother didn't want me to go at all." Juushirou said wryly. "She was worried it would hurt me – that I'd not be able to deal with my abilities properly and I'd wind up in danger. But she let me go, because I chose to do it. And even though I miss them all a lot…what?" As Kirio sent him a strange look.

"You said _step-_mother." She murmured. "You don't have a real mother, either?"

"She died when I was born." Juushirou shook his head. "In fact, she died protecting me, because my spirit power was so wild it caused a storm and I couldn't breathe. She sacrificed her life to make sure mine didn't end."

"Your spirit power…killed someone?"

"Sort of. I suppose." Juushirou frowned. "I think…Hahaue chose to save me. But yes. Because of it, she died. Father too – in the forest, when a Hollow came for me and I couldn't control my reiatsu. Father got injured and he died of that injury. Both times because I had the power to lure Hollows to my family as well as put them in danger. It hurt a lot, Kirio-chan – knowing they had died because of me."

"My parents were killed by Endou retainers. Shinigami in District Seven." Kirio said quietly. "I didn't really understand that very well to begin with, but I realised it because my sister was so afraid when I started showing spirit power too. She said I was going to end up like one of the people who killed our parents – or that I'd be killed because of it, and so I was scared. That was after we started looking for proper shelter, once the refugee camps began to divide up. Neesan didn't want to go back to Seven, so we headed towards One…but…I don't know. Neesan and my little brother weren't with me any more, and then…"

"Shinigami aren't evil." Juushirou told her firmly. "Individuals are evil, but not all shinigami are. I have a young sister now who was orphaned like you were, and who was frightened of shinigami, then. But now she intends to become one – in whatever shape or form – to use the spirit power she has to be strong. She's said that she wants to be a good shinigami – because if she does that, then she'll know for sure shinigami aren't all bad. And if there are bad ones, she can help change it."

"Are you a shinigami?" Kirio asked quietly, and Juushirou nodded.

"Sort of." He agreed. "I have a _zanpakutou_ and it's recognised as a shinigami sword by the Council of Elders. So in that sense, yes I am. But until I graduate here, it's not safe for me to go hunting Hollows and things all on my own. I have…killed Hollows. I've used my _zanpakutou_ for that. But I don't think I'm a bad shinigami because of it, Kirio-chan."

"Why did you want to come here, though?" Kirio asked. "I mean, why would you…if your spirit power hurt people...?"

"So that I could protect those people." Juushirou said thoughtfully. "The dangers will be there whether or not I act – but if I act, I can maybe save lives that might otherwise be lost. My parents gave up their lives to protect this one of mine – so I have to use that life to protect other people. Especially the people they were close to, and the ones I'm close to. I don't intend on losing anyone else because I couldn't protect them – so I'll do my best."

"To…_protect _them?" Kirio's eyes widened, and Juushirou nodded.

"Yes." He agreed. "But I'm not going to tell you what to do with yours. It's your gift. Not mine. You know what it's like, and whether or not you're ready to do anything with it. Maybe you never will be – but you aren't me and what's right for me isn't necessarily your path to follow. I didn't come here to tell you to learn to be a shinigami or to let your family leave you here. I came to make sure you were all right. Because they're worried about you."

"I suppose they are." A wistful smile touched Kirio's lips. "I like them a lot, Juushirou-san. I…really do. When I'm bad…even when I do something awful like blow up a tree, they still hug me when I cry and they aren't afraid of me. At least, I know they're afraid of…_it_…but not me. They say that. They want to help me…somehow. But…I keep hurting them. And eventually maybe they won't want to help me any more. And then I'll be on my own again."

She sighed.

"If I came here, they might forget about me." She added. "And then I wouldn't have anywhere to go home to."

"They're people who care for you." Juushirou shook his head. "They won't abandon you that easily."

"But Oneesan cared for me, or said she did." Kirio said helplessly. "So I don't really know for sure."

She twisted a messy red curl around her finger.

"In the refugee camp, I had a friend called Tenichi…and his brother, Ketsui, who I played with." She said softly. "And I…when Neesan left me, I went looking for them. I knew they'd decided to stay in District Eight. But I couldn't find them…and then…"

"But you found people – or they found you – and they want to keep you." Juushirou pointed out. "People like that don't take a child in unless they want them, Kirio-chan. Like my stepmother adopted me as her own, your parents consider you their own too, now. You shouldn't worry that they'll abandon you. They won't. There's no reason to take in a stranger's child unless you want to love them. They obviously want you to think of yourself as theirs now – and they don't want bad things to happen to you."

"If I came here…would it be all right? Would I…be able to be safe?" Kirio was apprehensive. "The old man said his youngest students were fifteen, but I'm only twelve. And I…I don't really know if…"

"I was seventeen when I started – two of my close friends were fifteen and nineteen." Juushirou looked thoughtful. "It is a big gap, I know. But if Sensei has a way to help you, he will. Maybe he'll give you some advice – some things to work on and some stuff to do before you come to the Academy as a fulltime student. My foster sister is eleven – she won't come here until she reaches fifteen or sixteen, though her power isn't dangerous and she already has good control over it. Probably Genryuusai-sensei will want to help you control it – until you felt ready to take the leap and come here properly."

"He would do that?" Kirio looked doubtful, and Juushirou nodded.

"Sensei's a kind person, even if he can be strict." He agreed. "And your family have come to him for help. He won't refuse them that. Whenever you're ready for it, the Academy will welcome you. Sensei said you had exceptional power levels and I know he'd train you with pleasure. But you have to be ready for it. And not scared of it…or of losing people you care about."

A tiny smile touched Kirio's lips.

"You're kind." She observed absently. "Like a big brother…you sound like that, when you're talking to me. I never had a big brother, but sometimes Neesan would say stuff and I'd listen, just like this."

"I have a lot of brothers and sisters." Juushirou said sheepishly. "I suppose its force of habit."

"You both seem to be getting on quite well." Retsu emerged at that moment, and Juushirou realised she had hidden herself on purpose to allow the two to speak without interruptions from Clansfolk. "Well, Kirio-san? How do you feel now?"

"I…think I want to think about it." Kirio said solemnly. "And talk to the…Ojii-sensei about how I can stop bad things happening when I get cross or upset. And then…I don't know. Maybe. I…will think about it. Coming here."

She flashed Juushirou a smile.

"Your foster sister is almost the same age as me." She added. "Maybe we could come here at the same time. I think that might be nice – then I wouldn't be the only one like me."

"Maybe." Juushirou agreed. "I'm glad you'll think about it, Kirio-chan. It's a big decision and one only you can make. So think about it a lot – okay?"

"I will." Kirio promised.

"Then Ukitake-kun, you should probably leave us for now." Retsu said gently. "It is growing late and you have already missed your Ouyoudou class this afternoon. It will soon be time for the evening meal – and it would not be good if Anideshi was to arrive late."

"No. It wouldn't." Juushirou got hurriedly to his feet, realising he would not have a chance to ask her about his friends' Clan that day. "Thank you, Unohana-sensei. Good luck, Kirio-chan – I hope we meet again and you work out what you need to do."

With that he was gone, hurrying through the halls and darting down a side-passage as he made a short-cut towards the Dining Hall. As he did so, he almost ran headlong into a small figure outside the door of the Common Room, and he stumbled to a halt, only just stopping himself from knocking the small boy flying.

"I'm sorry! I should have been looking where I was going!"

The boy stared at him, eyes big and frightened, and Juushirou was alarmed to see tears glittering in his gaze. In that moment he realised he'd met the boy before, and he frowned, digging through his memory for the child's name.

"Tsuka…bishi-kun?"

"Y…yes, A…Anideshi?" The boy stammered out, looking twice as frightened, and Juushirou sighed, taking a step back.

"Are you all right? You look a little upset."

"I'm fine, S…Senpai. I just f…fell over. I just…I have to go…it's almost…for dinner." The boy babbled out a response, bowing his head hurriedly before disappearing down through the halls, and Juushirou's brows knitted together.

_Strange. Am I really that frightening a prospect? I'm not even carrying my sword right now._

He put his hand on the Common Room door, pausing for a moment and then sliding it back. It was empty, save for a few Fifth years gathered by the window playing _shougi_, and Juushirou grimaced inwardly as he saw Azusa among the bunch.

The dinner gong rang out at that moment, however, drawing his attention back to the matter at hand.

"Dinner." He said lightly, and a bulky boy whose name Juushirou didn't know grunted acknowledgement of his words.

"We're not idiots. We can tell that for ourselves, Ukitake." Azusa cast his hand across the _shougi _board to disperse the pieces, shooting the Senior a dark look. Juushirou was in no mind to get drawn into an argument, however, so he just nodded his head, closing the door and quickening his own steps to reach the Dining Hall as quickly as possible.

"You look flustered for someone who got to skip class." As he entered the room, Shunsui put out a hand to grab his arm and he turned, shooting the other boy a rueful smile.

"I've been Genryuusai-sensei's poster boy." He said frankly. "Talking with prospective District parents worried about their daughter coming here. Believe me, it wasn't an afternoon off."

"While Yama-jii's got you, he'll use you, I suppose." Shunsui looked pensive. "Oh well. You didn't miss anything much – just Akira-kun's grouching and Enishi's sword skills. Let's go grab something to eat, huh? You look like you need it."

"I do." Juushirou laughed. "It's been a long day and I still have a bunch of notes all over my chamber that need collating before I go to bed. Being Anideshi is no easy ride, Shunsui – believe me."

"And it's still only the start of term." Shunsui's eyes twinkled. "It can only get busier."

"Thanks for that." Juushirou groaned, swiping his companion playfully across his arm. "Shut up and come on, all right? Even Anideshi wants to get a decent serving before the good stuff runs out!"

* * *

The girl was late.

Masaki leant up against the substantial doorframe of the tavern's main drinking chamber, his eyes lazily roving across the gathered locals who one by one had trickled in through the doors as the day's business had drawn to a close. The moon was drawing higher in the sky now, and Masaki had been waiting since sunset – but as yet there had been no sign of the mysterious Momiji or her precious 'treasure'.

For a moment Masaki wondered if Gaugen had double-crossed him and had taken the pendant for himself after pocketing half of the reward. A faint flash of anger stabbed through his senses at this thought, then he pushed it back, slowly shaking his head as he reminded himself of the foolishness of such an act. Gaugen was a greedy man, sure enough – but not an entirely stupid one. And most importantly, he believed Masaki to be here on Tokutarou's instruction. It would be very difficult to explain the pawning of a Clan item so close to the centre of power – and Masaki was quite sure that a man like Gaugen would not jeopardise long-term profits for the sake of one risky windfall. No, he had not intervened…so the girl was late for other reasons.

_But prostitutes are not always reliable people. Who knows what kind of young girl I'm about to meet with._

His fingers slipped down through the folds of his dark grey robes, brushing pensively against the hilt of the distinctive tantou knife that lodged there.

_It doesn't matter, really. I don't have anywhere more pressing to be, and I can wait a while longer. I should have asked Gaugen where she lived – but failing that, I'll wait. If she doesn't come then tomorrow I'll pay another visit to my trading friend and extract such information from him – but for now, I'll employ a little more patience._

"Masaki-dono."

The tavern keeper was approaching him now, and he turned, schooling his features into a casual smile as he inclined his head in a greeting.

"Good evening." He said softly, and the other man returned his bow, raising his gaze to meet his companion's pensively.

"A young girl is waiting for you outside the front of the building." He said softly, a faintly troubled look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, sir, but she's not the kind of girl I permit into this place – but she asked for you by name, and assured me that she had not make a mistake. She would not leave until I promised to come to speak to you."

"Outside?" Masaki looked surprised, then, "I see. Did she happen to give a name?"

"The girl is known as Momiji, sir." The tavern-keeper's lips thinned in disapproval. "I beg your pardon, sir, but she is…she's known as a prostitute in this town, and such women aren't welcome in my establishment. So…if you have any business with her…I'm afraid…"

"I will go outside and speak to her, then, I suppose." Masaki said reflectively, then laughed as he saw the expression in the other's eyes. "Oh, don't worry. My business with her is not of that nature, I don't suppose. I was looking for information on something for my Lord Tokutarou – and was told she knew something that might be of help."

He offered a genial smile.

"But I wouldn't want to trouble you or hurt the reputation of this fine tavern of yours." He added lightly. "So I will go and speak to her under the moonlight. It's just as easy to do and it's a fine night."

"Thank you, sir, for your understanding." The tavern keeper looked relieved. "I'm sorry to put you at inconvenience, and I didn't mean any unseemly slurs on your name by suggesting…just that a few years ago, there was quite a bit of trouble with some of the courtesans round these parts. The town's brothel burnt to the ground, and they were flung out every which way for shelter. My staff are good workers, but they are just men – and the womenfolk became uncomfortable with the lewd behaviour and other unpleasantness that that kind of girl brings with her. So the rule stands – and the problems have been far less since."

"It's understood." Masaki agreed. "Then keep my room for me – I shall be back to it late tonight, I should imagine."

"Yes, sir." The tavern keeper bowed respectfully once more before withdrawing to leave Masaki to his own devices, and the man paused, pursing his lips thoughtfully as he considered his companion's words.

_The brothel burnt to the ground, did it? Yet the inhabitants escaped. I wonder if that was a jilted soul looking to avenge himself on one of the jezebels – or a conscientious vigilante wanting to eradicate his town of sin. _

He pulled his cloak more tightly around his body, crossing the floor and stepping out into the bright spring night. There were only wisps of cloud hazing the lazy glow of the silver moon that night, and Masaki found that he could see his way quite clearly even without the flame lamps that stood at the end of the tavern's grounds. Beside one of these he could see a hooded, huddled figure, and he quickened his pace to join her.

"Momiji-san?" He said softly, and at the sound of her name she turned, eying him with a mixture of confusion and surprise.

"…Sir?" She whispered, and Masaki smiled, inclining his head slightly towards her.

"My name is Masaki. Gaugen-san told me that you would come here – I'm sorry for the hospitality you received."

"Mm." Momiji's brows knitted together briefly. "The man who runs this place doesn't like prostitutes all that much, though when he's away we're not barred from entering like tonight. A friend of mine told me his wife killed herself because he had an affair with one of my sisters in sin – but that was a long time ago, so I don't know and it's just a rumour. But he doesn't like us and makes threats to us sometimes when nobody else is there. I don't really like him either – so I didn't mind waiting outside."

She tilted her head on one side, eying him curiously.

"But I'm babbling about unimportant things, and you've come to speak to me from the warmth within." She said with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Masaki-san. I'm Momiji, just as you supposed I was. And Gaugen-san said you'd be able to help me…I have a broken pendant and I want to know how to fix it."

"So I understand." Masaki tucked a stray wisp of brownish hair behind his ear. "Do you have the item with you now? I could take a look and see for myself."

"Mm-mm." Momiji shook her head. "Coming here, I wasn't sure it was safe. It isn't something I can show to lots of people – and that tavern-keeper might start making stories or saying I stole it or something. Then there'd be trouble and it wouldn't get fixed. It's back at my home – but if you want to come with me, I'll show you it there."

"You trust a stranger enough to take him back to your home?" Even Masaki was taken aback by this, and Momiji dimpled, nodding her head.

"I take strangers back there most nights." She said playfully. "It's my profession, so it's nothing unusual. Besides, Masaki-san is a gentleman. In fact, maybe I should call you Masaki-dono, because you look like an important one to me. What do you think? Would you rather I called you that?"

"Either is fine." Masaki offered her a grin. "And if you're willing to trust me, then allow me to accept your invitation. The night is pleasant, but there's a chill wind – and you're right. If the pendant is that special, having it out at night is risky indeed."

"Yes." Momiji agreed, as he fell into step with her along the dark trackway that led towards the edge of the town and its main gates. "It's not a long walk – I live just outside the gates now, not far from one of the local villages. It's called Kaoka – do you know it?"

"Not well." Masaki admitted. "I've travelled a lot in recent years, but I haven't been to every village and town in District Eight. It just seems like it, that's all."

Momiji laughed.

"District Eight is big." She said pensively. "I've thought that since I came here – that it seems so big and full of flowers. But the people are kind here, and even though I had nothing when I came, I've managed to survive anyway. So I'm grateful for that at the very least."

"Since you came here?" Masaki's eyebrow raised, and Momiji nodded.

"I was born in District Seven." She said with a shrug. "But when there was war there, I came here instead. I lost my family…it was a bad time. My father worked with jewellery, and I knew a bit of how to do that stuff – but it's hard to make ends meet when you're in a new place and a kid on your own. So I wound up doing other things to earn money for food, and in the end wound up like this."

She shrugged philosophically.

"But I do all right and I'm not completely alone, now." She added. "District Eight is more peaceful than District Seven. So I don't want to go back."

"I spent some time in District Seven, once." Masaki's lips thinned thoughtfully. "During a very violent and turbulent time. Yes, Momiji. I think I understand your meaning."

He glanced at her, taking in her features with a critical eye.

_Just as Gaugen said. Raven hair and blue eyes. Definitely not one born here, then – I think she's telling the truth. Even if she didn't know the full story…she doesn't look like someone from this District, and I can hear it, faintly, when she talks. That slight lilt in her accent that reminds me of other people I knew long before. She was born in District Seven and she's not who I'm looking for. Yet she's in possession of what I'm looking for – so in the end the result might be the same. And her appearance is convenient – an opportunity I hadn't forseen, but one I can exploit all the same. Fortune favours the persistent – or so it would seem._

Out loud he said,

"Can I ask, then, how you came by such a thing as a Kyouraku pendant? Gaugen-san was quite certain that's what it was – but if you're not even from this District…"

"Oh." Momiji frowned, then she shrugged her shoulders.

"It's a special keepsake." She said carefully. "Someone important gave it to me, and I promised to take good care of it. So I have to repair it, Masaki-dono – you'll help me, won't you?"

"I will do what's in my power to, yes." Masaki agreed, his curiosity piqued by her words.

_Have I stumbled by accident on an entirely different thing, then? Is this girl the secret lover of a Clansman and that's how she came by this pendant? Perhaps the one I sought isn't in Teika or its surrounds at all. Still, that's not so important now. Getting hold of the pendant itself is - providing that it is genuine, and not a fake._

At that moment they reached a small wood-built home set a little way back from the beaten track, and Momiji offered him a smile, gesturing for him to follow her inside. Carefully she struck light into the little lamp that hung inside the entrance, and between the dim glow of its flame and the light of the moon, Masaki was able to make out the simple yet tidy quarters of his companion.

It was tiny, comprising one room in which Momiji obviously ate, slept and took care of all her other business. Yet it did not seem squalid or like he had imagined a prostitute's home to look. A few faded cushions were dotted about the dusty floor, and Momiji gestured to him to use one of them, scooping up something from the side and sinking down on one of her own.

"This is it." She said quietly, holding out her burden and as she opened her fingers, Masaki's heart skipped a beat. In the palm of the prostitute's hand sat a distinctive silver and pink medallion, no bigger than the end of his thumb, and surrounded by a fine chain of silver links that had clearly been crafted by someone of some standing and experience. As he drew his gaze closer to it, he remembered Gaugen's words about telling a real pendant from a fake, and as the moonlight glinted off it he was gratified to realise that Momiji's treasure was indeed the real thing. He glanced at her for a moment, then,

"May I see more closely? I want to look at how it is fitted."

"Of course." Momiji looked startled, but nodded, dropping the necklace obediently into his outstretched hand. Masaki turned it over carefully, pausing as he realised something had been engraved into the back. He squinted at it, but the light was not good enough for him to make out more than the second character, and he frowned.

"Su..momo?" He murmured. "Plum..? Momiji, can you tell me why that's carved here?"

"I don't know how to read or write, I'm afraid." Momiji shook her head. "I had noticed something engraved there…but I don't know what. My father used to say that sometimes craftsmen put their mark there, so I guess that's what it is. But I don't understand it or why. It says sumomo?"

She grinned.

"That's funny, isn't it?" She reflected. "I wonder why that would be written there."

"Well, it's probably as you say." Masaki turned his attention to the clasp. "And I see…this is worn away, isn't it?"

He reached into his pocket, pulling out his own Clan pendant and placing it beside Momiji's with a thoughtful look. "Yes, you can see it. Look, right here. That link is missing – no wonder it won't close any more."

"Yes. I see." Momiji nodded, dark hair falling over her shoulders as she squinted at the two chains. "Masaki-dono is a member of the Kyouraku-ke too? I didn't know…though that pendant looks different from the other, don't you think?"

"Every branch of the Clan has its own slight variations." Masaki told her. "You won't have come across this, probably, but Clansfolk identify which branch they come from by slight deviations and details in their crests and other fine articles. It's as good as a name label – anyone who looks at this chain of mine can tell which family I belong to and that my bloodline is genuine."

"I didn't know it was so complicated." Momiji admitted. "I only knew that this one was the Kyouraku family's crest, that's all."

She pointed to the broken chain, then sighed. "I really don't know much about Clans at all, but it's interesting to see the differences."

"It is." Masaki agreed, holding up the broken one to the light once more as his sharp eyes took in a particularly striking detail. "I can understand you not wanting to brandish it in the street, however. This chain is worth quite some money, I'd imagine – and almost priceless to the man who once owned it. You must have some powerful friends, I think – to bear this particular Clan emblem."

"Really?" Momiji's eyes became big. "I don't know much where it came from, and I don't have any powerful friends. But it's that important? Who does it belong to, Masaki-dono? I know I shouldn't ask, but…"

"Well, I may be mistaken." Masaki set the pendant down on the ground, slipping his own back into the folds of his clothing. "But it bears a striking resemblance to the crest of my master, Tokutarou-sama."

"The _head_ of the Clan?" Momiji's eyes almost fell out of her head, and Masaki laughed.

"Not necessarily him." He said with a shake of his head. "Any of his particular line of descent, perhaps – but I can't be sure. And I wouldn't like to be punished for making such suggestions without the eye of an expert."

"I understand." Momiji looked thoughtful. "Though I think…you might be wrong, Masaki-dono. Because the person this came from…isn't important at all. A special person, but not…not important. So…I think…maybe it doesn't belong to someone that high up."

Masaki eyed her thoughtfully.

"Who might that be, I wonder?" He murmured, but Momiji was not listening, her slender fingers brushing once more against the chain's clasp.

"Can you help me fix it?" She asked now, and Masaki nodded his head slowly.

"I can, and I will." He agreed evenly. "But getting the right kind of clasp without getting other people's attention will not be easy to do. You might want to be careful, Momiji-san – If you acquired this from someone who isn't important, and it really belongs to someone who is…you might find yourself in danger."

Momiji's eyes widened, and Masaki smiled.

"Don't worry. I will help you." He said softly, reaching across to put a hand on her shoulder. "You've shared this with me, and I will make sure nobody comes to find you. You can consider this a binding agreement from this point…I'll make sure the pendant is fixed, and I'll make sure that nobody ever connects it back to you or this place at all. For the pleasure of letting me see such a thing, I will do everything I can to protect you from Clan attention."

His eyes became near slits, glittering suddenly in the cold moonlight.

"Everything." He murmured. "To make sure nobody hears of this at all."

* * *

**Author's Note: Guide to the OC of Meifu O.O**  
I felt like uploading an extra chapter this week!

I was also asked to do this and so I've complied - it's a rough guide and probably doesn't include every character but it's as good as I can do for now, especially whilst avoiding spoilers! Some of these characters were only players in earlier stories but in case they are referenced again I've included them here =D. There are spoilers for the earlier stories since I'm assuming most everyone who's got to this point has read those already.

_For anyone who doesn't know who **Hikifune Kirio** is...I suggest you go back and read the Pendulum again, carefully ._

**Part One: The Academy**

**_Senior Class_**  
**Team Stupid**  
_Other than Ukitake and Shunsui, we have:_  
**Shiba Sora** - First degree daughter of the current head of the Shiba Clan. Youngest of the family and the cousin of Shunsui's brother Tokutarou.  
**Edogawa Mitsuki**: Third degree Kuchiki whose mother was half Kuchiki and somewhat eccentric in her ideas. An only child.  
**Kuchiki Ryuu: **Second degree Kuchiki and nephew of the Clan leader, Ryuu is the only boy of five with three older sisters and one younger.  
**Houjou Enishi: **A descendant of the the four degrees but his rank has never been firmly given. Has one older sister at least.  
**Endou Hirata:** First degree Endou and heir to the Endou Clan since the death of his cousin Seimaru. Hirata has one sister, Eiraki, who is missing feared dead.  
**Shihouin Kai:** First degree Shihouin and heir to the Shihouin Clan since the execution of his Uncle and the promotion of his sister Midori, known as the Shadow Cat.

**Shikibu Naoko: **An Unohana of Third degree descent. She has an older sister of whom she is very fond.

**Students promoted from the Fifth Year**  
_(I.e originally the year above Ukitake and company)_  
**Yamamoto Akira:** Youngest son of current Yamamoto Clan leader Hashihiko. Formerly the top student in his class by a mile.  
**Souryou Kanshi: **Half Shiba and half Kuchiki although because his Kuchiki blood is outside the degrees of Clan, he is considered more with the Shiba when it comes to Clan allegiances.  
**Michihashi Aoi:** An Urahara within the four degrees of the Clan. His skills are more strategic and with sword than science and he hates conflict.  
**Amai Suzuno:** Third degree member of the Unohana Clan. A very peaceful person who is extremely difficult to ruffle.

**Fifth Years kept down:**  
**Kamaki Azusa:** Descendant of the Shiba Clan (Third degree).  
**Kobayashi**: His friend. Clan affiliation not revealed.

**Fifth Years from Ukitake and Kyouraku's former year group:**  
**Kira Hideharu:** Ancestor of the Kira family. From District Six and a neighbour of Ukitake's. His sister Hikari is engaged to Juushirou's brother Hiroyuki.  
**Kamitani Jun**: A nephew of the Urahara Clan leader.  
**Iwai Kenji**: Clan. Which is not disclosed.  
**Nakamura Hanako**: District, from a nomadic people who travel between Districts Three and Four depending on the seasons. The only District girl in her year group and the first District girl at the Academy.  
**Atsudane Makoto: **District born. His place of origin is undisclosed.  
**Saitani Chiyoko:** A Yamamoto with particular skill in Hohou  
**Minato Tomoe: **Broke her leg and was unable to take part in the camp in 2nd year. Clan, but which is not disclosed.  
**Fujiwara Aki: **District, origin not disclosed.

**Fourth Years**  
**Nagasata Kaoru: **District but found and cared for by peripheral Clan shinigami at the border of Fourth and Fifth.  
**Takaoka Sakura:** A Yamamoto hime of Fourth Degree. Friend of Kaoru.  
** Akaya:** An Urahara of Fourth Degree. Friend of Kaoru.  
**  
Second Years**  
**Enjouji **(ancestor of the Enjouji family, Clan affiliation unrevealed but probably Yamamoto)  
**Iemura **(ancestor of the Iemura family - of Third degree Unohana lineage)  
**  
First Years**  
**Tsukabishi Tsunemori: **District of nomadic roots, found wandering the Districts following the death of his mother at the hands of a shinigami. Ancestor of the Tsukabishi family.  
**Oomaeda Kaneyo:** (ancestor of the Oomaeda family, associated with the Yamamoto but not necessarily a descendant.

**Staff**  
**Minabe Ayame: **Ouyoudou Sensei. Not Clan born, though this is a secret known only to a very few. Adopted by Genryuusai as a small girl and so has Yamamoto connections.  
**Uebashi:** Hohou instructor of Yamamoto descent. Close kinsman of Chiyoko in the Fifth year.  
**Kazoe Ginji** (ancestor of the Ise family): Kidou instructor of Unohana descent.

**Senpai & Other Former Students**  
**Urahara Yunosuke: **Anideshi when Juu and company were in the First year. A nephew of the Urahara Clan leader Nagesu. Now working in Third Squad.  
**Unohana Madeki: **Second degree Unohana and a classmate of Yunosuke's who graduated the same year. Now a shinigami official in Fourth Squad.  
**Gujihara Tetsu**: A Yamamoto who was part of Yunosuke's Senior Class. Now operating with the First Division.  
**Nagoya Shirogane:** Anideshi when Juu and co were in the 2nd year. Kuchiki and nephew of the Clan leader, Guren. Now the Vice Captain of Sixth Squad.  
**Kuchiki Meroka:** The daughter of Guren's half brother Futsuki, and a childhood playmate of Shirogane's who is now married in District Four.  
**Onoe Tomoyuki**, a Shihouin descendant whose attack on Kai and subsequent attempted suicide left him comatose and in the care of Shihouin Midori and her Clan in District Two.

**Part Two: The Clans**

_To avoid duplication those characters mentioned for the Academy above are not mentioned below._**  
**

**District One**  
**Clan Leader:** Yamamoto Hashihiko

**District Two**  
**Clan Leader: **Shihouin Midori (sister of Kai)  
**Former Clan Leader: Shihouin Kamuki** (executed after the reidoku incident)

**Other Clansfolk: **  
**Shihouin Chiaki:** Brother of Kamuki, under house arrest for his involvement with the reidoku incident.  
**Shihouin Yanagi **(Older brother of Midori, debarred the succession due to his involvement with the reidoku plot)  
**Shihouin Nire: **Midori, Yanagi and Kai's mother. Deceased.  
**Aitori Hideaki: **A lower degree Clan member and former staff member of the Academy murdered by Midori for betraying his Clan. Uncle of Onoe.

**Etsuo Saku:** (Ancestor of Soi Fon's family) Midori's trusted aide and assistant, a former friend and District playmate of Shunsui's.  
**  
District Three**  
**Clan Leader: **Urahara Nagesu  
**Former Clan Leader: Urahara Rikaya **(died of natural causes, was involved in fighting a war with the Shihouin and in condemning his brother and his brother's family to death a century ago)

**Other Clansfolk**  
**Urahara Keitsune: **A genius scientist and brother of Rikaya, put to death for inventing reidoku.  
**Urahara Keitarou (aka Aizen Keitarou):** Son of Keitsune. Clan by blood but exiled and in hiding. His current whereabouts have not been discovered despite all of the hunting. Ancestor of the Aizen family.  
**Kotetsu Daisuke: **Nagesu & Keitarou's cousin, also exiled. Killed by Endou Shouichi while protecting Keitarou.  
**Kotetsu Irie: **Daisuke's widow.  
**Kotetsu Tenichi & Ketsui:** Daisuke and Irie's children. Ketsui is ancestor of the Kotetsu family.

**District Four**  
**Clan Leader: **Unohana Retsu

**District Five**  
**Clan Leader: **Shiba Kyouki (mother of Sora)

**Other Clansfolk:**  
**Shiba Ryuusei: **Kyouki's eldest son and heir to the Clan and Fifth Squad.  
**Shiba Hakubei: **Second son and current Captain of Tenth Squad

**District Six**  
**Clan Leader: **Kuchiki Guren (Uncle of Ryuu)  
**  
Former Clan Leader: Kuchiki Senaya: **Guren's father. Reportedly assassinated by the Shihouin using Eiminyaku poison.

**Other Clansfolk:**  
**Kuchiki Kinnya: **Senaya's younger brother and a self appointed exile from the Clan. Lord of the coastal lands and Juushirou's blood grandfather.  
**Kuchiki Seiren: **Guren's twin brother and father of Ryuu.  
**Kuchiki Futsuki: **Known to be Guren and Seiren's older half brother through their mother, but adopted and given the Clan name by Senaya. Ineligible for inheriting the Clan but often utilised by Guren to investigate on account of his level head and sharp wits. Guren is closer to him than to Seiren despite political necessity.  
**Kuchiki Masane:** Shirogane's mother. Died of ill health when Shirogane was fourteen.  
**Kuchiki Ginya:** Shirogane's father of Fourth Degree lineage. Died in action away from the family home when Shirogane was small.  
**Kuchiki Murasaki, Momoko, Kinka & Miouko **- Ryuu's sisters, 3 older and one younger.**  
Kuchiki Shouko: **Seiren's wife (who he despises) and mother of Ryuu.**  
Edogawa Teitou: **Mitsuki's father, and a widower. Third degree but well respected at the Kuchiki court.  
**Kuchiki Ribari:** Guren's only son, murdered by unknown hands.

**Shibata: **Seiren's personal chief retainer.  
**Mihara Keiichi**: Kinnya's personal chief retainer.

**District Seven**  
**Clan Leader:** Endou Misashi (father of Hirata)

**Former Clan leaders: Endou Shouichi** (Misashi's father) Murdered by Urahara Keitarou  
**Endou Seimaru** (Misashi's nephew) Killed in battle by Hirata.

**Other Clansfolk**  
**Endou Eiraki -** Hirata's younger sister, who disappeared two years earlier. Nobody knows if she is alive or dead. Hirata believes she's alive.  
**Endou Sumire: **Hirata and Eiraki's mother, Misashi's wife.

**Kibana Hiroto: **Misashi's servant and chief retainer originally of District Eight descent.

**District Eight**  
**Clan Leader: Kyouraku Tokutarou **(Shunsui's half brother)

**Former Clan Leaders: Kyouraku Matsuhara:** Tokutarou & Shunsui's father, murdered by his younger brother in a power struggle.  
**Kyouraku Sadehira:** Matsuhara's brother whose reign was ended by Tokutarou's coming of age. Committed suicide at his manor in front of Shunsui & Tokutarou

**Other Clansfolk**  
**Kyouraku Yoshiko: **Matsuhara's second wife and Shunsui's mother.  
**Kyouraku Rae:** Tokutarou's wife and Yoshiko's niece. Shunsui's first cousin.  
**Kyouraku Harumatsu:** Tokutarou's infant son, Shunsui's nephew.

**Sasakibe Yasuhiro: **Tokutarou's chief servant and retainer who has been with him since Tokutarou was a small boy.  
**Takeshi:** Married to Ukitake Chihiro and a member of Yasuhiro's retinue.

**The Ukitake Family**  
**Ukitake Hidenobu: **Juushirou's father and father of all his siblings. Killed by a hollow when Juu was fourteen.  
**Ukitake (Kuchiki) Raiko: **Illegitimate daughter of Kuchiki Kinnya, Juushirou's mother. (deceased)  
**Ukitake Kaede:** Mother of Hidenobu's other children (Juushirou's siblings) and Juushirou's much beloved stepmother.

**Ukitake Chihiro: **Eldest daughter and oldest of twins, now married in District Eight.  
**Ukitake Hiroyuki:** Younger of twins, effective head of the family when he comes of age.  
**Ukitake Sanjirou  
Ukitake Shinkei  
Ukitake Rouhei  
Ukitake Miyabi  
Ukitake Yuuya**  
**Shikiki: **Adopted member of the family since being rescued by Juushirou from District Seven.  
**Anika: **Ukitake family's servant  
**Kamikura: **Ukitake family's sensei. Illegitimate son of a Clan - which is not disclosed.

There are also the courtesans **Riri **and **Momiji** as well as the tavern girls **Kyouko **and **Megumi**. Kyouko is now a servant at the Kyouraku estate and she and Chihiro are friendly. Riri and Momiji I can't write more about than is in the story already because of spoilers. But they are District Eight prostitutes. Megumi, of course, is dead - her murder kicked off all the Clan intrigue that dogged Second and Third installments.


	11. The Morning After

**Chapter Ten: The Morning After **

"Riri-neesan! Riri-neesan!"

Breathless and panting, the young boy burst into the front room of the small village house, his eyes big as he hurried towards his guardian. "Riri-neesan, you have to come! Come quickly please...you have to come outside!"

"Inori?" Riri set aside the stitching she had been doing, casting the youngster a look of annoyance which faded to consternation as she took in his soaking wet clothing and the mud that spattered his face and legs. "Inori, what have you been doing - where have you been? I thought you were in the back with Shizuka, pulling together firewood. How did you get in that state?"

"It's raining." Inori said simply, as though it explained everything. "And we didn't have much wood, and Fuyou-san from next door offered some of his spare and I went to get it because Riri-neesan was busy and you said that Fuyou-san was a friend so I thought it was okay and then Fuyou-san's son came home and said there was a fire and that it was at Momiji-neesan's house and then it was raining and so I came back and..."

"Wait, slow down." Riri's eyes widened in dismay as she deciphered the barrage of words that the excited boy had poured forth with barely a pause for air. "Momiji? Momiji's house was on fire? Is that what you said?"

"Yes." Inori nodded emphatically. "And because it was raining, the wood I brought back got all wet and Shizuka is in the other room becuase I didn't want her to come to Fuyou-san's house because she always slips on the stones in the back and...when Fuyou-san's son came home I thought Riri-neesan should know because Momiji-neesan might need help."

"Momiji's house..." Riri bit her lip, getting to her feet and tossing her sewing aside. "Inori, listen to me. Listen to me closely and do exactly as I say, all right? Go change into dry clothes, and then go to Shizuka. Stay with her. Neither of you are to leave the house, nor answer the door to anyone unless it's Fuyou-san. Understood? Not to anyone at all. I can hear the rain now, beating against the roof and the walls - and I don't want you catching a cold."

"I understand." Inori stared at her. "But where are you going, Neesan?"

"To Momiji's house." Riri said briskly. "To see if she's all right. The rain will probably put out the fire - but she might need a place to shelter if there's been a lot of damage - and if she was home...she might need help."

"Fuyou-san's son said nobody was home. He said she was probably working." Inori said sagely, and Riri sighed, knowing that the young boy had absolutely no idea what kind of work might have called the prostitute out on such a late night. "So that's all right - she won't have got hurt. But she might be all wet. Will you ask her to come here?"

"Yes." Riri agreed. "Will you be good and stay where you are?"

"I promise." Inori said solemnly. "I won't leave Shizuka by herself, and I won't open the door. I promise, Riri-neesan. You can count on me."

"Good boy." Riri offered him a faint smile, pulling her tattered cloak from its peg and wrapping it around her body. "I hope to be back quickly, but if Momiji really isn't near her home, I may go to the town and see if I can find her. I'll be back as soon as possible - you're not to try and do anything with the fire if it goes out. Okay? Just take blankets and wrap yourselves up together if you're cold. I'll try and be as fast as I can."

"I will." Inori agreed, and Riri ruffled her hand briefly through his damp hair.

"You're a good boy." She murmured. "Your mother would be proud of you."

With that she slid back the door, hesitating for a moment as she registered the driving rain and then setting her resolve, stepping out into the downpour and pulling the door shut behind her. Momiji's home wasn't far from Kaoka, but in a very few moments she knew she would be soaked through, for the spring storms that occasionally ran through District Eight were short but unforgiving when they struck and she could barely see in front of her for the haze of water and swirl of wind.

Still, she did not turn back, for even without good visibility she knew the way to Momiji's secluded little house almost on instinct. She still remembered the first day her friend had moved in there – and the pride in her blue eyes that she had secured a place of her own instead of begging around the townsfolk for help and support. Riri had always felt a little protective of Momiji, as though she were a younger sister to take care of in the same way she had been cared for by Inori and Shizuka's mother on entering the courtesan trade, and so even though she knew there was probably nothing she could do, impulse still drove her on towards the other's home.

The most likely cause was lightning, she reflected as she pushed on through the puddling roadways, pulling her cloak more tightly around her slim body as she forced herself on against the elements driving her back. It could strike unexpectedly out of a clear sky on a night like this – storms blew up out of nowhere and when they did, it tended to be the isolated places near gathered woodland that suffered the most from fire and damage.

As she reached the pathway that led down towards Momiji's dwelling, the rain began to abate, dwindling to a drizzling shower as the force of the downpour faded. Riri was too wet by this time to really notice the difference, but as the moon began to emerge once more from behind its murky clouds, she found that she was more clearly able to see the way in front of her.

And cast in the dim, eerie glow of that moon she saw for the first time Momiji's home.

As she had expected, the rain had driven the fire from the property, but the folornly charred nature of the front wall and around the window shutters made Riri's heart clench a little in her chest. This was all Momiji had, she reflected, yet even this the fates had taken away from her.

_But Inori said she wasn't home, so at least didn't have to see it burn._

Carefully and not without misgivings, Riri made her way carefully down the mud-slick slope towards the house's only entrance. The door slid back easily, and Riri ducked her head to step inside. It was dark inside the small home, and Riri found herself wishing that she had remembered to bring flint for a torch – though the irony of that wish was not lost on her as she gazed around the soot-stained, ash-coated surroundings.

Something gnawed away in the pit of her stomach and she frowned, trying to work out what it was.

The rain must have come soon after the fire had started, for though there was a lot of blackening of wood and objects, the property was mostly still intact and the roof had not blazed completely away, providing some bleak shelter still from the unforgiving elements outside. Riri crossed the floor carefully, stepping over the murky shape of what had once been a cushion, and moving to the window. Momiji's makeshift shutters had been closed, but Riri put her hands against the wood, hesitating and then giving them a gentle push to allow the vague slithers of moonlight into the room. A cascade of muddy ash residue dripped down onto her hands as she did so, but she paid it no mind, instead turning back to face her friend's belongings.

Her lips thinned as she took in the scene more clearly this time, and as she raised her gaze to the ceiling, another feeling of unease touched her heart.

_It didn't start there._

She bit her lip, processing what this might mean.

_The roof wasn't the start of the fire…nor the walls nor windows, either. If they had been, even with the storm we just had, there would have been more damage to the outside of the house. If it had been the roof, then there'd be more damage there too – but it's smoky and charred from the inside instead. It's hard to see properly in this light, but it's almost as though the fire began from within – not from the storm outside._

She cast a glance around her, moving to examine the small pile of wood in one corner that had been Momiji's fireplace. Hovering her hand over the ashes there, she realised they were both dry and cold, and her brows drew together in consternation.

_And not from here, either. The roof protected this part of the house…but this fire died out long before the place caught ablaze. So she didn't leave the embers burning when she went out._

She turned on her heel, trying to work out what had happened.

_But if she was out, surely, nobody would have lit the lamp. _

Her gaze flitted to the alcove where Momiji's flame lamp usually stood, and her eyes widened as she realised it was missing.

_What the…?_

Instinctively she got to her feet, grasping her damp cloak around her as fear rushed through her body. Her mind flitted to the pendant that she had given her friend for safe keeping, but a quick examination of the area indicated that it was nowhere to be seen.

_No pendant. No Momiji. No lamp torch…but everything else is here. Yet someone must have been here to move the torch and to get rid of it. A fire starts without warning, and the flame torch is missing. That reeks of arson to me – but who, and why? _

Riri stifled a shiver, suddenly wanting to be anywhere but this place.

_Where are you, Momiji? Who came to your house like this…was it while you were out? While you were home?_

Her keen gaze caught sight of a ring on the floor below the window and she bent to pick it up, her unease growing as she dusted the ash from its surface.

_You brought this from District Seven. A keepsake of your family – something precious that reminded you of happy times. You told me that it was the most precious thing you had – that it belonged to your mother, and that you always wore it for luck when you were working. But it's here, and you're not. The torch is not. Something's wrong. _

She shivered again, and remembering her advice to Inori about catching cold she realised that she had no choice but to return to her own home and the children that sheltered there. Sliding the ring into her pocket, she got to her feet.

_In the morning, I'll come back. In the morning, I'll come see. If you come home, then we'll talk…and in the meantime…_

She swallowed hard, stepping out of the property and closing the door behind her. Loosening the ribbon from her hair, she tied it carefully around the charred slats of the divide, fastening it in a tight bow so that the tails of wet fabric flapped against the wood in the fading wind. Momiji didn't read or write well, but she would recognise the ribbon – and Riri knew that if she saw it, she would come to Kaoka right away. It was a signal they had used between them for the whole of their acquaintance, and Riri knew Momiji would understand – that she could come to Riri for shelter if she had nowhere else to go.

If she came back here, and she saw it, then she would know she did not have to spend the night alone in a charred and broken home.

_But for some reason I don't think you're coming home. I can't explain why…just…that there's something wrong. That something has happened here that I don't understand, Momiji…perhaps something you don't understand either._

Riri paused at the top of the path, turning to gaze towards the bright flickering lights of the town of Teika with a pensive expression in her dark eyes.

_Perhaps you are there, still working. If you are, I won't find you tonight – no matter what I told Inori, I won't interrupt you with a client and ruin your future trade. But it worries me. This whole thing worries me. Fires aren't uncommon, storms either. But…_

She shook her head as if to clear it, spatters of rainwater cascading onto the already drenched ground from her thick tail of dark brown hair.

_I'll come back at sunrise. I'll come back then and see if I can find you._

She resolved, turning back towards Kaoka.

_And if you're not there…if you're not…then I'll send a message to Chihiro. Because something is wrong and I can't do anything about it. But maybe…if she knew…maybe she could. And maybe she would…care about a prostitute whose house had suddenly set on fire._

_

* * *

_

"Tsukabishi, stop behind please."

As the first year students filed out of the Hohou classroom, Uebashi raised his hand, gesturing towards the small boy as he sought to slink out of the classroom to the relative safety of his dormitory. He faltered, turning uncertain eyes on the Hohou master, and several of his classmates turned to stare at him, a few whispers passing between students as the others dispersed into the hallway beyond.

"What do you suppose he's done?"

"God knows. Probably nothing. Tsukabishi's far too quiet to be a trouble-maker – there's no chance he's actually got himself in trouble."

"Poor kid. He looks like someone might eat him."

"Someone might. If you look like prey, you're going to attract a predator. That's the natural order of things, right?"

"Let it alone. Uebashi will be on us next – let's go before he is, because I have no idea what that lesson was about."

As he interpreted the comments, Tsunemori bit his lip, his gaze flitting to the door as it closed behind them. For a moment there was silence, then the Hohou instructor sighed, perching himself against one of the desks as he met his student's apprehensive gaze.

"I think you know what I want to talk to you about, don't you?" He said softly, and Tsunemori flinched, staring up at his companion much, as his classmate had described, like prey gazing at a predator who had trapped him between its paws. He did not speak, and Uebashi eyed him pensively, a troubled look on his face.

Unlike Kazoe, who was sharp, scathing and to the point, and Minabe, who was direct and often violent in her manner towards her students, Uebashi was a gentle, calm-natured soul who had come to the Academy only a few years before following the murder of a previous Hohou instructor in the local town. He was a kinsman of the Yamamoto, and an intelligent, reasonable man who most of the students liked and respected, since he took time to explain his theories to those who struggled and sought to encourage rather than chasten those who fell behind.

Yet in that moment, meeting the instructor's gaze one on one, Tsunemori felt that he would rather be anywhere but the Hohou classroom. Wishing – not for the first time – that the floor would open up to swallow him, he still did not speak, and at length Uebashi got to his feet, coming to rest his hands gently on the boy's shoulders. Tsunemori flinched, but Uebashi did not release his grip, instead gazing down on the young boy.

"Even though you sat no written exams to come here, you are in the top class because of the high level of reiatsu you possess." He said quietly. "You listen well in class, and when I call on you to explain something, you show me that even though you are District and have had no prior training, you already understand very well what you've been taught. You remember things quickly and answer coherently, so I know it isn't that you don't comprehend my lessons. Yet even despite the fact you are obviously a bright and gifted young boy – I would like to know why it is you are the _only_ member of Class One not to submit your written outline to introductory Hohou?"

Tsunemori swallowed hard, twisting his fingers together as he tried to work out how to answer his companion's question. The silence threatened to stretch into an unbearable infinity, and Uebashi sighed again, shaking his head slowly.

"If you won't talk to me, I can't do anything but punish you." He said softly. "You understand that, don't you? Even though you're a first year, and even though this is all new to you – if you don't meet deadlines and you can't explain why, you should expect to undergo punishment exercises. It's not something I like to do with any student – especially not one who's seemed to pick up the theory of this subject very quickly indeed. So if there is something you want to tell me, Tsukabishi – now would be the time to do so."

Tsunemori opened his lips, but the words stuck in his throat and he closed them again, lowering his gaze.

"Very well." Uebashi looked regretful. "Then I haven't a choice. I want your report by tomorrow morning's class, and if I don't receive it then, you will be assigned extra reading and an assignment on that extra work. If you continue to defy me, I will have to report the matter to Genryuusai-sensei – so I suggest you think carefully about that. You're dismissed."

"Yes, sensei." Tsunemori murmured, grabbing up his notes and writing equipment and fleeing the classroom before Uebashi could call him back. As he hurried down the corridor, he felt tears pricking at his eyes but he forced them back, biting his lip furiously as he fought the urge to cry. Only the day before he had been teased by some of his classmates for bursting into tears after he had accidentally spilt his drink on someone else's work, and though there had been no malice behind the joke, he was not eager to repeat the experience.

Once well away from the classroom he paused, leaning up against the wall to catch his breath. He had been at the Academy a week now, and already he knew he didn't like it. He was not used to this kind of environment, where his life was regulated by structure and rules, and where he was forced to spend almost every waking moment in the company of others instead of slipping off to explore things by himself. He did not find it easy to talk to new people, for for as long as he could remember it had been just him and his mother as they had travelled across the countryside together. The Academy had done nothing to ease his terror of such situations, for it seemed to the young boy that there were thousands of students all studying under Genryuusai's rule.

In the dorms, at dinner, in class, and in free time, Tsunemori was always surrounded by other people. And even when he did manage to slip off to be alone, a bell was certain to call him back again. The only place he could truly escape to was the world outside the school – but the Academy gates were patrolled regularly and no First year student was allowed to leave the grounds alone. Tsunemori had not yet made any friends among his classmates, who had all already seemed to pair up in twos or threes to whisper about things in corners, and in any case, going with someone else would ruin the point of going alone. Therefore he had stuck religiously to the school grounds – and struggled against his claustrophobic feelings on a day by day basis.

He sighed, turning on his heel and trudging slowly up the staircase towards the first year dormitories.

It wasn't as though he found his classes difficult. On the contrary, he had a quick brain and had easily understood the theories of Kidou and Hohou theory that they had begun learning even when some of his fellows had faltered. He knew that that was the official reason he was here – because he had potential and reiatsu and other important words that the adults liked to bandy about between themselves. But in reality he knew that he was here for another reason.

He had nowhere else to go.

He closed his eyes briefly at this point, forcing back the sad thoughts as tears threatened to well up inside of him once more.

He wasn't used to so many people. And he didn't want to be around them when so much was still raw inside him. He wanted to run, to hide, to get as far from here as possible. He did not want to train to fight against monsters…especially not monsters like the one who had killed his mother.

"Hey, you idiot, watch where you're going!"

A sharp voice brought him from his reverie and he glanced up, fear coursing his gaze as rough fingers closed around his upper arm, yanking him back against the wall.

"Hey, it's the runt from the first year again, getting in the way." Another voice observed unpleasantly, and Tsunemori gulped, raising his gaze to meet the annoyed eyes of the Fifth year, Kamaki Azusa. Ever since that encounter on the first day, whenever Tsunemori had encountered Azusa, the older student had made snide remarks or had shoved him aside in the hall with a mutter of, "so you remember to mind your senpai." Now however he was not alone – and it was one of his brawny friends who had grabbed Tsunemori by the arm, holding him firm as Azusa moved to face him.

"You really don't like to step aside for anyone, do you, kid?" He asked now, bending so that his face was level with Tsunemori's, and Tsunemori took a shaky breath into his lungs.

"I'm s…sorry, senpai." He stuttered. "I…w…wasn't l…looking…where I was…"

"You ought to get those eyes checked, then." The second boy said disparagingly. "What do you want to do with him, Kamaki? He's a worm and he's in the way, but he's not very interesting as sport."

"No, he's not." Azusa agreed. "Let him go, Kobayashi. We don't waste time dealing with mice that scuttle around the halls…besides, I'm sure he's the type to go tattle on us to the big strong Senior class...he looks like the kind of worm that would do something like that."

Tsunemori shook his head hurriedly.

"I won't tell. I won't tell anyone anything!" He said hurriedly, and Azusa raised an eyebrow, even as Kobayashi loosed his grip on the boy's arm.

"What would you tell them, anyway?" He asked. "We haven't done anything to you yet – except stop you from colliding with us, which is a senpai's duty, don't you think?"

His gaze drifted to the clutch of papers under Tsunemori's arm, and he snorted, snatching them away from the junior's hold and glancing at them.

"Look, Kobayashi. First year stuff. Do you remember this far back?"

"Barely." Kobayashi smirked. "What do first years study, anyway? How to spell the word 'Kidou' and what the word 'magic' means?"

"Give it back! Please!" Alarm flooded Tsunemori's expression, and he reached out a hand for it pleadingly, but Azusa raised the papers out of his grip, passing them to his friend.

"But _this_ one is apparently in the top class. Maybe you'll learn something from his notes, Kobayashi." He said playfully, and Kobayashi glanced at the papers, laughing.

"Really? If you ask me, he could do with going back to basic spelling and grammar. Look at the state of his writing."

"Please, senpai, give my notes back. Please, give them back!" Tsunemori was almost in tears again now, but Azusa ignored him, taking the papers back and skimming his gaze over the scrawl of notes. He let out a low chuckle.

"Well. And I thought basic literacy was standard even in the Districts." He murmured, casting Tsunemori a nasty look as he thrust the crumpled sheets back at his companion. "I didn't realise the Academy admitted students who have more fingers than they know proper kanji."

"It's not like that! I...I just write badly. That's all!" Tsunemori protested, but Azusa snorted, giving him a rough shove against the wall.

"I wonder if Sensei knows that this little worm is barely literate." He murmured, a threatening gleam in his eyes and Tsunemori took a step back, feeling the hard plaster divide behind him as Azusa pushed his face closer. "Do you think he'd like to know…that your notes are scribbles and that you can't write characters to save your life?"

"I…I…I…" Tears trickled down Tsunemori's cheeks, and he shook his head.

"Please, senpai, don't." He begged. "Please don't tell anyone. I…I'm working hard on getting better, so please…d…don't."

"They'd probably send him away, wouldn't they?" Kobayashi mused. "If they realised he couldn't even write basic kanji. Probably he can't read it either – so he's pretty useless all around."

"Can't read, can't write, can't get out of people's way and constantly causing a fuss." Azusa tut-tutted. "You're making a bad start to your time here, kid. Maybe you'd rather be sent away – what do you think?"

Tsunemori's gut clenched and he shook his head hopelessly. Much as he didn't like the Academy, he knew that the alternative was worse. There was nothing out there…nothing left for him but this, and in his desperation he reached out, grasping the older student's _hakamashita_ sleeve with anxious fingers.

"Please, senpai, don't tell anyone!" He whispered. "I'll get better, I promise, so please…please don't…"

"I don't really have time to bother with first years." Azusa shook his arm free, sending Tsunemori a dismissive glance. "I don't care whether you are here or not, or whether you can write or not."

His eyes narrowed.

"But…if I'm keeping a secret for you – Kobayashi, don't you think that if a senpai keeps a secret for a kouhai, the kouhai ought to show his gratitude somehow?"

"Seems right to me." Kobayashi nodded his head, folding his arms and leaning up against the wall opposite as he watched the confrontation. "Don't you think so, kid? If we keep your secret, what are you going to do in return for us?"

"I…I…" Tsunemori stammered, and Azusa laughed.

"You really are hopeless." He said frankly. "But it's all right. _You_ might not know what you can do for us. But I do. I know _exactly_ what you can do."

"S…senpai?" Tsunemori looked apprehensive, and Azusa smiled.

"Do you remember what happened on first day?" He asked softly, and slowly Tsunemori nodded his head.

"And you remember the guy who rescued you – the one with white hair?"

"A…Anideshi?" Tsunemori asked softly, and Asuza grimaced, nodding his head.

"That's what they want us to call him, yes." He muttered. "Listen up, kid, and listen good. That Anideshi – that Ukitake Juushirou – you heard how he shouted at me – at us – like he was suddenly in charge of the whole school. But he's nothing more than our kouhai, just like you are. What do you think – do you think it's right for a kouhai to speak to a senpai like that? Even if they have been promoted a class – do you think it's respectful to talk to someone with more experience in that way?"

"I…I…I suppose…not."

"Good. Right answer." Azusa offered him another unpleasant smile. "Then we agree. And that makes things easier. I guess you're not entirely stupid – if you realise that disagreeing with two much stronger senpai can only end in pain and suffering on your part."

His eyes narrowed.

"Ukitake Juushirou needs to learn the rules of kouhai and senpai." He said matter-of-factly. "_And_ to learn his place. Just because a Sensei shows him favour doesn't mean the rest of us are going to go along with it like sheep. I want to teach him that…and _you're_ going to help me."

"Senpai?" Tsunemori's eyes became huge, and Azusa nodded.

"You heard me." He said simply. "If you want me to keep your secret for you, then in return you're going to help me make life difficult for our noble Anideshi."

* * *

"I understand that you're worried, Riri."

Chihiro gazed around at the black-charred chamber, a pensive expression on her young face.

"It's not nice for anyone to suffer fire damage like this, especially in a freak storm like last night. I heard that two or three trees came down from lightning – with Momiji-san's house being here like this, it probably also became a target."

She sighed, shrugging her shoulders. It was the next morning, and a crisp spring wind was blowing around the village, drying out the drenched ground and buildings that had been so soaked in the previous night's storm. Soon, Chihiro knew, the sun would begin to peek out from behind the clouds and the day would begin to warm – but at present it was still early, and she stifled a shiver, pulling her thick cloak more firmly around her body.

"But that Momiji-san isn't here…is probably a good thing, isn't it? For her to be home when lightning hit – she could have been hurt. It's still early and you did say that she was working last night? So she probably hasn't got back here yet."

"I know it looks that way." Riri turned troubled eyes on her companion. "I'm sorry to call you out so early, too – especially when I'm sure you have other things to attend to than the worries of courtesans. But even though I can't put my finger on exactly what it is – I'm worried. Even though what you say makes sense…it doesn't feel right."

"The rain put the fire out quickly, by the looks." Chihiro bent to touch the floor, lifting her fingers to examine the dark dust that now coated her skin. "The property could've been completely destroyed – Riri, are you sure it's all right us even being in here? It might be dangerous, and with the owner away…"

"Momiji never minded me letting myself in." Riri shook her head. "She wouldn't mind me bringing you, either, if she knew it was for her sake."

She sighed, sinking down against the wall.

"It doesn't look like a normal lightning fire to me." She said sadly. "It looks more like the fire began in here…than out there."

"I suppose…" Chihiro frowned, glancing up at the roof. "To be truthful, I'm not familiar enough yet with the kind of storms and weather District Eight has to know that with any certainty. Maybe you're right – but…maybe not."

"I've spent my whole life here, so I'm quite sure of it." Riri rubbed her temples. "That the fire started in here – and then the weather put it out, not the other way around."

"Well, I'll take your word for it." Chihiro chewed down on her lip. "Perhaps a stray ember could have caused it…"

"The fire was cold." Riri shook her head. "It just doesn't make sense."

She ran her fingers agitatedly through her thick dark hair.

"I _know_ that it's more than likely she just hasn't got home yet." She murmured. "This morning I walked into Teika and spoke to some of the traders setting up their wares for the day. One or two of them saw Momiji by the tavern late last night – as though she had a client there and was waiting for him. The landlord there doesn't allow prostitutes inside his establishment any more, so she would have had to have met whoever it was outside."

"Then she was working?" Chihiro questioned and Riri spread her hands helplessly.

"I can't go ask the landlord because he considers us beneath vermin." She admitted. "I've been thrown out of that place before for simply trying to ask questions, so I haven't tried."

"Do you want _me_ to go to the tavern?" Chihiro's expression became one of understanding, and relief touched Riri's expression as she slowly nodded her head.

"If you don't mind." She agreed. "I know it's not the kind of place you go often, either. But you're known in Teika as a respectable person – the wife of a soldier and therefore not sullied and dirty like we are. The landlord will probably talk to you."

She sighed, pulling Momiji's ring from her pocket and holding it out.

"This is Momiji's." She said simply. "It was a keepsake from her mother, I think – in any case, she never went out working without it. She considered it a protective charm – a talisman, if you like – to keep her safe while entertaining clients. But I found it here last night – which made me concerned. Especially if she did go out to meet someone."

"I see." Chihiro took the ring, gazing at it thoughtfully. "I don't know much about jewellery – is it valuable?"

"No. It's mock jewellery – I suspect her father made it for her mother originally." Riri shook her head. "Momiji never talked a lot about her family in detail, because she lost them and it made her sad. But even though it would be worth nothing to a thief – it was worth something to Momiji."

"You think someone came here, broke in and _stole_ things while Momiji-san was away?" Chihiro looked alarmed, and Riri nodded.

"The torch lamp is missing." She agreed. "And so is the pendant that I gave her to fix – the memento of my father that I trusted to her the other day. Unlike Momiji's trinket, mine actually has some material value beyond the sentimental – if it were to be melted down, the metal could be sold on because of its quality and purity."

"I see." Chihiro's expression became grave. "All right. I'll go to the tavern, then, and see what I can find out. You go home, Riri. Go back to the children so they don't wake and worry when you're not there. They're still far too young to be on their own – even though Inori is such a strong little boy."

"I know, and I will." Riri nodded. "Thank you, Chihiro. I appreciate it. I owe you yet another favour – at this rate my debt will go beyond what I can pay."

"There is no repayment on favours to friends." Chihiro offered her a smile. "But if you're right, and someone did break in here, it's probably a good thing if Momiji-san was working last night. Probably her client took her back to his home from the tavern, and she's still there. Which means she might come back here any time – and is most likely safe."

"I hope you're right." Riri agreed. "I'll leave my ribbon tied to the door, though. Then she'll know I've been here and she'll come to find me."

"The town officials might want to investigate." Chihiro warned, and Riri snorted, shaking her head.

"Outside of town jurisdiction." She said frankly. "And Momiji's not a respectable citizen nor a resident of District Eight. There are limits to justice when it comes to cases like this – Momiji lived here so she wasn't censured by the officials in the town for plying trade beyond the curfew limits. But because she lived here, she was outside of their protection, too. And people believe it was struck by lightning in a storm, not set fire to by some unknown thief. Nothing major is missing, except my pendant – and I can't report that to town officials, can I?"

"Why not?" Chihiro looked confused. "It was yours, wasn't it? Of course you could, if you thought it had been…"

"They would think Momiji took it." Riri cut across her, shaking her head. "And I know she didn't, which means someone else probably did. But I won't get Momiji in trouble – I trust in her and I know she wouldn't betray that trust."

She pursed her lips.

"And it's complicated. It's better nobody else sees that pendant or connects it with me – so for the time being, Chihiro, I'm going to rely just on what you find out in the town. Please be careful what you ask – the children's safety might rely on it as much as mine."

"You're being uncharacteristically melodramatic." Chihiro's eyes widened. "But all right. If that's how you feel, I'll be careful. I'll come back to yours when I'm finished – so meet me there, all right?"

"All right." Riri nodded, clasping her friend's hand briefly before letting it loose. "Thank you, Chihiro. I mean it…thank you."

"Don't look so tragic." Chihiro gave her companion a hug. "The children will worry. I'll be as quick as I can – trust me!"

"I do trust you." Riri offered her a sad smile. "Momiji aside, probably I trust you most of all."

"Then I won't let you down." Chihiro said firmly, pushing back the charred divide and stepping out once more into the fresh air. Casting Riri an encouraging smile, she hastened off down the path, the mud drying beneath her feet as she hurried towards the gates of the small but bustling local town. A few people waved a greeting to her as she passed, for she was a well known face now at Teika's market and despite her foreign birth her marriage to a local man had made her roundly accepted as part of the general community. However, though she acknowledged the gestures with smiles of her own, she did not stop to exchange pleasantries, for Riri's troubled expression still played on her mind.

_Riri was really worried. Probably she's over-thinking it, but in a profession like theirs, I suppose bad things can happen. And because her keepsake is also missing – but I'm sure that it and Momiji will both turn up._

She pushed back the door to the tavern, stepping inside and glancing around her for any sign of life. It was quiet that morning, for alcohol was rarely served before midday, and only a few of the establishment's travelling guests were up and about. They were strangers to her – traders, she supposed, travelling through the area to the border, and though one or two of them shot her a curious look, she paid them no attention.

"Can I help you, miss?" A young woman greeted her at that moment, surprise on her face, and Chihiro smiled, nodding her head.

"I was looking for the landlord. I had an enquiry for him." She said pleasantly. "It's something quite important – I wonder if he might be about?"

"I'm right here, Chihiro-san." The landlord's own voice cut across them and Chihiro turned, bowing her head politely to acknowledge his arrival.

"I'm sorry to disturb you so early in the morning." She said apologetically. "I wanted to speak to you – but is it inconvenient to do so now?"

"No, it's quite all right. My morning duties are done and Sayako and the others will see to the rest." The landlord cast the other young girl a glance and she blushed, nodding her head and scurrying off to the back of the inn.

"She's only been with me a short while. Only since her father died last winter." The tavern keeper sighed. "But she's easily distracted, no matter how hard she tries to work hard. But speaking of distractions, now I'm waylaying you. What can I help you with, Chihiro-san? An errand from the military garrison again?"

"No. Well, not exactly." Chihiro shook her head. "I'm afraid…it might be seen as an impertinent question, in fact, and I apologise for it in advance. The fact of the matter is I was looking for news of someone. A young girl…with dark hair…called Momiji."

At the sound of the prostitute's name the tavern keeper stiffened and he shook his head emphatically.

"Such people are not permitted in this place, as I believe you well know." He said quietly, and Chihiro nodded.

"I know." She agreed softly. "I wasn't meaning to cast a slur on your good name by asking. It's just that…that a house was struck by lightning in the fire last evening. My husband, as a retainer of the Clan is seeking its owner, but she doesn't seem to be anywhere about. Someone told me that she had been seen outside this place late last night – that you had turned her away, in fact, from entering. I wondered if she came to wait for someone from here? Obviously when they had left the premises, but…"

"I see." Despite himself, the landlord's eyes became grave. "Yes, the girl was here. Or at least, outside. As you say, I didn't let her in. She had come to meet with someone – one of my guests, as a matter of fact. I don't know what became of her after that, though."

"One of your guests? Someone staying here had hired her?" Chihiro asked quizzically, and the tavern keeper nodded.

"Yes. Foreign to these parts, though he seemed to be somehow connected to the Clan." He agreed. "He was a respectable kind of man – and he told me his interest in her was relating to local information, not the other kind of services she might provide. I believe it, too. I don't think he was the kind who'd hire a prostitute. He didn't seem desperate. Actually, I got the impression he already was married – and he certainly didn't pay a moment of attention to any of my serving girls, even though several of them are comely wenches."

"This guest is still staying with you?" Chihiro looked thoughtful, but the tavern keeper shook his head.

"He came back late last night, but left at the crack of dawn this morning." He replied regretfully. "He said he had a report to make to his master at the main house and couldn't delay any longer. He paid me for two nights longer than he stayed – on account for the inconvenience of his early departure, he said. A polite man, like I told you. Respectable."

"I see." Chihiro privately thought that a man's appearance had little to do with whether or not he would solicit the services of a prostitute, but she wisely kept those ideas to herself. "Then the man is a Clan employee, like my husband? In that case he should be easy for Takeshi to track down and may be of some help to him. Do you by any chance remember his name? It would be very helpful if you could give it to me."

"Masaki, I believe. I'm not quite clear beyond that, but I believe he was a Clansman as opposed to simply a retainer." The tavern-keeper rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He seemed to know one or two of the traders – I saw him here with Gaugen the other evening, and they were deep in conversation. In fact, I think perhaps Masaki bought something from Gaugen, since money changed hands. Possibly it was the same with the wench – though I hardly think she had anything worthwhile to sell a man in his position."

Chihiro's eyes widened slightly at this.

_Something to sell…like Riri's pendant? But Riri trusts Momiji – surely she wouldn't have…_

Out loud she said,

"Thank you sir. You've been most helpful – I'm grateful for your time."

"You're welcome." The tavern keeper offered her a smile. "Though your husband might want to be careful if he's approaching a blood Clansman about meeting with a courtesan. I'm sure you'll find his motives to be above board and honourable – he didn't seem like the kind of man who would be interested in buying a woman."

"I will pass that information on as well." Chihiro agreed, bowing her head. "Thank you again, sir. Good day."

With that she withdrew from the tavern, a troubled expression crossing her pretty features as she ran over the conversation in her head.

_Riri would be hurt if that were the truth. That Momiji took the pendant and sold it to some stranger for whatever reason. Momiji might have run away after doing that – because she'd know Riri wouldn't forgive her. Would she set fire to her own home? Maybe she would – to cover the evidence, perhaps she would. But leave her own ring behind? I don't know. And Riri believes in Momiji. So that leaves me with…_

She paused as she reached the market place, her hazel eyes roving around the various stalls for any sign of the greedy, penny-pinching Gaugen.

_If Gaugen-san also dealt with this Masaki person, he might know more about him, I suppose. And where to find him. Though if he is a Clansman and related somehow to Tokutarou-sama…it will be hard to find him at all. Tokutarou-sama is a kind Lord and a fair man – but accusing one of his kin of consorting with a prostitute and buying stolen goods is something I doubt he'd want to listen to. We'd need very strong evidence – evidence we don't have. _

Her brow creased as she realised there was a gap where Gaugen's stall was normally set up.

_That's funny. He's usually here before the crowds. Never wants to miss a bargain – so where is he?_

"Good morning, Chihiro-san!" One of the stall women waved to her, and Chihiro headed over, casting the boy's son a grin.

"Good morning." She said warmly. "It's a chilly start today, isn't it? After the storm last night, the ground seems to be drying quickly."

"Storms here are that way." The woman said wisely. "What brings you to town so early? Your husband keeps you busy."

"I was looking for Gaugen-san, but he's not here." Chihiro admitted. "Have you seen him? I'd really like to talk to him."

"Nope, haven't seen him." The woman looked thoughtful. "Funny you should say that, because he's one to never miss a day come rain or shine. But he hasn't turned out this morning. Maybe he had business elsewhere. He was meeting with some Clan fellow two nights ago – perhaps it's relating to that."

"I see. Probably that's true." Chihiro nodded, but as she glanced at the empty stall plot she felt faintly uneasy.

_Momiji disappeared. Gaugen disappeared. And some stranger from the Clan met with both of them beforehand? Maybe Momiji was just working – maybe Gaugen has just ridden to another town to trade. But it seems…strange. Maybe Riri is right…that there's more to this than there seems._

A chill ran down her spine and she shivered involuntarily, pulling her cloak instinctively more tightly around her body.

"You want to be careful, love. There's not enough flesh on your bones to keep you warm in a wind like this." The stallkeeper advised her playfully. "I'd head home and get warm. If Gaugen appears, I'll tell him you were wanting him."

"Thank you. I'll do that." Chihiro agreed. "Please do tell him – I don't know if it's urgent or important, yet – but it might be, so I'd like his advice."

"Understood." The woman winked, and Chihiro bowed her head once more before turning on her heel and making her way slowly through the centre of the town towards the far gates that led to the village beyond. As she passed Momiji's burnt house she paused for a moment, eying the folorn scrap of ribbon that fluttered in the wind.

_Riri's right. The fire didn't start outside. If it had, there'd be far more obvious damage. But most of the charring and ash was inside. The fire didn't come from lightning. But if it didn't come from a stray ember…what then?_ Did_ you set fire to it yourself, Momiji, to cover up stealing Riri's pendant? Or…something else?_

"Chihiro-neesan!" As she reached Riri's home, Shizuka hurried out the front door, grabbing at her skirts excitedly, and despite herself Riri grinned, bending to scoop the small girl up in her arms.

"Good morning, Shizuka." She said playfully, and Shizuka giggled.

"Riri-neesan said you were coming to visit." She said. "And you have."

"Is that exciting?" Chihiro asked, and Shizuka nodded.

"Having visitors is fun." She agreed. "And Inori-nii and I have helped clean the house so it's all neat and tidy now and you can come in and sit down!"

"I suppose with an invitation like that I can't refuse." Chihiro laughed, setting the youngster back down on the ground. "All right, Shizuka…lead the way. I'm right behind you."

"You were quicker than I thought." Riri was folding blankets when the two entered, but she paused at the sight of her friend, shooting her a quizzical look. "Shizuka-chan, will you take these and put them in the pile at the back? Tell Inori that if he's finished polishing that he can come in and we'll have tea."

"Yes, Neesan." Shizuka obediently took the blankets, carrying them carefully out to the back room as if they were made of some precious material, and Chihiro watched her with a smile.

"It's hard to be downcast when they're around, isn't it?" She observed, and Riri nodded.

"It is, which is why I'm able to keep moving forwards." She agreed. "Well? Did you manage to find anything?"

"Mm. Maybe." Chihiro sighed, settling herself on one of the faded cushions and smoothing her skirt over her knees. "It seems Momiji was at the tavern last night and she did meet with someone there. But the person was a guest of the tavern – possibly a Clan person – called Masaki. The tavern keeper said that he wanted to meet with her for reasons other than her normal business. He's now left Teika – gone back to the Clan stronghold, I imagine – and so that's that."

"But no sign of Momiji?" Riri asked. Chihiro shook her head.

"Riri, this Masaki person was interested in treasure, though." She said quietly. "He met with Gaugen from the town market and it seems they did some business. Then he met Momiji…and now…that's all we know."

"You think Momiji took and pawned my pendant?" Riri's eyes widened, and Chihiro saw a faint flicker of anger cross her features. She shrugged.

"I don't know." She admitted helplessly. "You trust Momiji-san and I don't know her enough to overcome that trust. All I know is what I just told you. She was at the tavern. She met with Masaki. And that is all."

"I see." Riri sighed, the tension seeping out of her body and she nodded her head. "I'm sorry. I believe in Momiji – I don't think she'd steal from me. She's known about my treasure for a while, and she's had ample time here to take it without my noticing – but she never has, so I don't see why she'd go to all this trouble now. And besides, you're right. I trust her. I can't explain that any other way – I just do."

"Then there is one other thing." Chihiro pursed her lips. "Gaugen-san wasn't at the market this morning. Nobody had seen him, either."

"Momiji…Gaugen…_and_ this Clan person?" Riri whitened, and Chihiro nodded.

"Yes. You think there's a connection?"

"It depends. This may be my fault after all." Riri looked agitated. "If something happened…maybe it was my fault."

"Your fault? Why so?" Chihiro was stunned.

"Because of my pendant." Riri whispered.

"What would that have to do with anything?" Chihiro asked sensibly. "Even if it was something that could be melted down – Riri, even so…"

"No. It's not that. It's…" Riri faltered, biting down on her lip. Then,

"If I tell you a secret, will you promise never to reveal it?" She begged. "Till you die, Chihiro – do you promise?"

"If you want me to." Chihiro was surprised. "You're being melodramatic again, but if it's important to you, I'll keep it."

Riri nodded, then slowly she got to her feet, moving across to the unit and opening a small wooden box. She took something from it, unwrapping the fabric that swathed it and glancing at it for a moment before holding it out to her companion.

"This belongs with the pendant." She said softly. "It also belonged to my father. I don't know exactly what it is, but I think…it might have come from a sword's sheath. Momiji thought so too – she said it had the right fastenings on it, though they were worn down in places."

"This is?" Chihiro took the object, glancing at it curiously. "I don't understand…Riri…"

"What I have to tell you…is complicated." Riri murmured. "And you might…you might not believe me. But I will tell you anyway. And then you'll understand…why that pendant might have brought Momiji into trouble."


	12. Illusions

**Chapter Eleven: Illusions **

Well, so it would soon be time to go back.

Masaki glanced once more around the trader's house, a faint smile playing at his lips as he observed the scene of chaotic devastation that he had left behind. Units had been pulled over, shutters hanging half off their hinges and Gaugen's precious treasures scattered all over the floor like glittering raindrops across the dark wood. In the room beyond was a similar scene of chaos, the slit throated corpse of Gaugen's wife sprawled helplessly across the white fabric of their futon, blood seeping though the cloth and staining it a deep, rusty red. She had not put up much of a struggle, but for Masaki it was all about appearances. Everything must be perfect - every piece in its place.

A low moan came from his right and his gaze flitted back to the still form of the trader himself, watching with faint amusement as the man's fingers twitched slightly against the binding magic he had used to hold his victim in place. There was fear in Gaugen's eyes - fear such as that Masaki had not seen for some time, and very carefully he knelt down at the other's side, resting a gloved finger lightly on the man's throat. Gaugen tensed, his eyes bulging even more, but he was completely unable to move, and Masaki offered him a smile.

"You helped me very much." He said softly. "And I'm sorry our partnership can't continue. But I can't let you go to anyone to talk about this - or me. It might get back to the wrong people. I have what I want - and so you are no longer of any purpose to me. I can't leave loose ends."

Another gurgle came from the restrained figure, and Masaki laughed.

"It's all right. Nobody will be able to trace me from what happened here." He said composedly. "This was a domestic fight - or possibly, a fight against invading robbers. I don't know - whatever the officials prefer."

He bent down to pick up the bloody dagger that lay on the floor beside him. Carefully he took Gaugen's hand in his, sliding the hilt into the trader's thick fingers and forcing them to close around it.

"Either you killed your wife, or you attacked intruders who did." He continued softly, his tones faintly hypnotic and soothing as he set Gaugen's hand carefully back down. "But the shock of everything was too much for you to bear. And so, in your current, unhealthy state..."

He paused, then put his right palm to the left side of Gaugen's chest. There was a faint ripple of energy, specks of dust swirling briefly in the air around the trader's still form, and then Masaki lifted his hand, knowing that the eyes that now stared from the man's sockets were sightless and that his companion was dead. With a smile he dispersed the binding spell, watching the faint tendrils of light fade away to nothing. Few, if any retainers in this area would be sensitive to pick up their lingering trace - and he had taken precautions enough to ensure that the Clan themselves would pay no attention to such a minor affair.

"Sadly, under so much stress, your heart stopped." He said frankly, getting to his feet and absently dusting his hands against his dark robes. "A simple tragedy, easy for the officials to tie together. Rest in peace, my friend. I have other things to do and other places to be. Your help was invaluable - I wish you a truly tranquil sleep."

He ran his fingers against the fabric of his _obi_, pulling the pendant free and glancing at it approvingly.

_I didn't get everything I came for. But this is enough, for now. Enough to keep things moving._

He slid it back into his _obi_, turning towards the door.

_The sun has risen, and the people will be busy in the town with the market by now. So far as they know, I've already left this place. So whilst the town is at its busiest, I will. People are waiting for me...it's time I moved things on to the next stage in the plan. _

A slow, faintly malicious smile spread across his features as he stepped out into the sunlight.

_Back to District Six...and the Kuchiki._

_

* * *

_

It was a bright day, despite the nip in the air, and Enishi whistled a merry tune to himself under his breath as he left the gymnasium, pausing to gaze up at the sky with a smile. There were only the faintest wisps of cloud overhead, and as a child of District One he knew better than anyone that spring proper would soon begin across his home District. Enishi liked spring, although he was sturdy enough to stand the frosts of winter with equanimity, and he reflected on the fact that soon he would be able to train with his sword outside at this time, rather than being restricted to manoeuvres inside the training building.

It was a good feeling, and Enishi was content. Since his conversation with Kazoe, he had felt more at ease about his position, and being possessed generally of an even temperament, he had resolved to dig in and do his best. Consequently he had risen early that morning, and after a brisk, demanding workout he knew he still had enough time to visit the bath before breakfast.

_Being Senior Class has its advantages, that's for sure._

He pushed back the door of the school building with a thud, stepping into the hall and being careful to re-fasten the catch behind him. He had no official classes that day, although he knew that he would probably spend a lot of time fighting with library books to put together something written that would pass muster with his demanding sensei, and in any case, when the rest of the school finished their lessons, it would be his turn to stand sentry on the main gate that led down into the local town. As a first year himself, he remembered fondly that he and his friends had broken bounds on more than one occasion and had evaded the Seniors on duty - but he also knew that he had no intention of letting this year's juniors do the same thing.

_We ran into danger without even realising it, fairly often. At that stage, there's far too much kids don't know. So it's for their own benefit, and I'm not going to let anyone past who doesn't have a token. Even if nothing untoward has happened in this District for some years now._

A faint frown crossed his brow as he began to mount the stairs that led up to the Senior annexe.

_At least here we should be far enough from what's going on in District Six, though I don't envy Kuchiki or Edogawa the stuff they're dealing with. It's been more than a week into term now- I thought they'd for sure be back by this point. How long does it take to bury someone in the Kuchiki, I wonder? I know he was important, but once he's dead, there isn't a lot that can be done with him except inter him before his body starts to break down. So they must've done that already. Which means..._

He sighed, shaking his head.

_I don't know. The Kuchiki are a funny Clan. Beyond my comprehension, that's for sure - they seem to make a lot over things that ought to be simple. The kid's death is a tragedy, but the longer they drag it out the more of one it will be. And besides, are they even looking for who stiffed him out? I don't suppose anyone in the Yamamoto would stop and even think of anything else if one of our people were killed. Still, there's no accounting for taste or tradition. _

He pushed back the sliding doors that led onto the landing that housed the Senior rooms, humming the soft tune under his breath once more as he made his way back to his room. Kanshi had been sleeping still when he had left, and he expected that was probably still the case, for in the short time they had shared sleeping quarters, Enishi had learnt that his companion did not really like early mornings. In fact, on the few occasions when he had stirred before the breakfast bell, it had been Enishi's moving around that had stirred him, and a faint smile touched the tall boy's lips as he remembered.

_Souryou's the kind who doesn't run well till he's been refuelled, so I don't suppose he'd be interested in coming down to the baths before breakfast. I wonder if anyone else is up and about, though. It's very early still, but Shihouin is probably up and so might Ukitake and Hirata be. I don't reckon even a thunderstorm would wake Kyouraku if he's determined to sleep, so it won't hurt if I go knock on Hirata's door and see if he's already up and..._

He paused, his brow creasing as out of the corner of his eye he caught a sudden movement and he turned, glancing around him for any sign of what he had seen. It had been quick and indistinct, but it had looked like the flash of white and blue of a student's uniform, and Enishi wondered if one of his classmates was already up and about.

It had come from the direction of Juushirou's room, and so, his own towel momentarily forgotten for the moment, Enishi strode down the hallway towards the Nest, certain that his friend was up and about and that they would be able to go to the bathhouse together.

As he rounded the corner, however, a completely different sight greeted him. Instead of Juushirou, Enishi found himself confronted with the shaking form of a small boy, his eyes wide and fixed on the Senior as though he was a mouse that had just crossed the path of a hunting tiger. He was right outside the door of Juushirou's Nest, his fingers curled around the handle, but at the sight of Enishi his hand had immediately dropped to his side and despite himself the bulky student was reminded of Hirata when the two of them had first met.

_He was scared of me, too, because I was so tall - but it's all about appearances. Probably this kid came to see Ukitake about something...I should help him if I can._

Out loud he said,

"Hey, kid - what's up? Did you want to speak to Anideshi? It's damn early for it if you do."

The youngster stared at him, his lips opening and closing a couple of times, and Enishi sighed, moving to put a gentle hand on the boy's shoulders.

"There's no need to be afraid." He said, offering the boy a warm smile. "I might be a damn sight taller than you are, but I'm not in the habit of trampling first years. Especially if they've come looking for advice. You did come to see Ukitake, right? Did you try knocking on the door of his room?"

The boy swallowed hard, then he slowly shook his head.

"There was nobody there." He whispered, his voice barely audible and Enishi frowned, eying him in surprise.

"Nobody? You mean you knocked and there was no answer? Is the door locked?"

Without waiting for the boy to respond, he stepped forward, reaching up a hand to rap sharply on the bedroom door.

"Ukitake? Are you up? Someone's here to see you."

There was no reply, and Enishi's frown deepened. He slid thick fingers into the door handle, giving it a little tug and it slid back easily, revealing an empty chamber. The bed had been made neatly, and Enishi saw that Juushirou's _zanpakutou_ was missing from its usual place on the shelf beside his bed. His nightrobes were folded carefully over the bedcovers, and his uniform was no longer hanging on the hook behind the door. Enishi pursed his lips.

"Looks like I wasn't the only one who went to do some early morning training." He murmured, more than half to himself. "I'm sorry, kid - it looks like Anideshi's not here at the moment. Is there something I can help you with? I'm not as smart as Ukitake, but I might be able to..."

"I...I'm all right. Th...thank you...Senpai." The boy shook his head hurriedly, bowing several times. "I...I...I don't want to cause any bother. Thank you S...senpai. I...I'll go now."

"Hey, steady on." Enishi exclaimed, but the youngster had already gone, and he sighed, shaking his head slowly.

_Well, Hirata settled and look at him now, so it's not beyond possibilities that that one will too. But seriously - am I that terrifying? Sure, there's a good deal of height between us...but even with that aside..it wasn't as though I planned to hurt him. It's only to be expected that kids would come to Anideshi for advice...oh well._

He allowed himself a rueful smile as he pulled Juushirou's bedroom door shut once more with a soft click.

_I guess it's true I don't have Ukitake's knack with scared and homesick folks, when all's said and done. Never mind. I tried - you can't help someone if they don't want to be helped, so there isn't much else I can do about it._

"Enishi?"

A voice startled him and he turned, seeing his cousin standing watching him, a faintly confused expression on his face. He was still dressed in his nightclothes, an additional robe wrapped around his shoulders and his towel over his arm, and at the sight of him, Enishi produced a sheepish grin.

"Morning, Akira."

"Good morning." Akira stifled a yawn. "What are you doing? Ukitake's not there, if it's him you're looking for."

"Yes, I'd realised that much." Enishi agreed. "Did you see him head out?"

"No. Heard him - talking to Shihouin outside my door about something to do with swords." A dark grimace crossed Akira's face. "I didn't sleep well last night as it was, and that was the final straw, so I decided I might as well get up. They left about five minutes ago - you just missed them."

"Hrm. I guess I did." Enishi ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. "Well, it's fine. It wasn't me who was looking for him - it was some first year kid. I guess the boy just missed him, though, if he and Shihouin went out to train with swords somewhere. I was at the gym, and I didn't see them, but..."

"Shihouin is in the habit of using the training grounds early in the morning. He told Aoi so." Akira said dismissively. "I have no idea if he does so with permission or not, but that's how it is. Probably Anideshi thinks that he's entitled to do so too - being that he's so much more important than the rest of us."

"More likely they went to Sensei and got permission." Enishi said sensibly. "But it explains why I didn't see them."

He shrugged.

"I was going to the baths, anyhow - and you are too, by the looks." He added. "If you'll hang on for me to put my sword down and grab my towel, I'll come with you. We've still time before breakfast."

"All right." Akira looked surprised. "I'll wait."

"I won't be a moment, then." Enishi promised.

"I'm surprised you want to take a bath with me, even if we are kin." As the two boys made their way down the hallway towards the main staircase, Akira shot his cousin a wary glance. "You're Ukitake's friend, and that's pretty obvious. Don't you think this is consorting with the enemy?"

"Since when have kin of mine been my enemy?" Enishi stared at the other boy as if he was mad. "Do you think of me that way?"

"No." Akira snorted. "Don't be stupid. You really are dense sometimes, that's all. I would've thought your Ukitake wouldn't like it - he's not too keen on me, and I'm really not too keen on him either."

"That's just because you don't know him yet." Enishi said comfortably. "And I think you're probably wrong, Akira. I don't think that he hates you at all. He isn't that type - he doesn't hate people easily. In fact when we were First years, Kyouraku used to say his greatest weapon was kindness. I don't totally know what he meant, really, but it is true that Ukitake has a knack for getting the good opinion of those around him. It's just the way he is - when you know him better, you'll see it."

"I doubt it." Akira's eyes darkened. "Enishi, you're one thing - you're older than me, and you're my kinsman, so I'm not raising any issue with your promotion. But most all of our class were left behind to repeat a year to make room for the rest of your class. Endou is...I'm not sure he's even twenty yet."

"No, he isn't." Enishi agreed thoughtfully. "But I don't think that's really an issue with Genryuusai-sensei. I'm pretty sure Nagoya was Anideshi before he turned twenty, and nobody argued with that."

"Nagoya could hold a sword, and knew how to use it." Akira said darkly. "Whereas Endou looks scared at the bare idea."

"You haven't seen Hirata when he has Tsumi no Fuuhi released." Enishi said wisely. "With a basic sword, he lacks confidence - but his _zanpakutou_ is quite scary if it comes at you and you're not prepared for it. You shouldn't underestimate the kid, Akira. He's young and he doesn't look particularly intimidating. But he's still an Endou and he's no weakling."

"Maybe." Akira frowned. "But it's not only that. Sensei picked a District student and a former Fourth year to be Anideshi over the heads of four members of last year's Fifth year top class. Don't you find it odd that he did that? You and I are both Yamamoto. We're Sensei's kin. Yet he's ignored us completely in favour of Ukitake. Doesn't it bother you even a little bit?"

"I hadn't thought about it much." Enishi owned. "Because like I said, I know Ukitake."

He laughed.

"I'd find it odd if he had chosen me, honestly." He said self-effacingly. "I'm strong and I do my best, but Ukitake's always run rings around me in most disciplines. Most all of them have, in fact. I can't say the same applies with you, of course - you probably run the same rings in other subjects that they do. But I'm happy enough to be a Senior this year. Age has nothing to do with it for me, nor anything else. I just want to be in the same class as the friends I made in First year - I want us to graduate together."

He paused, pursing his lips thoughtfully as he considered this.

"I guess from that angle I can see why you're bothered." He acknowledged. "Since you won't graduate with your old classmates. I'm sorry, Akira. That only just occurred to me - that we've come up at the expense of friends of yours."

"I'm somehow not surprised that you've only just realised that." Akira said dryly. "Some of them are hopping mad. I've heard Kamaki and Kobayashi both on the subject a few times, and I'm sure none of the rest really like being pushed together with - lets face it - the dregs of your own year group. Doubtless they're good kids and there's nothing wrong with them being in Fifth year this year. But being made to repeat with them is humiliating at the very least."

"Perhaps I can see that." Enishi acknowledged as they reached the bathhouse, pushing back the door and stepping inside the small changing area. Enishi tossed his towel down onto one of the stone benches, dropping down beside it and beginning to loosen his _obi_ . "Because if I'm honest, Akira, I've always hated the idea that I might one year get held back and they'll go on without me."

"Given your exam results in Kidou, I wondered if Sensei did you a favour." Akira asked archly, and Enishi faltered, turning to eye his cousin in consternation.

"How would you know what grades I had?"

"Because I asked, when I found out we were going to be classmates." Akira said baldly. "This school is Yamamoto run. That kind of information isn't hard to find out. You almost failed your Kidou assessments last semester - you scraped a grade lower than most all of those left behind in Fifth year. No wonder you're happy just to be a Senior."

Enishi sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm not good at Kidou. Never have been. Not built for it." He said pragmatically. "But I didn't fail it. And I won't this year, either. My grades in everything else are good. Kidou isn't the be all and end all of everything."

Akira's eyes narrowed.

"Ukitake...is good at Kidou?" He asked softly, and Enishi nodded.

"Top of the class every year since First year." He said ruefully. "Probably it's thanks to him that I passed the exam last year at all, honestly. He's always tried to help me understand the things that go right over my head. But he's always been like that. Even though he's good at stuff, he's never made fun of me for not being. Even though I'm older than him - than all of them - it's never really mattered."

He shrugged, removing his shirt and setting it down on the bench.

"My strength is Ouyoudou, and that's where my focus is." He added. "I'll give even you a run for your money this year, Akira - you have my word on that."

"Mm. All right." Akira nodded, tossing his own shirt down. "That at least I can't argue with. You've got stronger since the last time we sparred - if Minabe hadn't stopped us, I don't know which way that fight would have gone. If you'd capitalised more, you might have had me. Maybe. I can't say for sure, since you don't really go all out when you're fighting a friendly."

"No need to. Someone might get hurt." Enishi said reflectively. "And in a friendly, that's not worth it. It's fine knowing I can do what I need to do without causing casualties."

"You haven't changed in that respect." Despite himself, Akira grinned. "My brother aside, I don't suppose there's anyone else in our generation of the Clan who can take my blade, even on a lucky day. From that perspective, being in the same class is a good thing. Aoi excepted, none of the others in our Ouyoudou classes last year were really up to much. They could fight - Kanshi's not bad, when he can be bothered to put in the effort - but they weren't up to our speed."

"You should spar Shihouin, if you can." Enishi advised. "He's taken my sword a few times - he might look small, but he's tough."

"Aoi said the same." Akira admitted. "But the Shihouin are known for it. That kind of thing. So I'm not surprised."

"See?" Enishi grinned. "Even if we got promoted this year unexpectedly, it's not as though the people who did aren't worthy of being there. I'm probably the weakest member of the group, when all is said and done - I can fight, but everything else I'm about average or worse. The rest race ahead in the theoretical subjects - maybe Sensei wanted to just give you guys more competition."

Akira was silent for a moment, his gaze unreadable, and then he sighed.

"I should have been Anideshi this year." he said quietly. "You know that. My family expected it. I don't know what passed between Sensei and Father, but something did...Father accepted it, and that was that. But I didn't accept it. This is my Clan - Sensei is my kinsman. This is my Senior year, and I've topped the class in everything since the first year we were here. Maybe some of the others slacked off, but I didn't. And now this..."

He sank back against the wall with a grimace.

"I can't ever reach my brother in any other way." He added. "In a Clan where the head is already not the strongest Yamamoto, being the youngest son of the leader means nothing at all in terms of status or anything else. My brother is a good way older than I am, strong and smart and Father relies on him a good deal. He's married, has two sons of his own, and they will carry the Clan forwards into the future. There's nothing for me except this - to succeed here and prove I can be worth considering for high rank in the Gotei. So I've worked. Hard. For five years. Only to be pipped at the post by a District boy who's only done four."

"That ain't Ukitake's fault, though." Enishi reasoned, somewhat tactlessly. "I do know what you're saying - that the Clan is that way, because even at the fringes like I am, I know how it works. But I don't think that Sensei cares about who graduates first or anything like that. Ukitake wasn't ever top of our year overall. Not once, across the whole of the last four years. That wasn't why Sensei chose him to be Anideshi...it's hard to explain but I think he had special reasons for doing it."

"He wasn't top?" Akira was startled. "Then..."

"No. Kyouraku was." Enishi responded. "Ukitake generally topped Kidou, but that was all. It was generally close...but...Kyouraku always got the upper hand when it came to the final scores. Although Ukitake did summon his sword first...but..."

He trailed off, considering this, and Akira's eyes darkened.

"Ukitake wasn't top." He murmured. "And Sensei made him Anideshi for special reasons. What kind of special reasons, Enishi?"

"Well, I don't know for sure. I'm not Sensei." Enishi said unecessarily, getting to his feet and casting his companion a grin. "But I've heard the others talking, and I think...it's something to do with his being the first recognised District Shinigami. That and the fact it makes sense. Like I said before - when you've known him longer, you'll see it too. Why it is that none of us are bothered about it - not even Kyouraku."

"Hrm." Akira's lips thinned, and he nodded his head. "I'll take your word for it. And I'll be looking out for it, Enishi - this thing that makes Ukitake 'special' even beyond Sensei's loyalty to his own Clan and kinsfolk. I'll be watching very carefully...so he'd better not make any slips!"

* * *

Clansfolk in District Six were certainly a careless lot.

Nanaki settled herself more comfortably behind the low-slung wooden table, pushing the plates and other bits and pieces aside to make space across the slatted surface. Carefully she pulled her prize from the sash of her rough servant's _obi_, unfolding the single aged sheet of paper and smoothing it out in front of her.

With avid blue eyes she read over the contents again, her heart clenching excitedly in her chest as she realised what she'd found.

_I'm sure__** he'll**__ be happy...when he comes, when he sees this...he'll be proud. To make them look foolish, he said. To unsettle and destabilise them...that was what__ he told me. And I've done my best. Since I've been here, it's been nothing but chaos inside that polished palace._

She sighed, pushing a stray wisp of dark hair back behind her ear as she squinted more closely at a faded character.

_I almost thought I was in trouble though, when I stumbled into the archive and there was someone there. I had no idea it would lead to this - but when I saw that Kuchiki bocchan, I thought my game was up. But he didn't seem to notice anything amiss. Too caught up in his own thoughts to even pay attention to me._

She rested her chin pensively in her hands.

_Mind you, it has been a while. I've changed. Things have changed. And we barely even spoke, last tme we met. There's no reason he'd recognise me even if he did stop and think about it. I shouldn't be here, and I shouldn't be dressed like this - therefore he'd never think that it was possible. And it's exactly true that the best place to hide is in plain sight. In the garb of a servant, nobody pays any attention to you at all. These clothes are uncomfortable and awkward, but they're like a cloak of invisibility. I don't need any of those special magic spells the shinigami like so much. I can hide from them while being among them and they'll never know a single thing about it._

A crash from the chamber behind her made her jump and she scrambled to her feet, hurrying to the doorway as though afraid that someone had stumbled across them in their makeshift hideout. As she entered the room, however, she sighed, hand going to her pounding heart as she fixed the house's only other occupant with a dark glare. He was sitting in the corner, the handle of a jug clutched loosely between his fingers, and Nanaki soon saw what the cause of the sudden noise had been. Her companion was drenched from head to foot in water, and all around him on the floor were the shattered pieces of the rest of the vessel. Blood glittered against the tips of his fingers, and Nanaki let out a groan of frustration.

"_You're _supposed to be asleep!" She snapped, marching across towards him and taking the broken handle forcibly from his grip. "Why are you wandering around and playing with things? Did you just smash that against the floor?"

The golden-eyed boy merely stared at her, apparently unmoved by her ire, and Nanaki swallowed hard, struggling to keep her temper in check.

"You've broken that jug now...and there's water all over you and the floor, which means I have to mop it up and I have to change your clothes." She scolded. "_He'd _be angry if you got sick, even if it was your own stupid fault. You're not supposed to do things like this - you're supposed to sit quietly and not bother me when it's just the two of us here. If you'd waited, I'd have brought you something to eat and drink - but you don't wait and it ends up like this."

There was still no response, and Nanaki sighed.

"It makes it worse, that you just look at me like that." She muttered, stalking across the room and grabbing a rough towel, tossing it at him with very bad grace. "Here. You can sit under that for a while. I have other things to do - unlike you my duties depend on me using my brain."

She turned on her heel, returning to the front room and scooping up the sheet of parchment.

_And when I'd made a discovery like this, too._

She grimaced.

_But if I leave you alone, you may get sick. And you're my responsibility, and __**he**__ will get cross. I don't want that. He said it wouldn't be many days before he returned here, and so I want him to be pleased. I've done everything just as he told me - and I know he will be glad. I won't let you ruin it - no matter how annoying you are._

She glanced at the loose sheet of paper, then folded it, sliding it back into her _obi_.

_But this is treasure and he'll thank me for it. No...more than that. I think I can use it in another way even before he comes back here. That boy...Ryuu-dono...he read it too, before he hid it back in the book and put it where I could find it so easily. It agitated him, so the contents are not well known. Which means that...if I was to put pressure on people...I might have interesting results._

She grinned, her eyes lighting up.

_And then __**he**__ would be pleased with me for sure. Right, then it's decided. Once I've seen to the troublemaker, I'll look at causing some trouble of my own. A cryptic note should do the trick...just to start the ball rolling. They're all suspicious of each other already in that manor - it won't take much to spark that mistrust into a full blown fire._

She stepped back into the rear room, sighing as she realised her companion had not even reacted to the thrown towel and now it hung where it had fallen, half draped over his face and making his golden eyes glitter somewhat sinisterly from the shadows beneath.

"Maybe if I do this well, I won't have to look after you any more." She muttered with a sigh of resignation, getting carefully down on her knees at the boy's side and removing the towel. Slowly and not without misgivings she began to pick together the broken shards of jug into a pile, and then she turned her attention to unfastening her companion's clothing, loosening his _hakamashita_ and exposing his bare chest.

He did not flinch, merely watching her with a quizzical, flat gaze, and she glared back at him.

"Don't think I take any pleasure in undressing you." She snapped. "If it wasn't that _he_ apparently still has a use for you...if it wasn't for that, I swear..."

She faltered, slowly shaking her head as the words of another suddenly penetrated her thoughts.

_"We all have parts to play in this. In opening the world's eyes...in bringing the Clans to their knees. We all have things to do - like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, we're all important and we all have to stay focused. Even if it's hard now, when we succeed, everyone will be much better off. And the Clans...the ones who persecute and are wrong and who don't even know people are alive...they won't be there any more. Any of them. We'll make a new Soul Society - this is just the beginning. We're bringing a kind of justice, and helping to speed up what's coming anyway - the time when the Clans fall."_

She sat back, eying her companion thoughtfully.

"When _he_ says things like that, I can't speak against it." She said softly. "Even if it means I'm here on my own, or worse, stuck with you for company. Even if it means I have to work as a maid and take orders and wear these clothes...even if it means we're apart like this, still I can bear it. Because at the end of it, we're creating our world. A world we won't have to hide in any longer - a world where we can live as we choose without people standing in our way. It will be better, that way. And we've come too far to go back now. Even you have. So I'll dry your hair and find you new clothing, even though I hate the way you stare at me. Because when he gets back, we'll both need to be ready. And then things can really start to happen."


	13. Senaya's Nikki

**Chapter Twelve: Senaya's Nikki  
**

"You know, it's quite an unusual thing for you to seek anyone out at the main estate. Let alone to seek _me_ out."

Shirogane set down his flute, casting his visitor a quizzical look as he lounged idly against the window of his chamber.

"I am _persona non __grata_, as well you know – surely you create a bigger headache for yourself by consorting with me of your own free will? I know that you have been called to dine twice with Guren-sama directly – you should be careful whose company you seek otherwise."

"And yet I've come here all the same." Ryuu slipped into the room, pushing the door shut behind him with a soft click as he met his companion's gaze. "Do you have a serious objection to speaking with me? Because I don't have many days remaining to me before I return to District One…and I wanted…"

"To talk to me about something significant?" Shirogane's clever eyes narrowed and he nodded his head. "Feel free. As you can see, I'm overwhelmed with duties of my own at present."

He offered a rueful smile.

"In honour of Ribari-sama, all squad duties are suspended until the memorials end." He added bitterly. "Any Hollows are dispatched on individual order but Sixth Squad as an entity remains on hiatus until Guren-sama deems otherwise. I am required to await further orders in this regard. And since Seiren-dono is quite convinced I have no other use to the Clan than to act as a Shinigami…I have nothing else claiming my time."

He gestured lazily towards the flute.

"I have, however, mastered two or three new pieces these last couple of days." He observed pensively. "For which small gain I should be grateful."

"I didn't think you were the kind of person whose hobbies included feeling sorry for himself." Ryuu said archly. "For the time being, we are all in disarray. You are well aware that I take as much pleasure being thrust into the spotlight as you take being forced out of it. If we could swap places, Senpai, I would happily consent, but as we are…"

"I really think you mean such things." Shirogane sighed, shaking his head. "Seiren-dono would break his heart to hear it, but your honesty refreshes me. Well? What can I do for you, then, cousin Ryuu? Since nobody else in the Clan has any interest in me at present, how can I be of service to you?"

"I wanted you to come to the library." Ryuu said simply. "To the family archive – if you don't mind."

"I don't mind." Curiosity flickered in Shirogane's grey eyes and he nodded, getting languidly to his feet. "But I wonder why you want me there. I know it's your home from home when here – but…"

He pursed his lips.

"The _last _time you asked me favours there was to access secret records relating to illegitimate kinsfolk and that District boy you're so fond of." He added softly. "I trust given the current circumstances this isn't a similar request?"

"This doesn't relate to Ukitake's lineage, but there is something among the dynastic volumes I would like to show you." Ryuu lowered his voice. "Something that troubles me and which I don't want to say out loud. I don't really know what to do about it – or if anything should be done. It may not matter at all – but it might be important and since you trusted me with the truth of Ribari-sama's last words…"

"You think whatever this is relates to his death, don't you?" Shirogane was immediately alert, and Ryuu shrugged his shoulders.

"I pray not." He said cautiously. "But there is a possibility that it does. It isn't something that brings me any pleasure, and I had resolved not to speak of it to anyone. But…I will soon not be here to observe things, and in my absence…"

"I see." Shirogane's eyes darkened with comprehension. "In return for what I've asked you, you're going to ask me to keep watch on things here. That's about the size of it, isn't it?"

"Yes." Ryuu agreed categorically. "Because everything here is at all which ways at present. Knowing who has what intentions and who can or cannot be trusted is difficult at the best of times – but right now it is impossible. Truthfully, the only people in whose honesty I have complete faith are Guren-sama and Mitsuki."

"And as for me?" Shirogane questioned. Ryuu sighed, nodding his head.

"Yes." He admitted. "Since you have trusted me, I will choose to trust you too. In any case, I do trust your account of what happened that night. And I believe you want justice for Ribari-sama – I am coming to feel that so do I."

"That's an interesting attitude for one who Ribari-sama barely even spoke to." Shirogane remarked as he locked his door, and the two cousins made their way through the corridors towards the family archive. "That you'd care suddenly about who caused his death."

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"And there are a lot of significant names not on your trusted list." He added slowly. "Your parents. Futsuki-dono. Your sisters. Any other Clansfolk, in fact, aside from ourselves, Guren-sama and Mitsuki. Which means you believe this to be a Kuchiki conspiracy…don't you?"

"I don't know." Ryuu said curtly. "And speaking of it in the halls is imprudent. When we reach the library, I will show you – until then, this isn't a discussion we should continue in such a potentially public space."

"Agreed." Shirogane sighed, running his fingers through his wavy dark hair. "Though for you to call me up on discretion has to be a first. I'm sorry, Ryuu. I should know better – but as you say, things are at all which ways."

"You are still grieving." Despite himself, Ryuu softened his tones, casting his cousin a faint smile. "You had a genuine bond with the young boy – I did not. For me this is a matter of Clan inconvenience and perhaps something darker beneath. For you is the loss of someone dear – I should apologise too. I don't always realise how other people are thinking – and I should take more care before I speak."

"Four years at the Academy has done wonders for your social skills." Shirogane laughed, and despite himself Ryuu nodded wryly.

"It would seem so." He agreed. "But then, it is also true that there I feel more able to be myself than I do here. Here I am always stifled…do you never feel that way, surrounded by so much Clan finery?"

"I…didn't." Shirogane admitted, as he pushed back the door of the library, leading the way inside. "Until Ribari-sama died, I don't suppose I questioned even my good fortune to hold the position I did. But Seiren-dono is working hard to erode that position now, and I won't pretend I like it. I was a little naïve, too – to not realise how precarious my standing was and the reasons for it. When your entire future rests in the hands of particular Clan favour…that can be stifling. I won't pretend otherwise."

"I have always found it so." Ryuu sighed, moving across to the rows of books that listed the family's history going back several generations. "My mother and father, my sisters…are very stifling people to spend a good deal of time with. Therefore I know now that I have no interest in taking over this Clan. I would simply be surrounded by more stifling situations – and I do not believe myself capable of handling them. I lack your ability to manage people, Senpai – and I do not seek to be at the centre of power."

"So you've shut yourself in here whenever you've been able, even since being drawn so blatantly into Guren-sama's notice." Shirogane reflected, gazing up at the shelves. "One might suppose you were looking for a way to refute your father's desire to see you inherit - as though your sudden interest in dynastic volumes conceals a hunt for proof of your ineligibility."

"I won't deny it." Despite himself, Ryuu looked rueful. "I have been attempting that very thing."

"And?" Shirogane cast him a questioning look. "What success have you had?"

"None." Ryuu grimaced. "My line is absolutely without doubt the closest in blood to Guren-sama's and I am now the only son through a male line that holds any right to claim the Clan. There is nothing said about the children of those with insufficient spirit power being exempt from the normal line, and I have not been able to find any flaw that disproves me as the best claimant. On the contrary..."

He frowned, breaking off in mid-sentence.

"In any case, I brought you here to show you something I did find." He said instead, running his fingers along the spines of the thickly bound books until he found the one which he wanted. Carefully he pulled it down from the shelf, setting it down gingerly on the top of the nearest table, and Shirogane glanced at it in surprise.

"Why would this be of any interest to you? This predates even Grandfather's time - were you really looking this far back? To negate Senaya-sama's claim would be to call Guren-sama's own claim into doubt, and that would not be a wise move for anyone. Besides, Guren-sama's line is unbroken and runs directly back at least ten generations to before the Council of Elders was formed. I have seen such things for myself, so you are wasting your time looking."

"No...I know that." Ryuu shook his head. "I...wait. Senpai, you have studied these books recently?"

"I have." Shirogane nodded his head. "On Guren-sama's instruction, when he took effective charge of my education. He said that if I was to be accepted as a Second degree son, I should know well the dynastic history of my family. And so I do. Why?"

"This book...included with the rest?" Ryuu rested his hand on the faded cover, and Shirogane nodded again, looking flummoxed.

"Indeed, as I have just said." He responded, confused. "I have studied back ten generations and memorised them in order to pass muster with the Kuchiki inner court and to be accepted as worthy of second degree status. Why?"

Ryuu's eyes narrowed as he carefully processed this.

"You studied it following Masane-obasama's death?" He murmured, and Shirogane nodded a third time, moving to open the book.

"I did, though it didn't prove very interesting." He agreed. "Why? Are you regretting not knowing that before? I could've answered your dynastic questions without you doing all this research - and you would have learned sooner that there's no flaw in your family's bloodline."

"And that's how you came to know about Kinnya-sama and the records that related to Raiko-dono." Ryuu realised. "Because you had been forced to learn all of the dynastic connections to this Clan."

"Yes." Shirogane acknowledged with a sigh. "Though Kinnya-dono's official entry was falsified to say he had no offspring. Senaya-sama wrote Raiko-dono out of the family tree when he evicted her from the Clan. She is listed in one or two older records - the ones I showed you when you asked me for help to investigate her involvement with our family. But I saw it for myself in the dynastic volumes. Senaya-sama wrote out Raiko-dono's existence and so officially - in the records that anyone can read - she never existed."

"Yes, I did see that." Ryuu's expression became thoughtful. "It was written in a different hand - you are sure that was Senaya-sama's doing?"

"Mm." Shirogane agreed. "I've seen his _nikki_ as well, so I recognised the style of character. He kept a detailed one, you know - of all the things that happened during his time as Head of the Clan. Though some pages are missing - those relating to Raiko-dono and so on."

"Some pages are missing...from Senaya-sama's _nikki._" Ryuu repeated softly. "I have never seen such a thing - Father has never mentioned to me the existance of such a volume. I did not know Senaya-sama kept a diary of any sort. I suppose it is in Guren-sama's custody?"

"Yes...though Seiren-dono does know of it." Shirogane responded, flipping the old book shut with a snap. "Not that that has any connection to this either. And nor does the _nikki_ say anything particularly controversial. Mostly it's his political dealings. He didn't even record the birth of his sons in it, nor the birth of my mother. So you'd probably not find it very interesting. Guren-sama had me read it so that I would have an awareness of Kuchiki government. He didn't want to disappoint my mother by abandoning me - so he had me study all these things and then packed me off to Genryuusai-sensei's Academy to round off my training as a shinigami."

He smiled wryly.

"I think he would have liked to have trained me futher himself." He reflected. "But he knew that would look inappropriate when his own son was growing older and so he did the wise thing and sent me away."

"Ironically, Father sent me to District One because he didn't want you to have an advantage over me in training." Ryuu pulled a face. "Albeit a few years in your slipstream - he and Mother had to argue about it first, but he didn't want to think you'd had chances I had not. Because as you said - Ribari-sama took all the attention at court with training and so forth as he got older."

"Seiren-dono is a somewhat jealous individual." Shirogane remarked. "But...I have to say quite honestly...I don't think you take after him. We've never spent time together beyond the necessary on account of his disapproval of me - but perhaps that's a shame."

"I think so." Ryuu agreed. "At the very least, right now our aims are coinciding. We both want to know what happened to an important member of our Clan."

"Which brings us back to why you asked me to come here." Shirogane cast his companion a quizzical look. "There's something in this book you want me to see?"

"Yes and no." Ryuu pulled the volume back towards him, turning carefully through the pages. "It's not something that was written in here, exactly...but...it was..."

He faltered, chewing down on his lip as he realised the folded sheet of paper was nowhere to be seen.

"It was here." He murmured, his heart clenching in his throat as he realised the significance of that fact. "It was here, yet now it is not."

"What was?" Shirogane was completely bemused now. "If anyone took a page out of one of these books, Guren-sama would have their head. You can't think that..."

"No." Ryuu shook his head, shutting the book with a bang as he turned agitated grey eyes on his companion. "No, it's not that. It wasn't a part of the book - but something else concealed within it. I don't know that it was there by design or accident, but it was not part of this book. I had thought so, so I picked it up and read it - but its contents were...not from here."

He turned his attention back to the shelf, frantically checking the gap between the books for any sign of the mysterious loose leaf.

"Just one sheet of paper." He whispered. "That was here and now is gone."

"Can you tell me what it said?" Shirogane asked curiously. "If it's got you so anxious, then it was obviously quite important...?"

"You said Senaya-sama had a diary, yes?" Ryuu wheeled on his cousin once more, his expression one of urgency. "You said that...and Guren-sama has it. Is it possible...do you think he would allow me to read it? Or...?"

"I don't see why he wouldn't. He'd probably be glad if you did." Shirogane frowned, reaching out to grab Ryuu by the shoulders and giving him a short, sharp shake. "But you're going off the topic. What on earth was in this book that could have made you so suddenly like this?"

Ryuu swallowed hard, shaking his head.

"I can't say it aloud. I dare not." He whispered.

"You dare not?" Shirogane's eyes became slits. "Can you at least give me some clue as to what it contains?"

"I dare not." Ryuu repeated, shaking his head again. "Because if it was here, and it no longer is here...that means...it is in someone else's possession. And more, if you have studied these books more recently, then it was not here..and should not have been when I came here. Whoever left it here may have done so by accident. But if they have since moved it...it suggests that it has some significance. And that it might...be the reason Ribari-sama was killed. In which case...in which case..."

"In which case Guren-sama should be informed right away. Proof or no proof." Shirogane said sharply. "If you think that something is amiss, Ryuu, you can't just hide it and hope it will go away. We should go now - to see Guren-sama and you can tell him what you can't tell me."

Wordlessly Ryuu shook his head, and Shirogane gave him another shake.

"Why not?" He demanded. "Didn't you say you wanted to find justice for Ribari-sama?"

"Yes." Ryuu agreed. "But Senpai..."

He faltered, closing his eyes briefly as he fought to calm down.

"Without proof, it is not possible to approach Guren-sama." He murmured uneasily. "And there is no proof. It might simply have been my delusion - at least, so he may believe. And it may be that...in telling Guren-sama, the wrong person may come to hear of it. In which case, there may be...there may be greater danger. I am leaving District Six soon...and I do not believe my life to be at risk. But there are others who might be. Guren-sama himself, even. And...you."

"Me?" Shirogane snorted. "What value would there be in killing me? The assassins had their chance already and they disdained it. I'm not a target, Ryuu, and you're talking nonsense. Guren-sama isn't someone easy to kill either, and..."

"It's not that." Ryuu shook his head impatiently. "It has nothing to do with that. I didn't mean that he might be killed. And...if you knew...you might become a target."

"But you would not?" Shirogane demanded. Ryuu shrugged miserably.

"I don't know." He admitted. "I don't know what's going on. But it frightens me. Especially that what was here has now gone. Senpai, I don't want to create ripples without proof - just as you do not want to cause suspicion against the Shihouin-ke unecessarily by relating Ribari-sama's sighting to the wrong person."

"You're really not going to tell me, are you?" Shirogane looked thoughtful. "You think it would put me that much at risk?"

"I think...you are already at risk." Ryuu confessed. "By what you haven't told Guren-sama about Ribari-sama's death. If people knew you saw something..."

"They would discard it as delusion, hence I haven't relayed it." Shirogane cut across him impatiently. "But your word they wouldn't doubt. If not Guren-sama, why not Seiren-dono? He would listen to you."

"I cannot." Ryuu shook his head emphatically. "I will not. Please, Senpai. I can't speak of it any more. But I would...like to see Senaya-sama's _nikki_. If Guren-sama would let me...I should like..."

"I don't understand, but all right." Shirogane sighed, releasing his grasp and sinking back against the wall in defeat. "I can tell you're worried, and I believe you when you say you're worried about me - and about Guren-sama. I just hope that by keeping - whatever it is - a secret you're not going to make things worse."

"I also hope that." Ryuu agreed sadly. "But all I can do is - for now - go along with my Clan duty and wait to leave for District One. When I am gone, Senpai - please be careful. I don't know where the danger is, but I...think there is still great danger. And that there is much none of us understand."

"You seem to understand things I have no idea about, but I will trust you and take your word for it." Shirogane scooped up the old book, glancing at it and then returning it to its place on the shelf. "If there's nothing you can tell me, why don't we go to Guren-sama's study now? You can see the _nikki_ - I imagine he'll be happy you're showing an interest in such a thing, given your current position in things. I don't know why you want to see it, but..."

"To see Senaya-sama's writing." Ryuu said absently, and Shirogane shot him a suspicious look.

"You don't believe it was Senaya-sama who wrote Raiko-dono out of the family tree?" He asked. "Or you doubt my judgement in that regard?"

"Neither." Ryuu shook his head. "I believe you and I'm sure it was Senaya-sama who wrote Raiko-dono out of existence. I just...want to see something for myself. That's all."

"You're not making sense, but let's go." Shirogane sighed. "Guren-sama is closeted in a meeting this morning with Futsuki-dono and one or two other court members, so his study will be empty. The _nikki_ isn't a secure document and I don't think he'd mind if we went to look at it - he's always told me that whenever I want inspiration I should read Grandfather's words and take them as guidance. Ribari-sama studied it too - so he wouldn't have any problem with me going to get it. I know where he keeps it."

"All right." Ryuu nodded, relief in his grey eyes. "Thank you, Senpai. If you're sure, that would help. Even if it has nothing of interest in it, I would like to see Grandfather's writing."

"Whatever you say." Shirogane shot his companion a dry smile, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him towards the door of the archive. "This way is quicker - and we'll disturb less people."

"The servants' stairs?" Ryuu looked surprised, and Shirogane nodded.

"I know, but nobody will see us." He replied pragmatically. "I've found them very useful these last few days, you know - because people don't tend to think that Clansfolk will use such base routes, and therefore I've been able to slip the attention of various people wanting to watch over me. Your father in particular - he's the most diligent of the lot, since Guren-sama seems to have charged him with my well-being."

"I wonder if Guren-sama understands how much you dislike Father." Ryuu observed, and Shirogane snorted.

"It's an order from the Clan leader. Like and dislike are superceded by such things." He said curtly. "At least, so long as Guren-sama is present. But in any case, along this hall and down the next steps and we will be right outside Guren-sama's study. So it has brought benefits - I'm finding out many things I didn't know about this estate since I became a virtual prisoner inside of it."

"Father is probably also with Guren-sama this morning." Ryuu realised. "Otherwise he would have seen me come to speak to you, too, wouldn't he?"

"I believe so." Shirogane nodded. "He is Guren-sama's right hand man, so anything else would be odd."

"True." Ryuu sighed. "Right hand man, but not eligible to be his heir. Senpai, if Father was able to inherit this Clan, things would be...much more clear."

"I suppose, though I wouldn't like to live under Seiren-dono's rule." Shirogane said bluntly. "I'm coming to think that I might accept you - with a little bit of work and education and so on you might make a decent Clan leader. But Seiren-dono is unyielding, inflexible and quite honestly warped in his way of viewing his kinsfolk. I know I am beneath his notice and I have never tried to be otherwise - but he even seeks to prevent me from undertaking my Shinigami duties, now. And that, at least, is none of his business."

He paused, putting his hand on the door of the study.

"And we're here." he added unecessarily. "So no more pointless chatter. Guren-sama should be away from this place - but it's good manners to knock anyway."

He knocked softly on the wood, waiting for a response, but there was none, and with a shrug, Shirogane pushed back the door.

"As I thought." He said simply. "Come on. This is a servants' entrance and so it is always unlocked. Anything of value Guren-sama leaves locked and fastened away so there is no risk of theft. But the _nikki_ is not such an item - therefore if I remember rightly..."

He trailed off, pausing to examine the shelves against the back wall, and Ryuu moved to the window, feeling somehow funny being in his uncle's study without the Clan leader being present. The view from the window spread out across a good part of the grounds, and from here he could see Mitsuki sitting underneath a tree, a book spread out beside her. Inwardly he envied her that moment of peace and tranquility.

_As a hime and as a Third degree clanswoman, Mitsuki is not important. She is not connected to any of this...as a healer, she can help, but beyond that, she is not involved. Unlike me...she can keep her distance from where the true poison lies._

"Here it is." Shirogane's voice brought him back to the present and he turned to see his companion setting down an old book on Guren's desk, gesturing to him to come see. Ryuu did so, pushing his regrets aside as he came to stand beside his cousin.

"This is Senaya-sama's _nikki_." Shirogane said briskly. "But as you can see, it's nothing particularly dramatic or illustrious looking. Senaya-sama is considered a particularly noble head of the Clan because of the kinsfolk that have followed him - mostly Guren-sama and Seiren-dono. So that's why it's been kept as such an important account. However..."

"You don't believe it to be so?" Ryuu questioned, moving to smooth the aging paper down beneath his fingers. "That Senaya-sama was not a great Head of the Kuchiki?"

"I think he was probably all right." Shirogane admitted. "The_ nikki _paints his policies as safe and cautious, and his manner as well understood by those around him. He seems to have considered his immediate family extremely precious - it's often said that he and his wife had a strong love connection, which for the Kuchiki-ke is somewhat unusual at that level. Well, you know that, I think, better than me."

He shot Ryuu a wry glance, and Ryuu nodded, remembering his often feuding parents.

"Indeed." he said soberly. "Well? But? So far he sounds like a good Clan leader."

"But he was assassinated." Shirogane reflected. "And though the Shihouin took the brunt of the blame, a lot was never proven. There were members within the Kuchiki also involved in the conspiracy. Senaya-sama never suspected those people, and he was not able to control them. It was Guren-sama who did that."

He smiled self-consciously.

"Perhaps I carry bias." He added. "But that would imply Guren-sama to be a more effective Clan head than Senaya-sama was."

"I suppose we'll never know." Ryuu said gravely. "But it was fortunate indeed that Senaya-sama had Guren-sama to inherit and to wipe the Clan clean of insurrection. Also, that Father and Guren-sama made up their childhood quarrels in order to avenge the assassination and bring solidarity back to the Clan. It's often been said that a fraternal feud was quashed by the death of our Grandfather - though it seems an extreme way of achieving family peace."

"Hrm." Shirogane's eyes became slits. "That's interesting. I've never heard anyone else say it like that before."

"Like?" Ryuu was startled, raising his gaze to his companion.

"Perhaps I read too much into it." Shirogane admitted. "But for a moment I thought you were suggesting Senaya-sama's assassination was a tool from the Kuchiki to bring a shattered family together."

Ryuu was silent for a moment.

"We will never know." He replied. "And it would be foolish to so speculate. Senaya-sama was murdered and the Clan was taken over by his son. Stability was returned. All was well. Until now - when stability is threatened again."

"True." Shirogane admitted. "But even so, I was interested that you would say it. Because...I've wondered about it too."

"About...?"

"Whether Senaya-sama's murder was something more than it seemed." Shirogane sighed. "I've heard him called a martyr. Haven't you? But to be assassinated by greedy underlings and to not be able to see their plotting - surely that isn't a martyr but a fool?"

"Perhaps." Ryuu agreed uneasily. "However, in the current climate, talking of such things..."

"I know." Shirogane nodded. "But it bothered me...it has bothered me. Whether...Senaya-sama knew he was going to die. And planned for it, even. That he feared a civil split if his sons were not to repair bonds, and so plotted with loyal followers willing to die for him...an extreme way of bringing the family back together. For the sake of the Kuchiki, honour comes before life. The Clan comes before anything. I've often wondered if that was Senaya-sama's true greatness - to mislead everyone and create mistrust of the Shihouin in order to stabilise his family for the future."

He smiled faintly.

"If so, that would make him a great Kuchiki worthy of such reverance." He added. "But like you - I don't know."

He reached out a finger to tap the cover of the _nikki_, a pensive expression on his face.

"That book bothers me, to be truthful." He said with a sigh. "It's such a haphazard yet perfectly sculpted account of Senaya-sama's time as leader of the Kuchiki Clan."

"What do you mean?" Ryuu shot him a startled look, and Shirogane's eyes became troubled.

"I told you I had to study it. Read it over and over to get some feel for the kind of world Senaya-sama governed in and the decisions that were made when he was in charge." He said quietly. "And it's true that he kept very detailed accounts - of some things. He's renowned for having been a family man who cared a lot about his children - yet despite that their births aren't even mentioned. He spent _two pages_ describing Guren-sama's betrothal ceremony, and the same again with Seiren-dono's, though. And he kept tediously detailed accounts on certain political decisions or treaties or whatever else - but detailed as they are, they don't entirely agree with some of the other official records."

"They don't match up?" Ryuu felt a chill touch his spine. "You mean that...the _nikki'_s information is not true?"

"I don't know if it is or it isn't." Shirogane sighed. "More it seems...incomplete. Though the pages all tally together quite smoothly, it seems as though bits were left out - or removed - maybe on purpose. If so, it was skillfully done...but it led me to wondering about the reasons why."

He folded his arms, leaning back against the wall of the study.

"There's hardly any mention of Kinnya-sama in the book, either." He added. "Especially after the time about when we know that Raiko-dono was exiled from the Clan."

"I was led to understand that his self-imposed exile began at that point." Ryuu reminded his companion. "And because of that fact, he and Senaya-sama probably fell out."

"Perhaps." Shirogane's eyes narrowed. "Or that is what we have been given to believe, based on the little information we have. But here is where I become curious. You see, almost all of the important acts or decisions issued during Senaya-sama's regime were counter-sealed by Kinnya-sama. One or two even were entirely confirmed by his crest, which implies Senaya-sama gave him a high level of trust in his government. Some of the older minutes from court meetings that have been locked away in archives also indicate he was highly active politically and that - _despite_ the indiscretion of having birthed a child with a common woman - he had a good deal of respect within the court itself. More, he always spoke freely in difficult debates, yet the _nikki_ mentions nothing of the sort. And Kinnya-sama's seal continues to appear on documents issued _after _Raiko-dono would have been exiled. They continue to do so _right up until Senaya-sama's death_. At which point..."

"Guren-sama took over." Ryuu whispered, and Shirogane nodded.

"He and your father." He agreed. "And so they stop. It's no secret that Seiren-dono and Guren-sama hated each other - the_ nikki_ even mentions a couple of incidents where sword spats between them almost became really violent. Yet after Senaya-sama died, they were united in the cause of purging the Kuchiki of dissidents and potential assassins. In short, their emnity for one another was less than their hatred for their enemy. Or perceived enemy. I don't suppose it mattered much which."

"Do you think Kinnya-sama was involved in Senaya-sama's murder?" Ryuu asked softly, and Shirogane sighed.

"That's a dangerous question." He mused. "I don't know. What I do know is that Kinnya-sama didn't benefit from it. If he had political power before Senaya-sama died, and forsook all of it afterwards - it seems unlikely that he would have conspired in the business. It seems he undertook his exile entirely voluntarily...he has not been cast out by the Clan, but he chooses to stay away. But...if you are asking whether he acted on Senaya-sama's orders and with knowledge of some other secret scheme - that I don't know. There are far more questions than there are answers - the more you read, the more you find you do not know. But I do think that most things that happened during Grandfather's time, Kinnya-sama would've known about. And more, may have acted on. Even if the _nikki_ says otherwise. It is possible that pages were taken from the _nikki_ - either by Senaya-sama or by someone else following his death. Maybe even Kinnya-sama himself. But they probably no longer exist, and so we'll never be able to find out for sure."

"Mm." Ryuu turned back to the book with a faint sense of trepidation. "Guren-sama would not forgive you for suggesting such things, however. And so you mustn't. We mustn't. Especially not here."

"Yet you do agree with me, at least to some extent." Shirogane reflected. "Very well. That's enough for me. Since I wonder if that has a bearing on Ribari-sama's death, too - I thought I'd sound you out, and see."

His gaze drifted to the _nikki_.

"Well? Did you find out what you wanted to know?"

"Sadly...I fear so." Ryuu sighed, his heart heavy as he nodded his head. "The writing is indeed Senaya-sama's. And more...the sheet of paper that has now become lost...was also written in this hand. More, it was...perhaps...from this book. Though I can't be sure, and cannot compare, I think...that it may well have been so. Perhaps it was removed by Senaya-sama himself - but perhaps it was not. That would seem to support your conjecture that the nikki was once more complete - but such thoughts make me uneasy, and I do not wish to pursue them further."

He stood upright.

"Besides, the offending document is gone and is now in unknown hands." He added. "What you said about Senaya-sama may be considered treason if others were to hear it, Senpai. If you are harbouring such conspiratorial thoughts, you should keep them to yourself and be extremely cautious. If Senaya-sama's assassination was a farce and an illusion then it means the Shihouin who were alleged to be involved may not have been at all. Which throws into question why Ribari-sama...saw what he saw."

"Or they have no connection." Shirogane agreed. "Don't worry. What I said was for your ears alone. I have no intention of taking it to anyone else."

"For my ears...?"

"On the off chance you are the future of this Clan, I wish to trust in you and the integrity I believe you have." Shirogane smiled. "Because at present, you and Mitsuki alone seem to be willing to listen to me and not consider me mad."

"No. You are not mad." Ryuu said firmly. "Not if you can draw together such political reasonings. I do not believe what you told me to be false or delusionary. But that fact alone may make you a target...for someone. If you are not already. So I will caution you again - take care when Mitsuki and I are gone."

"I can defend myself, and certainly more than either of you can protect me." Shirogane snorted, his fingers brushing the hilt of his _zanpakutou_. "Don't worry. I'll be all right. And I will be trying to find out what I can - even the thing you won't tell me, if there's a way. If it relates to Ribari-sama's murder, I'll do anything I can, no matter what it is."

"What are you doing here?"

Before Ryuu could answer, a fresh voice broke into the conversation and he tensed, swinging around in trepidation to face his father. There was an angry look on Seiren's face, and as the senior Clansman strode across the office towards him, Ryuu knew that he was not amused.

Seiren's hand closed around Ryuu's wrist, pulling him away from the table while his other hand snatched up the open volume, glancing at it and then at his son.

"Father's _nikki_." He murmured. "Ryuu, what...?"

"I wished to see it, and Senpai said he knew where to find it." Ryuu resisted the urge to wrench his hand free, for he could see real anger in his father's gaze. "With the things we've discussed recently, I realised I had such little understanding of Senaya-sama - and I wished to understand more. Senpai studied this _nikki_, and so I thought...so should I."

"Mm. Perhaps that's so." Seiren released his hold, closing the book with a snap and slipping it under his arm. "But without speaking to your Uncle first? This is his study...and besides..."

His gaze flitted to Shirogane, and Ryuu was struck by the hatred that burned in his eyes.

"There are unsuitable people that you should refrain from spending time around at present." He said blackly. "Shirogane may have had favour from Guren-niisama in some respects, but Ryuu, now he is beneath you. You should not call him Senpai - and you should certainly not seek his guidance. He is merely a shinigami of Sixth Squad, regardless of how he might consider himself. And you are my son - please remember what that means."

At those words, Ryuu stiffened, his expression becoming impassive as he slowly bowed his head.

"Yes, Father." he said flatly. "I understand fully what such a thing means."

"See that you keep it in mind, since what you do now may have an impact further reaching than you imagine."

Seiren turned his attention back to the bristling Shirogane.

"As for you...you have no business with my son. Understand? Perhaps you were close to Ribari-sama - and even the one who was training him in the arts of the Shinigami. But you have already proven yourself incompetent in that regard. Ribari-sama is dead - either because you did not adequately discharge your duties to him, or you sought him some form of harm. You alone know which the truth is - but I will not have you tainting my son and luring him into your trust."

"Father!" Despite himself, Ryuu was dismayed, but Seiren was not in any mood to listen.

"Silence." He snapped. "I have not asked for your opinion. Important as you are now, you are still bound to obey your Father and you still do not understand many things."

Ryuu bit his lip as Seiren advanced on Shirogane, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"You will not come near Ryuu again without good reason." He said softly. "Do you understand? You are not required to do anything but attend to Sixth Squad - and if you try to push yourself too much into my family's business, I will be forced to report your conduct to Guren-niisama. Don't think you fool me - I know what you are and what you want. And you will not get it so long as I am here."

Shirogane's expression glittered with indignation, but somehow he controlled himself, bowing his head stiffly in Seiren's direction. Then he was gone, and Seiren sighed, rubbing his temples.

"You should be careful around that boy, Ryuu." He said frankly. "He may seem trustworthy, but he has no power of his own and only seeks to usurp that belonging to others."

Ryuu stared at his father, suddenly disliking him all the more.

_The same could be said of you, Otousama, considering how hard you are pushing for me to become heir._

The thought flitted unbidden across his mind, but he did not voice it out loud. Instead he bowed his head once more, lowering his gaze so that Seiren could not see his own displeasure.

"Yes, Father." He murmured softly. "I will give great thought to everything you have said. I did not mean to cause a disturbance - I simply wanted..."

"To understand your ancestors, as any Clan heir should want to do." Seiren glanced at the_ nikki,_ then held it out. "And there is no reason for you not to. Guren-sama would not mind - he would like to see your interest."

"I will speak to him about it in a more appropriate way." Ryuu raised his head. "For now, I have things to prepare for my departure to District One. Please excuse me, Otousama. I also have much to do before I leave."

"Then do so." Seiren nodded, lowering the book. "This will be here when you come back...and by then, I hope, everything will be set in stone. This uncertainty around us will soon fade - try not to give it too much thought. You can rely on me in your absence to do everything to push your claim."

"Yes, Father." Ryuu eyed him for a moment. Then he turned on his heel, leaving the study and making his way slowly down the corridor to his own room.

_There was real hate in Father's eyes then. Not just dislike, but a real mistrust._

Ryuu's brows knitted together.

_The plot grows darker, deeper and more and more obtuse. I only hope that my being in District One won't allow...things to get even worse._

_

* * *

__**How dare he?**_

Shirogane stormed through the corridors of the Kuchiki manor, his eyes glittering with anger and his entire self bristling with indignation at the way in which Seiren had addressed him. Gone was any pretence at respect or delicacy - in that moment, Seiren had launched a tirade at his nephew, and Shirogane had been too perceptive not to see the real venom behind it.

_Guren-sama was not there, and so he thought to belittle me in the harshest way he could think...by implying my involvement in Ribari-sama's death._

He clenched and unclenched his fists, resisting the urge to bang them against the walls with some difficulty as he ran over the conversation in his mind once more.

_Has he been saying such things to other people? Is that why suddenly I feel so stifled? I would not put it past him. When he looked at me, it was as though he considered me something unmentionable. __He's never looked at me like that, or spoken to me so bluntly before._

He slammed back the main door, stalking into the grounds in high dudgeon.

_Mother would be turning in her grave. I've always been led to believe Seiren-dono was fond of her - but obviously that fondness doesn't extend to respect for her only son._

His eyes narrowed.

_No. It's more than that. It's more his own interests than it has anything to do with Mother or Father or anything else. To Seiren-dono, it's already decided. Ryuu will be Guren-sama's heir and I am simply an eyesore who potentially could get in his way. I have no __claim__ to anything myself, but I do have Guren-sama's favour - something Seiren-dono has never liked. And so he seeks to destroy me - in order to gain support for his own son._

He flopped down on the grass, now giving in to his fit of temper and drumming his hands frustratedly against the grass as he leant up against the trunk of one of the many sakura trees.

_I wonder if he has any idea how Ryuu thinks regarding any of this. The irony is that since Ribari-sama's death I am coming to realise that my other male cousin is far from the useless shadow I thought he was, but possessed of a mind of his own and more, a brain to analyse the situation in which he finds himself. That he is so violently opposed to the idea of inheriting is almost as vehement as Seiren-dono's desire to see him named._

"Shirogane-senpai?"

A soft voice broke through his thoughts and he glanced up as a shadow fell across him, meeting the concerned grey gaze of the young healer.

"Mitsuki." He murmured, and Mitsuki sank down onto the grass beside him, shooting him a quizzical look.

"Your aura is all disturbed and your spirit sparking with fire." She murmured. "Did something happen? You look angry enough to kill someone."

"Possibly I am, but fortunately I am in better control of my emotions than a few days prior and so I did not." Shirogane clenched his fingers around the blades of grass, absently pulling them up and dropping them back onto the ground in his frustration. "Angry is perhaps an understatement - furious may be a better word. But I must contain that emotion - I must, and so I have come here, where it is supposedly peaceful, in the hopes I might calm down."

Mitsuki's eyes became thoughtful, then she settled herself more comfortably beside him.

"Have you clashed with Seiren-dono once again?" She asked gently, and Shirogane nodded.

"All I do since Ribari-sama died is clash with my honoured Uncle." He said bitterly. "Although as it stands he would probably not tolerate that terminology from me. He more or less implied that I was involved in Ribari-sama's murder - or that I was negligent and so let him die. He said things I will not easily forgive him for...not even if I live to be seven centuries old."

"He said that? To your face?" Mitsuki's eyes became big with shock, and Shirogane nodded again.

"Ask Ryuu. He was there to hear it too." He agreed blackly. "Apparently I'm not worthwhile company for my cousin now - Seiren-dono is fixed on making him Guren-sama's successor, and therefore I am simply some unpleasant object he wishes to steamroll aside. I have no claim, and I am a nuisance to him. He made very clear his feelings - in all respects."

"What did you do?" Mitsuki looked apprehensive, but Shirogane shook his head.

"Nothing." He replied. "As I said, fortunately I have a better grip on my sanity now than I did before. I simply bowed and left without a word. I'm not sure how I did, to be honest..."

He sighed, flopping back against the tree once more as the tension flooded out of him.

"Or maybe it was because Ryuu was there." He admitted. "And he looked...dumbstruck that Seiren-dono would say such things. I didn't want to make a more difficult situation for anyone, so I left. It wasn't a satisfactory conclusion, but in the circumstances it was all I could do."

He glanced at his grass-stained fingers.

"Seiren-dono does not understand his son even a little bit, though, it seems." He added softly. "It is a pity, because I am coming to understand why it is you think so much of him."

"You and Ryuu are becoming friends, then?" Mitsuki looked surprised. "Even just a little bit...you're starting to spend time together?"

"Not any more." Shirogane shook his head, grabbing up a stray pebble and tossing it viciously across the ground towards the exposed root of another tree. "That was Seiren-dono's objection. How dare I consort with his precious son - I, who stole my status through favour and fondness for my mother on the part of Guren-sama? That was his message. Stay away. Even though it was Ryuu who sought my advice this time - even that did not matter."

"But I'm sure that isn't what Ryuu thinks." Mitsuki said sensibly. "Just because Seiren-dono got cross and misunderstood...he's quite a forceful person, Seiren-dono. When his mind is fixed, he doesn't easily change it. But Ryuu isn't easily influenced in his views by what his father says to him. So..."

"I know Ryuu's thoughts and feelings." Shirogane cut across her. "It was all too clear in his eyes that he didn't agree with anything Seiren-dono said - to me or to him about the Clan. Because of that, I contained myself. Because of that, I didn't assault my Uncle. But I was sorely tempted, Mitsuki. More even than I was in the mausoleum. How dare that man speak so to me, when he is not even a Shinigami nor has any blood right either to consider himself high ranking in the Clan? He pins all his hopes on a son who wants nothing to do with it - and he himself pretends that being Guren-sama's brother makes him the most significant ally our Clan's leader has. But the truth is, he's nothing. A younger sibling with no power. Worse than a woman - no matter how good his sword skills. A woman at least has value in marriage. Seiren-dono has not even that."

"Senpai, you do realise you're talking to a Clanswoman at the moment, don't you?" Mitsuki arched an eyebrow, and Shirogane shot her a rueful grin.

"I know, and I suppose that sounded offensive." he acknowledged. "I'm sorry. It wasn't what I meant. Simply...in terms of Clan tradition - the inheritance of the Clan falls only through the male line. But a _hime _can still marry and bring prestige to a line. A man with a direct bloodline but no spirit power is useless in most regards. He is no more secure in his status than I am, except that he has Ryuu. And Ryuu does have a claim, so Seiren-dono can hide behind it."

"Ryuu's said sometimes that he's sure the only thing that united his parents was the desire to have a son and make Seiren-dono's line have a purpose." Mitsuki remembered. "But...Ryuu doesn't really like his parents very much, so...I thought he was just being cynical."

"Even if he was, he thinks sharply." Shirogane sighed, loosening the tie on his long hair and allowing the curls to fall loose over his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Mitsuki. I seem to be using you as a sounding board rather often of late. I would understand if you didn't tolerate it - since I have barely even acknowledged your existence before this incident began. I had considered you just a _hime_ on the outside of the family's awareness - born of a foreign mother and not like the rest of the family. But...perhaps I am the same in many ways."

A flicker of amusement touched Mitsuki's expression at this, and she smiled.

"I didn't realise you were a _hime_, Senpai." She said, her tones mock-serious but her eyes full of laughter. "That would make the situation more complicated."

"Mitsuki..." Shirogane stared at her, then he burst out laughing, the last of the tension leaving his body as he swiped playfully at her arm. He shook his head.

"No, I assure you, that is one secret I do not keep." He said, humour in his own gaze. "But thank you. I needed to laugh...and I have done it seldom few times lately. Perhaps that is why I'm coming to realise your presence is important - I am able to talk to you freely without worrying about the implications of what I say."

"Nobody would listen to me even if I did have an opinion to give." Mitsuki said matter-of-factly. "And that suits me. But I'm glad I can help, Senpai. If I can, then it's worthwhile my being here still. I don't have a part to play in Ribari-sama's memorials, and he probably wouldn't have known me by name. I could easily have slipped away sooner - but I've stayed because I thought I might be of use. If not to anyone else, to you and to Ryuu. Since both of you are in awkward positions, now."

She pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"If necessary, I can fill the divide between the two of you." She added. "If there's anything you want Ryuu to know before we leave for school, I can tell him. Seiren-dono tolerates me, mostly. He wouldn't think anything of me being in Ryuu's company, since we've been close for so long."

"I'm not sure there is anything." Shirogane looked pensive. "A good deal was said before Seiren-dono arrived - things we will doubtless both give some serious thought. Ryuu is intelligent, and I am glad of that fact. Whatever happens from this point on, I think we both need our wits about us. I don't think it's going to be an easy ride, even if Ryuu submits to his father's wishes. There is still an assassin out there...unidentified and roaming free."

He sighed.

"I want to find that person, and bring them to Guren-sama's justice." He admitted. "I can't let it go - I won't let it go. But I don't know where to begin. Ryuu thought he had a lead, but then he said he didn't...or that it was too dangerous if he did, so he didn't speak of it further. Perhaps he was right - I don't know. But in the meantime, all I have that I can do is find out who killed our other cousin. It's the only thing I can do for Ribari-sama, even trapped here like I am. So I will keep trying to do it. All I know is that - Seiren-dono to the contrary - I had no part to play in a plot on Ribari-sama's life. And so it seems that I am not just looking for justice for him now. I seek it for myself too - to clear my name from these careless aspersions being cast about."

"Ambition sometimes counts for more than truth. Honour for more than life." Mitsuki said softly. "Be careful, Senpai. I don't think you should tangle with Seiren-dono if you can avoid it. You should probably stay entirely out of his way until he's satisfied you're not intending on contesting Ryuu's claim."

She eyed him doubtfully.

"Or are you?"

"I'm not." Shirogane shook his head. "There is nobody else to take on that mantle, and I...am beginning to think Ryuu might be worth supporting. But it's down to Ryuu himself whether that will or won't happen. He is the one looking to oppose it - and that has nothing to do with me."

"No, but he probably knows that to do so would only create more chaos now." Mitsuki looked troubled. "I'm worried about it - about him and you and about what's going to happen. Perhaps if Ryuu agrees...Seiren-dono will calm down and everything will be all right. But what you say about the assassin also bothers me. If it was someone outside of the Clan, they might just as easily target Ryuu next. And if it was someone within the Clan...who knows what their end goal is?"

"Exactly." Shirogane agreed grimly. "Which means you should be careful too. For your sake and for Ryuu's, - you're sharp and you'll be with him, so you keep an eye on things around him in District One. All right? Just in case...since we don't know what we're dealing with."

"I already intended to." Mitsuki nodded solemnly. "My _zanpakutou_ can't kill anyone, but it can help sustain life. And I'll do whatever's in my power to keep Ryuu safe, Senpai - you have my word on that."

* * *

Seiren pushed open the room of his study, fastening the door firmly behind him and sinking down behind his desk with a heavy sigh. The confrontation with Shirogane weighed heavily on his mind and as he glanced at his hands, he realised that they were shaking from the force of his emotion. A mixture of anger and fear coursed through him at intervals and for a while he just sat there, struggling to get a grip on his composure.

He had left the meeting with Guren, his half brother Futsuki and their higher ranking ministers early, with the reason that he had some overdue provincial land holding documents to countersign before a particular deadline passed. Guren had dismissed him without question, and Seiren had quickly taken care of his outstanding business, knowing that with Ribari's death still hanging over the family, such delays in processing would probably have been expected. Truthfully, he had let them linger on account of other matters – writing to agents posted in key areas of the District and doing his best to garner support and approval for his son's claim. As Guren's right hand man, he commanded a force of men almost as big as the Clan leader himself, all of whom were poised and ready to go into action if need be to persuade the local regional leaders to accept Ryuu as the next heir of the Kuchiki. All it needed now was Guren's word to make it official, and Ryuu would be the next heir apparent of the Kuchiki Clan.

When a messenger had arrived to his office, therefore, bearing a message with no official seals, he had not been overly concerned. On the contrary, he had been expecting correspondence from the coastal region for some days, for his Uncle Kinnya was always slow in returning official messages and would undoubtedly be the last to confirm his support for Ryuu's claim. Seiren did not think Kinnya would oppose the idea – nor did he expect that the old man would bother to become involved in the matter more than he had to anyway, since he had more or less excluded himself from the Clan proper on the excuse of ill health for years. Still, formality was formality, and Seiren knew that Kinnya's bloodline meant that his opinion must at least be sought. The old man's self-appointed exile from his family meant he seldom marked his letters with the crest that his position officially entitled him to, and so when the messenger had delivered his letter, Seiren had been sure that it had been Kinnya's approval at long last.

Yet as soon as he had broken the seal on the letter, Seiren had realised his mistake.

The note was short and to the point, written on distinctive parchment and in a hand that suggested a far younger style of writing than the old fashioned kanji Kinnya still favoured. It was written in black ink, but of a quality that reminded Seiren of Guren's own special supply, and as he had read the words, a chill had run down his spine.

"_If you value your son's future, pay close attention to your Father's past. All secrets are known to me. I do not bluff."_

He had read the letter several times over, unable to believe what he was reading and yet unable to refute what was right there in front of him on the page. And as he had read it for the tenth or eleventh time, a dull, hollow feeling had begun to creep over him, inch by inch until it consumed his whole being.

"Father's past. Ryuu's future."

He murmured the words out loud now, sliding his fingers into his obi and pulling out the creased sheet of paper once more. The words were still there, printed deeply into the expensive parchment, and as he gazed at it, fear once more flooded through his body.

_Such a thing to happen now, with so much close to being finalised.__ It could be a bluff…but if it isn't…_

His mind tracked back again to the encounter in Guren's study. Ryuu had not asked him why he was there, nor had Shirogane, and for that fact he had been glad, for their presences had thrown him completely off-kilter. That _they _should be there at that time, and reading the book that he had gone seeking had been a second shockwave through his already troubled system – and then, little by little, things had begun to fall into place.

_Expensive parchment, just like that which Masane used to use…Shirogane alone has paper like __that.__ Characters that represent a recent script – even if he tried to conceal his own characteristics, the writing is far too modern in style to be anyone of an older generation. Black ink such as that used by Guren…but he made a gift of some of that ink to Shirogane at New Year, when that wretched boy commented on how nicely it flowed across the paper. True, I do not know that it bears any resemblance to his writing. But I'm sure I could find out._

He dropped the parchment down onto the desk with a sigh.

_Perhaps that drug he was exposed to did turn his mind. Or perhaps there's more going on in his head than any of us realised before. But the trouble __is,__ what to do about it? If by some fluke Shirogane found out something he should not have done…and he then used that information…what would it mean for Ryuu? And that's another thing. Till now, Shirogane and my son have barely had contact – now I find them together, in Guren's study, reading old documents with no apparent explanation as to why. _

His eyes narrowed.

_But the pages that relate to…certain things were removed a long time ago. They were removed and nobody should have seen them. __**I**__ shouldn't have seen them…and certainly Guren has no idea of it. But that fact __alone means__ I can't go to him with this, either. I have to get to the bottom of it myself – and ensure while I do so that Shirogane and Ryuu are kept far, far apart. Until I know for certain what that boy intends – I will not put Ryuu's life at risk. The letter said it – if I cared about my son's future, to look to Father's past. If Shirogane knows what he shouldn't know...it could even relate to Ribari-sama, in which case… _

"You seem agitated, Father."

At the sudden sound of his eldest daughter's voice, Seiren started, pushing the sheet of parchment hurriedly between the pages of a book as he raised his gaze. At his response, the girl's grey eyes widened, and a thoughtful look entered their depths.

"You seem _very_ agitated." She observed softly. "Has my brother caused you more vexation, or is something else on your mind?"

"Ryuu…" Seiren sighed, rubbing his brow. "What is it, Murasaki? I've got a lot of work, that's all – things to consider and in a time when so much is going on."

"I'm not fooled." Murasaki did not take the hint to leave, instead settling herself before her father's desk. Of all of his four daughters, she was the most astute, and as he glanced at her now, he knew that he would not dismiss her questions as easily as he might one of the others.

"I wasn't trying to fool you." He said now. "It is true, as it happens. I do have much to do."

"But that expression wasn't caused by work – was it?" Murasaki raised an eyebrow. "You always work hard, Father. That's the reason you're always here, isn't it – as opposed to what people say about you staying here to avoid being in Mother's company. Not that such things have ever concerned me," as Seiren opened his lips to protest. "I have my own family and my own concerns and your marital arrangements are both understood and overlooked for the most part. But whilst I'm here and I can see you – this isn't the Father I'm used to seeing. Will you not talk to me, Otousama? Even as a girl, won't you share your troubles with your own flesh and blood?"

"If you were a son, my life would be easier." Seiren muttered. "Hell, if you all were sons, then I would have less headaches overall."

"Then Ryuu is the trouble?" Murasaki's lips thinned. "What has my foolish younger brother done now, and would you like me to speak to him? He is unsuitably dense given his position in this family, but at this critical time especially…"

"Ryuu is not the problem." Seiren shook his head. "And you shouldn't speak of him so, Murasaki. He has never been as forward in family affairs as any of us would like, true, but he is not incapable of giving a good impression of himself. On the contrary, he has spoken very well in Guren-niisama's presence, and I have heard many favourable things said about him from other members of the inner court these last few days. He is growing handsome, as well – I imagine that when he finally completes his time in District One, we will not have a problem securing him a bride. No, Murasaki. Ryuu's time has come and that very fact itself puts me on edge."

"I see." Murasaki rested her chin in her hands, dark locks of hair falling delicately over the shoulders of her cream kimono as she gazed at him thoughtfully. "Ribari-sama was murdered, and his killer still not caught. If Guren-sama were to name Ryuu as his successor, you fear the target may change – and that Ryuu might be the one who the killer settles on next."

"Mm." Seiren drew a shaky breath into his lungs. "You must see that that possibility exists. Whether the one responsible is a Kuchiki or isn't, Murasaki, they have already eliminated one eligible claimant to the Clan title. There exists…only one more with the right bloodline to inherit. That is your brother. If something befell him…"

"If something befell him, not only would the Clan be in flux, our own family's standing would falter, wouldn't it?" Murasaki's eyes narrowed. "Because we are simply girls, our children cannot benefit the Clan. Even though I have a son of my own, and even though I am Guren-sama's niece by the closest blood imaginable…even then, my child could not be considered eligible. There are other sons, but they fall further and further from the centre of the family. I understand, Father. If Ryuu were to die…"

"That is why I have decided to let him finish his time at the Academy, because there is no other claimant and I will not risk his life unnecessarily." Seiren agreed, looking weary. "If only more of you were sons – but you are not, and that can't be changed."

"No." Murasaki acknowledged. "But perhaps you should also be glad of that fact, Otousama. That the rule of the Kuchiki is so strict…means that there is no competition for my brother in inheriting this Clan should Uncle pass away."

"Meaning?" Seiren stared at her, and Murasaki smiled.

"Shirogane-dono is older than Ryuu." She said simply. "And of a higher level of training even though they aren't more than a few months apart."

"Shirogane is no part of this." Seiren snapped, his tones harsher than he intended, and Murasaki's eyes widened.

"I see." She murmured. "Then _he_ is the cause of this distress."

Seiren groaned, shrugging his shoulders.

"I have never liked Guren-niisama's fondness for him, even though I know it was done out of affection to your aunt Masane and for no other reason." He admitted. "Masane was dear to us both – and her poor health meant she was spoiled in all her wishes, no matter how inappropriate they were. Her marriage was only one of those factors – but nobody imagined that with two elder brothers, any son of hers would ever be more than a peripheral concern to the Clan as a whole. However…"

"However, Shirogane-dono is quite close in Guren-sama's favour, isn't he?" Murasaki was thoughtful. "To become his Vice Captain and also the _shishou _of his only son are surprising honours for a boy whose father was a Fourth degree man famed more for his military skill than his bloodline or connections. Even though his mother was Masane-obasama…most children are designated by their father's blood, not their mother's. For Shirogane-dono to be given Second degree status…is an honour indeed for one born in his condition."

"As you say." Seiren's eyes narrowed. "Futsuki's children have never aspired to the social levels Shirogane has attained – and that even despite the fact Futsuki is a man of good blood, even if not of the direct line."

"He is fortunate indeed." Murasaki reflected. "But he has displeased you in some way, I can tell. Do you worry, then, about his interfering with your plans for Ryuu to become the next Kuchiki heir?"

"I can't tell for sure." Seiren admitted. "I've never had a fondness for him, but his actions and decorum has always been acceptable up to this point. He is talented, and he has always shown the utmost respect for everyone in the inner court. Hence I haven't tried to interfere in what were my sister's final wishes – that Shirogane be useful to the Clan and not forgotten on her death. But now…I don't know. His behaviour since Ribari-sama's death has been erratic and irrational and I don't trust it."

"He was drugged with a strong hallucinogenic, was he not?" Murasaki asked. "So Ryuu has said, when I spoke to him. He is close to that strange Edogawa _hime_, so I supposed his information to be true."

"It is." Seiren agreed. "And perhaps the drug has turned his brain in a more permanent way than we realised at first. Mitsuki believes him recovered, and so does Guren-sama, but…the truth is…I am not so sure. I think…there was one incident in which he might have struck out at me, had Mitsuki herself not intervened. And…as a shinigami of rank in Sixth Squad, it concerns me…what he may now do."

"To _avenge_ Ribari-sama?" Murasaki murmured, consternation in her gaze. "Or something more?"

"Shirogane has no claim to this Clan." Seiren said shortly. "Just as I do not. The rules are explicit. But in his new, deranged state, it's possible that he no longer takes note of such a thing. Today I found him with your brother in the archive, Murasaki – I do not trust him so close to Ryuu in this unsteady mental state of his. If Ryuu is vulnerable to attack, and Shirogane unstable…I must work my hardest to keep them apart. Yet I fear Shirogane turning violent – against Ryuu, against me, or against one of you. I am not able to defend against a _zanpakutou_ – whatever I can do against a bare blade. And you girls…even less."

"Ryuu has a _zanpakutou_." Murasaki pointed out, and Seiren nodded.

"But Shirogane's training is to a higher level." He said tiredly. "Another reason to send your brother to District One – and away from Shirogane's company."

"Shirogane-dono must have done something alarming indeed, to make you so concerned." Murasaki mused, and Seiren nodded.

"Maybe." He agreed. "But suspicions and fears are only that – and even if they were more, I could not disclose them to a _hime_."

"I'm sorry. I'm overreaching my station." Murasaki did not look particularly penitent, meeting her father's clouded gaze with bright, thoughtful eyes. "But you believe Shirogane-dono might plot against Ryuu – that in his imbalanced mental state, he might even blame my brother for Ribari-sama's death? This is concerning…surely you should discuss such a thing with my Uncle at once?"

"Guren-niisama is still grieving the loss of his son. The subject of the succession is one he has said he will not address until Ribari-sama's memorials are completed." Seiren shook his head. "For now, I cannot trouble him with such a thing. Besides, it is obvious that in Ribari-sama's absence, Ryuu is the next claimant to the Clan. There are no others. There will be no argument to the contrary."

He rested his hand on the book as he spoke, as though afraid his daughter could see the written words of the note through the thick pages.

"Once Ryuu is back in District One, maybe things will settle." He murmured, more than half to himself. "And we can begin putting the proper order of the Clan ahead of the fear of conspiracy and death."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**Senaya's Nikki.**_

_"Nikki" is the Japanese word for diary, and during the Heian period in Japan it was not uncommon for these to be kept by people at court - namely important nobles (such as the Regent) but also some of the Empress's ladies in waiting (one famous one being that written by Murasaki Shikibu in the late 900s). Nikki __were__ often not quite like what we consider a 'diary' to be - neither just a list of dates nor a personal account of feelings and thoughts, although those come into it (particularly where women are the writers). Quite often political accounts were written into these - and often prose passages were interspersed with poetry that was very popular at the time. I'm not sure whether the ancient Soul Society Clansfolk were quite as into poetry and waka - but given that this is the Kuchiki, I think anything is possible!_

_Two chapters this week just because I'm on holiday =D  
_


	14. A Job For Shunsui

**Chapter Thirteen: A Job for Shunsui**

It was definitely far too early in the morning to be up and about on such a fine spring day.

Shunsui stifled a yawn, a rueful expression on his lazy features as he padded reluctantly down the hallway that led to the Headmaster's study. It was the middle of the second full week of classes, and on account of the fact the Seniors did not have any formal seminars or lectures until the afternoon, Shunsui had been looking forward to another legitimate lie-in, confident of his ability to catch up on note-taking and report-writing in the evening hours. Instead, however, he had been awoken after several attempts by Hirata to find that a second year had brought a message to the Senior study and that he was to go see Genryuusai immediately.

After wracking his bleary memory for any misdeed he might have committed in the short time they had been back, Shunsui had not been able to bring anything particularly to mind, and so it had been with a clear conscience that he had dressed, dragging a brush hastily through his messy hair and pulling what was now almost long enough to brush past his shoulders into a tail behind his head to keep it out of his way. It was times like that when he envied Juushirou's straight hair, for even when he tried to be neat, Shunsui's hair always had other ideas and in the end he had given it up as a bad job, aware that keeping the Headmaster waiting after such a summons probably would not go in his favour.

Consequently here he was, before breakfast, knocking on Genryuusai's study door with a mixture of sleepy apprehension and annoyance.

"Come in."

The old man's voice came crisp and clear through the wood and Shunsui sighed inwardly, then pushed the door back, stepping into the chamber and bowing his head towards his companion.

"Good morning, Shunsui." Genryuusai's grey eyes flitted over his student for a moment, then his moustache twitched slightly to indicate his smile. "I trust I didn't disturb your sleep too much by summoning you here this early?"

At this, Shunsui gave a rueful smile of his own.

"I think you know me too well, Sensei." He admitted sheepishly. "I wasn't really awake until about fifteen minutes ago. Please speak slowly – I'll try to understand, but it takes my brain a little while in the mornings to fully get into gear."

"Well, I thought it might serve as an adequate wake-up call." There was humour in the old man's eyes. "Though of course there is another reason for my calling you. Come sit down, please…there's a matter I'd like to discuss with you."

"Yes, sir." Shunsui nodded, obediently coming to sit before the desk, and Genryuusai rested wizened hands on the smooth wood, meeting his gaze with a thoughtful one of his own. A few moments of silence passed, and then the old man nodded.

"Five years is a very short period of time in shinigami terms." He said softly. "In respects of my life, it is nothing more than the flapping of one insect's wings in a swarm or a drop of rain falling in a typhoon. Yet even though that is true, in almost five years I believe I've seen a change in you, Shunsui. A change for the better – from a young fool that nobody could have faith in to a Senior in whom I can have trust."

"Sensei…" Despite himself, Shunsui reddened, discomfited by the sudden praise, and Genryuusai laughed.

"Ah, but for you, I suppose, five years has not been so short." He ruminated. "I suppose you think I've worked you hard – and mercilessly at times – to get you to this point?"

"Well, if this morning is anything to go by, sir, I suppose that's true." Shunsui's lips twitched into another rueful smile. "Waking me before breakfast to speak to me on a day I have no morning classes…I almost might think you did that on purpose just to see how quickly I could scramble to get here."

"You did quite well." Genryuusai agreed. "You were somewhat quicker than I anticipated, in fact…obviously hurried dressing is a skill you have practiced to perfection over the past few years."

"Mm. Perhaps." Shunsui acknowledged. "But it might be going too far…if I revealed all of my secrets to the staff."

"Indeed." Genryuusai let out another soft chuckle. "Even now you are precocious and not afraid of me – are you?"

"I'd like to think I have enough self-preservation to be a little scared of you." Shunsui owned. "Because even though I've never seen it released, I know your _zanpakutou _could probably kill us all before we even knew you'd drawn it. And it's better to be a little afraid of things like that – it keeps your wits sharper, if you are."

"That's a good answer." Genryuusai looked approving. "Exactly what I would expect from my top ranking student."

"Well, I might not be that, now, sir." Shunsui pointed out. "We've done no assessments yet this year – and the classes have changed. But I suppose in this place it's impossible not to learn something – whether you want to or not, it kinda ends up in the brain either way."

He shrugged philosophically.

"Fighting it is a lot of bother – so I decided not to."

"Mm." Genryuusai's expression became thoughtful once more. "But this is quite a change, I think, from the young boy who shed tears in my office in his first term, telling me how he didn't want to kill Hollows because they were too much like us. Is that still how you feel, Shunsui?" As his student looked embarrassed, "No, there's no need for that face. The past is what it is and can't be changed – learning from it and moving forward is more important than trying to cover your tracks completely. I'd like to know if being here has convinced you – if learning what you've learnt has taught you – that becoming a shinigami is the right thing for you to do? If, when you leave here…you will be able to accept your Clan's responsibilities with a clear heart?"

"I don't know." Shunsui said honestly. "If that's all you brought me here for, Yama-jii, I don't think I can give you a clear-cut answer. Until I graduate, I probably won't know. But…if it counts for anything, I don't regret my coming. I don't regret the things I've learnt so far – or having Katen Kyoukotsu at my side. Whether I'm cut out to lead or to wear a _haori_ – I suppose we'll find out. But for now…I guess I don't have regrets. And I…think I've moved on from that conversation in the first year."

"But you still slip sometimes and say things you shouldn't." Genryuusai rubbed his beard. "You are very careful, most of the time – but I see your habit for affectionate nicknames hasn't changed."

"I…" Shunsui coloured again, then he laughed. "I'm sorry. I called you Yama-jii again, didn't I? I really try hard not to call you that to your face – but it's hard, sometimes, because…"

"That's how you refer to me to everybody else." Genryuusai said dryly. Shunsui faltered, then nodded his head.

"I suppose it is." He acknowledged. "I'm sorry. It's not very polite, is it?"

"I don't really mind it." Genryuusai reflected. "But not in school time, and not before your juniors. Understood? When you become a Captain of the Gotei and wear a _haori_ of office, then you can call me what names you choose. But until then, I'm your sensei…and until then, you should do your best to remember it. All right?"

"Yes, sir." Shunsui nodded. "I'm sorry. I really will try not to slip up."

He rubbed his eyes.

"But I'm still half asleep." He added. "I don't do well first thing in the morning – it's easier to catch me out then."

"Well, there is a reason for my bringing you here, other than to ask you odd questions about your time at the Academy." Genryuusai admitted. "I just wanted to know, first of all, what your thoughts were. You are not an easy boy to read and you conceal your reiatsu quite well when you want to – so it's not always possible to know whether or not you're moving in the right direction. You are as infuriating as your Father was and just as gifted – but I hope that where he fell into bad ways, you've risen above them and found your own path. As you said yourself – time will tell whether you are ready to take on what is admittedly a very big responsibility for anyone. But if you aren't regretting your time here – or your having become a shinigami – I feel I can push you that one step further. And so to my real reason for summoning you…a matter I mentioned to you in brief at the start of term."

"A matter you…" Shunsui frowned, then his expression cleared. "Ah. This has something to do with one of the Fourth year students, doesn't it? You said something about my training someone – you were serious about that?"

"Yes, quite serious." Genryuusai nodded. "This particular student is left-handed, and given your own ability in that regard, it seemed the logical thing to do. You are the only member of Senior Class to fight with two hands on an even standing."

"That's not quite true, Sensei." Shunsui objected. "Juushirou fights two-handed, just like I do."

"No…Juushirou has _learnt _to fight with both hands because Sougyo no Kotowari demands it." Genryuusai shook his head. "It is not instinct for him but hard work that has allowed him to unlock that skill – that and the support of his sword spirits in guiding him. His ability has come on greatly – but he is still naturally right-handed and therefore I am not so confident of his ability yet to train a fully left-handed student as well as he would a right-handed one."

"Surely it doesn't make a lot of difference." Shunsui frowned. "It's sword skills overall – the hand in which the blade is held doesn't matter, does it?"

"It does and it doesn't." Genryuusai replied evenly. "In any case, you should be aware that of all of the Senior students, you are the only one who can be considered truly ambidextrous…the only one who fights as _instinctively_ with his left hand as with his right. It's true that you have never topped your Ouyoudou class rankings, but I'm well aware that that's because you've never tried to – I'm sure if you wanted to surpass Shihouin or Enishi you could quite happily have done so over the past few years. You've chosen not to go that extra step – for reasons of your own – but now I want to test you to your limit a little more. Because whatever you do to your own skills, Shunsui – I don't believe you would sacrifice another's to suit your own laziness, now would you?"

His eyes bored into Shunsui's at that point, and the student laughed.

"That's mean, Sensei." He reproached. "Using some kid's training as emotional blackmail to make me work harder."

"I will use whatever methods are necessary to get the students who should achieve to achieve." Genryuusai was unrepentant, offering Shunsui a calm smile. "You are a challenging student, but a highly gifted one. Next year it will be more than your abilities that are in your hands, but the well-being of others. There is no choice in this – even if you were not ready to take the _haori_, I know my hands are tied and I cannot change the fact you will receive it. You know it too, don't you? That the Kyouraku-ke won't wait any longer and that we need Eighth Division reopened and active once more."

"They might be forced to, if I didn't graduate with the others." Shunsui eyed Genryuusai speculatively, and the old man pursed his lips.

"And you would like that, would you?" He asked softly. "To lose your friends to the Gotei and be forced to repeat?"

"No." Shunsui said frankly. "I would hate it. That's the main reason I keep up with my work and take my assessments seriously. I don't care about being top, and mostly Juushirou and Ryuu work harder than I ever have so if one of them finished the year top I wouldn't hold any grudges about it. But I don't want them to leave me behind. Juu and I promised each other years back that we'd graduate and become shinigami together and so I don't want to be the one who screws that up."

He grinned sheepishly.

"My brother is also fed up of waiting, I think." He added. "He hasn't rushed me, but I know the Clan are pushing him because they're fed up of foreign squads having to police District Eight instead of a native Captain. It's been a long time since there was a proper, active Kyouraku Captain, and they've more or less fixed that duty on me since I was born. So I don't suppose I'd be any too popular if I didn't graduate this year with everybody else."

"Then you have made up your mind to it completely, even not knowing whether or not you can manage it?" Genryuusai asked, and Shunsui's dark eyes became serious. Slowly he nodded.

"If you don't like something, sitting back and avoiding it doesn't change it from happening." He said quietly. "Juu said that to me in first year and I've never forgotten…whenever I've wanted to give up or slip back, I've remembered stuff like that. There are a lot of things I don't like about Seireitei at the moment – about the Clans, about the elitism, about the way ordinary people can be treated because of their bloodline not their ability. Even as a Clansman, that attitude disgusts me, and I've always wanted nothing to do with it. But if I take Eighth Division's _haori_, then it will be in my hands to do something – even a little bit – to change the pattern. At least in Eighth District, I can try and make sure that people who aren't Clan aren't ignored or discriminated against in any way. And I can make sure they're protected at least from Hollows, if not from other things beyond my control."

"And you tell me you don't know whether or not you can be a leader." Genryuusai murmured softly. "When you sit and say such things with that look in your eyes. I'll tell you the answer to that question, Shunsui. You were capable of this before I even met you. That natural instinct to protect was born into you – it's nothing you've learnt here. You just had to come to realise your own strengths – and to want to use them in the right way. And now I want you to pass some of those strengths on to another who needs guidance. I won't force you to accept it – but I hope you will choose to all the same."

"Like Nagoya had to train Juu before you'd let him graduate, this is the same kind of test, isn't it?" Shunsui's eyes narrowed, and Genryuusai nodded.

"In some ways, it is. In others, not." He said cryptically. "You are not Nagoya, and your paths are different. But yes, you may see it like that. Senior students must be able to help out those below them. This is one such opportunity…will you accept it?"

"Without knowing anything about the student?" Shunsui looked suspicious. "Should I be wary of that, or just assume that there's nothing exceptional about what you're asking me to do?"

"Nagasata Kaoru is a fourth year with great natural sword ability, but who fights left-handed." Genryuusai said evenly. "There is nothing else that needs to be said. We are not talking about a student as frustrating or complex as you were to train – on the contrary, Kaoru has an open and eager personality and is always willing to learn new things. Term has settled into its pattern a little, and so I've decided now is the best time for this to begin. Given that, what is your opinion? You are probably the only student in Senior class who can properly train this child – will you accept?"

"I suppose, on that evidence, I won't refuse." Shunsui said with a sigh. "It's not that I mind – just that I hope you're not blighting this kid's future by doing things this way. All right, Sensei. I'll take this Kaoru on as my _deshi_."

"Good." Genryuusai looked pleased. "Then I will make the necessary arrangements for you both to use the training grounds. If it's possible, I'd like you to meet there in the next day or two, because I don't want to delay this any longer."

He nodded decidedly.

"Yes, I think that would be best. I will send a message to confirm it with you when I've spoken to the child myself. Thank you, Shunsui. With your agreement, I'm sure that Kaoru is in safe hands."

"I hope you're right." Shunsui glanced absently at his fingers, then shrugged. "I suppose we'll see."

"Shunsui, one more thing before you leave." Genryuusai settled his aging frame more comfortably behind his desk, eying his companion seriously. "I asked you on the first day that you support Juushirou in the tricky position I have given him. I'd like you to tell me please…how you think he's finding his new responsibilities?"

"Juu being Juu, he's tackling them head on." Shunsui looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure what else to say about it. It's not been entirely easy, but…I don't think…he's particularly phased by the challenges."

"You answer very evasively, but it's quite all right." Genryuusai remarked. "I'm well aware of the hostility of my kinsman towards my choice. I have heard his views on the subject and have also spoken at length to his father to explain my reasons most clearly. You can speak plainly to me in the confines of this room, Shunsui – do you believe that I have given Juushirou a harder task than he deserves?"

Shunsui was silent for a moment, considering this carefully. Then he shook his head.

"Juushirou needs it." He said quietly. "I see that and so do other people. Heck, I think _he_ sees it, too. That if he's going to be taken seriously in the Gotei, this is his first test. And he's up to it – those of us who know him know that and we're backing him up where we can. It's really Juu's test though, isn't it – like mine is training this Kaoru kid, Juu's is stepping up and proving that District or not, he's where he ought to be. Otherwise all the work over the last few years will be for nothing – because Gotei is still Clan dominated. And he…will be the first one to come to it without that noble support."

"Yes, I thought you would have seen that." Genryuusai nodded. "But it is for another reason as well. Juushirou's position is precious and important – highly significant in fact – in blazing a trail for the future of this world. There are too many Hollows and not enough shinigami – my Academy has begun to tackle that problem by producing students who can join squads and fight where in the past only one individual shinigami was trying to take on everything more or less alone. Nagesu-dono's developments in _zanpakutou_ science means that we no longer destroy Hollow souls, therefore the balance of this world is improving – but it's happening at too slow a rate. There is no imminent danger of this world collapsing, but in a century, two centuries, perhaps three at the most – the situation might be quite different. The Clans can't possibly take on all of this battle alone – they need help. But finding that help…has been the real challenge."

"The Urahara experimented with _reidoku_ for that reason." Shunsui said pensively. "But that as a method failed."

"Yes. Because giving people false levels of power is reckless." Genryuusai nodded. "A soul can only tolerate the levels of power it was designed to manifest – anything beyond that level and it rails out of control either sooner or later. Your family, my family – all of the Clans in one way or another felt the impact of that error of judgement. But error though it was, it taught us that that was not the solution. And so I've looked for another solution…that perhaps outside of the Clans there are those who have what those inside the Clans do."

He smiled.

"Juushirou knows, I think, that from the beginning I saw something very special in him." He murmured. "That his power, if nurtured and allowed to grow would make him flourish into a strong and able shinigami, even despite his physical frailties. The more I look, the more I find District souls who have enough native _reiryoku_ to learn to wield a _zanpakutou_. These people have reason to learn to fight – to defend their homes and their families, not simply act on the duty of a Clan. The trouble is even now many are afraid of taking that path. Afraid of their Clan's reaction – afraid of the dangers they may face, and whether or not they can even succeed. Juushirou is…proof that they can. And by making him such a figurehead…I hope…"

"That the school will gain more District students in the future." Shunsui's eyes narrowed. "You really are a canny individual, aren't you, Sensei? Does Juu know you're using him as a saleable commodity? I think it might hurt his pride."

"I haven't put Juushirou anywhere he doesn't deserve to be on merit." Genryuusai said dismissively. "I'll be honest with you, Shunsui - my choice of Anideshi this year was ultimately between the two of you, but although Juushirou's rank has never been above yours, on balance, I felt him to be the much more sensible choice."

"I would have mutinied if you'd chosen me." Shunsui admitted frankly. "I never thought you would, though, so I'm not surprised you thought Juu should be it. Obviously he should be it. There's no way I'd take it as seriously as he does...I don't have his patience or his way with people."

"One thing that I have always appreciated in you, however, is the ability to see and admit your own flaws even to the point of over-stating them." Genryuusai mused thoughtfully. "You are lazy but not arrogant - and you are wrong if you believe you have no skill at socialising. Albeit, perhaps, you devote too much of that skill to the opposite sex."

His eyes narrowed briefly, and Shunsui met his gaze sheepishly, knowing he could not refute his companion's words.

"Besides, I have your measure as much as I have your friend's." Genryuusai concluded. "Juushirou becoming Anideshi was the logical choice on two counts, not just one. I won't say this to him, but I will say it plainly to you. If I had given _you_ that title, you might have been willing to slack off and not take it seriously. But if I gave it to _Juushirou_ - I had every expectation that you would rise up to support him as best you could."

His eyes twinkled, and Shunsui offered a rueful smile, knowing he had been out-thought.

"Like with this Kaoru kid, if it's looking out for someone else rather than just handling it myself..." He murmured, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Your natural instincts are protective and loyal and have been right from the first time I met you." He agreed lightly. "I wanted you to know, therefore, my reasons and that this year I consider you Juushirou's equal in most respects. He is Anideshi, but you are there to support him. It's a new concept - I've never before had a student who operated as a natural second - but you two always strike me as a particularly potent team and I felt exploiting that would be ultimately to the Academy's benefit. If I can trust things to you, I need not worry about my Seniors, and therefore the juniors will also be well. You won't let me down...or more, you won't let your friends down, of that I am sure."

"I can't argue with that." Shunsui rubbed his brow absently. "I'll help him out, Sensei. Though you're wrong if you think I'd do as good a job as Juu, even if I am top ranking. I...if it's a matter of unofficially being his deputy...or whatever you want to call it...I guess I don't mind that. And perhaps I'm not as bad with people as I made out, either. But I'm not...like he is. I can't really explain what it is, but I know - we all know - that he's got something the rest of us haven't."

His lips twitched slightly in amusement.

"And I don't mean just _haibyou_. Although sometimes I think that that...having that...has made him fight and work twice as hard as anyone else and is part of the reason he's like he is. Honestly, there are a whole ton of things I want to shake him over, and there are times he drives everyone mad with his straight-forwardness and his wanting to believe the best in everyone. But it's not just that Juu needs to do this to prove himself to Seireitei or anyone else. He's _designed_ that way - to lead, even though he's born the way he is. This is just putting him where he should be. It's Seireitei who's been wrong, keeping him down. You've just...by doing this...I feel more like you're putting things to rights. It's not an experiment. It's the logical course of action to take."

"Mm." Genryuusai stroked his beard pensively. "You do tend see things that most people don't, Shunsui, which is why I have been so honest with you. It's an uncanny knack of yours and one that will stand you in good stead when you leave here - you have moved beyond the stage of being protected. You're right, too - Juushirou is a leader. But I don't believe that his level of birth will always count against him. I'm working quite hard to the contrary, as I think you know. Not just where he's concerned but for the wider picture. I haven't chosen Juushirou to lead this year because of his background - I've done so because of his character and his ability. But if having a District Anideshi helps bring more District children to the Academy – so be it. You may already be aware that Kira Hideharu came as a student because his family found out that Ukitake Juushirou was going – and since then, more and more have trickled in through the doors. In time, I hope…perhaps…even Rukongai might not be the no-man's land it is now and that souls there with potential might gain the chances of their District and Clan brethren. But for now this will suffice. And in the short term, my expectation on you and your current classmates remains simply that you continue to support Juushirou in all respects. Understood?"

"Even if you didn't say it, we would. Even if you ordered us not to, we would." Shunsui got to his feet, bowing his head slightly towards his teacher. "We've been a team since first year and we'll remain one right up till graduation – even if then we're scattered all over the Gotei."

He paused, then frowned, eying Genryuusai quizzically.

"Sensei, if Juushirou is able to be Anideshi this year, and nothing goes wrong…he _will _be able to join the Gotei, won't he?" He asked softly.

"Normally to enter a squad, a fee is paid from the family to the centre of the Clan and papers are exchanged." Genryuusai said quietly. "Since all squads are currently formed from Clan members, and mostly from the same Clans as that which Captains it. But there will be changes in the future, and you have my word, Shunsui. Juushirou has not worked this hard to be forgotten. He has more support among the Clan leaders than even I expected he would have at this stage – and he will be able to join the Gotei on graduation."

"Well, if none of the others will recognise him, I will." Shunsui said firmly. "If he isn't welcome in any other squad, Sensei – you can put it on record that he'll be welcome in Eighth."

"I will keep that in mind." Genryuusai's eyes twinkled. "In the meantime, I hear the breakfast bell, and you should go and join your peers before they wonder where you are. I expect your missing classmates to return the day after tomorrow and then you will be able to spread duties a little more – but for now, the Senior class is in short supply and there are a lot of rowdy students first thing in the morning."

"Yes, Sensei." Shunsui made to leave, then paused, turning back to face the desk.

"Missing classmates…Sensei, does that mean that Ryuu and Mitsuki will finally be coming back to school soon?"

"Indeed, unless you know of any other missing classmates." Genryuusai looked amused, and Shunsui offered him a sheepish smile.

"I suppose not." He acknowledged. "All right. But…can I tell the others that? Most all of us have been worried about them somewhat, and…"

"Yes, by all means." Genryuusai agreed. "As you say, it's been a worrying time for many. But Shunsui – much has happened in District Six. You are not to question either Ryuu or Mitsuki on anything relating to their Clan unless they choose to disclose it. Understood? The situation there is murky and uncertain – and it is no business of any of yours."

"Already absorbed and understood." Shunsui promised. "We won't harass them about anything. Honestly, we'll just be glad to have them back."

He grinned, inclining his head forward in a slight bow once more, then, "Thank you, Sensei. I'll look forward to hearing from you about starting training with this Nagasata Kaoru."

With that he withdrew from the office, shutting the door carefully behind him.

"You took a while." A voice made him start and he swung around, meeting Hirata's questioning gaze with a surprised one of his own.

"Hirata? Were you waiting for me?"

"I was." Hirata pushed his glasses further up his nose, nodding his head. "Juushirou-kun went to the hall when he heard the bell and Shihouin-kun and Houjou-kun went with him, but I said I was going to come meet you. Juushirou-kun was worried that you were up and about so early, but I told him I knew where you were, and so I'd go get you and bring you downstairs."

"I see." Shunsui eyed his companion keenly. "You didn't tell Juu I was with Yama-jii?"

"No." Hirata shook his head. "Because I didn't know if you'd want him to know."

"Why not?" Shunsui was startled, and Hirata offered him a faint smile.

"Because I thought Sensei might want to talk to you about Juushirou-kun." He admitted softly. "And I didn't think Juushirou-kun would like it very much."

"Mm. That was smart of you – he did ask how Juu was doing and made sure we were all doing our bit too." Shunsui rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully. "But originally he called me there about something else. He wants me to take on a student from the Fourth year to train with a sword – you know, _zanpakutou_ raising and that kind of thing. He did mention something about it at the start of term – but I guess he was serious about it."

"_You're_ going to be someone's _shishou_?" Hirata's eyes widened, and Shunsui snorted, elbowing his friend playfully.

"What's with that look?" He demanded, a mock hurt expression on his face. "Do you think I can't do it?"

"No…" Hirata faltered, then shook his head, offering an embarrassed smile. "I didn't mean it that way. I just…I wasn't…Sensei…"

"It seems odd, doesn't it?" Shunsui sighed. "But I think it's all part of my proving that I can take a _haori _and be a Captain when I finish at the Academy. Yama-jii wants me to work with this guy because he's left-handed, and I'm the only one who can fight naturally with my left. Apparently even Juu won't do for this assignment, because I asked – it has to be me or nobody."

He laughed.

"No pressure. I'm feeling sorry for the boy already."

"Mm." Hirata's expression became one of amusement. "Well, if it's like that, you can't really do much about it, can you?"

"No." Shunsui shook his head. "Yama-jii intends me to work this year, and he's proving it right from the outset. I guess I haven't a choice, Hirata-kun. I'm working, like it or not."

"Well, in that case, I hope you're going to be easier to wake in the mornings." Hirata said archly, then he frowned. "Shunsui-kun, do you…think it's all okay?"

"What?" Shunsui sent his companion a curious look, and Hirata sighed.

"Juushirou-kun as Anideshi." He murmured.

"Do you not think he should be?" Shunsui was floored. "Hirata, of all people…"

"No, it isn't that. I mean, I know he should be." Hirata shook his head. "It's just…even now…there are so many people who look down on him. So everything…every year…he has to fight against something to prove himself. And now…this is our last year, probably. And he's got this to worry about too. Yamamoto-kun is unpleasant to him, and there are some of the Fifth years who look at him as though they'd like to slash his throat if they got him alone. I just…worry about it. That…something is going to go wrong."

"I see your point." Shunsui reflected. "And in a way I think that's why Yama-jii asked me about him this morning, too. But he doesn't need to know that the subject came up, all right? I think if you put it to Juu himself, he'd say he welcomed the challenge this has given him. Having to fight for things all the time has made him strong as he is – but it does suck that attitudes still haven't changed all that much. _We_ are so used to it now, we don't even think about this whole District and Clan thing. But this change in our class listing has just highlighted it as an issue once again. When we hit the Gotei, it will happen once more. When Juu encounters people who don't know him – he's going to have to keep proving himself, probably for a long time to come."

"Sensei's preparing him for that, then?" Hirata looked pensive, and Shunsui nodded.

"I think so." He agreed. "But he has us to back him up, so we must. You too – even if you are worried."

"I suppose so." Hirata agreed. "I don't like it, but I see your point. It probably…is that way. And you know I will back him up – there isn't a chance of me doing anything else."

"I know that." Shunsui grinned, patting his companion on the back. "So let's go and help out in the dining hall. I bring some good news, at least – Ryuu and Mitsuki will be back the day after tomorrow and then we'll be a full set again."

"Oh!" Hirata's eyes widened, and then he grinned ruefully.

"Juushirou-kun will be glad. He's missed both of them." He observed thoughtfully, and Shunsui nodded.

"Sensei's said we're not to badger them or ask them questions unless they offer information of their own accord." He added. "Which makes me think there's a lot of bad stuff in District Six and he doesn't want it spreading here. But that's fine with me – I don't want any involvement in this anyway. If they're coming back it means things must be settling down – and we won't let them dwell on what happened more than we have to. All right?"

"Fine with me." Hirata agreed, as they reached the door of the Dining Hall. "Probably they'll be glad to get away at long last – I know I would be, in that situation. I won't bother them about it either, Shunsui-kun. Like you said – it's nothing to do with us and we're best off not being involved in any more Clan chaos. The last two years have been…pretty settled that way, and I'd like it to stay that way if possible."

"Amen to that." Shunsui said pensively. "And it seems relatively calm in here considering it's morning meal. I guess Juu and the others have got everyone under control and we're not needed to play police."

"It's a funny feeling, being expected to take charge of things without warning." Hirata reflected as they filtered through the melee of students to grab their own trays and food. "I'm still not used to it."

He looked awkward.

"Yesterday I had to stand sentry on the main gate at the end of classes." He murmured. "It felt very strange, and all I could think about was the number of times I broke bounds with you all in the First year in particular. It made me wonder if all the other students were doing the same thing and whether there was any point us being there anyway."

"Mm. I wonder. I expect the Seniors when we were First years had the same problem." Shunsui reflected, scooping up his tray and leading the way to where Juushirou, Enishi and Kai were engrossed in a spirited debate over something or other. "And you people seem cheerful this morning, considering how early it is – what's so exciting that you didn't even notice us approach?"

"Shunsui!" Juushirou started, then sent his friend a sheepish smile, gesturing for him to take a seat. "Kai-kun and I were trying to explain to Enishi-kun why using a low level spell can sometimes be better than using a high level one in a combat situation."

"That sounds overly academic for the breakfast table." Shunsui observed. "What brought that on?"

"Kazoe's assignment." Enishi pulled a face. "I hate Kidou theory and I won't pretend otherwise, but I really don't get why that's the case. If you're fighting a strong opponent, you need strong techniques, surely? I can't figure out why you might use Geki rather than a more powerful spell if that opponent is just going to smash through it."

"It's not the spell but the wielder that matters." Kai responded, and Shunsui could tell from his friend's tones that the discussion had already been going on a while. "Good grief, Houjou, I don't understand why you find this so difficult to absorb. Think of it with swords, all right? If you have a _wakizashi _or you have a _nodachi_ – would you say one is less significant a weapon than the other?"

"Of course not." Enishi snorted. "But you wouldn't deploy them in the same kind of battle situation, would you? Besides, swords are tangible. Spells aren't – so it's not simply a case of choosing your weapon and getting stuck in."

"But it's exactly that, Enishi." Juushirou pointed out. "Look. If you have a sword, and you fight a battle with it, you expect a certain result – right? No matter whether the sword is a top level crafted weapon or a mass-produced _asauchi_. Yes? True, the weapon can have an influence, but really, it's not the type of blade that's dictating the fight but the person wielding it. Don't you think so?"

"Well…yes." Enishi looked flummoxed, and Hirata smiled.

"If you gave me the same sword, I wouldn't fight the same battle." He said softly. "That's what Juushirou-kun and Kai-kun are trying to say, Houjou-kun. It's not the weapon that's important but the strength of the wielder. Kazoe-sensei's assignment is a trick question in that regard – he wants you to think beyond the spell to your own strengths and weaknesses and how you might deploy them in a fight against an enemy capable of high-level attacks."

"Well, I'm glad you people are here to explain it, because I never would have reasoned that on my own." Enishi sighed, running his fingers through his cropped hair. "All right, I think I see now what you mean. Whether I'll be able to make any progress or not I don't know – but at least I've grasped the basic idea, so with any luck I can write something that Kazoe will accept."

"Do we have to debate Kidou theory this early in the morning, anyway?" Shunsui asked plaintively, stifling a yawn. "There are plenty of hours left in the day for studying. This one should be for snoozing – but at the very least it's for eating breakfast and talking about things that don't make people's brains hurt. Do you think we could change the subject, just for a while?"

"You're up early." Juushirou cast him a curious look. "Hirata didn't tell me where you headed – is everything all right?"

"Mm. Fine." Shunsui nodded, tapping his chopsticks absently against the ceramic of his bowl. "Yama-jii was just giving me a nice little errand – that's all."

"An errand?" Kai looked curious, and Shunsui pulled a face.

"You're looking at some poor kid's sword _shishou_." He said, his voice full of foreboding. "I can't get out of it, because the boy's left handed and apparently there isn't anyone else who can train a left-hander."

"Sensei did mention it at the start of term…that he had a pupil in mind for you." Juushirou looked thoughtful. "And he's right – I can fight that way, but I would be apprehensive about teaching someone to fight left-handed yet. So you agreed, then?"

"Like I said, no way out of it." Shunsui groaned. "But I'm not overly happy about it. I know what he's doing – Yama-jii, I mean. He pretty much said it – that he didn't think I'd sacrifice someone else's skills to my laziness even if I sacrificed mine. He's testing me for the _haori _and on those grounds I can't refuse. So I'll do it. But I hope the lad's ready for it. I've never really had much experience of younger kids – I've always been the younger brother, and I came back to school early to avoid my nephew's screaming."

"But your nephew is a baby. This _deshi_ can't be that much younger than we are." Kai pointed out. "He might even be Hirata's age – and you don't consider him a 'younger kid', do you?"

"Mm, no. Not these days." Shunsui met Hirata's gaze ruefully, shaking his head. "But Hirata's my classmate, he's not dependent on my training to raise his _zanpakutou_ or do anything other than bash me over the head a few times in the morning to make sure I get up when we have an early start."

"I had to bash quite hard this morning." Hirata mused absently. "I was beginning to think about using Tsumi no Fuuhi when you finally opened your eyes."

"_What?_" Shunsui stared at him, taken aback, and Hirata smiled innocently.

"It was just a thought. I didn't have to." He said evenly. "But you're right. We've been classmates for this long and I'm not scared of any of you – I don't feel so much younger than any of you, and it isn't the same as having to train one of the juniors."

"A fourth year isn't quite like a first year, though." Juushirou said sensibly. "He'll know what he's about and he might be quite good. You never know. You might find you have a knack for it."

"You think so?" Shunsui looked doubtful. "I'm not sure. Like I said, I'm not used to dealing with younger kids that much."

"You're fine with my siblings." Juushirou objected, and a wry smile touched Shunsui's face.

"True enough." He acknowledged. "I suppose so. But I'm not being asked to teach them anything, and I'm sure none of them take me particularly seriously."

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"But what will be, will be." He reflected, resignation in his dark eyes. "I'll see what I can do. If it goes horribly wrong, then I guess I can say I tried my best…though I don't think that will pass muster with Yama-jii. So I guess I'll have to try and do it right."

"I'm a bit jealous, to be truthful." Juushirou admitted. "I'd like to train someone, too – but you're the first person to be assigned."

"I'd trade if I could." Shunsui's eyes twinkled. "But I'm sure you don't need to worry. The way things are going, I don't think Yama-jii's going to allow any of us to slack off this year – which reminds me of the other thing he said. I already told Hirata, but it looks like Ryuu and Mitsuki will be back the day after tomorrow."

"Really?" Juushirou's eyes lit up, and Shunsui chuckled, giving his friend a playful nudge.

"I would like to say that enthusiasm is for Ryuu's return, but I have a feeling it's largely for Mitsuki-chan's." He said lightly, and Juushirou reddened.

"Enough on that already. I've been worried about _both_ of them – you know that!"

"I suppose that means my room will become a little noiser." Kai sighed. "I hope it's going to be all right, when he comes back."

"I thought you said it would be?" Shunsui looked quizzical, and Kai nodded.

"Mm. I'm not going to try and cause any problems." He agreed. "I just don't know what frame of mind Kuchiki will be in when he gets back. I might have to deal with a headache for a few days, if he's really ticked off about Sensei's decisions."

"You can come take refuge in our room if need be, providing you don't wake me when I'm sleeping in." Shunsui offered, and Kai laughed.

"All right." He agreed. "But I don't intend on avoiding him either. I want to prove that a Shihouin isn't phased by being in close confinement with a Kuchiki – so I'm going to stick with it regardless of how unpleasant it proves to be."

"The Shihouin and the Kuchiki are still foes even now." Hirata murmured. "I thought that when Father said Guren-sama had nominated Yanagi-dono to be released from his imprisonment, things might improve between them. But I suppose not."

"It's an old feud surrounding a lot of things that none of us really know for sure." Kai said with a sigh, setting down his chopsticks and resting his chin in his hands. "Kin of mine are meant to have been involved in the murder of the previous Kuchiki Lord. Senaya, I think his name was – in any case, the Kuchiki thought a lot of him, and even more so after he died. That guy was Guren-sama's father, and that didn't help things at all."

"Were they involved?" Enishi asked, and Kai shrugged.

"I don't know. It was before I was born." He said cautiously. "The way the Shihouin used to be…it's not impossible that they were. Either way, that's how things have been for more than a century now. Neesama is different – she's changing the Clan and we're moving in a new direction. But I can't refute that past. I think…it might be true. But I don't know for sure."

"Interesting, then, that Sensei put you both in the same room when a Kuchiki has been assassinated again." Hirata reflected, and Kai nodded.

"I'm sure it isn't an accident." He agreed. "Sensei being as old as he is, he might even know the things I don't know the answer to. I sometimes think he knows far more about a lot of things than he lets on. Or maybe he hopes that if he can forge a truce between Ryuu and I, there's hope for our Clans yet. I'm not sure, but I don't really have a personal grudge against the Kuchiki. Not these days. Too much has happened…it isn't worth it any more."

"Hopefully Ryuu will feel the same." Shunsui murmured, and Kai nodded.

"Else we'll all hear about it." He said ruefully. "Me most of all."

"Even if Shihouin people did kill Senaya-sama, it's not something _you_ did. I'm sure Ryuu will realise that." Juushirou said firmly, and Kai snorted.

"Possibly. But…I guess we'll see." He responded with a heavy sigh. "For now I'm not going to think too much about it. I'm just going to focus on being here and keeping my grades up. Oneesama is not someone you want to upset particularly, and I have direct orders to graduate this year or else."

"I can see Midori-sama saying that." Hirata's lips twitched into a faint smile, and Kai nodded.

"She needs me, though." He said honestly. "There's only so much she can do on her own, and she needs me to take my part in it. So I won't let her down. I intend to keep my top place in Ouyoudou – and graduate as a Shihouin she can depend on."

"There's a fair bit of competition this year." Enishi mused. "You and I will have to have our wits about us, Shihouin – else we'll lose our places."

"The competition is fine by me." Kai flexed and unflexed his fists. "They can bring it. I'm ready."

"And to think this was the well-spoken, haughty young man who liked to play the _bocchan _back in the first year." Shunsui tut-tutted. "We've been a bad influence on your Clan etiquette, Kai-kun – you almost sound like you'd like to rip people limb from limb."

"Nothing so violent." Kai laughed, shaking his head. "And don't tease me. When I came here, I was a spy. I had to be obnoxiously Clan in order that you guys would keep your distance from me and I could do what I needed to do without you bothering me."

"That plan seems to have bombed quite dramatically." Shunsui teased, and Kai nodded.

"It did, so I gave it up." He said matter-of-factly. "It was hard work, anyway. I wound up emulating Kuchiki a lot more than I was comfortable with – it's much better this way."

"We think so too." Enishi agreed warmly. "Seems sad, doesn't it? That time's flown on and this is the last year we'll all be together like this."

"But then we'll be doing what we can for the Gotei." Juushirou's expression became sombre. "Whatever that is…whatever we can. So we'll just have to make the most of the time we have, Enishi."

"At least soon we will all be together again." Shunsui shot Juushirou a thoughtful look. "It will be better when Ryuu and Mitsuki are back – then Senior Class really will be complete."

* * *

So it was finally going to begin.

Anticipation swelling up inside her heart, the young girl skipped along the hallways, unable to conceal her excitement as she made her way to her first class. She would be late, she knew, but all thoughts of this had been driven from her head by the Headmaster's words that morning. Even now she could picture him behind his desk, fixing her with those grave, wise old eyes of his as he outlined to her his wishes. Now she could not stop her heart from pounding, and as she reached the Kidou classroom, she rapped briskly on the door, waiting impatiently to be called inside.

"You're very late. Class is almost over." As she slid back the divide, Kazoe sent her a dark look, and she faltered, realising at last where she was and hurriedly bowing her head in apology towards the instructor.

"I'm sorry, Kazoe-sensei. I was with Genryuusai-sensei and he's only just released me."

"I see." Kazoe eyed her for a moment, then flicked his cane in the direction of her empty seat. "Sit down, then, and try to do it without too much fuss. We've been reviewing the last practical lesson – so you haven't missed anything of vital importance."

"Yes, sensei." The girl nodded eagerly, hurrying to her seat and sinking down into it as quickly as she could. Kazoe let out a tiny sigh of annoyance, but he turned back to the blackboard and the long columns of complicated kanji text.

"And so, as I was explaining just now, the most important thing to take into consideration is the distribution of reiatsu throughout the core of the spell." He continued, a vaguely irritated note in his sharp tones as he tapped his cane against the board. "Although that might be an obvious conclusion, and despite the fact almost all of you answered questions on that subject correctly to pass your final exams last year, there are still a few of you failing to apply the principle to your practical lessons. For that reason…"

"Well?" From the desk next to her, a student with a mass of curly brown hair leant over, her eyes bright with curiosity. "What did Sensei want with you? You darted out of the dorm like you were on fire – I wasn't sure if you'd make it here at all."

"I wasn't sure either. Kidou's the last thing I'm thinking about right now." The girl replied, casting the strict teacher a surreptitious look to make sure his attention was fully on what he was saying. "You'll never believe it, Sakura…but I'm going to start training. Tomorrow, he said…at the training ground, first thing."

"Tomorrow?" Sakura's eyes burned with envy. "You got assigned a _shishou_ already? Dammit, Kaoru, you're still such a kid – I call that special treatment!"

"I wasn't sure if it would happen so soon, or at all." Kaoru's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Because of my being left-handed. But Sensei said that there's someone in the Senior year who's also able to fight left-handed, and so I should be able to work with him right away. Sensei said he'd already spoken to him, and he'd agreed to train me…so…it's all arranged."

"A senpai, huh." Sakura's eyes became dreamy. "You're so lucky. Do you know who? Did Sensei tell you his name?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"It wasn't Souryou-senpai, was it? If it was, I will have to kill you. You know how I feel about him…"

"It's not, so you don't have to resort to murder." Despite herself, Kaoru found it hard to stifle a giggle. "It's all right, Sakura-san. I've only been in your class two weeks and already I know that you consider Souryou-senpai your personal fan idol. If Sensei had said him I would have declined."

"You would not." Sakura snorted, and Kaoru looked amused.

"Well, maybe not. Since it was Sensei." She admitted. "But it's not, so it's all fine."

"Nagasata. Takaoda. Do you want to come teach the class instead of me?"

Kazoe's cane smacked down against his desk with a tremendous crack, causing the whole class to jump, and Sakura and Kaoru to turn to face the front guiltily, both girls with cheeks flushing an uncomfortable red. There was a moment of silence, during which Kaoru felt certain that Kazoe's eyes were going to bore right through the lenses of his glasses and into her soul, but before he could say anything, the bell sounded and the teacher sighed, his expression becoming one of frustration.

"You girls are lucky I have a meeting next period." He said flatly. "So I haven't time to remind you why it is I expect you to pay attention in my class. Especially _you_, Nagasata – being that you skipped most of this lesson and that you can't afford to fall behind your classmates. See that you don't do it next lesson – or you will find your assignment work doubled for the remainder of the semester."

He turned on his heel, the fabric of his _hakama_ flapping against his legs as he returned to the front of the room.

"Class dismissed." He said softly, and almost as one person the class of Fourth years got to their feet, bowing to their teacher and filing out in an unusually subdued manner. Kaoru and Sakura tagged onto the back of the queue, Kaoru studiously avoiding the instructor's eyes as she walked past him and out into the hallway. Then she let out her breath in a rush, dropping down against the wall.

"That was close." She murmured. "I'm sorry, Sakura-san. I almost landed you in it, too."

"It was both of us, but your news was more exciting than Kazoe's revision lecture." Sakura dismissed this with a flick of her fingers. "And we got away with it, so don't worry."

"What were you two playing at?" A third girl descended on them at that point, indignation in her eyes. "You know how Kazoe gets if he's annoyed – did you want to be flayed by his stick as well as given extra work?"

She cast Kaoru a reproachful glance.

"Especially _you_. He's right. Just because you were skipped up a year to this class doesn't mean you can sit back and relax about it."

"I know. I'm not going to try to, Akaya-san." Kaoru pinkened, and Sakura let out a sigh of irritation.

"Aka-chan, I know you're only trying to be helpful, but now is the absolutely wrong time to be giving the kid a lecture." She said disapprovingly.

"_Don't _call me that." Akaya glared at Sakura. "You know that I hate it. And besides, you shouldn't be leading her astray either! Kaoru's younger than us and we're supposed to be setting her an example – you don't want her sent back down to Third Year because she couldn't keep up, do you?"

"Kaoru's smart, and she's ours now, so nobody's sending her anywhere." Sakura hugged Kaoru tightly, taking her off guard. "Of course she'd be distracted this morning – who wouldn't be? Sensei's assigned her a senpai to train her – even you would be spacing out if it had been you called to the office, right?"

"Really?" Akaya shot Kaoru a curious look, and Kaoru nodded.

"Yes." She agreed, disentangling herself from Sakura's embrace with a grin. "He told me at the end of last year that he'd have to give special thought to it for me – because of my being left-handed, and everything else. But it's all right. There's someone in Senior Class who can fight left-handed, and he's going to train me."

"Who is it?" Akaya asked, and Sakura laughed.

"Now you want to know." She teased, reaching out to poke her friend on the arm. "You're curious as I am, aren't you, Aka-chan?"

"I told you already, stop it with the Aka-chan!" Akaya grimaced. "And of course I want to know. If Kaoru's going to start her training…of course it's interesting."

"It's Kyouraku-senpai." Kaoru responded with a smile, as Sakura linked one arm through hers and one through the still bristling Akaya, leading the way down the hall towards the main doors. "I don't know much about him, really, though I've seen him with Anideshi and a couple of others from time to time. Do you guys know anything? You've been here longer than me, so you might."

"Kyouraku…Shunsui-senpai?" Akaya looked thoughtful, then she nodded. "I know a little bit about him."

"There's the Urahara for you, always ready with the background info." Sakura laughed, and Akaya nodded again, offering her companion a rueful smile.

"I suppose so." She admitted. "But it's mostly because my first cousin Jun used to be in his Ouyoudou classes, until things were reshuffled this year. Jun-nii is still in Fifth Year, but Kyouraku-senpai and some others are Seniors, so they don't see each other any more."

"Hrm. Kamitani Jun-senpai, yes?" Sakura looked thoughtful. "The one with the really pretty eyes that was staying with you and your family for a few days last winter, when I came to visit?"

"_You_ are obsessed with nothing but boys." Akaya said reproachfully. "But yes. _That's_ the cousin I mean."

"So? What can you tell us, then?" Sakura was not at all perturbed. "Kaoru wants to know all about her new _shishou_ – don't you, Kaoru-chan?"

"If you know something, Akaya-san, I'd like to hear it." Kaoru nodded eagerly. "Sensei only told me that he was one of the top students in sword work and that I'd be in good hands."

"If I'm right, I think he got the top marks in the year on last year's assessments. Even more so than Anideshi did." Akaya looked thoughtful. "He's from District Eight – he's quite an important person there, because his brother is the Clan leader. I guess that's why he gets such high grades, because he must have significant reiatsu."

"You're telling us the wrong things." Sakura scolded. "She'll find that much out when she meets him. What about other things? What's he _like_?"

"Like?" Akaya looked blank, then she shrugged. "Jun-nii didn't say a lot about that. Just that he didn't seem like a nasty person. That's all. I don't know. I don't think Jun-nii knew him that well. But if Sensei chose him, he's not going to be unpleasant. So…"

"He's obviously a Clansman who doesn't care about District." Kaoru said matter-of-factly. "Else Sensei wouldn't have asked him to train me – and he probably wouldn't have said that he would."

"Only a stuck up idiot would choose not to train our Kaoru-chan because of that." Sakura said firmly. "And I'd go give him some words to tell him so if he tried. So don't worry about that."

"You make so little sense sometimes, it amazes me you actually got to Fourth year." Akaya said with a sigh, but there was amusement in her pale eyes. "Still, I don't think it's possible to hate Kaoru. I think it'll be okay, Sakura. She doesn't need us to protect her."

"I've only been in your class two weeks and you guys are already always looking out for me all the time like this." Kaoru looked guilty, but Sakura laughed.

"That's because we _like_ you. And your spark." She said honestly. "Like I said, you belong to us now, and we intend to keep you, even if your old classmates are all jealous and snotty about your promotion. _We're _not snobs, Kaoru-chan – but I guess it makes us want to protect you a little bit, because you're younger than we are and all of that stuff. Still, if Akaya says that this Kyouraku-senpai is all right, I guess he is."

She pursed her lips.

"I think he's quite handsome, too. He has dark hair and dark eyes – but I haven't been lucky enough to get to see him up close."

"That's because he's a senpai, and you're nothing to do with him." Akaya said scathingly. "But now I think of it, Kaoru-chan, Sensei might have chosen you an interesting _shishou_."

"Why so?" Kaoru was curious, and Akaya shrugged.

"Not entirely sure." She admitted. "Just Jun-nii gave the impression there was something unusual or special about his _zanpakutou_. You might get to see it up close – and whether it really is as unique as all that."

"I suppose I might." Kaoru clasped her hands together in anticipation. "Whatever happens, though, I'm looking forward to it. Tomorrow morning I get to start training for my _zanpakutou._ _I can't wait!"_

_

* * *

_The sun was already beginning to set over District Six by the time Masaki rode into the small rural village, reigning in his steed as he reached the bottom of an uneven, gravel-clustered pathway. He glanced around him thoughtfully for a moment, taking in the surrounding scenery with an approving nod. Even from here, he could see the fine stone walls that marked the edge of the Kuchiki main estate, and he knew that not far from here was a patch of dense forestland which was ideal for conducting secret business.

Many people in the towns and villages had been full of the rumours of a murder in the Clan heartland, yet even as he dismounted his steed, patting it absently on the neck as it let out a soft whinny, Masaki realised that this village was peaceful.

It seemed that the Kuchiki kept their domestic affairs to themselves.

At this, a faint, almost bitter smile touched Masaki's lips.

Well, there was no accounting for Clans.

He slipped the horse's reins around his wrist, leading him slowly through the village towards the boundary markers where the barest trickle of a stream ran on its journey down from the hills. The beast was thirsty, and as it drank, Masaki reflected on how the site of this village had been well chosen, for it had all the necessary amenities, whilst the land and stream formed an almost natural defence against outside attack, and Masaki was sure the residents had lived in peace for some generations.

Idly he found himself resenting this, and then as quickly as the thought had come, it was gone.

Most of the people here were nothing more than insects – not even worth his attention as potential fodder. But in the midst of the sand grains he knew there would be diamonds. He had encountered it before – those whose birth was common and nondescript yet whose powers were significant and, if schooled, potential weapons. But this world was a long way from fully opening up to those treasures. And that was where he came in.

_I don't need to manipulate or change their biology to achieve this. I simply need to find them first and instil in them a natural mistrust of their Clan elders. These families rule but their reasons or right to do so have been lost through time. The people should come to realise that they don't have to live in the shadow of rich, parasitic families any longer. If Seireitei does not value them as they should, I will value them. I will make good use of them. To change this world and reform it the way it should be._

His eyes narrowed.

_The way Father believed it should be, when he was taken and slain for trying to move things forward. This is just a very small first step in what promises to be a very long journey._

Carefully he removed the horse's reins and bridle, freeing it from its saddle and giving it a slap on the haunches to send it running wild into the forests beyond. He no longer needed the beast – it had been a part of his charade and now it could fend for itself, for his business was in the village and with those he hoped had not let him down. The faint buzzing of emptiness against his wits told him that they were close by, and as he retraced his steps to the centre of the village, he felt another distinctive, if feeble flicker of reiatsu that told him both of his companions were at home.

As he pushed back the rough divide and entered the cottage, the girl who had been busy gathering together pots and pans let out an exclamation, dropping them with a clatter as she registered his arrival. She darted forward, flinging her arms around him and Masaki laughed, returning the hug before holding her at arm's length.

"You look well." He murmured. "All has gone to plan, I trust, and you have been in no danger here?"

"None at all." The girl shook her head. "They haven't even noticed me – it's as you said. As a servant I just disappear. But I've been keeping my eyes and ears open all the same."

"And the Kuchiki? What can you tell me of the aftermath of our little experiment?"

"They seem in uproar." The girl's expression became thoughtful. "But not quite in the way we expected."

"Meaning?" Masaki was curious. "Nanaki, please, tell me clearly – I've been away some days, and I'd like to be brought up to date."

"I wish you wouldn't call me that." Nanaki looked wistful for a moment, then she sighed. "All right. It's just that…nobody knows how Ribari died. Nobody at all. They know he was poisoned, but that's all. None of the people who were with him when he fell remember _anything_ about that night in the forest. At least, nothing has been spoken about while I've been lurking around and…I have been doing that quite a lot, really."

"Nobody remembers anything?" Masaki repeated, and Nanaki shook her head.

"No." She said regretfully. "Which makes me wonder what the point was in using that block-headed idiot in any of this. He's a liability and he's irritating – if none of them even saw him, what was the reason for involving him?"

"Mm." Masaki looked thoughtful, rubbing his chin pensively. "It seems we overestimated the ability of the Kuchiki Clan to overcome unpleasant chemicals. I didn't expect all of them to have their memories wiped by the experience – it seems to have worked rather better than we anticipated."

"In which case, can we get rid of him now please?" Nanaki looked pleading. "I'm fed up of taking care of him…it's like having an unwanted pet and no matter what I do he just stares at me. There's really no purpose in his being with us now – can't we just discard him and go back…to where we were before?"

Masaki gazed down at her for a moment, taking in her expression and he sighed, touching her gently on the cheek.

"I'm sorry. It's been hardest on you, hasn't it?" He said apologetically. "To be left here so close to danger and always in a place where you might be uncovered. I've put strain on you and I'm sorry – it wasn't my intention."

"No…I don't mind." Nanaki shook her head. "I made my choice to help you and I'm fine with that. I want to help. I want you to be pleased with me…you are pleased with me, aren't you?"

"I'm very pleased with you. Proud, too." Masaki assured her. "You've learnt so much in such a short time and you're invaluable to me in so many ways – I couldn't achieve anything if you weren't alongside me. You should know that already, Nanaki – I have no purpose in this world without you to back me up."

"I don't know about that." Nanaki pinkened. "But I'm glad you're pleased, because I have done everything you said. It's just…"

"He stays with us, for now." Masaki shook his head. "I know being so close to you puts you in danger, and I'm sorry about that part of it too. But just because the Kuchiki were more dense than we thought doesn't mean we don't still have use for him. If they aren't putting the blame on the Shihouin for this yet, we'll simply have to do something more to make them notice, won't we? Something more obvious, if they're unable to grasp subtleties. And for that purpose, we need him. Even if he's as you say."

"I guess so." Nanaki rubbed her temples. "All right. I suppose I know that too. It's just been a long time since you went away – and I was worried something would happen and you wouldn't come back."

"It was harder to find what I was looking for." Masaki slipped his fingers into the sash of his _obi_, pulling out the pendant and allowing it to glitter in the sunlight that filtered in through the window. "In fact, I'm not sure I entirely did find what I was looking for, but for the time being it will suffice."

"That's…" Nanaki reached across to touch the dangling emblem, and Masaki smiled, taking her delicate hand in his and dropping the article gently into her palm.

"It's as you think it is." He agreed softly. "And from now on I want you to wear it beneath your servant's clothing."

"Me?" Nanaki looked startled. "But I thought…the idea was to find…and use…to incriminate…"

"Mm, but I've changed my mind." Masaki shook his head. "I took that pendant from a girl who came from Seventh District. It wasn't the one I was looking for – perhaps that person is no longer alive, or even in District Eight. I can't be sure, but I wasn't able to find her and therefore I wasn't able to take her and use her as I'd planned. However, that crest is good enough. I realised once I had seen it that the reality isn't as important as the illusion we are creating. That pendant belongs to someone of high standing in the Kyouraku Clan. And if you wear it...people might believe you to be Kyouraku, too."

"But how does that help?" Nanaki demanded. "If you want to incriminate the Kyouraku? You can't incriminate me too."

"We'll just be playing a slightly more dangerous game." Masaki responded. "It's all right, though. I won't let harm come to you. No matter what, I'll protect you – I promised and I will keep that promise. You need not be afraid of anything."

"All right." Nanaki sighed, reluctantly slipping the pendant over her head and sliding it out of sight beneath her servant clothing. "I don't really understand the benefits, but I'll pretend to be Kyouraku-ke if it will help us in the long run."

"That's my girl." Masaki kissed her gently on the forehead. "I knew you would see it my way."

He smiled.

"The girl Momiji who I took that from resembled you quite a lot." He added. "And she's now disappeared, since I convinced her that it would be very dangerous for her to remain where she was. Consequently there is now a trail connecting you to District Eight…and potentially, everything works out as though I'd found the one I was really seeking."

"Disappeared?" Nanaki paused, eying him quizzically. "But what if she reappears?"

"My method of persuasion doesn't come with an option for refusal or resistance." Masaki said dismissively. "You needn't worry. There will be no risk of that. And as for the Kuchiki…"

"Oh! That reminds me!" Nanaki's eyes widened and she hurried into the back room, returning a moment later with a folded sheet of parchment. "Here. Read this. I found it in the library – and it's obviously important, because of the way one of the Clansfolk reacted when he read it. I don't think it's general knowledge – and so I thought I should bring it back here."

"Let me see." Masaki took the sheet of paper, skimming over its contents. His eyes widened, and then he let out a low chuckle.

"I see." He murmured. "The Kuchiki have some secrets too, even though they like to lord it over everyone else. I wonder if we can exploit this into a matter of mistrust…"

"I already began that." Nanaki shot him a look of triumph. "I sent an anonymous note to Seiren-dono, implying that we knew stuff which people shouldn't know."

"To Seiren?" Masaki's eyes narrowed. "But what if that brings attention…"

"I've learnt from you…I didn't make it that obvious." Nanaki grinned, a faintly malicious twinkle in her blue eyes. "I'd been cleaning all the upper rooms before that, you see, and I thought that it would make them even more flustery and crazy if I started making them all doubt each other even more. Seiren-dono doesn't like his nephew Shirogane…the Vice Captain of Guren-sama's squad. So I thought, what if Seiren-dono had a letter from Shirogane that implied all kinds of horrible things?"

She beamed.

"I took the paper from Shirogane's chamber, and I took the ink from Guren-sama's study." She added. "Because nobody takes notice of a maid cleaning stuff and nobody would look for a missing sheet of paper out of a whole bundle. And I sent it to Seiren-dono anonymously."

She shrugged her shoulders carelessly.

"I'm just a maid, so I can't write with pretty kanji." She said ironically. "What other conclusion will he come to other than that?"

"You…" Despite himself, Masaki's lips twitched into a grin, and Nanaki dimpled.

"I told you. I've learnt from you." She said proudly. "Well? Did I do the right thing?"

"You did." Masaki agreed. "And it makes a few interesting possibilities, if Seiren is willing to fall into your trap. If he knows about this secret – then we'll soon realise if his behaviour becomes increasingly erratic. At which point…you may find you have purpose as an exiled Kyouraku, Nanaki. We'll see. In the meantime…where is our companion?"

"Sleeping in the back." Nanaki's expression darkened. "You speak to him – he listens to you."

"You know full well why that is." Masaki reminded her, and Nanaki sighed.

"I know." She said heavily. "But it doesn't make it easier when you're away."

"Well, tomorrow he won't be anything to do with you. I'm here, and I'll give him orders myself." Masaki made up his mind. "I intend to send him to the Kuchiki manor and I intend to make him cause chaos there so that people are in no doubt about Shihouin involvement in all of this business. If your note means Seiren jumps to the conclusion his nephew is scheming with the Shihouin, it will simply be a neat repeat of past history – which is why they will believe our illusions and fall into our trap. Destabilising all of the Clans is paramount to me, but starting here in District Six has another purpose. The Kuchiki are considered the most high ranking of all the Clans in Seireitei…if we can strike through their hierarchy, we can strike through any of them. One by one the whole pile will come tumbling down."

"And then we'll be able to start over, in a world where they're not hunting us down." Nanaki leant her head against his chest with a sigh. "A world that's our world, where Clans and things don't matter any more. Right?"

"Of course. That's what I promised you when we exchanged our vows." Masaki told her evenly, running his fingers absently through her thick dark hair. "But we have a long way to go yet, and it can't be rushed. Tomorrow, I'll rely on you to make sure he does what he's ordered to do – but I want you to keep well away from the action. At the moment having you inside the manor is a priceless vantage point – and I want you to keep your eyes especially on Seiren and Shirogane. Understood?"

"Yes." Nanaki looked thoughtful. "It's not easy, since there are people there who might recognise me…though one of them looked right at me and didn't know me so perhaps it's been too long. But I heard that Seiren's son and the Edogawa _hime_ are both going back to District One soon…so…"

She paused, eying him questioningly.

"We're not doing anything about that, are we?"

"At the moment, no." Masaki shook his head. "I do remember what you asked me and I'm not going to renege on it. Right now they're not important to me – and the Edogawa _hime_ is of no interest to me at all in any regard anyway. For now we'll focus on what's happening here – and see if we can't exploit the interesting tidbit of information you've discovered about our Noble Kuchiki Clan."

* * *

_**Author's Note - "Aka-chan"**__  
For anyone wondering why Akaya hates that nickname so much, it's because "aka-chan" is a term for a baby or infant in Japanese xD._

_Also, for anyone missing Shunsui - here he is! xD  
_


	15. Gold Eyed Assassin

**Chapter Fourteen: Gold Eyed Assassin**

_There was a wild wind blowing across the moors of the District. Alone as he watched the sun setting, the figure gazed out across the horizon, a thoughtful, troubled expression on his face. His eyes, normally alive with light and energy remained clouded and dull, and for some time he did not move._

_Then he turned, cape flapping around his body as he made his way slowly back down towards the main estate._

_"Senaya-sama! Senaya-sama!" As he stepped through the doors, retainers hurried to greet him, falling over themselves to claim his cloak and to welcome him back to the manor. He eyed them with a tired, almost resigned smile, then with a flick of his fingers dismissed them, heading instead down the hallway towards the archive._

_Even from that distance, he was aware of raised voices, and he sighed, rubbing his temples as his head began to ache. Still, he could not put it off any longer, and so he marched purposefully forwards, hesitating only for the briefest of instants before throwing back the door to confront the ones within._

_As the door slid back, though, it was not Guren and Seiren who were arguing, but Shirogane and Seiren, the hilt of the shinigami's magnetic blade glittering in the light of the kidou lamps. In that moment Ryuu knew that it was not Senaya whose eyes he was looking through but his own, and that the illusion of imprisonment was surrounding him and not his long dead ancestor._

_At his abrupt entry, both turned, speaking as one person as they hurried towards him, Seiren grabbing at his arms and Shirogane staring at him with a pleading, desperate look in his dark eyes. _

_"Ryuu, you know that this is the only path you can take."_

_Seiren's voice echoed somehow through his mind, yet the Seiren that stood before him did not speak, his eyes dark and his expression set. On the table near where the two had been quarrelling, a book lay open, its pages turning in the evening breeze, and Ryuu knew with a jolt that it was Senaya's nikki, several pages blowing loose and scattering around the archive like leaves falling from the trees. In that instant he had the sudden feeling someone was watching him, and he turned, trying to pull free from Seiren's grip as he met the gaze of a shadowy apparition, there for a brief second but then gone the next. Ryuu had seen it, though, and had read the reproachful look in his grey eyes._

_"You're already fighting over what was mine." The voice was unmistakeable, though the spectre was no longer there and Ryuu could feel Seiren's grip tightening around him as Shirogane and the archive seemed further and further away. _

_"Ribari-sama." Ryuu murmured the words, struggling hard against his father's hold, but Seiren was determined and as more pages from the nikki scattered around the room, Ryuu was afraid they would both be smothered by it - overcome by the secrets that his grandfather had tried to take to his grave._

Ryuu's eyes snapped open, and he drew a desperate, hoarse breath into his lungs as he realised that he had been dreaming. His body was damp with sweat and his blankets were tangled around him, indicating that even in his sleep he had been fighting against his father's restraints. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly as he tried to bring the threads of his composure back together, but even though he knew that the images had not been real, his heart was pounding fit to burst and in the end he pushed his blankets back, getting to his feet and padding across towards the window of his chamber.

It was still dark, he noted, but the first faint rays of light were beginning to touch the horizon, and therefore it would soon be dawn. It was cowardly, he realised, but that faint glimmer of the sun's rays brought him comfort and he rested his hands on the sill, remembering absently how, as a child, he had been frightened of the night, convinced that the shadows were coming to swallow him up. It had been a silly story told to him by his mischievous and sometimes malicious second sister Kinka after they had had a squabble over some insignificant matter, but Ryuu had been only three or four at the time, and had taken the words to heart. A faint, humourless smile twitched at his lips as he remembered the trouble his nurses had had for the following few weeks, trying everything they knew to get him to go to bed without angering Seiren and his wife over the treatment of their precious only son.

_I was spoiled more than I knew, wasn't I - spoiled in many respects, one might say._

He sighed, resting his chin in his hands as his gaze traced the faint outline of the landscape he had seen in his dream. It lay to the west of the Kuchiki manor, on the opposite side of the estate to the thick forestland where Ribari had been cut down, and even as a child Ryuu had rarely gone there, for there had always been rumours that ghosts walked the moor at night. Or had that been another of Kinka's stories? Ryuu wasn't sure, but in this faint light he could almost believe that lost souls stalked the moorland, unable to find their place of rest.

_Of course, there are no ghosts in Soul Society. My studies have taught me that such a thing is an impossibility, given the spiritual make up of this world._

Ryuu pursed his lips at this.

_But even in the face of such absolute evidence, it is sometimes impossible to school the brain into understanding. _

He rubbed his temples, considering again his dream.

_I must only endure this for twenty four hours more. Tomorrow I will leave here by the most direct route possible and then Mitsuki and I will be back in District One, a world away from this place and it's smothering chains of office. Today there are no official memorials - that is over, and Ribari-sama's soul has been appeased. Therefore today I can prepare myself for tomorrow...and it cannot come soon enough. If I am even beginning to dream about such things...truly I have been close to this chaos for far too long. Tomorrow discussions about the succession will also no doubt begin - and I wish to be as far from here as possible when that subject arises officially._

He turned back towards his room, leaning up against the cool panelled wall as gradually light began to trickle into the finely appointed chamber. It was not as fine as his room back at his own family's estate, yet it was well appointed and spacious, everything that might be expected by a Second degree member of the Kuchiki Clan on visiting the main manor. But to Ryuu in that moment it seemed nothing more than a gilded cage...and more than anything he longed to throw caution to the winds and flee its confines once and for all.

_That is not like me._

Ryuu's eyes narrowed as he interpreted this thought.

_To want to behave so recklessly...was it the dream's fault? Was it Senaya-sama I dreamt of, or really just myself, not sure of where my position should be? Did Senaya-sama ever have that feeling in his heart when faced with the conflict of people that he loved?_

He sighed, sinking down onto his bed and burying his head in his hands.

_Maybe Senpai's theories are starting to bother me too. Saying things that go against what I understood to be true. Senaya-sama was murdered - or did he engineer that murder in order to secure the future of this Clan? And then the nikki - were those pages really torn from it? I wish I had taken them with me, because then at least they would be in my control and I could have burnt them to destroy such evidence from ever falling into enemy hands. Now they must be in someone else's possession - and it worries me about whose. Who else knows what those pages contain? Does even Guren-sama? Or...no, I don't believe he does. Surely, he does not. Yet even so..._

He froze, a sudden thought crossing his mind as he remembered what had been written in those short but explosive passages.

_Senaya-sama is dead. His secrets died with him. But Kinnya-sama remains alive. Kinnya-sama, Senaya-sama's own brother...of all people. The way Senpai spoke of him is quite a different person from the hermit who exiles himself and does not even come here to pay respects to Guren-sama's lost heir. His name was mentioned on that sheet - I'm sure it was. Though I don't remember clearly how, because I passed over the difficult kanji. Its significance didn't mean much to me then - but after talking to Senpai, perhaps it should. Perhaps...Kinnya-sama did know about it. Could he not have known, if he was so involved in Senaya-sama's government as all that? Was he removed from the records on his request, or Senaya-sama's whim - was it because of something he knew? But in that case...why did he exile himself? If not for Raiko-dono's sake...why?_

He got to his feet, hurriedly grabbing his Clan mourning robes from where they had been neatly folded by a maid-servant and beginning to dress with urgency, his mind racing as he considered the implications of that thought.

_I have been foolish not to consider this already. Senpai as much as said that Kinnya-sama was Senaya-sama's younger brother, and I do remember having read in the archives and throughout my studies as a boy that as Father is Guren-sama's right hand man, so Kinnya-sama was Senaya-sama's. Does that also mean Kinnya-sama knows why Senaya-sama died? Perhaps he would, but I don't think I dare raise such a subject, not when things are like this. Yet the pages from the diary - the more I think on it, the more sure I am that Kinnya-sama's name was mentioned in those lines. Was that coincidence? Did he not know anything at all? Or did he know everything..._

He paused, his fingers tightening around the fabric of his _hakamashita_ as a fresh idea assailed him.

_Was that really why Raiko-sama was only exiled and not killed when Senaya-sama removed her from the Clan? Was it because of what Kinnya-sama knew - did they strike some kind of deal? Father has been writing to people about me, I know that. But no reply has yet come from Kinnya-sama's manor, not so far as I know. Is it just that he no longer cares about the running of the Clan? Or is there...something...else?_

He fastened his _obi,_ checking his reflection briefly in the long mirror and pulling his dark hair back into a tail behind his head. He looked presentable, and that was enough.

_Today is the last chance I have to find anything out about that, before I go back to the Academy. Perhaps I won't find it out, but if I don't at least try, then..._

The sun was almost fully risen now, and Ryuu flung back his door, almost colliding with a young maid who let out a shriek of alarm at his sudden appearance, scuttling away down the hall before he could raise his voice to call her back.

_Skittish girl - but who can blame her, given that the family too are skittish?_

Ryuu shut his door firmly, the maid soon forgotten as he hurried down the hallway towards the main stairs. Shirogane's words about the servants' stairs flitted briefly through his thoughts, but at that time the manor was fairly empty and so he met none of his kinsfolk en route, a fact for which he found himself quite relieved. He did not want to explain his behaviour to anyone - most specifically, he did not want his Father or sisters to know where he intended on going.

"Ryuu-sama!" As he reached the stables, he was greeted by a startled groom, who set aside his brush, bowing his head hurriedly to acknowledge the Clansman. "You've risen early - is there something you need from us?"

"A horse, and quickly." Ryuu said frankly. "I have a place I need to ride to - and it won't wait, because I return to District One tomorrow."

"A...horse? A place to ride to?" The groom looked surprised, and Ryuu nodded.

"It's vital that I do so." He agreed briskly. "Please, have a horse ready as soon as you can - I mustn't waste time unecessarily."

"Yes, sir." The groom bowed his head, then raised his voice to a nearby stable-hand who scuttled off to carry out the instructions.

"One other thing." Ryuu rested his hand briefly on the groom's arm, then, "It isn't necessary to trouble anyone with my journey this morning. Do you understand? I have no intention of causing any distress and my actions might seem unusual, even to my kinsfolk. Therefore the easiest thing to do is not to tell them. In particular I do not want you to reveal this to my Father. He has far too much already to deal with without concerning himself with my other activities."

"Sir?" The groom was dumbstruck, and Ryuu offered him a faint smile.

"You may consider that an official order." He said softly. "You are to say nothing to anyone about my errand here this morning. I will return as quickly as I can, and with luck nobody will even notice I have gone. But my trip is nothing to do with my kinsfolk and I do not want it misconstrued. I am merely taking some time to view the land hereabouts - a last time before I travel back to the Academy tomorrow."

"I see." The groom was still bemused, but he nodded his head. "If that's your order, Ryuu-sama, then it's understood. Please, ride safely - are you sure you want no escort?"

"No...an escort would hamper me." Ryuu shook his head. "This is something I must do alone. You need not fear for my safety."

He patted the sword at his waist.

"I have Shizurugi and I am able to use it if need be." He added. "I shall return quite safely. Please do not worry. I will be well."

_Providing I can reach Kinnya-sama's manor and beg an audience with him, then perhaps all might be._

"Yes, sir." The groom bowed respectfully, even as the stable-hand returned, leading a tacked and prancing horse into the main courtyard. Ryuu nodded his head in acknowledgement of the man's promise, then crossed the cobbles towards the beast, which tossed its head, bright eyed with excitement at the thought of an early morning ride.

As he placed his hand against the horse's warm neck, Ryuu found he knew how the animal felt.

_Both of us tense with anticipation and desperate to be off._

Deftly he mounted his steed, adjusting his grip on the reins and glancing down once more at the stable staff.

"Remember, not a word to anyone." He reminded them. "You have no knowledge of my being here this morning - I will tolerate no other understanding of my orders."

"Yes, sir." The groom agreed, and Ryuu nodded, pressing his toes gently to the horse's flanks and the creature stirred into life, tossing its head slightly before taking off across the courtyard towards the main gateway and the path that led from the Kuchiki estate out towards the rural villages and clusters of towns that led to the agrarian coastal region of District Six.

_Kinnya-sama is Ukitake's grandfather, and entangling myself in that business is a dangerous thing indeed. Things I should not know about I have been made aware of - and of late those things have only multiplied. It may be that he won't see me - or if he does, he may not speak to me of what I wish to know. But if at the very least I can ensure he speaks of it to nobody else. If I can accomplish that...this journey will not be in vain._

His eyes darkened once more.

_I just hope with all that's going on, I can return before I am missed. I am uneasy - because of the dream or because of all of this I am not sure. But I sense a bad omen in all of this...I just hope it is going to be all right._

_

* * *

_

That was interesting.

Nanaki peered cautiously around the wall of the manor building, her gaze drifting towards the stables where the unmistakeable sound of horses hooves was diminishing into the distance. Though she had not dared reveal her presence enough to see clearly who had been on the horse, she felt fairly certain she already knew the answer. It was the bocchan - the one she had seen in the library, who had looked right at her and yet had not seen anything of note, and who had hurried from his chamber without warning this morning, paying her not a single bit of attention as they had passed in the corridor.

_Almost as if he has other things on his mind._

She leant back against the wall, contemplating this carefully to herself.

_Maybe Seiren-dono received my letter and showed it to his son. I'm getting a good feel for how things work in this disgusting pit of noble privelege and it wouldn't surprise me one little bit. Especially given what Ryuu-dono was looking at in the archive - and now he's disappeared without warning from the manor. Very interesting. I wonder if Guren-sama is aware of any of this._

She let out a heavy sigh.

_Working here is such a pain. I'm not used to it, even after this many weeks. All I see are things that make my blood cold - people who have no idea of manners except when talking to someone of rank, and a sense of falseness pervading everything. Perhaps I'm not what I seem, either - but it almost seems as though the people here are concealing more than I am. How did I ever stand such a stifling existence? I can't even imagine it, not any more. That I was ever not able to breathe. The sooner this world is brought down the better - even for these people, it would be better. If their family is built up on so many lies for the sake of appearances...it would be better to bring the whole facade crashing down now._

The stable staff had begun to disperse now, back to their usual posts as they prepared for a new day. Nanaki knew the routine by this time, for she had seen the messengers arrive on a daily basis just past dawn, bearing important correspondence for the Council or for other parts of District Six. Late morning would often bring the returning riders on fresh horses, conveying urgent replies that were hurried to Guren's direct attention, and so the Kuchiki kept in close touch with events across the rest of Seireitei. When Ribari had died, it had been navy-clad messengers which had taken the news to the provincial landholders to announce the tragedy and Nanaki had watched with some detachment as little by little Kuchiki from all across Sixth had ridden to the main estate to pay their respects.

_A flood of swarming insects in robes of death._

Disdain flickered across her features.

_Because they saw one boy lying in state, there's all this fuss. That one life which is worth more to them than so many others - what would they say if they knew how easy that one life was to steal away? He was just as vulnerable as any of the common folk who starve or are hunted by Clansfolk into destitution. I've seen it with my own eyes - while these people gather here, doubtless there are others dying in other places without even a second thought from the Kuchiki._

She glanced down at the sleeves of her serving robes.

_Just as I am invisible to the noble blooded when robed this way. To the Clans, the Districts are simply something to govern and lord over, not something to care for or aid. Our reasons for being here are just...I see the proof of it every day. To be able to breathe...this is the only path to take. Even if it's dangerous._

She put a hand to her chest, feeling the hard metal of the pendant just beneath the thin fabric. She had not asked more questions about how Masaki had obtained the item, though deep down she knew that she had not wanted to discuss his methods in any detail. Whether the girl who had possessed it was dead or not did not concern her - maybe she was, maybe she was not, and only Masaki knew that for sure. But what methods and wiles had been used to win her trust...Nanaki frowned, shaking her head as if to clear it.

_Not even for the sake of this cause...I don't believe he would touch another woman in any way. He can talk to her all he likes - use his wit and intelligence to win her over. But he knows...that he has obligations. And that...I wouldn't like it...if he did anything like that. But I...I trust him. Even though he's been away so long as this. I trust him. He would not betray me. We've been through too much now - he would not._

A sudden commotion from the stables drove any further gloomy thoughts from her mind and at the sound of a yell followed by the clashing of metal, she stiffened, hurriedly resuming her position as she cast her gaze once more towards the place where the best of the Kuchiki steeds were kept. Where two or three stablehands had been quietly going about their duties with the minimum of fuss, there was now a hustle of confusion, with one man sprawled across the cobbles, a slick pool of red liquid trickling between the cracks and grooves into a sizeable puddle. Nanaki could tell that he was dead, even as his companions swarmed forward to protect him, and as her gaze fell on the black-clad assailant, she frowned, feeling faintly revulsed by the cold emptiness in his bright golden eyes.  
_  
Maybe they'll catch him, or kill him, or both this time. I can only hope._

"What the hell are you doing!" The chief groom who had spoken to Ryuu just a short time earlier darted forward, wielding a pitchfork in the direction of the black-clad assassin, who merely stared at him, apparently unphased by this sudden show of aggression. "Get back inside, lads - someone go summon the guardsfolk! We've got an intruder - and he's not going to be easily tamed down!"

_Guards..._

Nanaki's brow wrinkled.

_Well, if they come, so be it. I said I'd watch...so I could report back. I never said anything about helping him escape. Not this time. The sooner he's no longer part of things the better - if they take him, oh well._

"_Taibashu_!" One of the younger men's sudden yell brought Nanaki back to the situation at hand, and her eyes widened as she realised the black-clad assailant had grabbed hold of the pitchfork, giving it a hefty shake. The head groom was a stocky, well-built man but his years told against him, and the young killer seemed unphased by the man's weight, for he flung him down against the ground with some force, tossing the weapon aside as he advanced on his prey. Three darts of light followed, and Nanaki realised with a jolt that they had been blades concealed in the dark of the assailant's attire. The groom let out a groan, clutching at his stomach, and Nanaki bit her lip as the black-clad figure turned his attention back towards the three remaining stable hands. They were all young, one her age and one probably younger, and they backed away in fear as the assassin drew a katana from the ebony sheath at his waist, twisting it and then drilling it forwards towards the tallest of the three. Though they outnumbered him, it was clear that the stablehands had little if any military training, and with a few short, determined sweeps of the dark-metal weapon it was over, the boys tumbling forwards as their life blood was slashed from their bodies.

As they fell, Nanaki felt a curious sense of regret well up inside of her and she clenched her fists, forcing it down.

_They might be innocent in this, but there have to be some sacrifices. They're martyrs, perhaps. It's not pleasant to accept, but in any war there are always innocent dead. Isn't that what __**he**__ said? That in order for the many to prosper, there will always be a few to fall...and now what's that idiot doing? _

She frowned, watching the assassin walk between his victims slowly, his black clothing splashed and soaked with the spray of blood as he poked at each one with the end of his katana. It was almost as though he was testing them for signs of life, and as one of the young boys let out a whimper, Nanaki thought she saw a flicker of something cold and hard dart through the golden eyes, followed by a swift sweep of the weapon across the child's jugular. Fresh blood gushed from the wound, and the boy's body jerked and then lay still, his eyes rolling back into his head.

Nanaki found herself feeling distinctly nauseous as the black-clad figure drew his weapon ruthlessly through the throats of the other men, stepping through the pooling blood as though he was not even aware that it was there. There was no finesse to his attacks, simply a base brutality driving each swing, yet he moved with a calm resolution that made it seem as though he was completely detached from what he had just done.

Nanaki shivered, biting her lip.

_He's such an animal. No wonder I don't like spending time alone with him - even if I know he would never do that to me. If he even tried to touch me...I know what would befall him, though there's no telling whether__he'd even understand._

The sound of footsteps on the cobbles made the assassin suddenly pause, raising his gaze and for a brief moment his and Nanaki's eyes met. Then he thrust his weapon roughly back through the loop on his belt and into its sheath, launching himself up onto the roof of the stable house and away into the trees beyond.

_Stupid fool. _

Nanaki buried her head in her hands.

_He was supposed to attack people and be seen. Not kill them and escape. Is he really under our control? He hasn't left a single witness - just a whole lot of blood and mess that some poor fool will have to mop up. Will the Kuchiki even care that this has happened? I doubt it. Nobody important was killed. But it's time I got away from here. I can't be placed as a witness to any of this - even if they don't suspect me at present, my situation would soon unravel if people pried too deeply._

As guardsmen flooded into the yard, Nanaki slipped back into the manor buildings, up the back stairs and into the servants' quarters where she paused, letting out her breath in a rush.

_I'll have to report this as a failure. I can't imagine this is what __**he**__ intended you to do, you stupid idiot. And to think we still feed you. _

"Nanaki? Ah, you are here." At that moment one of the senior maidservants pushed back the door, and Nanaki slipped immediately into character, bowing her head towards her companion. "Good - they need an extra hand on the third floor with the guest chambers. Hurry along and see to it, will you? Miouko-sama is not a patient woman and I don't want another earful."

"Yes, ma'am." Nanaki bobbed her head again, then scurried off to obey the order.

_I'll try and see what the aftermath of this is. That the bocchan left the estate right before the attack happened might be useful, even though we didn't plan for it. Maybe there is still something to be salvaged from all of this. I'll talk to __**him**__, when I get back later. And try and work out exactly how we're supposed to move forwards. The suspicions still haven't been cast because he left no living witnesses. Which may mean..._

Her fingers brushed against the hidden pendant again,

_That it will all be up to me._

_

* * *

_

The taint of death was all around.

As Mitsuki hurried through the halls of the building, she swallowed hard against the sudden, stabbing bolts of pain and fear that threatened to overwhelm her. As she reached the top of the rear stairs she stumbled, grabbing hold of the railing to steady herself before hurrying down the steps two at a time towards the back servants' door. Already she could hear the commotion of the Kuchiki's guards approaching the scene, but she did not stop, driven on by the faint flickering of life forces which had one by one been struck out like a candle flame.

Someone had been here. Someone had killed. And death was in the very air itself.

Mitsuki swallowed hard, trying not to choke on the heavy wave of scattered spiritual energy that saturated the whole surroundings. Pushing past the guardsfolk with little care for their weapons or their yells of protest, she burst into the stable compound, her heart lurching in her throat as she surveyed the scene.

At first all she could see was blood, a great, red lake of blood that seemed to cover the whole area. Then she got a grip on her wits, forcing herself to calm down as she hurried down beside the injured men, searching desperately for any sign that any of them had survived the attack.

What had happened or how, she did not know - and at that moment, she did not care. Her healer's instincts had drawn her here and she had obeyed them wholeheartedly, knowing that she had no time at all to waste and that people needed her help.

She dropped down to the ground, paying no attention to the blood that immediately began to seep into her navy mourning robes, making them sodden and heavy with the victims' blood. A quick glance had told her that four of the men were already dead and beyond her help, but the head groom's aura still flickered feebly with life, and so she put her hand gently to his chest, a faint greenish glow of energy surrounding him as she summoned her _reiryoku_ to bring him relief.

As she did so, the man's eyes fluttered open, and he stared up at her in confusion, moistening his lips as he tried to bring her into focus.

"Don't speak." Mitsuki did not know how she kept her voice calm, for her heart was still pounding with the shock of the event, but somehow she managed it, slipping her free hand into his bloody fingers as she offered him a smile. "Your wounds are deep...you shouldn't try to move."

"Edogawa...hime." The groom's words were hoarse, and Mitsuki felt his spirit fluctuate slightly, as though unsure whether to keep fighting on or to give up his battle. His lips parted and closed a few times, as though there was something else he wanted to say, and as she bent her head lower, she struggled to make out three faintly gasped words. She frowned, troubled by what she'd heard but knowing that now was not the time to be asking the man questions. There would be time for that later, if he lived - for now her instinct was to help him if she possibly could.

She loosened her hold on his hand, running her fingers gently across his torso and pausing as she felt the hard metal embedded there. Two of the weapons the assassin had flung had embedded themselves into the man's body, the third having skimmed harmlessly across the cobbles and into the grass nearby, but a small knife used with accuracy was more than enough to take a man's life.

_And there are two. With long blades. Deep into your gut and chest. I could remove them, but probably that one...is damaging your heart. If I don't remove it, your heart won't be able to keep beating long. But if I do, the blood you've already lost..._

She forced the thought aside, redoubling her _reiryoku_ as she spread her Kidou net further around her patient. The rest of the world around her was no longer there - the bodies of his fallen companions and the arriving members of the Kuchiki guard all a mixed blur at the edge of her awareness. All that Mitsuki was focused on now was the man who lay before her - his life on a knife-edge and his strength ebbing away with every second.

_Yuuyugo is in my chamber. I didn't have time to go back to get her._

Inwardly Mitsuki berated this fact, even as she strengthened her Kidou for a third time.

_With Yuuyugo, I think I could save him. But I don't have time to go get her. I just...I only have Kidou. And...a gamble. To take the knife...or...to leave it. It's only grazing the organ, but...its also stopping the blood from gushing forth. Could he stand it...if I..._

"Edogawa-hime!" A retainer's voice penetrated her concentration, and she glanced up at him blankly.

"Can I help?" The young man asked anxiously. "He's alive, isn't he? If he saw something...can I help?"

"There's nothing you can do." Mitsuki shook her head, turning her attention back to her patient whose eyes had fluttered closed. "He's lost consciousness again - and I'm not sure I can save him anyway. He has two knives embedded in his body - one of them is right up against his heart. I think...it's damaged it. If I take it out...the chances are he'll die from the resultant bleeding. If I leave it, his pulse is already erratic and starting to falter, so his heart might stop at any time. Right now there's nothing anyone else can do. There's only the slimmest chance that, if I take the blade out...somehow...I can stop the bleeding without Yuuyugo when I do."

"I'll send someone for your sword immediately." The man offered, and Mitsuki shook her head.

"No time." She said grimly, slipping the fingers of her left hand around the hilt of the offending weapon and saying an inward prayer for help. For a moment she did not move, then she summoned her courage, tightening her grip and pulling it free of the wound. Immediately blood began to pour fourth, and Mitsuki tossed the blade aside, pressing her palm down against the open wound as she willed the bleeding to slow down.  
_  
Yuuyugo would be able to stop it. But my Kidou...may not be quick enough to do the same thing. _

She closed her eyes, focusing her entire attention on sealing the flow of blood, though with every beat of the man's damaged heart, a fresh flood threatened, and Mitsuki felt sweat beading on her brow as she fought to hold it back.

At length she seemed to be succeeding, and she took a deep breath, her fingers shaking as she drew them back tentatively from the wound. The man was still breathing, but they were shallow, uneven breaths, and Mitsuki could see from the pallor of the other's face that he had passed beyond the line of return. She swallowed hard, trying to control her emotions as her Kidou barrier faded softly away, followed by the slowing and gradual stopping of the groom's heart.

"Edogawa-hime?" The retainer sent her a quizzical look, and numbly Mitsuki shook her head.

"Then we have no witnesses. Nobody who can tell us what happened here." The retainer turned towards his men, and for a while, Mitsuki didn't move, her gaze not leaving the fallen man's face.

"Having a life is more important than having a witness." She said softly. "This man was murdered. They were all murdered. That fact should matter more...than anything else. You don't need a witness to tell you that."

"Hime..." The guards glanced at one another, and Mitsuki got shakily to her feet.

"Someone got in here and attacked innocent men for no reason at all." She added, her voice trembling. "They didn't care that these men had lives...or that their fear or pain would flood through this whole place as they died. They were cut apart like they were meat for market. They weren't just witnesses. They were people, too."

"Hime, you're covered in blood." A second retainer stepped forward, reaching out a hand to steady her on her feet. "Let me call for a maidservant to help you - there's nothing more you can do here."

"No...I'm all right." Mitsuki pulled away from the man's touch, shaking her head. "I'm fine. A little blood is nothing to a healer - I'm only shaking because I couldn't save his life. Not because of anything else."

Tears trickled down her cheeks and she reached up a bloodied hand to wipe them away.

"First Ribari-sama, now this." She whispered. "What is happening here? _Why_ are people being killed like this?"

"Mitsuki!"

Shirogane's voice broke through the haze of her thoughts and she turned, seeing her cousin staring at her with a mixture of horror and disbelief. At the sight of him, Mitsuki felt her strength buckle and she stumbled forward, blood trickling down her legs and onto the ground from her heavy, sodden skirts.

"I couldn't help them, Senpai." She choked out, and Shirogane frowned, grabbing her firmly by the wrists and giving her a little shake.

"I'm sure you did what you could, but like this you're a mess." He said briskly. "Come inside and let me call someone to help you clean up and change. Whatever happened here, leave it to the retainers to sort out. You've used a lot of Kidou - and you're white as a ghost yourself."

"Mm." Mitsuki nodded slightly, then, "Why are you here? Where...?"

"I felt your spirit power flare." Shirogane said gravely. "And heard a commotion from the stables. I was looking for Ryuu - a maid said that she'd seen him heading this way this morning...but it doesn't look like he's here."

"_Ryuu_?" Mitsuki's eyes widened and she glanced around her, suddenly fearful. "Ryuu came to the stables...? But...?"

"I don't know. It might not be true." Shirogane gave her arm a little tug, leading her back towards the main manor building. "But if he was here, he isn't here now. Probably he wasn't here when all of this happened...most likely he's actually in the archives, because that's where he is mostly and you know it too."

Mitsuki closed her eyes, a faint shudder rippling through her body.

"That man died because I didn't have Yuuyugo." She murmured. "But I didn't have time to go get her. If I'd had Yuuyugo...maybe...but like Ribari-sama, I was too...too late..."

"You can't heal everyone." Shirogane told her bluntly. "And you shouldn't criticise yourself for that fact. You wanted to help and I'm sure you did your best. Your Kidou was flaring far and wide and even a complete dunce in spiritual power would have felt your desperation."

"But..."

"Your Kidou eases pain, doesn't it?" Shirogane cut across her. "Your spells helped me, so I know that they do. You couldn't save his life - possibly that's true. But I've no doubt you made his last moments easier. And even if that's not good enough by your high standards - you still can't see yourself as having failed him. You didn't cut him open. Some other creature did."

"Senpai..." Mitsuki stared at Shirogane in disbelief, and Shirogane offered her a wry smile.

"I have very few allies left here these days." He said frankly. "But I think you're one of them, and so I'm returning the favour."

"Yes." Mitsuki managed a faint smile. "Thank...thank you. Most people just...think I'm odd. When I get...like this."

"No...I'm starting to understand it." Shirogane sighed. "Not the way it is for you, but how helpless you feel when you can't help someone who should be helped. It's all right, Mitsuki. You're not odd. But right now, you are covered in blood and you look half-demon yourself. So that's the first thing you need to take care of, before anything else."

"I suppose...I'll frighten people like this." Mitsuki glanced down at her blood-stained clothing. "I didn't even think about it. I just..."

"Went to help." Shirogane nodded. "I know. As a fighter, blood doesn't bother me, either. But it will bother those with greater sensibilities - better change before one of Ryuu's sisters sees you and runs with a story to Seiren-dono. He might stop you associating with Ryuu the way he's stopped me."

"Senpai, do you really think Ryuu is in the archive?" Mitsuki asked hesitantly, and Shirogane shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no idea." He admitted. "But I am fairly sure he wasn't at the stables when all of this happened. He wouldn't have just run away...would he?"

"No. No, he wouldn't." Mitsuki shook her head. "He would've faced whatever entity did this...and he wouldn't have fled. You're right. He can't have been there. I'm sorry...I'm just jumpy. Everything being this way worries me."

"Ryuu's safety worries me too." Shirogane confessed, his eyes darkening. "Whether or not Seiren-dono believes me. That's why I was looking for him - because I think he's in danger."

"He thinks you are." Mitsuki murmured, and Shirogane shrugged.

"I'm a better fighter than Ryuu, and besides, I'm expecting trouble now." He agreed. "But I'm not sure if Ryuu really is. And I think he's higher on the hitlist than I am - if he really is now the heir to the Clan."

Mitsuki was silent for a moment, then,

"Yes." She agreed soberly. "Tomorrow when we leave...I will be a lot more relieved than I am right now."

"Shirogane! _Mitsuki_? What on earth...?" Guren's voice came from the end of the hallway, and both turned, meeting the agitated gaze of their Clan leader with mixed emotions.

"Mitsuki, what happened?" Guren was quick to pick up the blood on Mitsuki's clothing and skin, and Mitsuki swallowed hard, taking a breath to compose herself.

"There was some incident at the stables." She said unevenly. "Someone killed some of the stablehands and one head groom. I tried to save the groom but I...couldn't."

"I was taking her back to her room so she could change and wash, then report to you, sir." Shirogane added quietly. "We both assume you want to know as soon as possible what happened."

"Murder...in the stables?" Guren's expression became one of distress. "Just...?"

"The assassin - whoever it was - escaped." Mitsuki murmured. "And left five men dead. Nobody else...seems to have seen the incident at all."

"Five dead and no witnesses." Guren clenched his fingers, and Mitsuki knew he was remembering his son. "I see. Then yes. Mitsuki, change. Come to my study as soon as you have - Shirogane, if you know something of this too, I want to hear that as well."

"Sir, there is something else." Shirogane said respectfully. "We don't know where Ryuu is. One of the maids said she saw him heading to the stables...but he isn't there now."

"You think he's been kidnapped?" Horror flooded Guren's gaze, and Mitsuki's heart lurched in her chest at this so far un-considered possibility.

"We weren't able to establish whether he was there or not, sir." Shirogane shook his head. "Just that we don't know where he is."

"There's no reason, I suppose, for him to go to the stables..." Guren murmured, but Mitsuki shook her head.

"He would have come...because of me." She whispered, fear encircling her heart as she contemplated the implications of her words. "When I use my power like that, to try and heal...Ryuu would have come. If he'd been near enough to feel it - he would have come. Ryuu's always protected me - he'd be worried I was in danger, and so...he..."

She trailed off, as the words of the dying man flitted suddenly through her thoughts.

She had only been able to make out three of them, but even so, those three struck terror and confusion right through to the core of her soul. Yet, as she met Guren's gaze, she knew that she could never speak them out loud. That what that dying groom had entrusted to her was information he might have lost his life for - information that could have far reaching implications not just for them but for people far beyond the Kuchiki borders.

For the man had seen his attacker, and more, had tried to tell Mitsuki what he had seen. And the words he had spoken had been unmistakeable.

_Gold eyed demon._

* * *

_**Author's Note: Manga 414 & Gin's Zanpakutou skill.**_

This has nothing directly to do with Meifu but it was brought to my attention this week that the latest chapter of Bleach involved Gin using a technique which bears a very spooky resemblance to Keitarou's Kairaishi - the spell where he uses a chip of his sword to control another person, poisoning them as they go. 

_I'm much amused by this =D. After the shadows in Shunsui's sword and Juu's shikai that's the third time Meifu has unconsciously foreshadowed canon. So from this point on I'm ficcishly denoting Gin a descendant of Keitarou's xD. Just for fun, ne? xD_


	16. Nagasata Kaoru

**Chapter Fifteen: Nagasata Kaoru**

Well, only time would tell whether Genryuusai's gambit would backfire.

Shunsui pushed open the gate to the furthest of the _zanpakutou_ fields, pausing to gaze up at the sky with a rueful expression in his dark eyes. A promise was a promise and he knew that he had not been able to refuse it, yet still he felt somehow unsure about what he was about to undertake.

_Someone's _shishou_ ought to be steady and responsible. I'm neither one, and Yama-jii saying all of those things about me being effectively Juu's second in command is enough to give me chills. I always thought that I got away with being the hopeless layabout who flukes high grades at school - but that I was in contention for Anideshi is a bit of a wake-up call. Yama-jii's no idiot - I should have known he wouldn't be fooled even if Minabe still considers me the prize idiot of her class. _

_**You should listen to him. He knows better than you.**_

Amaki's acerbic words cut across his thoughts, and he sighed, inclining his head slightly in acknowledgement of the zanpakutou spirit's words.

_There is that, too. You should be glad, though, Amaki. You and Seibara. You keep telling me to do some work - now I am._

_**Well, if you were going to use us, I'd be happier. **  
_  
Amaki was cutting.

_**Since your skills are more likely to plateau the more complacent you get. When we told you our name you were worthy of knowing it. Don't slip back again. You don't want to face either Seibara or I if you do.**_

_Fine, but this is a training session of a different kind. Not for me but for a junior. So you pipe down and keep out of it. Your games don't have a place here._

_**Whatever.**_

With a flicker of energy, Amaki was gone, and Shunsui turned his mind back to the job at hand.

_Amaki's as bad as Minabe when it comes to giving me the rough edge of his tongue. In class or outside of it, I suppose I can't escape that.  
_

A faint smile touched his lips.

_I wonder what Minabe's reaction was when Yama-jii told her I was going to undertake training one of her students. If this Nagasata is any good, I bet she won't be happy about it. She probably expects me to ruin the kid - I guess I'll have to disappoint her expectati_ons.

"Good morning, Kyouraku-senpai. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!"

A voice startled him out of his reverie and he swung around, a light-hearted response dying on his lips as he saw the speaker clearly for the first time. As they met gazes, the newcomer smiled, cheeks dimpling as she bowed her head respectfully towards him.

"I'm Nagasata Kaoru." She said simply. "I'm pleased to be working with you – thank you for agreeing to train with me."

"Nagasata…Kaoru." Despite himself, Shunsui was totally thrown as the girl raised her head once more, glitters of excitement in her dark brown eyes.

Whatever he had expected, he mused ruefully to himself, he had not expected this.

She was petite in height, probably a few inches shorter than both Sora and Kai, and possessed of a slender, elfin build that nonetheless had her perfectly in proportion. Her uniform was likely second-hand, for it had clearly seen some wear, the red piping and emblem of the _hakamashita_ becoming pinkish in places whilst Shunsui could see the faint stitching where the girl's _hakama_ had been adjusted to better fit her size. Despite himself, a faint smile touched his lips as he imagined them trailing on the floor, too long for her tiny legs.

Her hair was long, ebony in colour and perfectly straight, pulled back in a ponytail behind her head with parchment ribbon as warriors often did. It was not an unusual way for anyone to fasten their hair before taking part in physical training, yet somehow on this enigma it seemed more an artistic affectation than necessary preparation. Her eyes were bright with intelligence and eagerness – and if it had not been for those eyes, Shunsui might have thought a doll stood before him.

The sheathed form of an _asauchi_ hung against her right hip, a clear sign of a left-handed fighter, and as Shunsui's gaze drifted to it, he realised that she was so small the weapon seemed unnaturally long at her side. A faint recollection of Seibara as she had first appeared to him crossed his mind, and he shook his head slightly as if to clear it.

He had made an elementary mistake in assuming that his new _deshi _would be a boy, for he had once known a guardsman called Kaoru and had therefore not even stopped to think about the alternative. But now he realised that at no point had Genryuusai said that his student was male - and there was no mistaking it. Nagasata Kaoru was definitely a girl and - much to his intense chagrin – a very pretty girl at that.

_So that was the catch, was it? I knew there was one. Sneaky old devil._

"Senpai?" Kaoru eyed him quizzically, concern crossing her features. "Is something wrong? Are you cross because I'm a little late? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be. Only I had to see Kazoe-sensei this morning, then I got lost finding my way here, and then…"

"You needn't worry about that." Shunsui shook his head, forcing his attention back to the present. "You're not late. I'm here early, actually – I had nothing pressing so I thought I'd wander down here in plenty of time."

He grinned at her sheepishly.

"You seem to already know my name – I suppose Ya…Genryuusai-sensei already told you who would be training you."

"Yes sir." Kaoru nodded her head eagerly. "Because you can fight left-handed, and he thought that would be better…since I don't fight well with my right hand, and…"

"Wooah. Wait a minute." Shunsui held up his hands. "How old are you, Kaoru-chan?"

"Seventeen, sir." Kaoru pinkened at the affectionate honorific, reaching up to tuck a wisp of dark hair behind her ear self-consciously. "I was seventeen just before the spring blossoms came. Why?"

"Seventeen." Shunsui's eyes narrowed as he did the maths in his head. "Have you skipped a year?"

"Yes, sir." Kaoru was surprised. "I went from Second year to Fourth year, because Sensei said I needed to work properly on my _zanpakutou_ and my other skills were all coming on nicely. I'm having extra coaching in Sakusen, and so I was allowed to move up straight away instead of being held back. It was a bit strange at first, but the people I'm in a class with now have all been really nice to me, so…."

"I see." Shunsui spoke before the girl could go into a long and detailed description of her first days with her new classmates. "Then you were fifteen when you first came here?"

"Yes sir."

"Then do I seem that much older than you that you have to keep calling me sir as though I'm a teacher?" Shunsui looked plaintive. "I'm really not _that_ old, you know. I'm twenty one right now, which means there's a bare four years or so between us. I'm quite all right being 'senpai', but I don't expect you to call me 'sir'."

"I'm sorry, senpai." Kaoru's cheeks reddened once more and she bowed her head apologetically. "It's just…I heard from my dorm-mates that you're from the Kyouraku Clan and that you'll be a Captain when you graduate and your brother is a Clan leader and that you're the top student in the Senior Class and all kinds of things and I didn't want to be disrespectful because I come from the Districts and…"

She trailed off, and Shunsui sighed, coming towards her and resting his hands gently on her shoulders. She raised her gaze to him in confusion, and Shunsui bit his lip, inwardly cursing the old man for having given him such an assignment.

_Because you know, don't you, that I'm going to find training her a big distraction. You're a canny old fox, Yama-jii. This isn't just about her being left-handed. It's about her being a highly attractive young woman and you testing my powers of resistance. That's a low blow, though. Even for you._

Out loud he said,

"You know our Anideshi is District born, don't you?"

"Yes, senpai." Kaoru looked surprised. "But…"

"Juushirou and I have been classmates since first year and he's my closest friend bar none." Shunsui told her gently. "I don't know what you've been told about Clan and District, but I'm of the strong opinion bloodline doesn't make you important. You speak with who you are and what you do – and if you got skipped up a year, that means Yama…I mean, Genryuusai-sensei sees something special in you, too. If that's the case, you should hold your head up and be proud. Whilst we're students here, we're all judged only by the work we do and the grades we get. Not by who our families are. All right? And I certainly don't want you to think of me as some elite Lord or anyone at all important."

He sent her a wry smile.

"It might warp your opinion of the Clans quite horribly, if you were to base your judgement entirely on me."

He released his gentle grasp on her shoulders with a sigh, taking a step away.

"Genryuusai-sensei is right, though." He added. "I _can_ fight left-handed, and I will help you try to subdue and raise your _zanpakutou_ spirit. But I don't think it matters overly which hand you're used to fighting with. Left hand, right hand – it's all in the tactics you employ. Your strength should always begin with protecting your weakness. Once you can do that, you don't need to worry about the nature of your opponent."

"I see." Kaoru looked thoughtful, and Shunsui realised with a jolt that she had not only taken note of his words but was considering them carefully, absorbing them as though he had given her true pearls of wisdom. He groaned inwardly, realising yet again what Genryuusai had done.

_Someone who will listen and act on my every instruction, and hang onto my every word. Which means I can't coast this or screw it up. You really do intend to make me earn my haori, don't you, Yama-jii? Even if it does mean gambling the abilities of a poor young kid like this one in the meantime._

His fingers closed reluctantly around the hilt of the _asauchi_ that he had selected to begin their battle. Despite Amaki's disparaging comments about laziness, he had thought long and hard about this, for although he knew it was customary for Seniors to train their juniors with their sealed _zanpakutou_, his own swords were a little different from the norm. In fact, he had reasoned, in the whole of Soul Society there had never before been a sword like his – one that had sealed itself so definitely into two separate weapons as opposed to simply one. Even Juushirou's slept in single blade form, for Sougyo no Kotowari's spirits were two halves of one balance – but for Shunsui, Amaki and Seibara's consciousnesses were distinct and independent – a fact that was best represented by the different sizes of the weapons that he normally wore at his waist. His left blade was Seibara, the wakizashi – and while he could fight just as well with Amaki's katana in his left hand, it would be more of an effort to regulate his style so that he wasn't compensating for the difference in weight. On reflection, he had decided that to use an _asauchi_ of middling weight would be the safest bet.

At his movement, Kaoru sent him a curious look.

"Are you not going to use your _zanpakutou_?" She asked doubtfully, and Shunsui shook his head.

"For now, no." he responded. "I wouldn't be releasing it anyway – certainly not today, maybe not at all. The focus here is on you. Not on me. So your sword is more important than what I choose to fight with."

"I see." Again, that thoughtful look, then, "What kind of _zanpakutou_ is yours, senpai? Someone in Dorm said it was supposed to be a special one, but they didn't know why or what kind of sword it was. Just that they'd heard people talking about it being unusual. Is it unusual? Is it dangerous? Is that why you won't use it?"

"All _zanpakutou_ are dangerous." Shunsui said frankly. "That's what they're designed for, unless you happen to be a healer."

"I…suppose so." Kaoru looked a little crestfallen at this, and Shunsui inwardly berated himself at having been so quick to respond.

Just because he had his own bitternesses about conflict and combat, it wasn't fair to superimpose those onto one like this.

He shook his head.

"Understanding that doesn't make you vicious or violent." He said gently. "By understanding it, you can make the opposite true. We raise swords for a reason – to protect Seireitei. We don't raise them on our own selfish behalves."

"Sensei said that too." Kaoru brightened up at this. "Genryuusai-sensei, in Sakusen class, once. That the true power in a sword was knowing when not to release it – when it's better to act peacefully instead of violently."

"I've never known Y…Genryuusai-sensei to release his_ zanpakutou_." Shunsui admitted. "I suspect if he did we'd all be in trouble, so it's a good thing he feels that way, overall."

"I think so too." Kaoru laughed, and Shunsui realised that he'd won the girl's trust – at least, for now. "I think Sensei's sword is probably the most dangerous of all…don't you?"

"Doubtless." Shunsui nodded, pulling the _asauchi _from his waist and transferring it into the palm of his left hand. "No matter how many years I train for, fighting him is really not high on my list of priorities. Not even for fun or in practice."

He frowned.

"Kaoru-chan, I don't know yet what kind of _zanpakutou _spirit you have, or what kind of sword you will manifest." He added. "Sensei assigned you to me, so he must think that I can help you to bring that sword out. Just be aware that manifesting it is only the first step. You'll probably never learn absolutely everything your sword can do before you die. Sensei told me that when I first released Katen Kyoukotsu. If you knew everything, your skills would blunt and you'd become complacent. So if you begin with this now – it's something that won't ever end. Even if we reach a conclusion and you're no longer my _deshi_ – I want you to know that that will only be the start of your becoming a shinigami."

Kaoru nodded.

"It's all right." She said, drawing her own weapon and holding it at her side as she met his gaze earnestly. "Because I want to be a shinigami more than anything. So if I spend always learning as much as I can, that's fine with me. I want to do that."

"You really are determined, aren't you?" Shunsui observed, and Kaoru smiled, nodding her head.

"I suppose so." She said self-consciously. "Even in the Districts, there are people who want to help stop Hollows hurting people."

"Hollows hurt your family?" Shunsui asked softly, and for a moment the sparkle was gone from the dark eyes.

"My mother was killed by one when I was six." She agreed. "I never had a father, so then my brother and I were on our own. My brother raised me, but he died of sickness when I was thirteen and I didn't really know what to do."

She shrugged her shoulders, as if resigned to what was clearly a painful part of her past.

"People thought bad things about my brother, so I had nobody to turn to then." She added matter-of-factly. "And because I had spirit power, the townsfolk didn't want me near them – because they said I attracted Hollows."

"Yet you ended up here?" Shunsui asked softly, and Kaoru nodded.

"A shinigami helped me." She agreed. "It was after a whole area of our town was demolished by a Hollow and members of the squad came and destroyed it. It was the first time I saw a shinigami fight a Hollow and kill it, and I though it was…amazing."

She pinkened.

"Afterwards, one of them came to speak to me." She added shyly. "Because he could tell I had spirit power, and said that I should learn to use it so I could help destroy monsters like that one. He took me with him to his home and his wife fed me and made me new clothes and was really kind to me even though I was a perfect stranger. So then I decided to become a shinigami. Because they were so kind to me and they did such brave things…I wanted to be like that too."

Shunsui pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"What District do you come from, Kaoru-chan?" He asked quietly, and Kaoru dimpled.

"Five." She said promptly. "But near the border with Four. Haruyo-dono said that he was Shiba by birth, but his people were stationed at the border through an agreement of the Unohana and Shiba Clans to mutually protect that area. To be honest, I didn't really understand what he meant. I just know that I was lucky…and I intend on repaying Haruyo-dono's kindness by working as hard as I can."

"That's a good aim to have." Shunsui agreed. "The Shiba and Unohana Clans are honourable and kind Clans and you can trust in them. I'm glad they were able to help you…and I'll do my best to help you too. My older brother is also half Shiba – so it's very almost a family obligation, now you've told me your story."

He grinned.

"Are you always so open with everyone you meet?"

"Yes." Kaoru agreed cheerfully. "Why…is that strange?"

"No. Refreshing in this world full of secrets." Shunsui shook his head. "It seems a shame I have to raise a blade to you now. But I will, because you're obviously serious about this. I'll try and be serious too – though it's not one of my strongest attributes."

Kaoru giggled.

"You're really not as intimidating as I thought." She said unnecessarily. "I thought you'd be all important and Clannish, but you're really quite nice."

"I think that was a compliment." Shunsui teased, and Kaoru reddened yet again, her free hand flying to her mouth.

"I'm sorry, senpai! I always speak without thinking, but I didn't mean…"

"I don't think praise should be apologised for." Shunsui cut across her apologies, shaking his head. "Nor honesty, so don't worry about it. Besides, we should begin. Sensei won't love either of us if we spend the whole time gossiping. I don't know what level of sword skill you have, but from the fact Yama-jii has sent you up a year suggests that you're not bad."

"Yama…jii?" Kaoru's eyes became big and round with surprise at Shunsui's slip, and the Senior grimaced, shaking his head.

"Genryuusai-sensei." He corrected. "Sorry. Better forget you heard that. It's not very correct of me, even if I do see it as an affectionate short."

He tightened his grip around the hilt of the _asauchi_.

"All right. No more talking, else I may say something else stupid." He reflected. "I want to see what you can do, Kaoru-chan – come at me with your blade and I'll parry a few shots, just to get the feel of your level."

"Okay." Kaoru nodded eagerly, raising her weapon and darting forward without a moment of hesitation. Shunsui shifted his weight slightly, bringing his own blade up easily to clatter against the shining metal of hers, yet her grip was firm and as he swung his weapon to counter her second shot, she twisted her wrist slightly, altering the angle of her strike so that it almost brushed against her senior's sleeve. A faint smile touched Shunsui's lips at her daring, and he leapt back a pace, darting forward the next instant to knock back the probing sword thrusts that were attempting to carve a hole in his right side's defence. She was tiny and slight, yet she was not weak nor frightened of her weapon, and Shunsui nodded appreciatively as he watched the smooth, fluid way she moved, transferring her nimbleness from her body to her weapon as though it was an extension of her own body.

_Yama-jii's not wrong about her. Not that I thought he would be…but she looks so unlikely as a swordswoman. Still, there's no mistaking it. She's got a natural talent for wielding a weapon, and she's in tune with it even at this basic stage._

He parried her strike again, moving to her right and bringing his weapon down testingly towards her free arm. Kaoru countered, but there was a slight faltering in her movement this time, and Shunsui frowned, driving his _asauchi_ up sharply to meet hers once more. This time he added more force to his swing and as the two weapons met, Kaoru let out an exclamation, the sword ripped from her hand and sent flying up into the air, turning twice before embedding itself in the dry earth of the training ground. For a moment she stared at it in silence, then she grinned ruefully.

"I guess there's no way I can disarm a Senior, huh." She said pensively, moving to retrieve her weapon as she did so.

"Possibly not, right at the moment." Shunsui shook his head. "But that doesn't mean you should keep from trying to. You weren't afraid to come at me – and I'm glad, because that makes my job easier. You like fighting with a sword, don't you, Kaoru-chan?"

"I do." Kaoru admitted sheepishly. "Because I'm small and people think I'm easy to push about, I wanted to get stronger. I can't do anything about my size…but I can do stuff about my strength and my skill, so I worked really really hard."

"I think it's more than that." Shunsui tapped his weapon against his leg thoughtfully. "Maybe you have worked hard – and you probably should carry on doing so, else Sensei will be on your back. But you have a natural skill for combat, too. Maybe _because_ you're small…rather than otherwise."

He grinned.

"Do you know who Shihouin Kai is?" He asked, and Kaoru nodded.

"Yes, senpai. He's one of the Seniors, isn't he?"

"Mm, and a classmate of mine from the first year." Shunsui agreed. "Believe it or not, he's topped Ouyoudou in our class since we began. He's not built on a large scale, not like Houjou…but he can floor us all if he puts his mind to it. You remind me a little of him – although a lot prettier, of course, don't get me wrong. You use speed and smoothness as a strength to back up natural sword skills. And being left-handed can be an advantage – often opponents get confused by facing someone whose weapon seems to be in the wrong hand."

"Have you fought like that before, Senpai?" Kaoru was curious, and Shunsui nodded.

"I can fight with either hand to about the same level, though I won't pretend I fight with them the same way." He agreed. "So when we get to know each other a little better, I'll switch to right and see how you deal with that. Right now that won't work, though…will it?"

His gaze rested on her right arm, then,

"You have a significant weakness on that side. It's not just that you don't fight with your right hand…there's more to it, isn't there?"

Kaoru looked crestfallen.

"Is it that obvious?"

"I wouldn't say obvious, but significant enough for anyone of any skill to exploit." Shunsui reflected. "Most people are weaker with one hand than the other, and many can't fight with either like I do. But that's not the same as when I attacked your weak side just now. You faltered, as if you didn't see me coming as quickly. So I wondered…"

He raised his sword, tapping her gently on the head before lowering his blade once more to his side.

"You haven't got very good vision in that right eye, have you?"

Kaoru reddened, shaking her head.

"Almost none." She admitted. "Just shadows and light – and you're right, my reactions aren't so quick on that side because of it."

"I thought so." Shunsui nodded. "I thought at first it was something wrong with your right arm – but then I realised it was to do with your awareness, not your movement. Your right arm is probably fine, just not trained like your left. But your vision…"

"It was hurt when I was small." Kaoru lowered her gaze to the ground, touching her cheek absently with the index finger of her right hand. "By kids throwing rocks to demolish an old house in our village. Those rocks didn't hit my eye, but they splintered a beam and one of the splinters went right through…"

She shivered, closing her eyes, and Shunsui found himself hard-pressed not to shiver with her.

"I was only tiny." She added. "They said it was lucky it hadn't killed me. Mother got the splinter out – I don't know how, or really remember what happened except the pain and then not being able to see. My eye healed up after, and now you can't tell to look at it that it was ever hurt…but I couldn't see again properly. I got used to that…I don't really bother about it. Unohana-sensei looked at it when I first arrived, but she said that my eye had healed and she couldn't use kidou to heal what wasn't broken. It had just healed without proper sight…and so it was permanently that way."

She shrugged, raising her gaze to meet Shunsui's again.

"It's all right, though. My left eye is strong. But when I'm fighting…"

"If that's the case, then we'll have to think around it." Shunsui cut across her, not wanting her to dwell on this unpleasant memory any more. "People I know with poor or compromised eyesight use their spiritual awareness to compensate for their lack of vision. If you're fighting a Hollow or – hopefully not, but you might - another Shinigami, you'll have to train yourself to follow their movements with your spiritual senses as well as your actual ones. I'm sure to some degree you already do that – but you'll have to make a focus of it, until you can fight without hesitation."

"My spiritual senses?" Kaoru's eyes widened, then, "I see. So instead of looking where the sword is coming from, I'm feeling it out?"

"Yes." Shunsui nodded. "That's what I mean."

He grinned.

"I'm sorely tempted to blindfold you." He added playfully. "Except that might be hard to explain to anyone else who came walking by the training arena."

"Senpai!" Kaoru giggled, the darkness lifting from her gaze, and Shunsui reached over to ruffle her hair lightly.

"It's almost time for your class. The sun's moved and I'm sure you don't want to be late." He said gently. "So that's it for now. But I'll see you again tomorrow – after your afternoon classes, we'll meet here. We'll spend less time talking and more sparring, next time…be prepared."

"Yes, senpai!" Kaoru nodded, then bowed her head to him. "Thank you very much!"

She was gone before he could respond, haring off across the grass towards the main school building, and Shunsui allowed himself a wry smile as he made his own slow way back towards the gymnasium.

"You look like someone got the better of you." As he reached the building, a voice accosted him and he turned, offering Kai a grin.

"Kind of." He agreed with a shrug. "My _deshi_…was a little different than I expected."

"I saw a young girl hare back this way a couple of minutes ago." Kai looked thoughtful. "And I wondered…"

"Yes. That's her." Shunsui nodded. "Yama-jii definitely out-thought me this time. She's pretty and friendly and probably extremely obliging, yet as her _shishou_ if I dared even think of flirting with her, I'd probably wind up in the doghouse. So I have to play the attentive sword sensei instead…typical, isn't it? I was resigned to a hot, sweaty male and instead I get…"

"We all have things to try our patience." Kai intoned sagely. Then he laughed, clapping Shunsui on the back.

"But it is amusing." He acknowledged. "Well? What is she like? She seemed happy enough when she returned her sword and skipped off to the main building, so I'm guessing your restraint held out for at least this session."

"Hey! I'm stronger willed than you think." Shunsui affected a wounded expression. "But as for the girl…she's interesting. She has a lot of potential, and I understand why Yama-jii wants me to train her. She's District, Kai, but her skills don't give her away as such. It's as though she's been holding a sword since she was a tiny. Even though she told me she'd been fostered by Shiba retainers…or was it Unohana ones? I don't recall now – she has a very natural talent."

"So Sensei wanted her to be trained by the best left-handed _shishou_ he could find. Ergo, you." Kai considered this for a moment. "Like it or not, Kyouraku, it makes sense. We all have to earn our keep and our places more this year considering the decisions Sensei made about our class and promotion. If this is one of the ways you can do that, then all to the good."

"It seems a lighter sentence than the one Juu got, when all's said and done." Shunsui agreed. "At least I won't find training her boring - there's that, right?"

"I suppose." Kai laughed. "But it is rough on Ukitake - even though I'm sure he can take it. I still think it's harsh that even now people are pointing fingers at him and squealing because he was born in District Six instead of in some Clan holding. It's annoying to say the least…especially when that damn Akira gets going on the subject."

"Akira is a prince among princes, and he doesn't like being given orders by the pauper." Shunsui intoned frankly. "Yet he'll have to learn his place, just like everyone else. Juu is Anideshi. He deserves to be. And he won't take any insubordination…he's nice, but there are limits to nice, even where Juu is concerned."

"No kidding." Kai agreed. "Akira's pushing his buttons pretty badly already, though he's trying not to show it. If it carries on, he'll have to wield the Anideshi rank at the idiot's head. And I wouldn't like to be Akira...when that happens."

"Me either, but I hope I have a front row seat." Shunsui said thoughtfully. "I think it might be worth the viewing."

* * *

There was an uneasy silence pervading Guren's study as Mitsuki stood before the desk, her heart in her throat as she raised her gaze soberly to her Clan leader's clouded grey eyes. She was calmer now, having bathed and re-robed in a fresh kimono, and though the images and sensations were still clear in her mind, expunging the blood from her skin had helped take some of the edge off her emotions.

Behind the desk, flanking Guren on either side were his brothers - Ryuu's father Seiren, who seemed to be twice as tense as Guren himself, and the tall, broadly built Futsuki, whose dark grey eyes inherited from his mother strengthened the impression that he was only half-kin to the ruling Kuchiki family line. Still, of everyone at Guren's inner court, it was these two who operated most closely to the centre of power, and to be faced with all of them at once was, for a _hime_ of Third degree, quite an intimidating prospect.

But she was not alone, at least.

She turned to glance at Shirogane, who stood at the rear of the chamber. Seiren had objected violently to his presence at first, for reasons best known only to him, but Guren's will had overruled his objections, and so he had been allowed to stay. It was clear to Mitsuki without even thinking about it that Seiren's tension was in some good part due to this fact.

At length, Guren spoke.

"Now you are clean and calmer, Mitsuki, will you tell me what happened this morning at the stable?" He asked quietly, his voice soft and even, though there was no disguising the strain in his words. "I have heard from my military officers about the scene they entered into, but you were there quicker than they and you found one man alive. I hope...perhaps you can shed more light on what happened."

"I don't know if I can, sir." Mitsuki chewed down on her lip hard enough to taste blood, slowly shaking her head. "I didn't see the person who attacked them and I arrived there only a short while before the officers did. I imagine...the scene they saw was much the same as the one I saw, in truth."

"And you can tell me nothing from the man you treated? Nothing he said to you before he died? Was he conscious?" Guren pressed. "I know it is a distressing question to ask," As Mitsuki frowned, "And I'm sorry for it. But if he left even the faintest clue...we might have some lead as to who did this."

Mitsuki faltered for a moment, then she sighed, closing her eyes briefly as she drew on the scene of carnage once more in her mind.

"The man I treated was suffering from a cardiac injury." She said at length, opening her eyes as she hardened her resolve. "He barely had the strength to gasp my name, and though his lips moved after that, I...cannot be sure of anything he tried to say. He was too weak - he slipped back into unconsciousness and I...I could not save him."

She bowed her head.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I wish I had been able to do so."

"You're not at fault for that." Guren held up his hand. "And it isn't my intention to bring you here to chastise you. You happened on a scene of horror and acted with immediate presence of mind to try and help save a life. Just as you acted the night my son died - I am coming more and more to understand the value of having a healer in the Kuchiki Clan as time goes on."

"But I wasn't able to save anyone." Mitsuki said helplessly. "And as a healer, that's a failure. I want to save people...trying to isn't good enough. I want to succeed, Guren-sama - not stand before you like this to report on how a man lost his life."

"That sounds like Kuchiki pride to me." Futsuki said at this juncture, his eyes sympathetic. "It's all right, Mitsuki-dono. Guren-sama is right. You are not at fault."

"I want to know what Shirogane knows about this event." Seiren put in at that moment, his cold grey eyes darting accusingly across the room to where his nephew stood. "And more, what this has to do with my son. Where is Ryuu - why is he not summoned here too?"

"We don't know, currently, where Ryuu is, Seiren-dono." Shirogane said quietly, and Mitsuki could tell that he was only just keeping his own disdain out of his voice. "While Mitsuki changed her clothes, I went to seek him in the archive, but he wasn't there - nor anywhere else that I could find. One maid said she saw him head to the stables early this morning. But with the head groom and his stablehands dead, there is nobody to confirm or deny that report."

"Ryuu is missing?" Fear flared in Seiren's eyes, and Guren held up his hand to stop his brother from leaping to his feet and charging from the room to initiate a search himself. "Guren-niisama! Why did you not tell me this when you called me here? What reason could you have for omitting to tell me something like this - if my son is missing...in this atmosphere..."

"We don't know where Ryuu is." Guren admitted. "Mitsuki seems to think that if he had sensed her release of Kidou power he would have come to the stable to see she was all right. Shirogane has observed to me that Ryuu would not run from the fight if he had been on the scene when the assault took place. There is no sign of his having been taken by surprise or hurt at the stable - and my retainers report one horse is missing, but it was not taken by force. Most likely Ryuu went for a ride in the local area and will return of his own accord later."

"Without a word to anyone? Even to me?" Seiren was beside himself, and Guren sighed.

"I don't know." He murmured. "I have sent soldiers from the manor to scour the local area - if they meet with him, they are carrying a summons that he is to return at once. More I cannot do, Seiren. Whilst Ryuu's safety concerns me too, I have no firm evidence at present to suggest he is in any danger at all."

"But if he was at the stable, and then an assassin attacked stablehands...surely that's a suggestion of such a thing?" Seiren demanded. "Guren-nii..."

"Ryuu's _zanpakutou_ isn't in his room." Shirogane said evenly. "And it looks as though he got dressed and left his chamber normally. I think Guren-sama is probably right, Seiren-dono. Ryuu is probably just away from the manor by coincidence."

"You were in my son's chamber?" Seiren's eyes became slits, but before he could continue, Guren raised his hands once more.

"Back to the matter of the stables." He said pointedly. "Neither one of you can give me any more information on what occurred?"

"I would like to know where Shirogane was_ before_ this occurred, Niisama." Seiren said bluntly, an unpleasant edge to his words as he fixed Shirogane with another suspicious glare. "That he was so soon on the scene to help Mitsuki is strange to me."

"Seiren! You surely don't suspect Shirogane of being involved in this, do you?" Futsuki was stunned, and Seiren shrugged his shoulders.

"I didn't say that." he replied waspishly. "I just wanted to know where he was. A reasonable question - nobody is above being asked for an alibi when a disturbing incident occurs. Surely?"

"He was with me." Before Shirogane could reply, Mitsuki found herself speaking, surprise welling up inside of her as she realised what she had said. "When I felt things...happening. Senpai was with me. I ran down to help out, and he came after me. He caught up with me a little after...when the groom had...passed away."

"There, you see?" Futsuki tut-tutted softly. "You are too quick to jump to conclusions, Seiren. Shirogane would naturally follow a kinswoman if he thought she was in distress. Mitsuki saved his life some days ago, and I'm sure he wouldn't want her to come to harm."

Mitsuki cast Shirogane another glance, reading the astonishment in his gaze. At her look, he offered a faint smile, then nodded his head.

"I trust you will take the word of my cousin, Seiren-dono." He said mildly. "In the place of mine, since whatever I say, I fear it won't pass muster with you."

"We still have nothing to go on, and Ryuu's absence is troubling, even if it is innocent." Guren tapped his fingers agitatedly on the desk. "So soon after Ribari's death, I can't believe this to be a coincidence. Word has spread and everyone is in uproar, staff and Clan alike. Yet we have no witnesses to a brutal crime in broad daylight. We have...just as with Ribari...we have nothing."

Shirogane opened his mouth at this juncture, then caught Seiren's gaze, and Mitsuki saw a dark look enter her cousin's grey eyes. He closed his mouth again without speaking, and despite herself Mitsuki was curious.

_Senpai knows something he hasn't told Seiren-dono and Guren-sama? Something about Ribari-sama's death? Or is it something he's told them and they don't believe it, because of that drug? I wonder...that was a very odd look he had on his face then._

She bit her lip.

_Come to that, why did I give him an alibi without even stopping to think about it? Was it because of how Seiren-dono was trying to back him into a corner - or something else? It's not as though I know where Shirogane-senpai was either...but I know...he wasn't there. And so I don't suppose it matters, that I lied. Just...I never did that before. In front of the head of my Clan - I lied. _

Out loud she said,

"Guren-sama, it's not much, but there is one thing I can tell you."

"One thing?" Guren cast her a surprised look, and Mitsuki nodded.

"I didn't see the crime or sense any reiatsu from the killer." She responded levelly. "But I did...when the attack began, I felt it. Like other people feel reiatsu normally, I...my healer instincts mean I feel things much more precisely. Things like fear and pain...even of people with very low spiritual presence. At times when they're afraid or suffering, I can often sense it quite strongly. It's not enough to put it into clear words as to what exactly happened but...my impression from what I sensed was that the killer appeared all of a sudden, took them off guard and killed one man before the others knew what was happening. I think...the fatal blow for at least two of them was the slash across the throat. But I can't be certain about the third, because the levels of fear were too high for me to distinguish clearly."

She sighed heavily.

"And the groom...was killed by knives which were probably thrown." She concluded. "One struck his heart and caused the fatal wound. The other was probably a wound I could have healed."

"We retrieved the knives." Futsuki said grimly. "The two that were in the man's corpse are still bloody and need cleaning, but there was one other that seemed to have missed its target."

He reached down into his _obi_, pulling it out and setting it down on the desk.

"I am assuming the other two resemble this one, though it's too soon to know for sure."

"Three were thrown?" Despite herself Mitsuki stepped forward, hovering her hand towards the weapon and then stopping, drawing her fingers back. "I thought that it was a killer with some accuracy, but if one missed..."

"Probably more luck than anything that one of them hit a vital point." Futsuki agreed. "It's all right. We've already examined it for reiatsu traces and found none at all. You can touch it without contaminating it - it's completely clean."

"Maybe Mitsuki's superior senses might pick something up that we can't feel." Seiren suggested softly, and Mitsuki found it impossible to tell if he was being serious or taking a dig at her for backing up Shirogane's cause.

"By all means." Guren nodded, and Mitsuki sighed, obediently picking the weapon up and turning it over in her hands.

"This blade means nothing to me." She said at length, setting it back down. "It didn't hurt anyone, and no blood was spilled across it. The spirit of the man I couldn't save is probably tainting the other swords - but there's nothing on this one of any note at all. And even if the others are touched with his reiatsu, it won't tell us more than what we know. That they killed him."

"There is one other thing. Look closely at the hilt of the knife, Mitsuki." Futsuki instructed, and Mitsuki frowned, doing as she was bidden.

"Shirogane, you too." Guren instructed, and Shirogane started, then stepped forward, peering over his companion's shoulder. Mitsuki handed him the weapon, aware of Seiren's sudden tensing as the sharp knife passed from her fingers into Shirogane's nimble ones.

"I carry a sword at my waist, Seiren-dono." Shirogane had also clearly seen the movement, for he paused in his examination, raising a cold stare to his Uncle's. "You should not fear the foreign one I hold in my hand."

He tossed the knife down onto the desk, bowing his head towards Guren as the Clan leader shot him a look of surprise.

"I beg pardon, sir, but my Uncle seems to have an unhealthy suspicion of my motives of late, and I would like to set the record straight. I am not afraid of taking my sword and using it to defend myself if need be. But I am not in the habit of launching unprovoked attacks with unfamiliar weapons in the full view of elevated witnesses."

"Shirogane, curb your tongue." Before Guren could speak, Futsuki shot him a dark look, shaking his head. "You have no right to speak to either Guren-sama or Seiren-dono in that way, and I won't tolerate it if you do. If you have any pride for your mother's name or for your own, pipe down and stop glaring about the room with that wronged expression in your eyes. Nobody has accused you of anything - and you do not help the situation by adding unecessary dramatics."

Shirogane's lips thinned, but he nodded, bowing low to acknowledge the words.

"I am out of line." He said softly. "Guren-jisama, please forgive me."

"Here is currently a tense place and you have not had the easiest of times of late." Guren shook his head. "We will forget it and move forward. Tell me, why did you call the knife foreign?"

"Because it is, is it not?" Shirogane was startled. "It is not a Kuchiki blade - it was forged outside of this District."

"Indeed." Futsuki picked it up once more, running his fingers over the black ebony hilt. "Though I wouldn't say to Clan standard. It carries a brand mark of a District Eight smith - one I've encountered before, once or twice."

"District...Eight?" Mitsuki's head jerked up in surprise. "But...that..."

"It means nothing." Guren said flatly. "Futsuki is right, it was forged there. But there are men in our retinue with swords forged across all the Districts. Eight has a particular reputation for good swords, therefore I am fairly confident there are men in the lower ranks whose weapons may bear this exact brand mark, too. That the knives used were originally from Eighth District is probable. But that the one who wielded them is...that would be a leap of faith."

"I see." Mitsuki looked thoughtful. "I really don't know very much about weapons, I'm afraid. I didn't realise."

"I may speak to Tokutarou-dono about it all the same, when I return to the Council." Guren sighed, rubbing his temples. "Since it's the only lead we have. But in the meantime...I intend to increase the guard on duty around the estate and to keep it that way. Mitsuki, Shirogane, you are dismissed. When Ryuu returns, I wish him to report to Seiren or I about what he has been doing and whether he knows anything of this morning's events. If he is not back by nightfall, one of you should report directly to me - understood?"

"I will be waiting for him." Seiren said quietly. "You can trust that if he does not return, Oniisama, I will be the first one to go searching for him."

"Yes, I'm sure." Guren nodded his head. "But for now, there's nothing we can do about it. And it's been a disturbing enough day. Especially for you, Mitsuki. It can't have been pleasant."

"It was less pleasant for the ones who died. Believe me." Mitsuki said solemnly. "I'm sorry I couldn't save them, Guren-sama. I suppose I still do have things I need to learn yet."

"My life is proof you shouldn't be so harsh on yourself." Shirogane said evenly. "Come on. We're not needed here now, and we shouldn't stay beyond our welcome."

He bowed his head sharply back towards the Clan elders, then moved to open the door, ushering Mitsuki out into the hall and then shutting the divide behind them. For a while they walked in silence, then, as they reached the landing that led to the Kuchiki archive, Shirogane paused, reaching out to touch Mitsuki's arm.

"Senpai?" Mitsuki turned, confused, and Shirogane's brows drew together.

"I didn't ask you to lie for me." He said quietly, disapproval in his tones, and Mitsuki reddened, nodding her head.

"I don't know why I did." She admitted. "It just came out. Seiren-dono was looking at you so harshly - I thought he might launch into accusations there and then, and...I thought it was simpler...if I said something like that."

"There's no reason to incur his wrath towards you too." Shirogane chided. "Though I am a little grateful that at least I was right to call you my ally. Even if I have never acknowledged you much before this crisis began - I am sorry for it."

He offered her a dry smile.

"For the record, I was in my room, playing my flute this morning." He added. "An alibi nobody can support, and so you'll just have to take my word it's true. But I have found it less trying to leave my chamber. Until I sensed your Kidou, that's where I was. And after that I searched for Ryuu, just as I told them."

"I wasn't asking you." Mitsuki dimpled. "I know you weren't at the stable, even if Seiren-dono doesn't. I sensed it happen, didn't I? I can sense your spirit, especially when it's disturbed. I don't know who was there, but I know that you weren't."

"Surely you know the same about Ryuu?" Shirogane questioned, and Mitsuki nodded.

"When it happened, Ryuu wasn't there either." She agreed. "I don't know what happened or where he is. But I'm sure that neither of you were at the stable when the murders happened. Nobody was. Just the people who were killed."

"And the one who killed them."

"Yes." Mitsuki rubbed her temples. "But that's the problem, Senpai. I've felt things like this before. When someone's killed, I normally feel the swell of the assailant's spirit before it happens. Even briefly, that's normally what I feel. But this time...I didn't."

"Meaning?" Shirogane questioned, and Mitsuki sighed, lowering her hands.

"That the person who did this had no spirit." She said helplessly. "Or...they were killed by someone who didn't exist at all."

* * *

"So what's he like then, Kaoru-chan?"

Sakura stretched out on her bed, resting her chin in her hands as she cast the younger girl a mischievous look. It was later in the afternoon, and taking advantage of the short spell of time between the midday meal and the start of afternoon classes, the girls had gathered in their dormitory, Sakura eager to find out all the gossip about her friend's training session.

"Kyouraku-senpai, I mean, of course. What kind of guy is he?."

"Don't start teasing her already, Sakura." From the corner, Akaya glanced up from her book, glancing between the two of them with a frown. "I know you when you get started – give the kid a break! You don't need to know every bit of info the moment it comes home to roost."

"But I don't mind, Akaya-san." Kaoru shook her head, sinking down onto her own bed and reaching up to release her hair from its white ribbon. "If Sakura-san wants to know, I'm happy to tell her."

Akaya sighed, but turned her attention back to her book, and Sakura kicked her feet idly, turning her quizzical gaze on her junior.

"Well? Then tell." She ordered. "I'm insanely jealous of you galivanting off to play with the Senior Class like this, when you're still just a kid of seventeen! I want to know all about it…what kind of person he was, what he said to you, when you're going to train with him again…"

"They aren't dating, Sakura." An irritated look in her eyes, Akaya lowered her book once more. "You make it sound like it's some kind of illicit love match between the two of them. It's nothing like that. Kyouraku-senpai is a Senior and it's normal for Seniors to teach Fourth years to raise their _zanpakutou_. You're making it out to be far more exciting than it is – and frankly, it's annoying."

"You're probably just as jealous as I am." Sakura poked out her tongue. "Only you're not as honest about it as me. You're still waiting for your zanpakutou _shishou _to be assigned, so you don't have any excuse to hang out with members of the Senior class. That's no reason to rain on Kaoru's parade, though…"

"I'm not a bit jealous." Akaya said acerbically. "I'd just like to finish our assigned Sakusen reading today, if it's all the same to you."

"That's what the library's for." Sakura snorted. "So go there – or pipe down if you're going to be miss dull."

She shuffled around, eying Kaoru expectantly.

"Forget about her. Tell me. What was it like?"

Kaoru shot Akaya an uncertain look, and Sakura shook her head impatiently.

"I said forget her. She can read with a thunderstorm going on outside, so she can read with us talking. Tell me, Kaoru-chan. I'm dying to know everything."

"I'm sure it wasn't as exciting as you think it was." Kaoru dimpled, shrugging her shoulders. "But he was very nice to me, and I didn't feel at all afraid of him after we'd talked for a little while. Even though he's some rich, important Clan person and I'm just who I am, he told me that stuff didn't matter and I should just do my best regardless of where I came from."

She pinkened slightly.

"He didn't like it when I called him sir." She remembered. "I don't think he's a very formal person at all."

"You've gone pink." Sakura grinned, and Kaoru shook her head hurriedly, holding up her hands with a self-conscious laugh.

"Only because it seemed silly, afterwards, that I'd called him that." She responded. "He explained a ton of stuff to me – so we didn't do a lot of actual fighting. But we sparred a little bit and he fights well with his left hand. I could tell he was going easy on me, but it was still hard to keep up."

"To be expected." With a little sigh, Akaya set her book aside, clearly realising she was not going to get any study done so long as the conversation continued. "I told you, didn't I? Kyouraku Shunsui is the top student in Senior Year. You would expect him to be skilled in swordsmanship, else it would speak poorly for the rest of them – particularly our Anideshi."

"You really don't see the fun in things at all, sometimes, do you?" Sakura grimaced. "And I thought you weren't interested."

"I'm not." Akaya retorted. "Although I admit I'm a little curious about the nature of his _zanpakutou_. I've only heard that it's unusual – did you see it, Kaoru-chan?"

"No." Kaoru said sadly. "I got the impression he thought it would be dangerous or difficult if I sparred with him using that on our first try."

"Then I wonder which sword it is." Akaya pursed her lips. "You've seen him, haven't you? About campus. He always carries two. One's a _wakizashi_, the other looks like a regular _katana_, but since the Seniors never draw their swords unless training one of us, it's difficult to know. None of the other Seniors carry two swords – it just seemed odd to me."

"He didn't have either of them when we met." Kaoru shook her head with a little sigh. "Only an _asauchi_. He said that was enough to be starting with and he's probably right. He didn't tell me about his _zanpakutou_ – but I think I might ask him, next time we train."

"Perhaps he fights with one in each hand." Sakura giggled at the thought. "If he can fight left handed for Kaoru-chan, he might. Most people learn to fight right handed, don't they?"

"I'd like to see it." Kaoru looked wistful. "Senpai is really friendly, but it seems like if he was in a real fight...he'd be pretty scary. I'd sort of like to see it."

"That sounds dangerously like the start of a crush to me." Sakura warned, and Akaya sighed.

"You just have a one-tracked mind." She scolded. "Stop trying to put ideas into Kaoru's head. She's not like you."

"It's not that, anyhow." Kaoru rested her chin in her hands pensively. "I'd just like...I think I'd like to have him consider me an opponent that was worth using his strength against. Then I'd feel...I had reached some level of training or something. It might seem stupid, but that's how I feel. That if Senpai was the top ranked student, and I could fight against him properly...I'd be able to be a proper shinigami."

"You want to beat a Senior?" Akaya stared, and Kaoru shrugged.

"Maybe. Though not yet." She owned. "But I do want to see his _zanpakutou_. Perhaps...if I work very hard...I'll get to see it. Who knows? It might happen."

* * *

**_Author's Note_**

_Two chapters because...Kaoru wanted to meet Shunsui ._


	17. The Kuchiki Hermit

**Chapter Sixteen: The Kuchiki Hermit**

"Please, Ryuu-sama, Kinnya-sama will see you now."

Ryuu stepped into the heavily curtained chamber, pausing to bow his head low as he did so. It had taken him a good three hours or more into a headwind to ride to the manor of his reclusive Great Uncle, and as he had dismounted he had realised that he had never been here before in his life - that although Kinnya had been the right hand man of the great Senaya, he was little more than a name in Ryuu's knowledge of the family history. As he had been led through the halls of what was clearly an old manor, he berated himself for this evident lack of understanding. He and Mitsuki had both wondered if Kinnya had taken some kind of religious vow and he had half expected to arrive at a pious retreat to one or other of the spiritual deities that tradition held protected the region before the Kuchiki had taken leadership there. Instead he found himself inside what was unmistakeably a Kuchiki estate, albeit somewhat more soberly dressed in colour and design than his own home or the main estate where Guren held sway. As Kinnya's manservant - a man of senior years himself - had guided him through the corridors and walkways, Ryuu had seen more than one engraving depicting kinsmen in bright regalia, flying the proud flag of what was considered to be Seireitei's most distinguished and deep-rooted Clan.

Kinnya may have distanced himself from the centre of power, but that did not make him any less a Kuchiki.

_And that means coming here was right. That we've ignored his existence, but he was Senaya-sama's second in command and he probably knows far more than I do about what I've come here to say._

"So you're Ryuu, are you?"

The voice was soft, the words well-formed and distinctive, yet somewhat hoarse in tone, and Ryuu raised his head slightly, meeting the sharp gaze of a thin individual seated beneath the glow of the only visible window, grey streaked dark hair pulled back from his face in a simple tail and his features somewhat pale and gaunt. Even so, he did not appear an old man, simply a fragile one, and Ryuu reasoned that if the rumours of religious devotion were untrue, the ones regarding ill health were probably not. He was robed in green, a Kuchiki colour, but it was a darker shade than normal, and as the man raised a hand to beckon his visitor closer, Ryuu saw that the second colour he wore was the dark navy of mourning rather than the standard Clan cream. Ryuu had a distinct feeling that his mourning was not for Ribari, but he did not voice such thoughts aloud, remembering instead the reasons why he had come.

He had always imagined Kinnya to be aloof and distant from the Clan as an eccentric or a hermit, but the visible fragility of his great uncle somehow comforted him. He now felt sure that Kinnya's absence from Ribari's memorials had a genuine reason and that this, not any underlying political motive had prevented him from travelling to the main house.

_So it was indeed his ill health, then, that allowed Guren-sama to forgive his not travelling from this place, or observing the proper rites for a death of this status in the Clan. It is wrong of me to be put at ease by someone else's frailty - but better that than something more sinister. Senpai has put untoward thoughts into my head – but not everything carries a subversive motive._

"Kuchiki Ryuu, with all honour and respect, seeks a moment of your time, Kinnya-sama." He said respectfully, bowing his head once more. "I am sorry to disturb you, but it is a matter about which I...do not believe I can speak to any other."

"A matter which you can address only to me?" Kinnya's eyes narrowed. "To one you consider a stranger, before all others of your closer kin?"

"Yes, sir. As you say, it is one such matter." Ryuu agreed gravely, and Kinnya was silent for a moment, apparently appraising the young man who knelt before him. The silence seemed to go on forever, then Kinnya raised his gaze to his manservant, flicking his fingers to indicate for the man to withdraw. The servant did so immediately, and as the door shut behind him, Kinnya returned his attention to his guest.

"You are a grown man now." He said quietly. "I call us strangers, but in fact I believe we have had one prior meeting - though you would be far too young to remember."

"Sir?" Ryuu eyed the older man in consternation, and Kinnya nodded.

"I remember your name with some distinct clarity." He agreed softly. "Ryuu, the dragon. The son of Seiren, my nephew. Is that not correct?"

"Yes. Yes, it is." Ryuu's gaze shadowed, and he inclined his head in acknowledgement. "I am Seiren-dono's son. You...you do me an honour to remember it, Kinnya-sama."

"You speak very formally towards me, then." Kinnya murmured, reaching out to touch Ryuu's cheek briefly, then lowering his hand. "Son of Seiren, Ryuu. Surely you know that an old man like me has no position in the Clan these days - that my time of being actively involved in the Kuchiki-ke was a long time ago, and as such, you outrank me. Things have moved on - I am a relic of the past, no more and no less."

Ryuu was silent for a moment, digesting the faint sadness in these words, and then he sighed.

"To me, you are the brother and chief supporter of my honoured Grandfather, a man considered martyr to the Clan and a lord held in high esteem." He said carefully. "As such, you cannot say such things, Kinnya-sama. I am simply one Kuchiki son...whose training is not even completed yet."

"But you are the heir to the Clan now, are you not?" Kinnya's eyes were little more than slits, and Ryuu flinched involuntarily under his scrutiny. "You are Seiren's son, therefore you must be. With Ribari dead...I had received notice to that effect. That the Clan was being rallied to name you as his successor - and by blood, it seems a suitable and reasonable suggestion."

"You know of that then, sir?" Ryuu asked before he could stop himself, and Kinnya nodded.

"I do not involve myself in the Clan, but yes, I know its workings and I am aware of Guren's loss." He agreed regretfully. "I was notified just as all other members of the Clan were...and have since received word bearing your Lord Father's seal about you."

He gestured to himself.

"But as you see, I have been in poor health of late, and so have not been able to leave my manor or respond to the messages I have received. I don't expect Guren would mind my absence - and Seiren would probably not give it much more than a passing thought. Did you come all this way to chastise me on their behalves? It seems a great effort for such a minor matter - you don't need my support in order to inherit this Clan. You need the support of the Kuchiki court and the head of the Clan. It seems you will likely have both, once Guren's grief begins to fade."

"I didn't come for that purpose, sir." Ryuu said quietly. "Any such correspondence is between my Father and your honoured self, but I have no part in it. No official offer of inheritance has yet been made to me, and I will not consider accepting any such thing until I have fully completed my training. Therefore you mistake my motives. I have not come here - nor been sent here - to garner your support for my claim."

"I see." Kinnya looked thoughtful. "You are an astute young man, it appears. Well, so you should be - given the traditions of our family, so you ought to be. But you are still observing full Clan mourning - perhaps my words are premature."

"I am." Ryuu admitted, his cheeks flushing red as he realised the impertinence of what he was about to ask. "Since Ribari-sama's death is a tragedy for all of the Kuchiki, no matter who they are. But...but...I could not help but notice...you are robed in..."

He faltered, and Kinnya smiled, a sad, bittersweet smile of acknowledgement.

"Green? Yes." He agreed. "You are surprised? But the colour one wears is only a matter of formal show. The grief one feels within is the reality - without that, robing in mourning is a pointless gesture. I did not know the young boy whose life was snuffed out...I do not believe I ever met him. I am sorry for Guren - but the dark colours I wear stem from something deeper. It would be wrong for me to wear the full mourning dress for a boy I did not know - not even for one who would inherit the Clan. I am not...a believer in false pretences, despite what others may think or say."

"You consider such mourning to be a facade." Ryuu murmured, and Kinnya smiled.

"Something of that nature." He agreed. "Ah, yes. Now you see, perhaps, why I don't suppose Guren will mind my absence. My opinions are...often to the contrary of the Kuchiki traditions. They have been for many years, I'm afraid - you might call me cynical of such things. Wearing the dark colours doesn't necessarily indicate a grieving heart...quite to the contrary, sometimes it can conceal something even more unseemly."

He shrugged.

"A lot has happened in my long life that has yet to touch you in your short one." He concluded matter-of-factly. "I trust it doesn't, so that you can still wear the colours of your family with honesty and pride when you reach my age."

"Sir..." Ryuu pursed his lips, a troubled look entering his grey eyes. "Please, forgive my intrusion and my impertinence, but I came because...there is a matter I wished to consult you regarding. It relates to...a matter...during the lifetime of your Lord brother, my honoured Grandfather. And..."

"Only one?" Kinnya sat back, looking surprised. "Senaya-niisama was an eventful person, so you will have to be a little more specific."

He smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"My brother and I were quite different people, you must understand." He murmured. "Unlike me, Senaya-niisama believed wholeheartedly in the power of image and illusion. What people saw was how the Clan was seen - and so he strove to uphold all of the things that I have come to consider worthless and false. Therefore if you wish to ask me about decisions he made, you will have to be clearer on which and when. There are many things that he might be called to account on - but from the serious look in your eyes, I imagine that you consider this to be one of some significance."

"Yes, sir." Ryuu faltered, then, "It relates to...something that was written in his _nikki_. Something that...was written there, but I believe...was removed. By him, perhaps...some time later."

"Ah." Kinnya's expression underwent a sudden transformation, and he reached out to grasp Ryuu gently by the wrists. "Then this Clan's dark side has already touched you, has it? You are young to bear burdens, but I suppose, if you are Seiren's son, you will have to bear those burdens sooner or later. I believe you are the only one the Clan can turn to now. And as such...I see it in your eyes. You have been reading my brother's writings, then?"

"A...A little." Ryuu admitted. "But it was only by coincidence that I discovered...something of it may no longer be with its...its original. And...so I thought...to come here. Since...from what I read...I thought..."

"That I was also party to the knowledge you don't wish to say aloud?" Kinnya questioned, and Ryuu nodded, bowing once more before the older man. "No, there's no need for that. I won't put it into words either, since the walls might have ears, and I swore to Senaya-nii that I would never speak of such things aloud to anyone even to my grave. I have kept my word these past however many years - it must be a century at least. And I will continue to do so, no matter what is asked of me. A promise is a promise - promises must always be kept."

"I see." Relief coursed through Ryuu's system, and he offered the old man a smile. "Then I won't ask any more from you. Really...that was what I wanted to know. Whether...if anyone asked you...you would speak of it or you would not."

"I would not." Kinnya eyed Ryuu keenly. "But you seem happy with that situation. You didn't come here, then, to ask me to act as witness to events that happened before you were born?"

"On the contrary, I would rather they never came to light at all." Ryuu shook his head emphatically. "That you feel the same makes me relieved, Kinnya-sama. I'm sorry to have troubled you - I will leave you to yourself now."

"No...wait a while." Kinnya's features twitched into a look of thoughtfulness. "You have surprised me, Ryuu. You bear some likeness to your father in your face, but your words...are not his, are they? I don't know how you came by the information - but it wasn't something you sought to find, was it?"

"No. It was an accident." Ryuu agreed. "I found the page slipped into an old book - as though someone had been reading it recently. And then, just as soon as I found it there, the next time I went back it was gone. I realised then...that somebody knew about it. And that..."

"If they did, they may seek to use it in some way." Kinnya rubbed his chin. "You said my name was also mentioned?"

"Yes. You were...mentioned directly in the page that I read."

"So you have come here to pre-empt any other who tries to utilise information he has found." Kinnya reflected. "And to ask me not to speak of what I know. I see. I see indeed."

He spread his hands, resting them gently against his knees.

"But I have no intention of talking to anyone. Even if it makes me a liar or a perjurer." He said simply. "The words have not left my lips even through all the things that followed - and they never will. No matter how angry I ever was with my brother for his decisions - a promise must be kept. And I will keep it. It and many others - until my time in this world is done. If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to face my brother in the next life, now would I? To render everything he strove for to be in vain - no, I would not betray his trust in me, not even so long after he died."

"Kinnya-sama...may I...were you...close to Senaya-sama?" Ryuu asked tentatively, and Kinnya offered him a rueful smile.

"Brothers are seldom ever close when it comes to the heart of this Clan." He said dismissively. "Sisters are different, because they hold no power. But brothers are rivals, and so it is hard to build any kind of real relationship. Even so, though, we worked together well. Ours was a partnership of trust, because he knew I did not want the Clan leadership, and I knew he would do anything he could to defend it. I was content in his shadow, which is a rare thing for most younger brothers of Clan leaders. But there were times we argued...times we argued bitterly indeed. He made decisions that even now I cannot fully comprehend...decisions for the benefit of the Kuchiki, he said, but whether or not they were I do not know."

He folded his hands thoughtfully in his lap.

"I would say I was neither close to nor alienated from my brother." He reflected. "My sisters I was quite close to - but Senaya-nii and I had a strange bond which is hard to define even now. Yes, sisters are far less complicated than brothers when it's the heart of the Clan's power at stake."

"I would happily do without my sisters, if I could." Ryuu muttered, and Kinnya laughed.

"I see. I suppose you find a lot falls to you, then, if you remain Seiren's only son."

"I am, and yes. Especially at the moment." Ryuu agreed. "But my wishes and my Father's are at crossed purposes. I won't run away from the Clan, Kinnya-sama - not if they really needed me, I wouldn't. But I don't like how Father seems determined..."

"To make it impossible for anything else to happen?" Kinnya asked, and Ryuu reddened.

"I'm sorry. I'm speaking of things that have no interest or purpose to you, and that I should not..."

"You can speak to me. These old ears hear much, but I rarely repeat anything that's said to me." Kinnya dismissed this with a flick of his hand. "I am considered a hermit by most members of the Clan - disregarded by a few who know my full story. I don't mind either thing. Guren has always treated me well and with respect - he rides to see me at least once in a year, though I have never discussed with even him the matter that so troubles you. On the contrary, I have not seen your father for many years, and my opinion of him is probably jaded by the impression of him as a young man. Still, I have much respect for Senaya-nii's _chosen_ son - he is a good leader. But then we expected he would be...Senaya-nii knew he would be. For this tragedy to strike is...a terrible thing indeed."

"Guren-sama...comes here?" Ryuu was startled, and Kinnya nodded.

"I am his Uncle." He replied simply. "And as such, he feels he owes me a duty of kinship to ensure my continuing welfare. I'm often ill, these days, and seldom ever motivated to leave this estate now that my years are moving on. But I admit, I like it when he comes. I don't have many visitors. Well, unlike Senaya-nii, I never did marry. Nor did I have children to brighten this old estate. My usefulness to the Clan ended when my brother died - perhaps before - and so it has been ever since."

There was a flicker of pain in the old man's eyes as he spoke those words, and in that moment Ryuu made up his mind, shuffling closer to his companion as he once more lowered his head.

"I beg pardon for the rudeness, Kinnya-sama, but I...I don't believe that to be quite...true."

Silence greeted his words, and Ryuu tensed, raising his gaze tentatively. Kinnya was staring at him, shock and dismay in his expression, and Ryuu took a deep breath, swallowing hard.

"A few years ago...on the request of myself...a kinsman discovered some old records in the family estate." He said softly. "They related to...a _hime_ called...Raiko-dono. A _hime_ who...was...if you will forgive me...Guren-sama's cousin and...and...your daughter, sir."

"So you know about Raiko, too." Kinnya sighed heavily, his eyes darkening with emotion as he sank back once more against his cushions. "It seems you have been doing much digging indeed."

"In that respect, I confess I did." Ryuu looked guilty. "It was an unconnected matter to why I came here today, and...there were reasons...I'm sorry, sir. We had no right to do it, but once a thing is known..."

"It is not usually possible to un-know it. Quite true." Kinnya agreed sadly. "Well, then there seems no point in denying it. Unlike my brother, I never considered her existence erased...but these days so few people speak of her, that...it became easier..."

"You know of Genryuusai-sama's Academy, Kinnya-sama?" Ryuu asked softly, and Kinnya nodded, seemingly surprised at the sudden change of topic.

"Of course. It's been much talked of. Why?"

"I study there. I will be returning soon, to enter my final year." Ryuu replied frankly. "And a classmate of mine is named Ukitake...Ukitake Juushirou. It was for his benefit that I researched your past, Kinnya-sama, and I hope you will forgive me for having done so. For this classmate is a close friend of mine in whom I have absolute trust. And for his sake...I wanted to discover some truth about his family. His mother's name was Raiko...and she was a discarded _hime_ from the Kuchiki line. We were able to trace that _hime_...and the line led..."

"Back to me." Kinnya's eyes glittered with tears, and he grabbed Ryuu's hands once more. "But...are you saying...that Raiko's child lived? The baby she died bringing into this world survived? I had been told he had not taken breath...that he had...they had both...but...are you saying..."

He faltered, clearly beyond words, and Ryuu was struck by the sudden flicker of desperate hope in the old man's eyes. Slowly he nodded.

"Ukitake is very much alive, and training to be a shinigami, just like me." He said solemnly. "As I said, he is someone I consider a close friend. So I hope you will forgive the impertinence of my investigations...but I felt...in the circumstances..."

"Raiko's son lives." Kinnya twisted his fingers together, clasping his hands absently as though he did not quite know what to do with himself. "Guren has never...does Guren know such a thing? Does he know that Raiko's son survived?"

"Yes, sir." Ryuu nodded. "Because when Ukitake raised his _zanpakutou_, Guren-sama held the leadership of the Council and spoke to him directly."

He frowned.

"Come to think of it, Ukitake did mention that Guren-sama seemed cognisant of his father's name..." He murmured. "Perhaps that was..."

"Guren and Raiko played together as children - and Raiko was sent from the estate when Guren was far too young to understand all the reasons." Kinnya sighed, suddenly looking a great deal older. "Her presence was always a rift between Guren and Seiren, for your Father never got along with her, and probably that explains the reasons why I was never as fond of your father as I was his brother. But Guren retained a liking for her even once she was gone, although there was no reason for him to do so. When he was able, he found out for me where Raiko was and what her situation had become. That she had married and was happy...made me content. But...when she died...I told Guren I didn't want to know any more. So I suppose...this too...he has kept from me for that reason."

"Guren-sama and Raiko-dono were close." Ryuu echoed, his senses reeling. "But...even so...she was sent away?"

"Few at the court accepted her." Kinnya said evenly. "And less so when they discovered her mother had died of the white plague that the Clans were doing their best to eradicate. It took until she was ten, but eventually the court put such pressure on my brother that he had to act. And so he did. We argued about that...more violently than we argued about anything else, I think. He understood what Raiko was to me. Perhaps that was why he took the time to select a suitable guardian for her, and to ensure she was provided for, rather than just cast out or put to death. My brother was capable of ruthless and swift decisions relating to the family and its welfare...so either could have happened. But...I suppose I was keeping a secret for him, too..."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"We never spoke about _that _after the fact, though, and I came to court less and less once Raiko was expelled." he said frankly. "After Niisama's death, I stopped coming completely. There was no need for me - Guren was capable enough to build his own Clan and since he and your father had reconciled their childhood quarrels, I saw no reason to interfere."

Ryuu's eyes narrowed.

"A death that brought Guren-sama and Father together." He murmured, and Kinnya eyed him sharply.

"For your own sake, I would not pursue that line of thought too deeply." He warned. "It would be considered Clan treason, if you were to speak of those thoughts to anyone else. Senaya-niisama was murdered by Kuchiki dissidents with the involvement of the Shihouin. That is what happened and that is all."

Ryuu stared at him, a cold chill running down his spine as he read the expression in the old man's eyes.

_Shirogane-senpai was right. There is more to Senaya-sama's death than just a simple murder. But could he...did he really sacrifice everything on the gamble it would unite my Father and my Uncle into working together?_

Out loud he said,

"I'm sorry. I did not mean to give the impression I thought anything else. I have read the official reports - and I am aware of how my Grandfather passed away."

"Good." Kinnya said quietly. "Then I will give you one more piece of advice. Uncovering Senaya-nii's secrets and manipulations can only cause problems for the Clan as a whole. Much as I couldn't do the things he did, I understood that everything Senaya-nii did was for the Kuchiki-ke's sake. Unravelling them can't bring anyone any pleasure."

"I understand." Ryuu said grimly. "Which is why I came here. Because of that one matter...that may...come to light."

"Even if it did, it changes nothing." Kinnya said bluntly. "The succession remains as it is. Your claim remains as it was before. Whoever has that in their possession must know that. You should not worry about it."

"Depending on who has it, or why." Ryuu responded softly. "And whether or not its existence is a motive...for Ribari-sama's murder."

Shock glittered in Kinnya's eyes, and for a moment Ryuu wondered if he had gone too far. Then the old Clansman sighed, shaking his head slowly.

"I was wrong. You _have_ been touched by the darkness of this Clan quite liberally already." he said sadly. "I cannot refute what you say, because I do not know anything to the contrary. But you should be careful. I will not speak of the past to people, and you can be assured of that silence. But you...should be careful in who you trust. You've come to me today without knowing anything of my motives - whether or not I might even be involved in the shadows of this dark plot. You mustn't trust people so easily - when a Clan is in flux, it is often every person for themselves."

Ryuu bit his lip hard, tasting blood.

"I know." He whispered. "But...I think...I can trust you, Kinnya-sama. Maybe it's foolish...or because...you're Ukitake's grandfather, and I know...he's honourable to the point of death. I have not spoken of this to anyone else - nobody at all - and I am decided that I will not. Not unless something comes to light that makes it necessary."

"I see." Kinnya's eyes softened. "My grandson...Raiko's son...is a boy of honour, is he? Even despite his low birth?"

"Yes." Ryuu agreed. "Does it seem strange to you that I would say so - the future heir of the Kuchiki with such faith in a boy born from an illegitimate Clan line?"

"No. It refreshes me." Kinnya assured him. "That a future heir to this Clan might be able to see things with so broad a mind."

"I don't want to inherit this Clan." Ryuu got to his feet. "That's still only a last resort at the moment - certainly I want to know what happened to my cousin first."

"Well, you can trust me to keep my silence - on that matter and on the other." Kinnya assured him. "But...there is one thing this old man would ask in return."

He struggled to his feet, reaching for the walnut cane that rested against his seat to support him as he met Ryuu's gaze directly.

"I would like to meet my grandson." He said quietly. "These mixed colours I wear are not mourning for your cousin, but colours I've worn since the death of my daughter and - I thought - the end of my family line. For her sake, I recovered after her mother died - for her sake I fought hard to make her life happy. But when her life was lost, I lost my purpose, too. Since then I have more or less remained here - sickly and confined to a manor of shadows. My doctors say much of my illness is not physical ague but instead stems from that lack of purpose - that I have simply been quietly waiting for my time to run out so that I can rejoin those that I had loved in the past."

He smiled, but Ryuu could see the real emotion in the other's eyes.

"But now you tell me Raiko's son lived." He whispered. "And for the first time in more than twenty years I feel something stirring inside of me other than grief. That there _is_ someone left. Even when I thought there was not...you have brought me the faintest shred of hope that my grandson is alive."

"He's definitely alive." Despite himself, Ryuu offered a rueful smile. "Ukitake's the kind who'd take his_ zanpakutou_ to Death itself if he thought it would get in his way."

"Then in return for keeping secret your concerns about the Clan - I would like to meet my grandson. Just once. To see him for myself." Kinnya said firmly. "If you can do that, Ryuu, I will protect your silence and not even acknowledge that you came to see me if asked. I will not break my promise to Senaya-nii, so that secret remains safe either way. But I wonder what Seiren would think of your coming here...with everything the way it is."

"He would not approve." Ryuu said decidedly. "And I have no intention of talking to him about it. I don't have much of a bond with my father, Kinnya-sama. A little more distance between us won't hurt in the long run."

He bowed his head solemnly, reaching out to take Kinnya's wizened fingers in his.

"I will do my best to honour your request." he murmured. "So long as the power lies within me to do so. It may not be until the current crisis in the Clan has abated - but I will give you my word to try. Like you, I consider a promise binding. And I promise...that if it is within my ability, I will bring Ukitake to meet you at least once."

"Then we have a deal." Kinnya clasped Ryuu's hands tightly, then loosed his grip, a faint glimmer of light in his dark grey eyes. "Ride safely back to the heart of the chaos, Ryuu - if you are to be the next leader of this Clan, I feel inclined to give you my support. Even though it's clearly not what you want."

"I will do what's necessary. That's all." Ryuu said heavily. "If that is to be the next Clan heir, so be it. If not, so be it. Whatever my duty is, I'll do it. But first I want to solve what happened to Ribari-sama, and establish that my family were not involved. Bringing his killer to justice is important to me...now that I know not everything is as I thought it was."

"Be careful." Kinnya said gravely. "I am serious about that - be careful about what you might uncover. Senaya-nii was one of the best leaders the Kuchiki Clan ever had - but it came at a heavy price. What he took to his grave...should not be allowed to hasten you or others to theirs. Understood?"

"Let sleeping dogs lie, in fact." Ryuu remarked, and Kinnya nodded.

"Yes." he said soberly. "That is what I'm saying."

"I will be careful." Ryuu promised. "But I don't think...even if I keep my concerns to myself, things will settle on their own. I have...a bad feeling...that things are just beginning. And that...they may be already out of our control. But..."

He faltered, then,

"Grandfather was a martyr for this Clan." he whispered. "In whatever way you want to interpret it, I believe that he was. More now than ever before. But I don't think Ribari-sama was...and I don't want any more blood to be spilt. For the sake of the Clan Senaya-sama died to protect...I'll do my best as well."

* * *

"Hey, Tsukabishi! Called back by Uebashi again?"

As Tsunemori sidled out of the Hohou classroom, he heard a voice call his name and he swung around, surprise and uncertainty flickering in his gaze as he recognised Oomaeda Kaneyo, one of the other members of his class. Big-built, with belligerent features and a shock of dark hair that flopped in an ungainly way over his brow, Tsunemori had barely dared to even exchange greetings with the other boy once since term had begun. They shared dorm-space and class-space, but Tsunemori was quite honestly afraid of this bulky individual who seemed to swagger his way around the halls, and whose expensive adorning jewellery had been confiscated in almost every Ouyoudou lesson that the First years had been forced to undertake.

Yet for some reason Kaneyo had chosen that day to single him out, and almost instinctively, Tsunemori began looking for ways to make a quick escape if need be through the halls and passages to the safety of a secluded library alcove or even the branches of a nearby tree.

"Well, why are you staring at me like that?" Kaneyo peered at him through beady, uneven eyes, his heavy lids giving the gaze a slightly malevolent edge. "You know who I am, don't you? And I'm pretty sure you can speak like the rest of us – even if you only seem to do it when we're in class."

"Of…of course." Tsunemori reddened furiously. "I was j…just s…surprised that O…Oomaeda-kun knew my name."

"We do share a dorm." Kaneyo pointed out, lounging against the wall as he met the younger boy's gaze contemplatively. "And I'm not oblivious, even if you are. Stop looking at me like I'm about to slay you – I only wanted a word, s'all."

"I'm sorry." Tsunemori looked distressed. "I didn't mean…I wasn't trying to be…"

"See, this is what I expect from you." Kaneyo sighed, shaking his head as if he had just proven something to himself. "That you'll fade into the background or flee at the first opportunity. But then, today, you surprised me. I didn't think you had it in you to make that Uebashi lose his temper so thoroughly. What did he give you this time? Extra assignments? Coaching? Or has he decided to send you to the Headmaster on account of your rebellious tendencies?"

He smirked, as though this idea amused him, and Tsunemori cowered slightly at the expression on his classmate's face.

"I…" He faltered, then, "He wants me to come back tomorrow at dawn, before breakfast. He intends me to write the assignment there and then, with him watching over me. And I didn't mean to make him angry, Oomaeda-kun. But…"

"But?" The amused expression faded, and the other boy dropped his hands down firmly on the youngster's shoulders, meeting his gaze squarely even as Tsunemori flinched at the sudden contact.

"Something's up with you, isn't it?" He asked softly, and Tsunemori was startled to see what seemed to be real concern in the other boy's dark eyes. "C'mon, kid, you can tell me. We're classmates, ain't we? It bothers me the way you wilt into a corner whenever one of the teachers asks you to come out to the front of the room…but you're running rings around most of the others when one of the sensei asks us a question. Our first assessments aren't too far ahead – you need to get your head together else you're going to flunk out."

"Why do you care about it?" Tsunemori stared, and Kaneyo smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

"Looks bad for Class One, that way." He said reflectively. "Also, though, it bothers me overall. You're not an idiot, and you obviously are able to speak like a normal person can, even if you are common born and all that. But you slink away from all of us as though you think we might trample you into the dust. It's really starting to annoy me, so I thought I'd do something about it. I waited for you – so you can repay the favour by coming to the common room with me. We're going to play _shougi_ – and you're going to play too."

Tsunemori's eyes became huge, then,

"But I…never played _shougi_ before." He whispered.

"Good. That'll make you easy to beat." Kaneyo said reflectively, grabbing Tsunemori firmly by the arm and hauling him away down the hall. "I told you, come on. I'm not someone you can argue with, you know – if I want to do something, I'm going to do it, so you might as well give in and come quietly."

"Oomaeda-kun, you're hurting my arm!" Tsunemori tried to get free, but it was to no avail, and at length he gave up fighting, allowing his bigger-built companion to pull him down the corridor and into the common room where a small huddle of first year students were gathered in the furthermost corner of the chamber.

"See, I told you I'd get him!" Paying no attention to the fact other students were using the room to study, Kaneyo raised his voice against the general buzz of chatter, yanking Tsunemori into the common room proper and causing him to go a bright, brilliant scarlet as all eyes turned to stare at him – some curious, some annoyed.

"I guess even Tsukabishi can't run away from your charm, Oomaeda." Another first year offered a grin, gesturing for the two to join them. "Well, kid? Are you up for playing _shougi_? Since Oomaeda's gone to the trouble of bringing you here, the least you can do is play with us."

"He says he doesn't know the game." Kaneyo said succinctly, giving Tsunemori no chance to answer as he tugged the younger boy down to join the rest of the group. "I guess they don't play it in the Districts or wherever it was he came from."

"S'ok. He's smart. We'll teach him the rules." A girl put in. "Well, Tsukabishi-kun? Are you going to just sit there and stare at us, or are you going to actually mix with us for once? You can't keep running away from us all the time. Just because some of our class are Clan and you're not doesn't mean anything to us."

"I…I…I wasn't trying to…run away." Tsunemori murmured softly, and Kaneyo grinned, reaching across for a folded piece of paper and thrusting it into Tsunemori's _obi_.

"Here. Then that's your new assignment. Read that, and learn it." He ordered. "Then next time you can play with the rest of us. Right now I'm going to thrash the hell out of Urahara, and you can see how a real professional plays."

"Well, well. If it isn't Tsukabishi."

Before Tsunemori could respond, a shadow fell over the group and instinctively the young boy tensed, knowing before he turned around that the speaker was Azusa. He bit his lip, then slowly raised his gaze, meeting the mocking eyes of the fifth year as he cast his glance over the whole group.

"K…Kamaki-senpai…?"

"And some friends, apparently." He observed absently. "Playing _shougi_ – that's high-tech for you, isn't it?"

"I don't know how to play yet, Senpai." Tsunemori murmured. "O..Oomaeda-kun and the others were g…going to teach me."

"That was kind of them." Azusa's eyes narrowed and his gaze rested thoughtfully on Kaneyo's chubby features. "You're Oomaeda, huh?"

"You've heard of me already, Senpai?" Kaneyo puffed out his chest, shooting the older boy a cheeky grin. "Stands to reason you would've. And you're right, of course. I'm Oomaeda Kenreimaresuke Heikkentaroumon Kaneyo. Nobody ever forgets my name once they've first heard it."

"Nobody remembers it beyond the Oomaeda Kaneyo bit." One of the other first years muttered, elbowing their classmate playfully in the ribs. "Pipe down, Oomaeda. He's a senpai, so he ranks over us. Don't tick him off, else he'll be giving us chores to do."

"Sadly not. Only the Senior Class can give orders out like that." Azusa's eyes glittered for a moment at this, and Tsunemori swallowed hard. "But that's beside the point. I've heard of your kin, Oomaeda, and their stupidly, overly showy attitude to the world. Therefore I've heard of you – or rather, can see you glittering from a mile off. But I didn't come here to talk to _you_, surprising as that may be. I came to speak to Tsukabishi. I have some business with him that remains unresolved."

"Business with him?" Kaneyo looked surprised, and Kamaki nodded.

"Yes. Business." He said evenly. "I think the kid knows what it's about."

His gaze strayed to the scrunched up rules poking out of Tsunemori's _obi_, and he smirked.

"We might have a little chat about those rules and stuff, too." He added pointedly, and Tsunemori gulped, hurriedly scrambling to his feet.

"I'm sorry, Senpai. I f…forgot you wanted to speak to me after I f…finished class. I g…g…got held back and so I forgot and then Oomaeda-kun…and…"

"Shut up." Azusa cut across him bluntly, fixing him with a dark look. "I don't need your excuses. Just come with me. You can play with your friends later – right now what I have to discuss with you is more important."

"Yes, Senpai." Tsunemori hung his head, casting Kaneyo an apologetic look. Suddenly more than anything he wanted to be included with them – to be involved in playing the game, even though he didn't understand the rules. Kaneyo had come to find him out of curiosity perhaps, but also out of a swaggering sort of kindness, and in that moment Tsunemori understood.

_Oomaeda-kun is big and loud and shows off a lot. He probably looks down on me, but he didn't come to hurt me. Whereas Kamaki-senpai…Kamaki-senpai…_

"Can't you take the kid after we're done playing, Senpai?" Kaneyo wasn't to be silenced for long. "Since I managed to actually drag him out to join us, it wouldn't hurt to let him be for a little longer."

He eyed Azusa keenly.

"You can play too, if you like." He added. "But I bet I'll beat you. Nobody beats me easily, even if they are a senpai."

"Unlike you first years, Fifth Years have actual work to do and can't spare time to frivolously wait on their juniors." Azusa fixed Kaneyo with a withering look. "I want Tsukabishi now – you brats play what the hell you like, I don't care. You'll get him back soon enough – what I have to say to him won't take long."

His gaze shifted to Tsunemori, who meekly bowed his head towards the other first years.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "If Senpai needs me…I…I think I have to go."

He bowed again, his heart clenching slightly as Azusa grasped him by the wrist, taking him firmly across the common room and out into the hallway beyond. In contrast to the forceful but well-meaning well Oomaeda had hauled him through the halls, there was something in Kamaki's grip that told Tsunemori the Fifth year student had anything but innocent conversation in mind. As they left the common room, Tsunemori saw that Kobayashi was already there, leaning up against the wall looking bored, and as the youngster glanced at him, he felt a sense of deep unease in the pit of his stomach.

Had they come to hurt him this time?

Furtively he glanced around him, trying to work out whether if necessary he could make a run for it, for despite his puny physical prowess he was a quick runner and adept at hiding in the most unlikely of places. But it would be almost impossible to give both Azusa and Kobayashi the slip, and he sighed, slumping against the closed panel door as he raised his gaze to his companions in resignation.

"You seem to be making friends now, Tsukabishi." Azusa eyed him pensively. "I wonder what that Oomaeda kid would think of you, though, if he knew you were illiterate. His family are rich types – Yamamoto connected and full of themselves and their own grandeur. He'd laugh at you, you know. And the others would follow. I did you a favour just now, taking you away from them. That way you keep your secret, don't you?"

"You seem to be doing the lad a lot of favours of late, Kamaki." Kobayashi observed idly, and Azusa smirked, nodding his head.

"They're racking up." He agreed maliciously. "But I've yet to collect on any of them. Maybe it's time we evened that balance. What do you think, Tsukabishi? Don't you think that would be fair?"

Tsunemori merely stared at the older boy numbly, and Azusa frowned, grabbing his hand once more and pulling it back behind the other's body until tears of pain sprang into the youngster's eyes. He bit down hard on his lip, trying desperately not to cry out as Azusa tightened his grip, yanking the arm more cruelly back until Tsunemori was sure it would twist right out of its socket.

"I want you to help me destroy Ukitake Juushirou." Azusa bent to whisper in Tsunemori's ears, his every word sending chills through the frightened boy's system. "And you promised me that you would. But so far there's been no sign of that. I'm getting tired of waiting around, Tsukabishi. Either you think of some way to make Anideshi's life hell, or I do – but believe me, if I have to think of it, you'll come off the worst. Remember what Kobayashi and I know and who we could tell – and keep that in mind. I'll be watching you."

With that he loosed his hold on the boy's arm, and Tsunemori drew it back in front of him, rubbing it protectively as the tears trickled silently down his cheeks.

"You really do cry easily." Kobayashi snorted. "Come on, Kamaki. He's got the message. He wouldn't dare continue to defy you – not considering what you could do to him if you really put your mind to it."

"What I could do to him." Azusa's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and he nodded, reaching out to grab Tsunemori once more by the shoulders and giving him a little shake. "That gives me a thought – forget what I said before, I've just decided exactly how it is you can repay your debt to me."

"S…senpai?" Tsunemori murmured uncertainly, and Azusa's eyes glittered with spite.

"Anideshi has a pretty, shiny _zanpakutou_ and I've noticed that unlike most of his classmates, he doesn't take to carrying it around the school." He said in low tones. "That means that for most of the day it's shut away in the Nest – and therefore easily obtainable by anyone with the particular drive or impetus to do so."

"He's pretty fond of his sword, so I've heard." Kobayashi added reflectively. "Apparently it's something special, and he thinks the world of it. If anything were to happen to it, I'm sure he'd be very upset."

"Yes. So he would." Azusa seemed amused. "But then he shouldn't be so careless about leaving it around."

He fixed Tsunemori with an even gaze.

"Take Ukitake's sword and throw it in the river that runs to the south of the school grounds." He said softly. "I've heard it has some connection to water, so that seems a fitting fate – sending it to a watery grave. Do you understand, runt? That's your errand. You're to relieve our Anideshi of his _zanpakutou_ – and get rid of it in the river."

"But…but…but…" Horror flooded Tsunemori's gaze, and Azusa gave him another shake.

"You don't have any right to refute or refuse." He said coldly. "You will do this, or else it will be the worse for you. You really have no idea what I can do to you – revealing your little secret is the least of it. I have Clan connections – Anideshi has only his District ways to fall back on. Think carefully about whose side you're better off on, kid – and do as you're told."

Tsunemori swallowed hard, and Azusa released his grip, patting him mockingly on the head.

"Good boy." He said, amused. "I'll give you till tomorrow night to complete your errand. It's entirely up to you how and when you do it – but I _will_ be watching you, and I _won't_ tolerate failure."

He flicked his fingers in the direction of the common room.

"All right, I'm done with you now." He added dismissively. "You can go back to your friends and their games if you like."

Tsunemori stared at him for a moment, inwardly knowing that there was no way he could re-approach Oomaeda and the other first years after his senses had been sent reeling so badly. He was tainted now, he realised, his stomach lurching up into his chest as he contemplated what he had been ordered to do. They would not understand nor forgive him – and even if they would have been able to, Tsunemori knew he could not tell them. He could not tell anyone any of it – he was once more on his own.

Fresh tears glittered on his lashes and he darted off down the hallway, desperately seeking the safe refuge of the dorm where he could throw himself down on his covers and cry to his heart's content without interruption. His dorm-mates were all in the common room, and there was some time yet before the bell would ring, so he hurried towards his sanctuary, struggling against his emotions as tears blurred his gaze.

As he rounded the corner, he tripped over his own feet, falling headlong and landing in a heap against the wall. For a moment he just sat there, then the true awfulness of his situation washed over him and he buried his head in his hands, unable to prevent the tears from falling properly.

"Are you all right?"

He did not know how long he had been sitting there, nor had he heard anyone approach, but a gentle hand on his shoulder and a kind, concerned voice caused him to jerk his head upright, hurriedly wiping his eyes as he struggled to bring the speaker into view. As he did so, dismay flooded his heart a second time and he shuffled back, scrambling to his feet.

"A…A…Anideshi?"

His gaze went automatically to Juushirou's waist, his eyes widening slightly as he realised that Azusa had been right – the senior student did not carry his black-sheathed sword at his side, even though he was authorised to do so. It would be in his room now, then – upstairs, in the Senior wing, and Juushirou was not with it – would the room be locked? Could he undertake his mission now, without being detected? Maybe if he could…maybe then Azusa would leave him alone, and he'd be able to play next time with Oomaeda and the others. Maybe they would invite him again – perhaps if he could just carry out this one thing…

But his thoughts faded as he dried his eyes, taking in the genuine anxiety in Juushirou's hazel gaze.

"You look a little dazed, and you're crying." He said quietly. "Did something happen?"

"I…I fell down. Over my feet. Against the wall." Tsunemori hurriedly gathered his wits, bowing hastily in his companion's direction. "I guess I banged myself. And it hurt. That's all."

"Banged yourself? Your head?" Juushirou reached out to touch his chin, and Tsunemori found it hard to meet the older boy's gaze under his senior's scrutiny. "No, you don't look concussed. Just shaken up, huh?"

"Racing through the halls of this place can be highly dangerous." A second voice put in at that moment, and Tsunemori jumped, realising that Juushirou had not been alone. Some way behind him stood another figure, his eyes solemn behind his glasses, and despite himself, Tsunemori could not meet this stranger's gaze.

"Should we take you to the Healing Bay, just in case?" Juushirou wondered, and Tsunemori shook his head.

"I'm fine, Senpai. Really. It was just…just a shock." He gabbled. "I'll be all right now. I was going to my dorm and I was late out of class so I needed to get something and…"

He trailed off, unable to continue, but to his surprise Juushirou laughed, ruffling his hair playfully.

"It's a lot to take in right at the start, isn't it?" He said warmly. "It's all right – if you're sure you're fine. Just try not to trip over your feet too much, all right? I'm sure Minabe-sensei will have plenty to say about it if you hurt yourself before you even get to holding a weapon."

"Yes, Senpai. Thank you Senpai." Tsunemori mumbled, bowing yet again. "I'll go now. Thank you. I'm fine."

With that he made his escape, taking the stairs two at a time towards his dorm and pushing back the door with a heavy sigh.

_Anideshi is kind. He's always kind to me, and friendly, and warm. He's a nice person – why does Kamaki-senpai want to hurt him so much? I don't understand. I don't understand at all._

He buried his head in his hands.

_But if I don't do what they say, I'll really be in trouble.. And I might not like it here, but it's not as though there's anywhere else for me to go. With Mother gone…_

A fresh spasm of grief stirred in his heart at this thought and he frowned, forcing it back down.

_I'm on my own and I can't be kicked out of here. This is all I have, now. So even if it's unreasonable – even if Anideshi is kind. I have to do what Kamaki-senpai says. Otherwise…otherwise everything will be over for me. I have no choice. Even if it's a bad thing – even though I know it's a bad thing._

He screwed his eyes up tight, forcing his tears back.

_I'm sorry, Anideshi. I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you, but I have no choice. I have to do this…no matter what!_

_

* * *

_

"So _that_ was Tsukabishi-kun, huh."

Hirata slipped his glasses from his nose, wiping them absently against the sleeve of his white _hakamashita_ as he turned to cast Juushirou a quizzical look. "The boy you were talking about – the one that Sora told you reminded her of me?"

"Yes. That's him." Juushirou frowned, nodding his head. "He can't be more than fifteen or thereabouts, and he scampers around the halls like a scared rabbit most of the time. It's little wonder he fell over – I've almost collided with him in the corridor at least once before today."

"You think that's all that happened?" Hirata asked lightly, and Juushirou pursed his lips.

"I wasn't sure." He admitted. "But then, the kid has no reason to lie to me. To either of us, in fact. Why?"

"Hrm." Hirata sighed, returning his spectacles to his nose. "I'm not sure. Just…I do sort of see…what Sora meant."

"I wasn't implying you were a scared rabbit, by the way." As they made their way towards the Senior study, Juushirou shot Hirata a rueful grin. "Don't take the comparison literally – I've just realised that was a bit offensive, wasn't it?"

A smile touched Hirata's lips, and he shrugged.

"I probably was one." He said honestly. "I don't mind. You never abandoned me, so I grew out of it soon enough. But that kid…something about him bothers me. I can't put my finger on what it is yet – just that there's something."

"Something, huh." Juushirou echoed. "Well, if you work out what it is…"

"He's homesick, probably, but it isn't just that." Hirata reflected. "There was something in his eyes as he looked at you – he went from startled to relieved to suddenly stricken and then he couldn't meet my gaze."

"He might just be scared of us as Seniors, though?" Juushirou suggested.

"I don't know." Hirata owned. "Maybe that is it. I know I was terrified of everyone, so it's not impossible. But he was crying his eyes out, Juushirou-kun. Really crying, and I don't think that was just from falling over. It seemed something other than that to me."

"So what? You think I should look into it further and try and find out what?" Juushirou eyed him quizzically. "Because for a Senior to interfere directly with the First years – that might do more harm than good, surely? He hasn't asked for help, and when I've offered it he's told me he's all right. Surely it would be better if the kids in his own Class took care of him."

He sighed.

"Though I also don't like it if you're right and something's upset him beyond just a careless fall in the halls." He said sadly.

"Right now I'm not sure there is anything you can do. Not if he's insistent that he's fine." Hirata said pensively. "But I get the feeling that boy is hiding something important. Just like me, when I first came – with everything going on at home, and suddenly being thrust into a place like this where I knew nothing and nobody."

He smiled slightly.

"I don't know if there is a Juushirou-kun in this year's First year class and if so, whether or not that person will see and be able to help him." He added. "But I am sure of one thing – that inside of him is something he can't talk about. And unless someone reaches out to him, it will probably break him."

"Break him?" Juushirou looked alarmed, and Hirata nodded.

"Then surely we ought to get involved? If something bad is happening to him – or his family – or something else, surely as Anideshi…"

"You can't rescue him unless he wants to be rescued." Hirata said soberly. "He doesn't want your help, Juushirou-kun. You've already said you've offered it – but maybe the gap between Senior and First year is too big for him yet. There's nothing you can do about it at the moment."

"I ought to be able to, though." Juushirou looked frustrated. "Otherwise why am I Anideshi, if I can't help my juniors to solve their problems?"

Hirata was silent for a moment, his gaze drifting in the direction that Tsunemori had fled. Then he let out his breath in a rush.

"I can't answer that." He admitted. "I don't know what the answer is. All I know is that…the way Tsukabishi-kun looked at you…he didn't want you to help him. He didn't want to talk to either you or I – and trying to interfere would probably only scare him more."

"Then all I can do is watch from a distance and see if anything seems strange?" Juushirou asked. Hirata nodded.

"I guess so." He agreed gravely. "And hope nothing happens in the meantime. Because there was something in that boy's eyes, Juushirou-kun – a desperation that I didn't like. I've been there myself – forced between a rock and a hard place without knowing where the way out is. So I guess…all I'll say is…if he wants to talk to you, listen to him. If he asks for help, give it. Because I think he will…sooner or later. I just hope it's sooner – for his sake, I think it would be better."

"All right." Juushirou rubbed his temples. "I have a bunch of notes to write up anyhow before I finish Kazoe-sensei's assignment, so it's not as though I don't have anything to do. It just bothers me, that's all. If a junior is unhappy – it bothers me a lot."

"Me too." Hirata agreed. "So I'll keep my eyes open too, and we'll see what happens from hereon in."

* * *

The sun was already beginning to set over District Six by the time Ryuu brought his tired steed over the cobbles and into the main courtyard of the Kuchiki estate. The stableyard was a flurry of activity, with retainers and soldiers running this way and that and as Ryuu reined his horse in, he paused to stare at the chaos in complete confusion.

_I have only been away a few hours – what could have occurred in that time?_

He dismounted, slipping his hands through the reins and leading the beast carefully towards the melee of people. It whinnied and nickered, tossing its head as though it too had picked up something uneasy on the wind and as Ryuu drew closer, he became aware of something faint and red staining the cobbles.

A chill touched his spine.

_Something…even in the time I have been away, something bad._

"Ryuu-sama!" At that moment one of the soldiers spotted him, and at once several retainers converged upon him, surprise and relief reflected in their gazes as they hurried across the yard. "Ryuu-sama, you're safe! You've returned without injury – thank the lord!"

"Someone run and report this to Seiren-dono at once!" The man in charge rapped out an order, and before Ryuu could say anything at all a junior officer had hared off across the cobbles towards the main building, as though wolves were at his heels.

Ryuu frowned, his grip tightening on the horse's reins.

"Why would I not be safe?" He asked softly. "I merely went riding from the estate – surely all of this chaos is not because of that fact? It is hardly unusual for a Kuchiki Clansman to ride around the local area – I do not understand why I should be greeted with such a reception."

"Ryuu? _Ryuu_!" Before any of the officers could respond, an indigo-clad blur darted through their ranks, flinging her arms around him and Ryuu reeled back, almost falling under the weight of this unexpected assault.

"Mitsuki?" At length he managed to disentangle himself, holding his cousin at arm's length and staring at her as though she had lost her wits. "Not you too? What is this? Why is everyone so relieved to see me – what's going on?"

"Somebody take my cousin's horse and deal with it." Mitsuki turned to a nearby guardsman, taking Ryuu's hand and unwinding the reins from his grip. "I'll take him myself to Seiren-dono and Guren-sama, so that you can continue with your work here."

"Yes, Edogawa-hime." The guardsman bowed sharply at her instruction, immediately taking the reins and beginning to lead the unsettled steed across the cobbles towards the stables proper. As they went, Ryuu felt another sense of unease begin to stir inside of him.

"Why would a _soldier _tend my horse?" He murmured. "Mitsuki, what is going on here?"

Mitsuki did not reply at first, merely taking him by the arm and leading him away from the chaos of the stableyard. Once out of earshot, however, she wheeled on him, and Ryuu was taken aback by the real anger in her grey eyes.

"Where on earth have you been?" She demanded, uncharacteristic annoyance in her tones as she glared at him indignantly. "We've been worried sick, and you just march in now like…like you thought nobody would even notice you were gone!"

"I went riding." Ryuu gaped at her for a moment, then recovered himself, eying her in consternation. "That is all. It was early and nobody else was up, but I was restless. I did not sleep well last night – perhaps everything here is preying on me a little too much. So I went for a ride…and that is all."

"A ride that took all day?" Mitsuki exclaimed. "Not even you are dense enough to lose yourself for that amount of time! Tell me the truth, Ryuu – _where have you been_?"

"Mitsuki, calm yourself!" Ryuu frowned, seeing flickers of anxiety and hysteria in his companion's demeanour. "I'm sorry if I worried you. I am here now, and as you see, I am unharmed. Why are you haranguing me like this – I do not understand!"

"A maid saw you go to the stables this morning." Mitsuki said in low tones, clearly trying to keep control of her emotions. "Though an unconfirmed report, that was all we had to go on. I suppose when you rode from here, the stables too were peaceful and at ease?"

"Yes." Ryuu was nonplussed. "I spoke to the stablehands and the groom, and I assured them I would be back as soon as possible. Why?"

"I'll have to take your word for it." Mitsuki sighed, suddenly looking very tired. "Because all of those men you spoke to then are now dead, Ryuu. They won't speak for anyone any more."

"_Dead_?" The cold sensation that had been pricking at the edge of Ryuu's awareness suddenly engulfed his heart in a frozen deluge of fear and doubt. "What do you mean…dead?"

"What I said." Mitsuki's voice softened as she seemed to realise her companion's shock was genuine. "Some time after you left – it can't have been long after you left – the stableyard was attacked. Four stablehands and the groom on duty were killed, so since then the area has been on high alert and no menial staff have been allowed to resume duties there. Whoever did it got away, you see – there were no witnesses, and nobody knows if it was a one-off attack or if it might happen again. The guardsfolk have been searching for clues – and so far have found very little."

"What?" Ryuu grabbed Mitsuki's hands, staring at her in horror. "Because of me? Did that happen…because of me?"

"I don't know. I don't know why it happened or if they were aiming at you or what the situation was." Mitsuki shook her head. "I don't think they were – even a foreign assassin would have known from their dress that those in the stable were menial hands and not noble sons, and if you had already left the estate, they wouldn't have bothered to attack at that time. No, I think there was another reason – but we couldn't find you, and there was a fear…Seiren-dono was afraid…"

"That I'd been kidnapped or hurt or some other such thing." Now Ryuu understood. "I am sorry, Mitsuki. I did not intend to cause such anxiety. Truly I went to clear my head – and to ascertain something firmly for my own satisfaction. If I had known that such a thing would happen in my absence…"

"You couldn't have." Mitsuki put a hand on his arm, and Ryuu realised she was no longer angry with him. "And I'm sorry for shouting. Just, I tried my best to help one of the men – but it was beyond me. Both Shirogane-senpai and I thought you'd sense my spirit flaring if I was using healing Kidou, so you'd have come to make sure I was all right. But you didn't…so…we didn't know where you were."

"I would have done, of course." Ryuu acknowledged, letting out a heavy sigh. "What you are telling me is that while I was out riding today, five men of no political significance were cut down unnecessarily…to make some kind of point that nobody understands?"

"That's how it seems." Mitsuki nodded. "And they really were cut down, Ryuu. Whoever did it…didn't see them as people. They were just…objects. And they were slashed up accordingly."

"Such a thing…" Ryuu clenched and unclenched his fists against his own rising indignation. "And with no witnesses – there are also no clues as to who might orchestrate such a random and pointless attack?"

Mitsuki was silent for a moment, turning her gaze back towards the cobbles, and Ryuu's eyes narrowed.

"Mitsuki?"

"Mm." Mitsuki turned back, and Ryuu could see the troubled expression in her eyes. "I'm glad you're back, because…I think I ought to tell someone. But I was afraid to tell anyone…"

She sighed, rubbing her temples.

"I think I lied to Guren-sama." She said softly. "Twice, in fact, I told him untrue things. I told him that Senpai was with me when he was not – and I told him that I could not make out more than my name when the dying man spoke to me."

"_You_ don't think Senpai is involved?" Ryuu asked sharply, and Mitsuki shook her head.

"No. He isn't. I know that, because I sensed the attack and his reiatsu wasn't there." She said frankly. "Even if I didn't already believe him innocent, I would be in no doubt now that he is. But Seiren-dono is…really hostile towards him. And I…didn't want them to fight, so I…I lied and said he was with me."

"I see." Ryuu sighed. "I should've been there. And the other thing? What you couldn't tell Guren-sama…about the man who died?"

"I may have misheard, and I didn't want to generate panic based on what might've been my mistake." Mitsuki lowered her voice, meeting Ryuu's gaze with a clouded one of her own. "But the more I think of it, the more I wonder if I should have raised it anyway. Just…it's such feeble evidence, and…I didn't want to cause trouble for Shihouin-kun or anyone else, so…"

"_Shihouin_?" Ryuu's eyes widened. "Wait a minute. What he said had something to do with the Shihouin?"

"I don't know even that." Mitsuki confessed, looking helpless. "All I made out – if I even did make it out right – was something about a gold-eyed demon. That's all. Just when he said it, I thought of Shihouin-kun and that family's distinctive golden eyes. And so…"

Ryuu's eyes darkened and he nodded his head.

"You were right not to raise it, if you are so unsure." He said quietly. "Without proof, such an allegation could make for difficult political circumstances and with our Clan as it currently is, that would be unwise."

"You don't…seem as surprised as I thought you'd be. Or as angry." Mitsuki observed, and Ryuu sighed.

"I can't talk to you about anything here." He said heavily. "There are too many people, all of whom may be the wrong ones to overhear. But when we leave here, Mitsuki, I have things to tell you. Things that in light of what you just said, I think you should know. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Mitsuki's eyes became apprehensive. "In which case, we should go and find your Father. He'll want to know you're back safely…whatever else is going on."

"I would rather not speak with him presently, but I suppose there is no other option." Ryuu sighed. "Very well. You are right."

"You said you went somewhere to ascertain something for your own satisfaction." Mitsuki remembered, as they made their way through the halls. "Can you tell me where or what?"

Ryuu pursed his lips, then slowly shook his head.

"I think for now it would be better I didn't." He said slowly. "I'm sorry, Mitsuki. I think it's probably best that way."

"If you say so." Mitsuki shrugged her shoulders. "Just if you're worrying and not sleeping properly…"

"But tomorrow we will ride from here, and then I am sure I will sleep far more comfortably." Ryuu said heavily. "I am looking forward to returning to District One with each passing moment."

"Ryuu!" Before Mitsuki could answer, Seiren descended upon them, a mixture of emotions in his grey eyes. He paid Mitsuki no attention at all, but grabbed his son firmly by the shoulders, giving him a rough shake before pushing him up against the wall.

"Don't tell me that in times like this you were truly fool enough to ride from this place alone?" He demanded, his expression glittering angrily. "I won't tolerate carelessness from you at any time, but particularly now, when things are the way they are…"

"Seiren-dono, please, Ryuu didn't know something bad would happen." Mitsuki tried, but Seiren shot her a black look.

"I have always tolerated your friendship with my son, but this is a matter that goes far above your level of birth." He said coldly. "Please refrain from involving yourself in matters between father and son – your presence here is currently superfluous and you are dismissed."

"Otousama, if you are cross with me, please direct that anger at me and not at Mitsuki." Ryuu wrenched himself free from his father's hold, tension flooding through him as he read his father's body language and realised that, just like the day in Guren's study, Seiren's temper was on the verge of exploding. "It is not her fault I rode from the manor without a word to you or anyone – she knew no more than you did and I believe has already endured enough for today."

Seiren's gaze flitted to Mitsuki briefly, then he frowned.

"I have no reason to be angry at the girl." He said quietly. "But this is above her position and she has no place in a conversation between us."

"I'll go and see if I can help the guards any more with traces of reiatsu." Mitsuki bowed her head hurriedly. "I'm sorry to have caused a nuisance, Seiren-dono – and if I caused you any offence by interfering."

With that she was gone, and Ryuu sighed, feeling suddenly irritated at his Father's brusque treatment of his friend.

"She was really just as worried for me as you are, Father." He said softly. "And almost as cross with me too._ I_ am clearly the one at fault – and even if you say otherwise, it sounded as though you were somehow angry with Mitsuki too."

"Your fondness for that girl sometimes baffles me." Seiren said flatly. "I tolerate her – and I will continue to do so, since she has now reached some level of acceptance with Guren-niisama and is making herself of use to the Clan. Be glad of that fact, else I might have him send her back to her own manor instead of indulging her constant presence here."

He took Ryuu by the arm, pulling him forcibly along the hallway towards his own study, and Ryuu did not resist, though inwardly he was still smarting at the tone of his father's voice.

"Now we are properly alone, we will discuss this in more detail." Seiren shut the door of the chamber firmly behind them, turning to fix his only son with a black glare. "I want an explanation of your conduct today, Ryuu."

"I don't believe I have any conduct which needs explaining." Ryuu said quietly, meeting his father's glower with a stony one of his own. "I rode from the manor this morning and have just returned now."

"Where did you go?"

"Nowhere of note." Ryuu shrugged his shoulders. "Much has happened here lately and I wished to clear my head. I did not sleep well last night – and since tomorrow I will be travelling by carriage through the toll paths, I thought it would allow me to shake some of the cobwebs from my thoughts."

"You expect me to believe you spent a whole day riding randomly around District Six, with no escort, only a matter of weeks after your cousin was murdered?" Seiren's tones were low as though he was suppressing an outburst of rage, and Ryuu took an instinctive step back, nodding his head slowly.

"I lost my path a little." He lied, inwardly hoping that his companion did not press him for too many details, for he had never been a good liar and he did not want Seiren to know he had paid a visit to Kinnya's estate. His great uncle had insisted on him taking the midday meal there and it had lengthened his time away from the main house a good deal. The old man had pressed him for more details of Juushirou and at the genuine interest in Kinnya's eyes and tone Ryuu had found himself unable to refuse. He had found himself rather comforted in the presence of this member of his family who had managed to detach himself so successfully from the core of the Clan's intrigue, and something about the quiet coastal manor had helped settle his ruffled feelings. As a result, he had accepted the invitation - although now in hindsight he realised it had maybe been a bad idea.

_But I didn't know that anybody was going to be killed._

Seiren stared at him for a moment, then he sighed, rubbing his brow.

"My only son and he does not know the geography of his home District well enough to navigate it without help." He muttered, and Ryuu felt relief crash over him as he realised Seiren had accepted his answer. "This land you might soon be heir to rule over, and yet…"

"That is exactly the case." Suddenly Ryuu saw his way out and he took it, offering his father a faint, almost rueful smile. "I know very little about the wider geography of District Six, despite having lived here my whole life. I have only ever been concerned with travelling from our manor to this one and it has dawned on me that such a narrow understanding of the area will no longer suffice. Therefore…"

"I see." Seiren groaned, sinking down into his seat behind the desk. "Therefore without a word of reason why, you slipped out to do some private investigation, because you were too proud to admit to me that your knowledge in that area was lacking. I don't know if to commend or condemn your judgement, to be truthful – that you are showing some awareness of the District and some interest in its layout makes me relieved, but that you would take such a risk and show such a lack of awareness for your own security…"

He reached across to finger Ryuu's indigo robes.

"Even in mourning, you are easily identifiable as a member of our Clan." He added softly. "Bandits may not know who you are by name, but they would easily see you as a target should they choose to attack. Wielding your _zanpakutou_ against common villains might only serve to draw Hollows to your location – and there are still unknown assassins whose motives are as yet completely unfathomed."

"I suppose so." Ryuu dropped his gaze in an imitation of penitence. "In District One, as students, such things are often…it is a safe environment thanks to Genryuusai-sama, and so such thoughts…"

"You should not take your safety for granted." Seiren instructed, resting a hand on his companion's shoulder. "You are the only surviving heir to this Clan now. You understand that? Your bloodline is more important than any other bar Guren-sama himself, and you are the only one who can succeed him. More, you are the only one who should. This will be your Clan one day – if you cannot think to protect even yourself from harm, where will your subjects and subordinates fare when following your decisions?"

"Maybe I'm not really cut out to lead a Clan, in the final analysis." Ryuu murmured, and Seiren frowned, his grasp on Ryuu's shoulder tightening.

"You have been raised and prepared to do such a thing from the time you drew your first breath." He said softly. "Your mother and I do not always agree, but on this matter we are both in accord. You were born the rightful heir to the Kuchiki Clan. And that is once more what you are."

Ryuu jerked his head up, staring at his father in dismay.

"But Ribari-sama…" He whispered, and Seiren nodded.

"While he lived, that honour was Ribari-sama's and his alone." He acknowledged. "But his life was to be brief and in the end, those duties were not to fall on his shoulders. When you were born, the stars were particularly favourable, which is why your mother and I gave you such an elevated name. The dragon's own constellation appeared bright and clear in the sky overhead on the night that you were born – a sign that you were born to lead and guide those below you and that you were blessed by the great beast itself. You know that, don't you? That you would be a son who would bring great pride and promise to this Clan and who would make decisions to shape its future and help it prosper. _Your _stars, Ryuu. Your destiny."

"If that destiny caused my cousin to die, Father, I have no need of it." Ryuu said frankly. "I don't believe in trampling in the blood of kinsfolk to reach the top."

"Why should you think of doing that?" Seiren seemed genuinely surprised. "Your cousin's claim was just and valid but he is gone and there is no bringing him back. Tragedy as that is, the family has to look forward. You are that future. You do understand that, don't you? How important you have now become."

There was a long silence, then Ryuu closed his eyes, feeling the tension seeping out of him as resignation overwhelmed his tired body.

"Yes, sir. I understand." He murmured. "I'm sorry. I shall not act so carelessly again."

"I will report the matter to my brother." Seiren reflected. "And hope that he will overlook your naivety this time. As it stands, I don't have time to spend scolding you and neither does he. That you have not been abducted will be of relief to him, I'm sure – but it does not advance our investigation any into what occurred this morning."

"Yes." Ryuu opened his eyes at this. "Mitsuki told me what happened – but that there were no witnesses, and very few clues."

"The only thing the killer left behind were knives, but they are generic and they have no significant reiatsu on the hilt or blade beyond that of the victim they killed." Seiren responded. "Futsuki has them in his custody at present – but there's not much to be gleaned from his investigating them. Though they were crafted in District Eight, they're the kind who would have been easily exported – so we really have not much to go on."

"District Eight?" Ryuu stared at his father in surprise. "The knives were crafted in Kyouraku territory? But…"

"As I said, they are not distinctive. We have retainers here who have swords made by the same people and I'm sure other Clan retainers in other Districts could say the same. You needn't look at me like that, Ryuu. I'm aware you consider the Kyouraku lord's brother a close friend and I am not casting slurs on his family. We have no suspicion at all of their involvement in this."

"Well, of course not." Ryuu murmured absently. "They aren't that kind of a family."

_But that wasn't what I was thinking. I was wondering more where that gold-eyed demon of Mitsuki's got knives made in District Eight, if he really was a Shihouin._

He sighed.

"Father, Mitsuki and I will be allowed to leave here tomorrow in spite of this, won't we?"

"Yes." Seiren eyed his son keenly. "If I could get you off tonight, to be truthful, I would, but I cannot spare enough men to escort you safely till the morrow. What today's events meant I don't know – but it seems unlikely that this has no connection to Ribari-sama's death. That means that whoever is behind one is behind the other – and the Kuchiki are still someway in their sights. Therefore if they still have hostile intentions towards us, I want the Clan's only legitimate heir to be away from here – and in the protection of one as powerful as Genryuusai-sama, I can cease to concern myself for your safety."

"Otousama." Ryuu looked startled, then a faint smile touched his lips. "You really are worried for me, aren't you?"

"I am." Seiren inclined his head in agreement. "You're still not trained enough to be able to defend against all levels of danger, and if you can go wandering around District Six without protection, you obviously still have things to understand about your own security. Therefore the sooner you are gone from here the better – and I have instructed my own personal retainers to be ready to escort you at dawn tomorrow morning. You'll take the toll path through Inner Seireitei, of course – and be there as quickly as is possible…I expect within the day."

"Mitsuki too..?" Ryuu asked, and Seiren let out a heavy sigh.

"Guren-niisama has asked it of me, so yes, my protection will extend to her too." He said reluctantly. "But Ryuu, I want your assurances on something beforehand. Your friendship with that girl is nothing more than that, I trust? She has always been your satellite and she is extremely informal in her manner of addressing you despite your differences in rank. I have never pursued it before, but what you said to Guren-niisama was true, was it not? That you have no ideas regarding her that would be deemed…inappropriate to the Clan?"

"I don't suppose I would be forgiven if that were the case." Ryuu said cryptically. "No, Otousama. You have my word. Mitsuki is very dear to me indeed – dear as a fifth sister might be, perhaps you could say. But I have no aspirations beyond that. Mitsuki is not…like other Kuchiki. Her vocation is away from this Clan, even though she will no doubt bring the family honour in the future."

"Good." Seiren looked relieved. "I had thought that to be the case – you have never lied to me, but I worried, with Guren-niisama asking you so directly…whether you might have thought on the spot of something to say. But I believe you are telling me the truth – and so I will not ask again. Mitsuki has proven she has uses to the family and perhaps she will be as you say. But she is not appropriate as the bride of a future Clan leader."

His eyes narrowed.

"And she seems far too fond of your cousin, too, which at present is somewhat inadvisable."

"Shirogane-sen…Shirogane?" Just in time Ryuu remembered that his father had told him not to use the term 'senpai', and Seiren nodded.

"I do not trust him." He said unnecessarily. "Whatever he was before Ribari-sama's death, now I do not feel a word he says is true. Had Guren-sama and Futsuki not been present this afternoon, I believe he might have drawn his sword against me. Certainly he implied a threat of doing so – that he carried a weapon and would not be afraid to use it."

"Sen…Shirogane said that?" Ryuu was taken aback, and Seiren nodded darkly.

"Which is why I do not wish you to spend time in his company." He said flatly. "Tonight you will dine with me, and tomorrow you will leave. You are not to speak to him – understood?"

Ryuu eyed his father for a moment, then he bowed his head.

"I understand, Otousama." He murmured. "I'll do as you say."

* * *

_**Author's Note: The Dragon Constellation, dragons in general and the Kuchiki name rainbow.**_

_Also known as 'Draco', the Dragon's constellation has been intertwined with mythology of many civilisations going back several millennia. In both Japanese and Chinese tradition there are also significant references to dragons and to the stars and so what Seiren is talking about is a combination of those things. Yes, the Kuchiki believe in astronomical superstition._

_In historical Japan, the dragon seems to have been a protective spirit and an image often adopted by the Imperial houses as well as powerful Clans. In 1185, at the end of the Genpei War, the child Emperor Antoku was drowned. Following his death and the destruction of his Clan were a series of earthquakes and disasters. Some sources around the time interpreted this as the work of the 'dragon' that Antoku, as the eighty eighth human emperor was alleged to have really been. Consequently offerings were made to try and appease the 'dragons' in order to prevent other disasters from taking place._

_Ryuu's birth was especially auspicious for his family, especially since at the time Guren had no son of his own and Seiren and his wife Shouko had already had three daughters. For the three or four years between Ryuu's birth and Ribari's, he was considered in many sectors as the future heir of the Clan, and is very much the pride of both Seiren and Shouko, even though they despise one another. Ryuu's birth portents were in line with future greatness in the Clan._

_Therefore Ryuu does not have a "colour" name like so many of his kin._


	18. Lurking Shadows

**Chapter Seventeen: Lurking Shadows**

So a skeleton had stepped from the family closet, after so long asleep.

With a little difficulty, Kinnya pulled his stiff body up into a standing position, his fingers tightening around his wooden cane as he allowed his weight to be evenly distributed between it and his own shaking legs. It was some hours now since Ryuu had ridden from the coastal manor house, but even so Kinnya could not shake the discussion from his mind.

_After so many years, Senaya-niisama…are all of your secrets going to become public domain?_

He frowned, lifting the stick tentatively as he made an uneven, shuffling process towards the long glass windows, pushing back the heavy drapes that concealed the glow of the evening moon from view. As he raised his gaze to it, a faint smile touched his lips and he nodded his head.

_Even now you're watching everything, aren't you? I haven't forgotten your arrogance – how you used to say when we were boys that even the moon was part of your domain, and that you would force it to submit to your will if it was your pleasure to do so. Those days seem from another lifetime – you with your big ideas and your covert theatrics, and me, constantly trying to help bring that drama into reality. Not even your sons know the things you entrusted to me before you died. You wanted it that way. Still, the orders of the dead can't last for all time._

A cloud drifted across the moon at that point, and Kinnya's eyes became rueful.

"Just as I would have expected of you, Oniisama." He murmured. "To hide away and play with shadows rather than answer an honest question."

He glanced at his stick, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

"Even death was a word you didn't like speaking. Even when you left this world – the final time you spoke to me, I remember. How you told me you'd been called to your manor on the moon, where you would be in residence indefinitely. Sometimes I wonder if you believed the stars to be your retainers too – I wouldn't have put it past you."

He sighed.

"Leaving me to bury your secrets and keep them hidden in your wake."

"Kinnya-sama, who are you speaking to?" The voice of his man-servant made him turn, and he offered the other a wry smile.

"Myself or the moon." He said honestly. "And of nothing of any importance. A lonely old man has little company – and I cannot always tear you from your other duties to be my companion."

"Your visitor seems to have left you in some good spirits." The manservant observed, coming to close and fasten the shutters. "Please, Kinnya-sama, with the night air, it is better to retire now and save your fragile constitution. I have not met the young lord before – did he come from the main estate?"

"Yes…Ryuu is the heir to the Clan, now. So it seems." Kinnya obediently shuffled back from the window, allowing the moon and its protective clouds to be shut away from his line of sight once more. "But he came to me on a different errand, Keiichi. He brought me news of Raiko – news I did not expect, but which has lightened my heart considerably."

"Kinnya-sama…" Keiichi's expression became one of consternation, and he slowly bowed his head towards his master.

"I beg pardon for my impertinence, sir, but Raiko-dono is…no longer a spirit of this world."

"No…no she is not." Kinnya's gaze drifted back towards the now fastened shutters. "I wonder, sometimes, if she's also a member of my brother's Court of the Moon, up in the heavens."

"K...Kinnya-sama?" Keiichi looked disconcerted, and at his expression, Kinnya laughed.

"No, I have not finally lost my mind." He assured his confused companion. "Though with only myself for company these past twenty years or more, I can imagine that you might think so. Raiko is gone – I know that, and that it can't be changed. But Ryuu…is a student at Genryuusai-sama's Academy. I've paid no interest in this school until now, even though young kin of mine have attended it since it's opening. But now I find myself wanting to know more about it."

He put his free hand to his chest absently.

"Because, you see, Ryuu told me something that for the first time in years makes this old heart of mine beat with a little more resolve." He explained, his voice barely above a murmur. "Raiko's son did _not_ die at his birth, as I had been led to understand from local rumour at the time. He lived. And more, he is now a student at this Academy."

"I see." Keiichi's expression softened, and Kinnya knew his aide well enough to know that even if the other man wasn't sure of the validity of the information, for his master's sake he badly wanted it to be the truth. "Then that would account for your lordship's good mood even despite the gloom that hangs over this Clan at the present time."

"Gloom…" Kinnya's eyes became pensive and he nodded his head. "The murder of Guren's son is not a pleasant happening, though I'm sure that with a little time it will be swept away and forgotten. Not by Guren, I don't suppose – but this Clan is notoriously good at forgetting those whose existences proved less than necessary."

"There you are again, sir." Keiichi sighed in resignation, holding out a hand to help his master from the room. "Indulging in such cynicism. It's been the same since you came here, after the death of Senaya-sama…quite truly, my lord, if I had known it would make you so melancholy I would have spoken more fervently against…"

"You have served me loyally since I rose to be Senaya-nii's second, and I am grateful for it, because you are the only man alive I now fully trust." Gently Kinnya pushed his companion's hand away. "But you too would do better to forget about things that no longer concern us. And for tonight, I will not need your help. My doctors are fond of telling me that my lack of strength and appetite stem from a lack of interest in life. Perhaps they are right – for this evening I don't feel that the stairs to my chamber will be such a trial on this wretched body."

"As you wish." Keiichi respectfully stood back, and Kinnya sighed, meeting his gaze with a rueful one of his own.

"You've always accommodated my stubborn nature just as much as I had to accommodate my brother's wilful one." He reflected. "But I can't say, on balance, that he was wrong. Just…his ways of doing things were never the simplest. I think it might have repercussions, Keiichi. Maybe it already has done – I don't know."

"You believe the murder of Ribari-sama relates to the actions of Senaya-sama at the time of his death?" Keiichi questioned, as he carefully extinguished the parlour lights before illuminating the lamps that lined the stairway walls. "Is that why you have not yet written in response to Seiren-sama's communication?"

"No…I was not going to write anything at all in regards to that, since I didn't feel it to be my concern." Kinnya said thoughtfully. "But I've changed my mind. Having met Ryuu face to face, I'm quite satisfied that he is a long way from being like his father. In which case, come the morrow, I will write my response to that letter. That I feel certain Guren-sama has a nephew on whose judgement he can rely. Though, of course, that may be entirely separate from whether he has the will."

"Ryuu-sama impressed you, didn't he?" Keiichi observed, and Kinnya nodded.

"He did." He agreed. "I think he would have confounded my brother – which is part of the reason, I suppose, that I'm already inclined to like him. He is like me – he sees through to the centre of things and then does not stand back from opposing them if he disapproves. He has the manner and appearance of a carefully schooled Kuchiki _bocchan_, but that wasn't the boy I spoke to today. For his young years, I think he understands well and quickly. Even though nobody has told him, I think he also understands things that remain secret within this Clan."

He pursed his lips.

"I only hope they don't bring him into danger." He murmured. "There is an enemy unknown in the murder of Ribari, and that is enough to set any Clan on edge. Unlike when Senaya-nii met his end, I am ill at ease about what this means overall. This isn't like that time. And I think that…perhaps all of my brother's secrets will one by one start to come unravelled."

Keiichi was silent for a moment as they reached the top of the stairwell, merely unfastening the door of Kinnya's chamber and attending to the lamps within. Then he stood back to allow his master to enter, bowing his head in respect once more.

"So long as living souls carry them, my lord, no secrets are truly secret." He said softly.

"Yes, how true that is." Kinnya sighed heavily. "But for now, I have no intention of breaking my word or my silence. The Clan will have to reason this crisis out on its own – just as Senaya-nii and I did all those years earlier. This is just another test of Guren's mettle as leader of his family. If my brother's faith in him was right, all will be well. For now I will assure him of no opposition to Ryuu as his successor, but we will do nothing else. This is not our fight yet."

* * *

"You seem preoccupied by something of late, Chihiro."

At the sound of her husband's voice, Chihiro set aside her book, turning to meet his concerned gaze with a troubled one of her own. It was growing late now, day had become evening, and in the small yet comfortable lodgings that befitted Takeshi's standing as a guardsman in Tokutarou's retinue, the fire near the village and the missing prostitute seemed a world away. Even though Takeshi had swords hung over the mantle on the far wall, this place was a peaceful, warm and happy home, and as she got to her feet to properly greet her husband, Chihiro reflected on this more deeply for the first time since her wedding day.

_I really am lucky. Even though in comparison to Juu-nii's Clan friends, we're not a rich family – there are a lot of people worse off than we ever were._

Four or five days had passed since Momiji had disappeared without a trace, and that morning when she had called on Riri to find out any news, she had found her friend sitting in the centre of her floor, the trinket bearing the Kyouraku crest laid out in front of her. Momiji's whereabouts were still unknown, and with every passing day, Riri's agitation had grown. Finally, that morning, she had asked a favour of her friend – and Chihiro had been unable to refuse. Beneath the delicate fabric of her light pink _obi_, wrapped in faded grey cloth was the sword decoration – the only remaining piece of Riri's closely guarded secret.

_This place is secure, within the confines of the Kyouraku manor and under the protection of their Lord. But in Kaoka-mura, and in Teika-chou…who is being protected there? Riri was frightened…I've never seen her like that before. And I understand why. When she told me…all those things…I understood. So if I can help, even in a little way, to relieve her burden…then I will. If Momiji was targeted, if she was…then five days silence means whoever did that doesn't have Riri on their radar. And if there's nothing in her possession that could arouse suspicions, surely she and the children will be much safer? _

"Chihiro?" Takeshi slipped his fingers beneath her chin, lifting her face to his as he shot her a questioning look. "Are you so troubled by my absence that you can't greet me on my return?"

There was a faintly teasing glimmer in his dark eyes, and Chihiro sighed, batting her hands absently against his chest before allowing him to put his arms properly around her.

"I'm sorry." She said softly. "You're right, something is on my mind – and I'm not sure what to make of it."

"I wonder, does that have something to do with the visit you paid to a certain tavern a few days ago?" Takeshi eyed her keenly, and Chihiro started, looking up at him in guilty confusion. "Ah, so you weren't going to tell me about that. Even though you told the landlord you were there on my behalf."

Chihiro winced, looking ashamed.

"I'm sorry." She repeated. "I know I shouldn't…but I had…it was a favour for someone, and…"

"It's all right." Takeshi dismissed this with a grin. "I trust you and I'm sure your reasons were honest. I didn't let on anything to the man – but I was surprised to hear it. Especially since we've been making investigations into a strange affair – and you seem to have been asking questions about it much sooner than we were."

"A strange…affair?" Chihiro repeated softly, and Takeshi nodded.

"You know the jewel trader, Gaugen?" He asked. "Well, of course you do – you go to market as often as my mother and she knows everyone who trades there. He's a gaudy fellow at the best of times, too – I would've thought it impossible not to have noticed him, even if you never spoke to him."

Slowly Chihiro nodded her head.

"Yes. I know…who he is."

"Yes, well." Takeshi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The thing is, some kid making a delivery at his house discovered a pretty horrible scene first thing this morning. Came screeching through Teika at the crack of dawn, and straight into the arms of the morning patrol. Turns out he's found a pair of corpses in Gaugen's house – one of which was the old jewel trader himself, and the other seems to have been his wife."

"Gaugen-san…is dead?" Chihiro stared at her husband in horror, colour draining from her face, and Takeshi nodded.

"You look far more upset about that than I'd imagine, given that I doubt you've done much business." He reflected. "Some of the market traders said he hadn't been seen in a few days, but none of them seemed as concerned as you suddenly do. What's up, Chi-chan? Is this something to do with why you were speaking to that bigoted old landlord? Because when I spoke to him about Gaugen, I found out he'd been doing business with some Clansman or other five or six days ago now. From the looks of the bodies, they've been dead a little while, just nobody bothered to come find them. Consequently their corpses remain, but…truthfully…the scene is a congealed mess and the evidence is not as good as it could've been because of that. Probably another couple of days and we might not even have been able to identify them clearly, which means he probably died…about the time he stopped appearing at market."

He sighed.

"That might mean that this mysterious Clansman was probably the last person to see them – so I was surprised and a little alarmed to find that you'd asked questions about him _before_ Gaugen's body was found."

"I don't know anything about Gaugen-san." Chihiro disentangled herself from her husband's embrace, moving unsteadily to a nearby seat and sinking down with a sigh. "I truly…I never thought…such a horrible…"

"It looks as though they had a domestic squabble." Takeshi leant up against the wall. "That Gaugen slashed his wife's throat then was overcome in some way and dropped dead himself. But your expression tells me that's not the case. And honestly, a lot of people are ready to wrap it up as that – as a domestic incident gone bad. But that you were asking questions before this bothers me. Makes me think there's something we've missed."

Chihiro was silent for a moment, gazing down at her hands. Then she nodded.

"I don't know what I can tell you, or even if anything I know has anything to do with Gaugen-san's death." She said slowly. "But there was…a fire outside of Kaoka village the night of the storm. Most people think the house was struck by lightning, and haven't paid it any attention. It was a…a prostitute's house, so a lot of people don't really care about it one way or another. But the girl was…a friend of Riri's. And she's disappeared. So Riri was worried about her."

"And this has a connection to Gaugen?" Takeshi asked softly. Chihiro shrugged.

"I don't know." She admitted. "All I do know is that the landlord told me that Momiji – the prostitute – had spoken to the same Clansman that Gaugen-san had been talking to. Masaki. That's what he said the name was. She met him that night, outside of the tavern. Then she disappeared. Her house burnt, but the rain put it out before it could fully burn down. And the fire…it wasn't struck by lightning. Riri said it and she was right. It was started from inside the house. Not outside."

"Riri, huh?" Takeshi's eyes narrowed. "Chi-chan, did you go to this prostitute's burnt out house yourself?"

"Yes…" Chihiro admitted reluctantly. "Riri was upset, so I did."

"Even though it might have been dangerous?"

"I suppose so."

"Chi…" Takeshi sighed, then slowly shook his head.

"It's my fault. I discuss too many things with you." He said guiltily. "If I didn't, you wouldn't think to start investigations on your own."

"I think I probably would." Despite herself, Chihiro smiled. "Perhaps I take after Juu-nii a little in this way, but when someone I care about is upset, I want to help them. And Riri…Riri was upset, Takeshi. Momiji was her friend, and she was right – nobody has done anything about her or the fire at her house. She's disappeared and in five days there's been no sign of her. Now you tell me Gaugen-san is also dead – and both of them met with this Clansman."

"Then I'll mention that to my commander, and no doubt it'll be looked into." Takeshi said reflectively. "As Tokutarou-sama's retainers, part of our duty is to protect the local people so I'm sure that they won't ignore it. Riri should have reported it right away – or you should have told me, one or the other."

"It's complicated." Chihiro hesitated, then, "Riri…something of Riri's is also missing. I can't tell even you what, but Momiji had it and now it's gone too. Nothing else is gone from the house, but Riri is certain Momiji wouldn't have stolen it. And you know, now you've told me Gaugen-san also got killed…"

"There's no sign of him having been murdered. Only his wife – it's as though he slashed her and then collapsed of a heart attack." Takeshi remarked. "But what you've said makes me think that was probably an illusion. Besides, I already spoke to Tokutarou-sama this afternoon about this Clansman Masaki. Apparently this stranger claimed to be on Tokutarou-sama's business searching for something – but Tokutarou-sama doesn't know anything about it. More, there are no strains of the Kyouraku Clan who bear the name 'Masaki'. It's a false lead."

"He was an imposter." Chihiro breathed. "Then he wasn't anything to do with the Kyouraku at all?"

"I don't know." Takeshi admitted. "Because I have heard from a few who met him that he bore a Kyouraku crest. Unfortunately now he's missing too, we can't find out if it was real or a fake. Just…Gaugen was an expert in treasures and the like. If _he_ was dealing with this man, he probably thought him to be the real deal. And he would've been able to tell if Masaki's badge was forged. Therefore…it was probably real."

Chihiro's brows knitted together, then slowly she slipped her hand into her _obi,_ pulling out the precious sword ornament and holding it out to her companion. Takeshi shot her a startled look, then took the cloth-wrapped bundle, slowly unwrapping it. As he saw what was inside, he let out an exclamation of surprise.

"Chi…where did you get this?"

"If I tell you, will you promise not to report it to anyone? Your commander – even Tokutarou-sama?" Chihiro begged. "Because I'm worried, Takeshi. Really worried. That something bad is going on here and that people are in danger. People are already dead, and…so…I think…"

"Is it something I should be reporting?" Takeshi demanded.

"I don't know." Chihiro admitted. "But it will make someone's life a lot harder if you do. And I promised to keep it a secret, so I'm betraying that trust already. But Takeshi, I trust you. And you have access to things I don't – you know things I don't. So if telling you helps prevent anyone from being killed…"

"All right. I promise." Takeshi sighed, reaching out to rest his free hand briefly on the top of her dark head. "When you look at me that way, I can't refuse. Tell me where it came from – and I'll try to understand."

"Riri." Chihiro said simply, and Takeshi's eyes became huge.

"From a courtesan?"

"Yes."

"How on earth did she…"

"It's hers." Chihiro responded, meeting her husband's incredulous gaze with a troubled one of her own. "She gave it to me for safe keeping. It was given to her mother by her father, for her. It's a Kyouraku crest, isn't it?"

"Yes. Yes it is." Takeshi's grip tightened on the emblem for a moment, then, "Riri's _father_ gave this? Are you sure?"

"I am." Chihiro reached across to take the object, turning it over and pointing to the back. "You can see it. Right here. The kanji for her name. Riri. It's been engraved here by someone who knew their letters – but Riri's mother was illiterate and Riri herself is only just starting to learn characters."

"You're right." Takeshi took the crest back, tilting it to the light to better see the characters. "But Chi, you know what that implies?"

"Yes." Chihiro agreed. "That Riri's father was a Kyouraku."

"Not just any Kyouraku." Takeshi bit his lip, turning the emblem to examine the shield once more. "All the Kyouraku branch families have a slightly different crest, even though the basic design is the same. This was crafted for someone of important blood. Chi, this crest is almost identical to that carried by my Lord and master, Tokutarou-sama himself."

"That would make sense." Chihiro said grimly. "Since Riri told me her father's name when we talked about this just a few days ago. After Momiji disappeared – because what Momiji had went with this. It had the same crest – a pendant – and Momiji was supposed to get the clasp fixed. Probably she spoke to Gaugen-san and that's how he got involved in this. And this mysterious Masaki offered help, then…did something which resulted in Momiji and the pendant disappearing, before killing his key witness Gaugen and leaving town."

"Literally disappearing into the mist from where he came." Takeshi's expression took on a look of alarm. "But…that would mean…"

"The reason I wanted you to not tell anyone is because of that. Because I don't know one Kyouraku crest from another, but Riri told me herself who sired her." Chihiro nodded her head, reaching up to put a finger on her husband's lips. "What you've said has just confirmed her story even more in my mind. And I know it puts you in a bad place, Takeshi, but I'm really afraid for her safety. Just I don't suppose Tokutarou-sama would like it if this became common knowledge, and as for Riri…she's wary and suspicious of the Clan and has kept her head down for a long time. Even if by some fluke she could ask him for help – I don't think she would."

Takeshi eyed her for a moment, then nodded, handing the crest back.

"I could take that and try and firmly identify it to one particular individual, but I don't think either of us really need to." He said gravely. "You haven't said it, but I know what you're telling me. The Crest belongs to the central line of the Kyouraku house – similar to the one held by Tokutarou-sama and his young son, and I believe identical to that carried by Shunsui-sama. But Riri is around your age, and this is older than that, so this doesn't connect to any of them. However…"

"However, Riri told me her father died when she was about four." Chihiro said softly. "Which would fit with…the time that…"

She faltered, then gathered her courage.

"Riri told me that her father was Kyouraku Matsuhara." She said reluctantly. "That her mother had been one of many mistresses but that he had not just walked away when she became pregnant like most Lords did. She said her mother told her he had seemed…sorry. Penitent over it. More, he had acknowledged her by giving her mother those items before he died, perhaps as a promise of support. Probably he intended to keep acknowledging her, even if he couldn't speak to the main house about it – but he lost his life before he could. So nobody has ever known about her."

"But now somebody might." Takeshi's clever eyes became comprehending. "Or they might have mistaken this Momiji for her, being that the wench had the pendant. Momiji is probably dead, then, if that's the case. You realise that too, don't you?"

"Yes. And so does Riri." Chihiro chewed down on her lip. "But I'm most worried about her, if I'm honest. Her and the children she's raising. This Masaki may have got what he came for and gone away – but he may come back. And if what he has also has Riri's name on…and if his intention is to make trouble for the Kyouraku family…this whole business might be a long way from over."

* * *

It hadn't gone completely according to plan.

Masaki leant up against the wall of the small chamber, his gaze falling resignedly on the dark-skinned, golden eyed boy as he greedily devoured his evening meal. There was no finesse or neatness in the way he ate – just an instinctive hunger driving him to feed, and despite himself Masaki felt a slight sense of derision as he watched.

_Just a creature without will or emotion – a true empty shell lacking even the most basic necessities of human function. When I first discovered that such a vessel existed, it gave me so many ideas – but perhaps my aspirations were too far. What faint spirit traces there might have been when I came across him seem to have wilted and died now. I did not think that my abilities could be so stretched – but it seems I will have to work harder with this one to make him fully mine._

Oblivious to his companion's thoughts or attention, the gold-eyed youth remained fixed on his task, his fingers clumsily shoving food haphazardly into his mouth as though even this basic task he had forgotten how to do properly.

_Even the fact you don't leave a lingering reiatsu is proving to be a hindrance rather than a help. In a situation where having you caught or traced would work to my advantage…even in that respect you fox me. _

Masaki sighed heavily, turning his gaze away in disgust.

_But it is not over yet. I will simply have to think more carefully and act with more precision to compensate for his inability to do so. Whatever stealth or ability he may have had before, it's no longer there – so I will just have to find better ways in which to use the tool I have created. _

"I suppose that it's not possible even with my being close at hand to expect him to carry out instructions absolutely to the letter."

At last he broke the silence, resignation in his muddy gaze.

"This is still an experiment in progress – I shouldn't anticipate a perfect result right away. I wasn't on the scene – and with this basic level of manipulation, I should have expected errors. If I wasn't sure that anything stronger would kill him outright…"

He faltered, rubbing his temples.

"I _did _tell you that you can't trust him to do anything right."

Nanaki pushed back the divide at that moment, stepping into the small room and settling herself down in front of the fire as she reached out to warm her fingers above the gently burning flames. Masaki glanced up, realising that his words, which had been more than half to himself, had attracted his young companion's attention.

"It's a cold night out tonight, and the water in the stream is freezing cold." She added with a sigh. "But as regards _that_ thing, if you want him to slash and kill, he's quite good at that. Anything more subtle and it's a lost cause. He cut chunks out of them…and then fled the scene before anyone could catch him. I thought the point was for him to get caught this time."

"At the very least, I expected him to be seen by a witness who would live to testify to that effect." Masaki admitted, spreading his hands in an acknowledgement of defeat. "But like I said, its experimental. I've never had a study like this one before and I don't know what might happen from one day to the next. He's a dull beast, Nanaki. He has no way of differentiating between gentle and hard because those nuances are no longer inside of him. I've never had a subject like that – in the past, they've always had some latent will or inborn skills of their own which I've used to my advantage. But this one is different to those. I order him to kill and he kills – but he does so with reckless abandon. He would probably have killed you too, had he seen you in the midst of his frenzy – such a reaction is base at best, but with the level of control I have, probably understandable."

"I would have killed him first." Nanaki did not even move her gaze from the fire, a note of contempt in her words. "I still carry that potion with me, just in case. I'm not going to be slashed up by a dirty animal like him, so I would have killed him before he even had a chance to swing his sword in my direction."

Despite himself Masaki laughed, coming to kneel at her side and resting a hand on her shoulder. She was not a child any more, he reasoned, but a young woman, and just as he had anticipated, she had blossomed into an attractive one with her thick dark waves of hair and her vivid blue eyes. But it was more than that, he mused, that tied the two of them together. It was the dark glitter of something deeper than just youth and life that simmered in the depths of those eyes – the emotion that Masaki knew he had nurtured inside of her, but more than that, he knew was native to her soul. He had simply awoken it when he had freed her from her cage – and she in turn had lived her life waiting for one who noticed it was there.

"I am still surprised sometimes when I hear you speak like that." He murmured now. "That you've grown up in such a short space of time comforts me more than you know. That you've come to see the world so clearly makes it so much easier for me now. And I'm sure you would, Nanaki. I have a lot of faith in you – I hope you still have faith in me."

"I wish you wouldn't call me by that name." Nanaki twisted around to face him, a plaintive look in her blue eyes. "It's as though you're cheating on me with another woman, when you do – I don't like it at all."

"I know." Gently Masaki touched her on the nose, offering her a smile as her cheeks flushed pink. "And I don't like to do it, either. But if we keep up the façade in the privacy of our own quarters, we're less likely to slip out of those roles out in the open. So humour me, at least for now. All right? Consider it our secret – you and I are the only ones who know the truth."

"Being in Seireitei really is dangerous, isn't it." Nanaki sighed, shooting the golden eyed assassin a dark look out of the corner of her eye. "And he's a liability. I had to think on my feet, you know – otherwise it would have just seemed like a random attack. Since it didn't implicate the Shihouin, and since I couldn't implicate them because I wasn't supposed to have been there…"

"You did well." Masaki assured her. "Seeing Ryuu-dono leave the estate early was a good thing, and you created enough uncertainty about his safety to salvage the scene somewhat. If nothing else, it has increased the animosity and suspicion in the Kuchiki manor."

"But nobody seems to know where Ryuu-dono did go." Nanaki said regretfully. "It was coincidence that I happened to see him leave his room and follow him to the stables."

"Coincidence that works in our favour is not to be scorned." Masaki chuckled. "But you're right. Being in Seireitei is dangerous, and we mustn't outstay our welcome. I obviously can't send him into battle again yet, not if he's not going to perform to the best of his abilities. Instead, I think, I will have to rely on you."

"On me." Nanaki's fingers automatically went to her throat, and she nodded. "Because of this, you mean?"

"Yes." Masaki agreed. "I don't suppose we can implicate the Kyouraku easily in the Kuchiki's suspicions, even though you said they had identified the knives as coming from Eighth District. But there are other angles of infiltration. I learnt on my travels that the Shihouin and the Kyouraku have formalised a mutual agreement of peace and trade between District Two and District Eight and as a result the relations between those two families have become firmer."

"So?" Nanaki looked quizzical. "You just said we can't implicate the Kyouraku, so what does that mean to us?"

"It means that in turn the relations between the Kyouraku and the Kuchiki have become more distant, I imagine." Masaki rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Since the Kuchiki are nursing a grudge that goes back a generation - the murder of their lord Senaya. I remember, you know, the chaos that erupted in District Six when that happened. Even though I was not involved in any of what occurred, I remember vividly that for a while it seemed like the Kuchiki would wage war on the Shihouin and they were looking for Clan allies to back them in battle."

"But they didn't succeed?" Nanaki snorted. "No wonder, considering what a messed up Clan they are. Who would ally with the Kuchiki?"

"Senaya was a very proud Kuchiki, and he only entertained alliance prospects if they were directly to his advantage." Masaki sat back thoughtfully. "I never met him, of course, but I heard that often said. That he believed he could control even the stars in the sky if he wanted to. He was an arrogant man who was cut down because he was arrogant. And nobody felt much like avenging the murder of such an annoying person."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"Well, for me it was one less enemy to consider, so I didn't care what happened. If war had been declared, if it had not - either was all right with me."

"Senaya-sama was...part of _that _Council, wasn't he?" Nanaki's eyes narrowed. "The same Council that...a century ago..."

"Yes." Masaki did not let her finish her question, reaching out to rest his hand on her head. "The same council. Shouichi-sama was the last one...they are all dead now."

"Mm." Nanaki looked troubled for a moment, and Masaki eyed her keenly.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't like it, when you talk about that." Nanaki admitted. "I feel as though...something terrible happened and...and..."

"And you couldn't do anything to change it?" Despite himself, Masaki smiled. "You can't feel responsible for something that happened before you were born. I've seen more sunrises and sunsets than you, so it stands to reason that I've seen more blood spilt and felt the taint of betrayal more times. But you're here now, by my side. That matters to me more than anything. It's the first time in a very long time that I've had someone in whom I can put my whole trust."

"I'll always be that person." Nanaki's eyes lit up at this, and she turned to meet his gaze. "From now till I die. I promise."

"I know." Masaki gazed down at her, taking in her eager expression and noting that faint glitter of something more once again in the bright blue eyes.

_It really is the case, too. Perhaps at first I saw you as being my tool, but instead you've become my ally. Almost my partner. Because you have as much to hate about this world as I do, or so it seems. And hate that is strong enough to bind two people together is firmer than any superficial words of trust. Well, so much to the good. It's better to have a willing accomplice than a creature tied by force._

His gaze flitted back to the golden eyed boy.

_Or one such as that._

Out loud he said,

I want to increase the suspicion Clans have for one another as well as bring the Kuchiki Clan down. Whilst I don't suppose the Kyouraku are hostile to the Kuchiki, the fact they entered direct talks with the Shihouin must mean any likelihood of a Kyouraku-Kuchiki alliance is remote. Well, you can tell me...do you see Kyouraku representatives visit the Kuchiki court, or paying their respects to the murdered son of the Lord?"

"No." Nanaki shook her head. "Only the Unohana. The head of the Unohana was there for a few days - and she attended a memorial. But no other."

"As I thought, since the Unohana are considered a neutral Clan." Masaki nodded approvingly. "In which case, this is a chance to widen the rifts between other families. The Kyouraku are a stable and prosperous Clan, now. You have seen that with your own eyes, and their District is peaceful. But it was only a short time ago that they were waging war themselves, was it not? You do remember that too, I think - that it is less than ten years since their civil war. I think that is a fact we can use to our advantage."

"Oh, I remember that." Nanaki's eyes darkened. "I remember an idiot looking for allies in a fight he didn't win. Yes, I remember. A lot of bother it was too."

"Exactly." Masaki looked amused. "Which is knowledge I think you'll find useful in the days ahead. Remember that the Kuchiki are only the first targets – the test model, if you like – topple them and the others will not be quite so difficult. Besides…perhaps it was Senaya's arrogance, but I have never really liked the Kuchiki."

"You will keep your promise?" Nanaki was anxious, and Masaki nodded.

"Don't worry. There is one Kuchiki whose life I _don't_ seek to threaten." He assured her softly. "I haven't forgotten. I know your mind on this matter and I acknowledge it."

"Thank you." Nanaki's eyes lit up and she grinned, grasping his fingers in hers. "And it will be easier for me to move, soon. The Kuchiki who know me won't be there beyond tomorrow – and once they're not, the risk of me being found out decreases too. There'll be nobody to dispute anything I say or do."

"Although they've so far done a poor job of finding you, even hidden in the open like you have been." Masaki observed. Nanaki snorted, nodding her head.

"They're mostly stupid and stuck up." She said matter-of-factly. "So they don't even look at their servants. And I've kept completely out of the way of the one who might notice the most – so so far it's all been fine."

She stretched her hands over her head, then,

"So what does happen now? How are you going to use me? We've killed a bunch of people, but none of those deaths are going to help our cause. I didn't like that – killing people who shouldn't really be killed for no reason. We're not going to do that any more, are we?"

"You don't mind if they're Kuchiki, is that it?"

"If they're Clan." Nanaki shrugged. "If it's something that helps us, no. That's different. But those were just normal people. They didn't have any say in any of this."

"But by dying, they will have a greater impact on everything." Masaki turned her around to face him properly, meeting her gaze solemnly with his own mud-slurried eyes. "The future of Seireitei is in the hands of the strong, not the rich and the powerful. By opening up the Kuchiki estate like this and launching an assault with no warning, we've proven that the Clan is vulnerable. Those men died for our cause and that helps everyone to see how the Great Families are not so great overall. If you think on it like that, can you accept it? That they didn't die unnecessarily?"

"I suppose so." Nanaki sighed. "All right. Then what do you want me to do?"

"Mm." Masaki's expression became thoughtful and he sat back pensively on his heels. "That is the real question. Even despite what I just said about alliances, the truth is that I invaded District Eight and took the lengths I did as a back up policy. It was something I only intended to use as things moved on beyond where we are now, but I think…we're going to have to fall back on it regardless."

He eyed her pensively.

"You've been working as a maid this long, though – making someone believe you're a Clanswoman…"

"I _can _do that, you know." Nanaki said indignantly, and Masaki ruffled his fingers affectionately through her dark hair, entertained by the sudden hot pride that rushed through her expression.

_Oh yes. I know that well enough. That beneath that maid's kimono beats the heart of a true Clan hime._

"I know." He said aloud. "I know that. But no, we have to be careful. And I will have to go back to Eighth District. Because that pendant belongs to a powerful Kyouraku line, and might even be enough to spark a political incident if we're very careful. The more I think about it, the less likely it is to me that there could be two such articles floating around that vicinity. But the girl I took that from was definitely not a blood kinswoman of the Kyouraku. She could've passed for an Endou, perhaps – but not a Kyouraku."

Nanaki did not answer, and Masaki pursed his lips.

"So that means I have to go back to make certain there's no loose ends." He said regretfully. "Which will mean leaving you alone. You've already created suspicion and mistrust of the lord Shirogane, and I want you to keep doing that by any means you can. Use whatever techniques to inveigle yourself into the trust of the Clan members – I will leave it up to you whether you target Shirogane or his Uncle as your ally and which you choose to make an enemy of. But continue to build the rift between them – and use the Kyouraku connection in whatever way you can. You have been to the Kyouraku land and estate, and you must use that knowledge to make your story convincing. Understood?"

"Yes." Nanaki nodded, a faintly resigned look touching her features. "But I don't want to…if any of them touch me…I will…"

"For my sake, even if it meant betraying our bond, I would forgive it." As she trailed off, Masaki bent to kiss her gently on the lips. "For the sake of the cause, no price is too high."

"I don't like the idea." Nanaki shivered, pushing him back. "I'm your wife. I'm nobody's whore."

"To build a new world, we all make sacrifices." Masaki said gently. "But it's all right. I won't ask you to do anything you don't want to do. It's in your hands – I trust your judgement. You are clever and quick-thinking and an adept ally in whom I have faith. So whatever you feel is right – I believe will be right. You've made excellent choices thus far and I have no doubts you'll continue."

"What about him?" Nanaki sent a look of undisguised hatred towards their darkskinned companion, who, having finished eating, was staring at her with a fixed, empty look in his golden gaze. Masaki sighed, then he nodded his head.

"I'll take him with me." He said at length. "I obviously need to work on my control of him, and it will be easier to do that with just the two of us. It will mean you're alone here, though – is that all right?"

"It's better than being stuck looking after _him_." Nanaki nodded. "I'll be all right. Trust me."

* * *

_**Author's Note**_  
_In honour of 13th Division and Friday 13th, this week's chapters are being posted today. And yes, I did say chapters. Since it's about time the Kuchiki got back to the Academy, don't you think...?_


	19. The Kuchiki Return

**Chapter Eighteen: The Kuchiki Return**

"We're safely through the last toll gate."

Mitsuki rested her hand on the sill of the carriage window, peering out beyond the lacquered wooden frames as they travelled through the network of passageways that ran through the centre of Inner Seireitei, a faint look of relief on her face. On either side, tall buildings decorated with the ornately carved emblems of each Clan loomed over them, reminding her that this was the heartland of the Council of Elders. Normally she hated coming this way, for she found the high buildings and narrow, twisting streets somewhat stifling, but today she felt comforted by it, as though they were there to protect her and her cousin on their trip back to District One.

"In a few minutes we'll be properly on the main road through District One, and then it won't be long at all until we're back at the school."

There was no response, and she frowned, turning to glance at her companion to see if he had fallen asleep. He had not, but a quick appraisal of his tense body and troubled expression told Mitsuki that her cousin's mind was far from the journey at hand, and though he had been gazing out of the opposite window for the past half an hour, she was certain he had seen very little of the passing scenery.

She reached over to touch his arm.

"Ryuu?"

"Mitsuki?" At the sudden contact, Ryuu started, turning to face her in surprise, and Mitsuki offered him a smile.

"There's nobody else in here." She said lightly. "So I'd have been surprised if it wasn't me. What's on your mind? I thought you were looking forward to leaving District Six."

"I am. I am very much." Ryuu sighed, leaning back in his seat. "But…us going away for a while doesn't change the fact that a significant number of unpleasant things have happened and may continue to happen at home."

"Perhaps that's true." Mitsuki's own eyes became grave. "But honestly, I'm glad to get you away from it. I've been worrying about you of late – you and Senpai both, to be truthful – because neither one of you have been giving off healthy auras."

"Is it surprising?" Ryuu rubbed his brow absently. "But I am sorry. I did not mean to concern you. You have had plenty of unpleasant things to deal with yourself since all this began."

"Yes." Mitsuki's lips thinned as she remembered the stableyard massacre. "I still can't understand why those men were killed. Ribari-sama either, though I expect there was a twisted political motive behind that. But those stable men – why them?"

"Because I rode from there, perhaps." Ryuu said darkly. "I imagine that there is no other reason such people would lose their lives. I was there, and they saw me leave."

"Why would that have any impact at all?" Mitsuki said sensibly. "Don't be silly, Ryuu. It isn't your fault. If they were killed because you rode from there early that morning, it would imply someone didn't want them to tell anyone you had. Surely if that was the case, somebody would have tried to capture you – or hurt you – or do something else to make that make sense? Besides, it's also the way they were killed. Ribari-sama was one thing, this was another."

She shivered.

"I don't want to think on it much." She added. "On the fact that whoever killed them had no spirit to speak of – but yet did so much damage to theirs."

"I shouldn't remind you." Ryuu looked stricken. "I apologise. I am afraid my thoughts are full of many negative things at present – perhaps you would do better not to converse with me."

"On the contrary, whilst it's just the two of us and we're outside our home territory, I think we should talk." Mitsuki reached across to fasten her window shut, lowering her voice. "The only people with us are your father's soldiers – and they wouldn't let any harm come to you, so we're not in any danger here. But none of them are travelling inside this carriage because you and I said it wasn't needed. That being the case…this is the only time we have for you to tell me anything you think you need to before we get back to school. I imagine you won't be sharing most of this stuff with them."

"No…I had thought not to." Ryuu agreed. "And you're right – I did promise you that there were things you ought to be abreast of. Very well."

He checked the fastening on his own window, then leant forward, indicating for her to do the same.

"It relates to what you told me about those men and what that groom saw." He said softly, his tones only just loud enough for Mitsuki to hear above the rumbling wheels of the carriage. "The gold eyed demon that her whispered to you about before death claimed him."

"It does?" Mitsuki looked troubled. "And?"

"Senpai told me something similar about the night he and Ribari-sama were out on patrol." Ryuu's eyes narrowed. "He hasn't told Guren-sama or Father because everything he remembers from that night is considered a delusion and nobody is there to corroborate what he says. However, I do not believe he is in error. Your words simply confirm to me what he recalled."

"Senpai saw a gold eyed demon too?" Mitsuki only just remembered to keep her voice down, and Ryuu shook his head.

"No. He himself did not." He replied. "Just a shadow in the trees. But he remembers Ribari-sama saying something to him – that he'd seen someone with golden eyes and dark skin. It was the last coherent words the young boy spoke – and Senpai related them to me because he felt I believed him even when others would not."

"I see." Mitsuki twisted her hands together absently as she considered this. "Ribari-sama saw the gold-eyed demon, and then he died. These men saw the demon, and they died. Is that the point? To destroy all who might have seen it? Does it have some kind of innate power – maybe a _zanpakutou_ power or some such thing – that any who lay eyes on it are…"

"That's fanciful and not like you." Ryuu cut across her, bringing her back to earth with a bump. "Ribari-sama died due to poison, and the men in the stableyard were butchered by a blade. Knives and such like, some of which are undoubtedly not _zanpakutou_…not even the level of knife a Clansman would probably use. Therefore physical weaponry spoke in both cases. Not magical arts."

"True." Mitsuki pinked slightly. "Sorry. I got carried away a little. But the only people who have seen this creature died. That's a little creepy."

"Well, that's not entirely true." Ryuu reflected. "We don't know what Ribari-sama's companions saw. We only know what Senpai heard and that he didn't see this killer himself. I don't think we are dealing with a creature, Mitsuki. His way of relating Ribari-sama's words suggest to me that this is a person, not an animal or some mythical hallucination."

"A Shihouin." Mitsuki murmured apprehensively. Ryuu nodded.

"That's how it sounds." He said grimly.

"But…do you think…that's what happened?"

"I am confused." Ryuu confessed. "Perhaps I could have thought it…some years back. Before the Shihouin fell into disgrace and that Shadow Cat took control. I do not like that Clan, but I do think that it has begun to change. And that now…whatever happened in our history…it is unlikely that they would risk their fragile reconstruction to cause a scandal of this nature. More, I cannot see how it would benefit them. On the contrary, it might ruin them."

"Just like Endou Seimaru tried to do with Shihouin-kun, Onoe-kun and Aitori-sensei?" Mitsuki questioned, and Ryuu nodded.

"That is what I think." He agreed blackly. "That this is an elaborate smokescreen. Perhaps there is a Shihouin, perhaps there is not. But mark my words, Mitsuki, I do not believe that District Two's Clan are responsible for Ribari-sama's death. I have some serious doubts as to their involvement in my Grandfather's death too, to be truthful, after having reviewed some of the records. It seems there was large suspicion but no actual hard evidence that they did anything actively themselves. Nothing beyond the fact that the type of poison used was well-known among their Clan."

"Eimin-yaku." Mitsuki's eyes clouded slightly, and Ryuu offered her an apologetic look.

"Indeed. I'm sorry. I should not have…"

"It's all right." Mitsuki dismissed his concern with a faint smile. "It was a long time ago."

"I don't know exactly what happened when Senaya-sama died, except that he was in negotiations with Shihouin representatives over some trade deal at the time." Ryuu shrugged. "But the evidence seems thin on the ground, and it is a tenuous link to even suggest history is repeating itself."

"So Guren-sama and Seiren-dono don't know any of this." Mitsuki sighed. "And probably for now it's best they don't."

"I intend to speak to Shihouin about it, if I can find the right time to." Ryuu admitted.

"To Shihouin-kun?" Mitsuki's eyes widened. "But…"

"I know. We are not friends, but I can tolerate his company and I don't believe he is inclined to killing." Ryuu frowned. "I don't know how to raise the subject with him, and I would rather you did not attempt it. But Senpai asked me specifically to see what I could discover. And I will try my best to do so, because I think it may be important."

"Shirogane-senpai is all alone, now, in District Six." A sudden chill touched Mitsuki's spine as she realised this. "You and I aren't there to listen to him, and the atmosphere is growing decidedly more hostile by the day. Seiren-dono is…I'm sorry to say it, Ryuu-kun, but he's acting quite out of hand regarding everything that Senpai tries to say or do. He seems convinced that Senpai is his enemy – and your enemy – and…"

"Almost as though he had something to hide." Ryuu murmured, and Mitsuki stared at him in alarm.

"Ryuu…kun?"

"Nothing." Ryuu shook his head, offering her a hollow smile. "I was thinking aloud. Nothing more."

"Nothing more?" Mitsuki's brows knitted together. "Don't be silly! That's not thinking aloud, that's…Ryuu, do you think your _father_ had something to do with all of this? With the death of Ribari-sama and everything else?"

She sat back, expecting her cousin to react violently against her suggestion, but instead he sighed, meeting her startled gaze with clouded grey eyes.

"I would like to say I could rule it out." He said sadly. "But there are things…reasons…which mean I cannot. The only people of whose innocence I am absolutely assured number very few. You. Me. Shirogane-senpai. And Guren-sama. Perhaps Futsuki-dono – I do not see how he comes to benefit, though there are so many questions in all of this I can't see all of the motives anyway. And Father…"

His lips thinned.

"_I_ am his motive." He admitted unwillingly. "I am his project – these last days his initial grief over Ribari-sama has faded into almost nothing. Things he's said when we have been alone have concerned me more than just a little. His overt hostility to Shirogane-senpai also troubles me. It is as though he sees this as my chance to shine…"

He rubbed his temples, closing his eyes briefly as he gathered his thoughts.

"I cannot read my father's thoughts or understand him easily." He owned. "I never have done, and that makes it difficult. I am not gifted with reading people like you are or like Senpai is…I simply muddle through and try and understand what I can, often too little and too late to matter. I am not sure whether Father's recent behaviour is simply suddenly realised ambition – that he has seen since Ribari-sama died that he has a chance to foist me once more into the limelight as the true heir. Or if this is all more sinister – and has been planned long since in advance."

"I can't believe Seiren-dono capable of that." Mitsuki scolded. "When you were missing, he was worried about you. Why would he be worried, if he was involved in such horrible things?"

"Because Father had no idea where I was. Nobody knew." Ryuu said simply. "I just wasn't in the building. And while I don't think Father is the kind of person to order servants to be randomly murdered, if he had done so, would he not be afraid for me when he discovered I had been near the place where such a thing occurred?"

"I still don't think you're looking at it rationally." Mitsuki said gently. "I know you're upset and you haven't slept much. And Seiren-dono has pushed a lot in your direction recently. But…honestly…I think that's all it is. Ambition and a desire to protect you. You're his only son – in his own way, he loves you. And he's also right. In terms of blood, you are the next heir. After Guren-sama, it was Ribari-sama. Ribari-sama is dead, so it should have been Seiren-dono himself. But since he can't…"

"No…you don't understand." Ryuu began, then bit his lip, shaking his head as if to clear it.

"What don't I understand?" Mitsuki was confused, and Ryuu let out a groan.

"I am resolved not to speak of it. Not even to you." He said flatly. "So do not ask me. I will not tell you."

"Ryuu!"

"I am serious, Mitsuki. It is information that a boy may have been killed because of – until I am sure that was not the case, I will not speak about it to anyone."

"All right. Fine." Mitsuki sighed. "I know you when you get all stubborn and I won't try and tease it out of you. But tell me something else instead."

"Mm?" Ryuu glanced at her apprehensively, and Mitsuki nodded.

"Where did you go yesterday?" She asked evenly. "When nobody could find you and when you didn't return till dusk?"

Ryuu was silent for a long time, then,

"If I tell you that, will you promise not to ask my reasons why?" He asked tentatively.

"I suppose so, so long as it wasn't someplace dangerous." Mitsuki nodded cautiously. "All right."

"I went to the coastal manor. To see Kinnya-sama." Ryuu responded quietly. "My Great Uncle, who chooses to live in solitude."

"Juushirou's grandfather." Mitsuki's eyes became huge. "That's who you mean, isn't it? Juushirou's…"

"Yes." Ryuu cut her off in mid-sentence, nodding impatiently. "But that wasn't why I went to see him."

He eyed her quizzically.

"There. Do you consider it to have been a dangerous errand, now?"

"No…I suppose not." Mitsuki admitted. "But I am confused by it. Why you'd go there, suddenly…but I promised not to ask and I won't. Just I don't like how things are eating away at you. If you can't trust me, your cousin and kinswoman, I don't know who you can confide in."

"At present, nobody." Ryuu admitted grimly. "Because I do not want to cause either hysteria or danger. Besides, we will soon be at school, I think. Let us change the subject – I should rather not be speaking of District Six politics when we arrive."

"All right." Mitsuki sighed, but nodded her head. "Then what else shall we discuss? Being Seniors? It seems a little surreal – we haven't even touched on school stuff in what seems like forever."

"A nice normality it will be, too." Ryuu sounded faintly wistful. "To think that our Senior year began with such a thing. We are the last Kuchiki to return to the Academy, Mitsuki. I heard from the men as we left that the others had ridden last night. But Father wanted me to be properly escorted – and I had asked him that he extend that to you, too. So here we are, like this."

"We'll make an entrance." Mitsuki observed ruefully. "Since there are at least six mounted guards in front and behind the carriage and each dressed in your father's colours and armed, too. I wonder if they'll be allowed through the school gates?"

Despite himself, Ryuu grinned.

"I should like to see Genryuusai-sensei shoo them away." He reflected pensively. "I don't suppose even orders from my father could override his will or command."

"Ryuu, do you suppose Shirogane-senpai will be all right in District Six without us there?" Mitsuki looked anxious. "I know he's a shinigami and strong and all of those things, but…"

"We're back to District Six." Ryuu reminded her, and Mitsuki shrugged.

"No, we're talking about Shirogane-senpai." She responded. "It's funny, really. Till Ribari-sama's murder, I kept well out of his way. We barely spoke – I don't think he really knew who I was except for some lower ranking _hime_ with odd aspirations of being a healer. But…"

"In the situation we're in now, you almost outrank him." Ryuu said grimly. "Since Father seems keen to shunt him down to his father's rank rather than let him stay considered as second degree. Senpai is proud, and his pride has been attacked from all angles of late…although he is not foolish, either."

"I know." Mitsuki rested her chin in her hands with a sigh. "Just, I've become quite fond of him – it's like he's opened up to me since I saved his life, and it seems like you and he have begun to form bonds too, despite Seiren-dono's attempts. So…it seems bad that we've abandoned him. If any good thing comes out of this mess, I think getting to know Senpai better is it."

"Yes." Ryuu looked doubtful. "And no. We shall see. So long as Guren-sama keeps him as his Vice Captain, he's probably assured of his rank in Kuchiki society. But his safety? I don't know. And more, whether he will be able to tolerate these continued attempts to erode his position and his integrity, either. Sensible as he should be – detached as he often is – he is not happy. And he has a temper."

"So he does." Mitsuki admitted. "Maybe that's what's worrying me. That he'll be provoked too far and lose it – and then wind up in trouble."

"Providing he stays quiet, keeps his head down and doesn't start talking about the night Ribari-sama died, I hope things will be all right." Ryuu said grimly. "Since I came back from Kinnya-sama's house, I have reflected on this and I have decided…if I must be the Kuchiki heir and if there is no alternative, when I return from the Academy with my graduation complete I will move to make sure that Senpai's position is safe and unchallenged. If I am appointed heir, Father will have no reason to push Shirogane-senpai aside, and more, I will outrank him and be able to tell him to stop. So in that case…it might be all right. If Senpai can keep quiet a little longer – if there is no other way around it, that is what I will do."

"And Ribari-sama?" Mitsuki questioned. Ryuu's eyes narrowed.

"It's my intention to understand what happened to him before I accept any position." He said quietly. "So preferably before I graduate. How much I can do away from home I don't know. But I haven't let it drop, Mitsuki. Mark my words on that – this isn't over yet."

"I can see the gates." Mitsuki turned her gaze back towards the window, reaching to unfasten the catch. "Yep, I really can - and we're starting to slow down. I can't see clearly who's on duty there, but...it looks like Kazoe-sensei came to meet us."

"I suppose an Unohana is as neutral as you can get." Ryuu murmured, and Mitsuki nodded, even as the carriage rolled through the gateway and juddered gently to a stop in the school courtyard.

"Edogawa-hime, Ryuu-sama, we have arrived." Almost at once one of Seiren's retainers rode alongside the carriage, bowing his head respectfully towards them as he dismounted his steed. "I am about to unfasten the door - please sit back so as you don't fall."

"All right." Mitsuki obediently shuffled back, and the man deftly loosened the catch, bringing down the steps and opening the door. Bowing his head once more, he held out his hand to help her down, and Mitsuki reluctantly accepted, realising that to offend an officer of Ryuu's father's retinue would not be a good idea.

Once she was safely on the cobbles, Ryuu made his descent, disdaining any assistance as he stepped out into the spring sunlight. He let out his breath in a sigh, and Mitsuki knew that he was just as relieved as she was to finally be here.

"See to our belongings." He told the retainer. "And that all is taken to our sleeping quarters quickly and correctly. Once you have completed that, you may ride back to District Six. We will not be requiring any further guard now we are back at the Academy."

"Ryuu-sama..." The retainer looked as though he would argue for a moment, but Ryuu fixed him with a steely look and the man swallowed hard then saluted, hurrying to bark out orders to his accompanying men. As the carriage became a hive of activity, Ryuu took Mitsuki gently by the arm, leading her towards where the Kidou instructor stood waiting.

"You made good time." He observed as they approached, his eyes sharp and searching behind his glasses. "You are not too tired, I trust?"

"No. Just glad to be back." Ryuu shook his head. "And eager to make up what time and ground our absence has caused."

"Your fellows are just finishing their weekly Ouyoudou meet." Kazoe turned to gesture towards the gymnasium, and Mitsuki was sure she could feel the mixed reiatsu of her friends at work. "You will not have much time to catch up in - there will be assessments for your year in three days time, and you will be expected to sit them along with the others. Therefore I suggest you speak to them more about academic matters than the reasons for your absence - do you understand?"

"We understand, Sensei." Mitsuki said gravely. "Honestly, we don't want to talk about that too much either. We'd rather just get back into a normal swing - wouldn't we, Ryuu?"

"Yes." Ryuu agreed solemnly. "And if there are assessments, we must try as best we can to prepare for them. Thank you for coming to meet us, Kazoe-sensei. We will both do our best not to shame ourselves when those arrive."

"Well, if you don't match your peers, this time it may be overlooked." Kazoe relented slightly, tapping his stick idly against the leg of his _hakama_. "I just wanted to be assured that you didn't intend on turning this place into a political hotbed of intrigue. But I can see that you have no such intentions - and so you may go and join your peers."

"Yes, sir." As one the two Kuchiki bowed, then, exchanging looks with one another, they hurried off towards the large school gymnasium.

"Sensei probably sent him to meet us on purpose." Ryuu observed as they reached the large stone outbuilding. "To make sure we weren't going to drag the Senior Class into the Kuchiki-ke's problems."

"That suits me fine." Mitsuki agreed. "And he's probably right. If we have assessments, it will be all we can do to pass - I'll be reading Sora's notes far more than I will be talking about back home."

"For once I will be borrowing others' notes and not lending my own." Ryuu mused. "And they seem to be finishing. Look, the door is open."

"MIII-TSUU-KIIII!"

Before Mitsuki could respond, a white and red blur shot out from the gymnasium, throwing herself on the startled _hime_ with a delighted yell. "Oh, you really did come back today! I hoped you would, and I wanted to be there to welcome you, but here you are!"

"Sora-chan!" Mitsuki giggled, somehow managing to disentangle herself from her friend's eager embrace. "You don't need to screech - unless you want to deafen me! I'm here. You're here. We can talk at normal volume, you know."

"But I was worried about you." Sora pouted. "Still, you seem okay. And you're smiling. So I guess it's okay."

She hugged her friend again.

"I'm glad to have you back." She added. "There's lots of stuff to tell you and it will be so cool not to have a room all by myself any more!"

"Well, obviously you guys didn't intend on making a quiet return." Shunsui strode across the grass, casting the two newcomers a rueful grin. "You timed that badly, you know - if you'd held on a few days, you'd have missed our assessments."

"It's all right. We're happy to be back." Ryuu assured him. "And I am sure that we'll soon catch up with what we've missed."

"Are you all right, Ryuu?" Juushirou shot him a concerned look. "I mean..."

"I would be glad to talk of things other than my family at present." Ryuu said softly. "But I appreciate the concern. And yes, as you see. I am fine - and so is Mitsuki. We are simply happy to be back."

"You ought to go speak to Mi-chan before Sora steals her away." Shunsui nudged Juushirou, who reddened, shaking his head.

"Sora's been waiting too." He said crossly. "Don't tease me, Shunsui."

"Sora's not stealing me off anywhere, either." Mitsuki added, casting her excited friend a grin. "I'm glad to see everybody. And you seem well, Juushirou-kun - which makes me glad too."

"I've been pretty good, really, of late." Juushirou agreed pensively. "Lots of other things to deal with, so it's been a good thing."

"We should get away from here and go somewhere more peaceful." Hirata joined them at that moment, Kai and Enishi in tow. "Welcome back, Kuchiki-kun."

"That sounds like an idea." Enishi agreed. "You guys are probably tired, right? So you'll want to flop down somewhere and it's still an hour or so before lunch."

"Let's go into the forest and talk." Kai suggested.

"Works for me." Sora cast Mitsuki a quizzical glance, and she nodded her head.

"But where's Naoko-chan?" She asked. "Did you leave her behind?"

"I'm here." Naoko herself joined the group at that juncture, an irritated look on her face. "That stupid Minabe decided she was going to rip apart my sword technique just as the bell went. And of course, you can't tell her to shut up, so I was forced to listen to the end."

She cast Mitsuki a smile.

"Welcome back, Mitsuki-chan. You too, Kuchiki-kun."

"Then we'll head for the woods." Kai decided. He paused, then cast Ryuu a rueful glance. "Although before that I should tell you up front - you and I are room-mates this year, Kuchiki. Whether you like it or not - Sensei has spoken."

"Room-mates?" Ryuu stared at him, then he sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"I have survived this long with you. I can survive a little longer." he said evenly, and Mitsuki shot him a pensive look, remembering what he had said in the carriage.

_Maybe that will give him the chance he is looking for - to talk to Shihouin-kun about something that he doesn't know how to address._

"You're not bothered?" Enishi looked surprised, and Ryuu shook his head.

"I am a little too weary from travel and too happy to be back to concern myself over trivial domestic arrangements." He said simply. "And like I said, I have spent enough time in enforced company with Shihouin since the first year. I am sure I am equal to that task."

"Well, that works for me too. I don't really want to spend all of Senior year arguing with you over stuff." Kai looked relieved. "It's settled, then. For the time being, we have a truce."

"I wouldn't say it's something that clear-cut." Ryuu frowned. "But...we will not engage in petty disputes if they can be avoided."

"That..._is_ a truce, Ryuu." Shunsui laughed. "But we'll let you have your semantics since you only just got back."

"Then bring us up to date." As they settled themselves in a favoured leafy area of the school's forestland, Mitsuki changed the subject. "What's been happening? I had one letter from Sora, but that's about it - neither of us know anything else of what's been going on here."

"I'm sorry." Juushirou looked guilty. "I wanted to write to you both, but I thought it might be...seen as..."

"Probably it would've been." Ryuu said frankly. "It's quite all right, Ukitake. You needn't look so ashamed."

"Getting any messages in and out of District Six's ruling Clan is complicated at the moment." Mitsuki sighed, stretching out on her stomach and resting her chin in her hands. "It's so peaceful here. I could probably fall asleep given a little time and silence."

"Long journey, huh?" Sora asked, and Mitsuki shrugged.

"We came through the tolls, so it wasn't so bad." She replied. "But I am more tired than I thought. I suppose that's the after effect of living on a knife edge - it's just nice to be back."

"It's not been entirely peaceful here, though." Hirata looked troubled. "Our class is mixed with four former fifth years and...there has been...some negativity."

"Negativity?" Ryuu was surprised, and Juushirou sighed.

"Towards me." He admitted sadly. "Because I'm Anideshi, and District, and a Fourth year who's made the jump over them."

"It's really that idiot Yamamoto more than anything." Kai said with a snort. "Sorry, Houjou. I know he's your kinsman. But he is being an idiot about it. He thinks he should be Anideshi, so...hence Ukitake is public enemy number one in his book."

"Sounds to me like a spoiled child who needs a spank." Ryuu muttered, and Shunsui burst out laughing.

"You know, that is what I've missed." He said honestly. "The way you say things like that without warning. You're exactly on the ball, Ryuu. He does."

"It's not that bad." Enishi protested. "Sure, he's not happy, and he's being unreasonable. But that's only because he doesn't know Ukitake properly yet."

"He has quite bad manners at times." Naoko said thoughtfully. "But his friends don't seem quite as unpleasant about it. I don't really care about the politics - if Ukitake-kun is Anideshi, that's fine by me. But Souryou-kun and Michihashi-kun don't know Ukitake-kun either, Houjou-kun. And they aren't stomping around the place looking as though they were robbed."

"In short, it's a matter of bruised pride." Kai remarked.

"Well, I'm not letting him get to me." Juushirou said evenly. "I'm just going to do my job and that's that."

"Like anyone doubted that." Kai said wryly. "Well? What are we all doing now? I was going to go put the final touches to my Hohou paper since Uebashi said he wants them on his desk before breakfast tomorrow and I'm still not done writing my conclusion. Houjou, did you still want me to read over yours? Because if you do, now would be a good time."

"If you don't mind." Enishi nodded. "I've more or less got it, I think, but I'd like a second opinion."

"Then that's what we'll do." Kai got to his feet, flashing the others a grin. "Kuchiki, I'm sure you'll find our room with no problems, but if you're stuck, I'm sure Ukitake will give you a point in the right direction."

"I am quite capable of reading door labels on my own." Ryuu said evenly. "But," As Kai gave him a wink, then grabbed Enishi by the arm, hauling the taller boy off across the grass towards the school building, "Ukitake, it does seem that I must ask of you one favour at the very least. Mitsuki and I cannot submit papers on things we have not studied, but we are expected to sit the first assessment tests in three days time. It seems Kazoe and the other teachers intend to keep us busy so we have no time to meditate on politics back home and it will be a welcome distraction. I imagine of everybody's, your notes will be the most in order. Therefore I would be grateful if you would allow me to look at them."

"Meaning that mine aren't good enough for you?" Shunsui pretended to look hurt. "Ryuu, that's mean."

"_Your _notes tend to look as though a spider has tried to drown itself in the ink and then staggered across the parchment in its final death throes." Ryuu said archly. "And I have only a short amount of time – certainly not enough to devise a cipher as well as learn the information."

"I feel crushed." Shunsui's eyes danced with amusement, and Mitsuki knew he was not crushed at all.

"Ryuu, that was harsh." She scolded lightly.

"But true." Ryuu offered her a faint smile. "And you should be thinking on the same lines. You heard what Kazoe told us."

"Mitsuki can have my notes." Sora said quickly. "I ranked higher than her and Naoko both on last year's tests, so my notes will be all right – won't they, Mi-chan? You can read my writing."

"I can, and thank you." Mitsuki nodded.

"Then perhaps if the three of us went back to the dorm, we could go over some of the things Mitsuki-chan is missing together." Naoko suggested. "We have a little time now, and it would give us time to catch up on things without interference."

"Meaning that we're interfering, I suppose." Shunsui observed.

"Boys often do." Naoko shot him a withering look, then got to her feet, holding out a hand to her friend. "Well? I might not rank quite as high as Sora but I can help."

"And we can help Mi-chan settle in." Sora nodded, bouncing to her feet and hauling Mitsuki upright before she could react to Naoko's words. "We're going. I can't wait to show you our room – I'll have a room-mate at long last!"

"Hey, calm down!" Mitsuki protested, laughing. "I'm tired! Take it slowly, all right? I know you're excited, Sora, but…"

"I've missed you." Sora said simply. "So has Nao-chan. So don't argue, okay?"

"Sora's worried about you." As the three girls tracked their way across the grass, Naoko shot the newcomer a pensive look. "And I am too, a little bit. You do look tired, Mitsuki. I know you probably don't want to – or can't – talk about it, but…"

"I don't know, really." Mitsuki sighed, rubbing her temples. "It hasn't…been nice. And I don't want to talk about it a lot. I don't think Sensei would want me too, either. But…being back with you both…is making me feel a lot better. A lot more normal. I'm not used to being at the centre of Clan affairs – but I haven't been able to escape them this time."

"I heard a rumour that you were quite the heroine, in fact." Naoko mused, and Mitsuki shook her head slowly.

"I helped Shirogane-senpai, and maybe I did save his life." She said cautiously. "But I couldn't do anything to help Ribari-sama, and I…I can't heal everyone who gets hurt. I suppose I realised that most of all – that I'm still a long way from being the kind of healer Retsu-sama is."

"Most everyone in the Unohana healing squad is also that way though, Mitsuki." Sora looked concerned, linking her arm in her friend's reassuringly. "And you just said you did save Nagoya-senpai's life, right? So you should be happy about that. Even if he was stuck up and ungrateful about it."

"No…he wasn't." Mitsuki shook her head hurriedly. "He wasn't at all. Actually, with everything, I think we've become friends. And yes, I am…glad I could do that. That I could make some difference, even if it was only a very little bit."

"Nagoya-senpai." Naoko's eyes looked thoughtful. "He was Anideshi here, wasn't he, some years previously?"

"Yes." Sora wrinkled up her nose. "He's quite a haughty so-and-so – some Kuchiki son in favour with the head of the Clan and knows it too. But…if he was grateful to Mi-chan and if Mi-chan considers him a friend now…I guess maybe he's not so stuck up deep down inside."

"He is…very proud." Mitsuki said thoughtfully. "And he can react sharply and harshly to situations and to people. But he isn't…nasty, Sora. And he was very close to Ribari-sama, so he's hurting a lot at the moment, too. I was just…trying to help him, I suppose. Because I could feel how sad he was, even after he started to get better. And so…we became friends. We've talked a lot recently."

She dimpled.

"He was the one who trained Juushirou-kun to get his sword, and Juushirou-kun respects him, too." She added, a faint pink colour touching her cheeks.

"Juushirou, huh?" Sora rolled her eyes, offering her friend a grin. "I knew it. You've been missing him, too, haven't you? Being holed up like that in District Six, you must've missed him a whole lot."

"I…" Mitsuki faltered, then she slowly shook her head.

"It wasn't like that." She said honestly. "I was…quite glad really…that Juushirou-kun didn't write to me when everything happened. I was quite glad that…he was nowhere near any of it. I didn't want him to be near any of it."

"You didn't want to see Juushirou?" Sora stared, and Naoko shrugged her shoulders.

"Mitsuki's reaction is normal, Sora." She said frankly. "Clan issues are Clan. Ukitake-kun remains far beyond Clan. His bloodline would have made any contact difficult and inappropriate, especially with Mitsuki being cast so much into the gaze of her Clan leader."

"It's not that." Mitsuki sighed. "It was more that…I didn't want him to get dragged into it. Because he's partly Kuchiki, and because it's a bad connection…I wanted him to be well away from it all. In case it was dangerous. Because bad things have already happened, and I don't think they're going to stop yet. Nobody knows why Ribari-sama was killed, not even Guren-sama and certainly not me. Until that's resolved, I don't think the Kuchiki-ke is very safe. And because of that…"

She trailed off, then,

"I missed Juushirou-kun a lot." She admitted with a frown. "I won't lie about that – I did think about him. But he did the right thing to stay out of it, and I did the right thing not contacting him, too. This isn't his problem, it's a Kuchiki problem. His family is in District Six, and his aspirations of becoming a Gotei Shinigami in the spring depend on him having a blemish-free copybook among the Clans and their heads. Nobody at the main house would forgive him trying to interfere in this the way he got involved with the Endou-ke or Shihouin-ke's problems. We're a different kind of Clan."

"So you'll protect him from it? That's sort of romantic." Sora grinned, and Mitsuki blushed, shaking her head.

"I didn't mean it like that!" She said hurriedly. "Juushirou-kun is my friend. He'll always be my friend. I'm not going to push him away or stop speaking to him or anything like that. I'm just…not going to involve him in problems that aren't his. That's all. Does that seem unreasonable to you?"

"It seems perfectly logical to me." Naoko assured her. "Ignore Sora. She's hyperactive because you're back here – that's all. You make sense, Mitsuki – it would do Ukitake-kun no good at all if he was to fall into the black books of the Kuchiki Clan."

"Naoko-chan, you're so unromantic." Sora protested, and Naoko snorted.

"Romance has nothing to do with it." She said pragmatically. "Mitsuki and Ukitake-kun are just friends by their own mutual admission. And you know as well as I do that a District shinigami must have the permission of the Clan in whose District they reside to enter the Gotei. Ukitake-kun obtained Guren-sama's agreement when he released his sword, but that favour could be withdrawn quite easily. Mitsuki's judgement is completely sound."

"I suppose so." Sora sighed. "Growing up is a pain, though, with all of those big political things to have to wrestle with."

"I've never had to before." Mitsuki admitted. "But the last few weeks have opened my eyes to how dangerous the Clans can really be. And…to the fact that I…I suppose I _am_ a Kuchiki deep down. Even though I'm a healer, what happens in this District affects me. People there are hurting, and I don't like it. Guren-sama. Shirogane-senpai. Even Ryuu, though he's bottling it up far more than he ought to. Tensions are rife. Suspicions too. That kind of atmosphere affects me more than it would most people…it's a real relief to be away."

"You and Nagoya-senpai really have become friendly, haven't you?" Naoko looked thoughtful, and Mitsuki nodded.

"I'm worried about him, being back there on his own now Ryuu and I are here." She admitted. "It's hard to explain, but it feels like we're the only allies he really has at the moment…and he's still not over Ribari-sama's murder at all."

"No accounting for taste, I suppose." Sora reflected. "But Nagoya's a tough fighter. He's a shinigami, a squad Vice Captain, and more than capable of fighting his own corner. More than either you or Kuchiki, so you shouldn't worry about him."

"Mmm, I know." Mitsuki's eyes became troubled as she remembered the confrontations she had somehow managed to diffuse. "But it isn't really that which concerns me. I can't put it into words – not properly. Just that I have a very bad feeling…and that we shouldn't have left him. That's all."

She shook her head as if to clear it, offering her friends a rueful smile.

"But we have assessments in three days, and I'm probably a long way behind." She added. "So lets head to the dorm and go over those notes, all right?"

"If you're sure." Sora looked doubtful. "But if something's troubling you, Mi-chan, you can talk to us – you know that, right?"

"I know, and I do. I have already…probably more than I should." Mitsuki acknowledged. "For now, though, let's just study. I've had enough of the Kuchiki intrigue for a while – in exchange, Kidou notes and Hohou theorems even sound vaguely appealing."

"Well, if that's what you want." Sora shrugged, but nodded her head. "Naoko and I will help you as much as we can to catch up, so let's go."

* * *

"It seems a little backwards, somehow, that you're the one borrowing my notes for a change."

Juushirou set the pile of notebooks down on the library desk, watching as his companion ran his finger along the shelves of books for the ones he was seeking. It was only a short time later, for Ryuu, eager to catch up on what he had missed had pressed Juushirou to let him read through the study notes as soon as possible, and so Juushirou had acquiesced, suggesting they go to the peace and quiet of the library in order to go over the term's lessons to date. Privately, the white-haired boy was concerned about his Kuchiki classmate, but Ryuu had quickly agreed, and so, forty minutes before the bell rang for the midday meal found the two boys in a secluded alcove of the library's study section, hunting up likely textbooks that would help to flesh out Juushirou's handwritten scribings.

"I don't suppose they're up to your standard, either – but if they help, then I'm willing to lend them."

"I'm grateful." Ryuu paused to offer his classmate a grateful smile. "I don't imagine I will get my grades up to my usual rank within three days, but to have something to focus on at present is helpful and I am glad of it."

"I'm not going to ask you questions about District Six, don't worry." Juushirou settled himself beside the window of the little study alcove, casting his companion a pensive look. "Because it's not my business and even Sensei has made it clear it's not something that anyone outside should interfere in. But even though that's true, Ryuu, we are your allies. You know that, don't you?"

"I do. And it is enough for now." Ryuu nodded, pulling a thick Kidou tome from the shelf and absently brushing the dust from its covers. "Thank you, Ukitake. I appreciate your understanding and your concern."

He set the book down on the table, taking the seat opposite his friend and flicking it open.

"And I am sure you have some concerns about your family's well being, too – do not worry. My Clan are not in the habit of involving the lower orders in their disputes. I am sure they will remain quite safe."

"I'm not worried about them." Juushirou replied. "Kai said the same – that the Kuchiki tended to keep their disagreements within noble ranks. I won't say that that's a good thing – but…"

"It is better than civil war. Yes." Ryuu nodded, then he sighed, resting his hands on the book's cover.

"In truth, I am tired." He murmured. "Very tired, and not just physically. The last few weeks have been some of the hardest I have ever had to face. For that reason, I am not sure how much of this I will absorb in a short space of time. But I would appreciate it if you helped me nonetheless. I don't want to take your books from you when you probably need them yourself, but…it seems that education in Senior Class moves at a fast pace, and I need to find that pace quickly if I am not going to be left behind."

Juushirou eyed Ryuu keenly, noticing the shadows under his eyes and the slightly pinched pallor of his cheeks and he frowned, pursing his lips. Despite his anxiety and his curiosity, however, he did not ask any questions, instead reaching for his Kidou notebook and pushing it across the table.

"Most everything we've covered in Kidou theory since term began is stuff we've gone over before." He said frankly. "Practical has meant we've been reviewed on all the spells we should've learnt up to the point of last year's exams – Kazoe-sensei did a random spot test on us all from first year spells upwards just to see what we could remember. Other than that, though, we've had to write a paper about battle techniques and strong Kidou versus lesser Kidou and tactical thinking – that was submitted yesterday, so you're probably exempt from that. I think the assessment will be something tactical too, because Kazoe's theory lectures so far have been much more about the active use of Kidou in confrontation as opposed to just the mechanics."

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Although now I think about it, I do remember him making some throwaway remark about re-reading the last chapter of a particular text book." He added. "I have a copy in my room at the moment, so you can borrow it later, if you like. It isn't a book _we've_ studied – last year's Fifth years did – so I took it out of the library at the first opportunity and I've been reading it on and off between other things."

"Very well." Ryuu nodded, and Juushirou could tell he was relieved by the change of subject. "I have managed to do some extensive reading this past break, believe it or not, and so if it is incantations, I may well be able to muddle through. Things like tactical awareness should not be a problem either – but I should like to look at that volume if I may. If Kazoe mentioned it, likely it is of some import."

"I thought so too." Juushirou agreed. "There's a reference copy here still in the library somewhere, but it's been in high demand – so I've already let Hirata and Kai borrow the one I have on loan. I've read it, so if you like, you can have it until the assessment. It might help."

"That would be helpful." Ryuu flicked through the pages of Juushirou's neat Kidou notes, scanning the contents with tired grey eyes. "And at least your kanji is legible. While it is true that Kyouraku may be a highly skilled individual, I did not really want to have to spend time trying to work out his characters."

"Shunsui's writing is unique, kind of like him." Juushirou grinned. "My sensei when I was growing up would have been cross, though, if I hadn't learnt my characters correctly and neatly. It's thanks to him that I know as much kanji as I do – with the stuff we're given to read here, I'd quickly fall behind if I couldn't follow the texts."

"Some of them do use extremely awkward and antiquated vocabulary." Ryuu agreed, sitting back in his seat and stifling a yawn. "But I must admit, Ukitake, that your wide knowledge of such things has always i…impressed…me."

He stifled another yawn, and despite himself, Juushirou laughed.

"Perhaps you'd do better going to the dorm and taking a nap rather than trying to absorb complicated theories." He suggested lightly, and Ryuu frowned, shaking his head.

"I have not slept easily for a few days, it's true." He admitted. "But I do not really…want to sleep. I should sooner keep my mind busy. It's just b…been a long journey and I…I suppose that alone has taken its toll."

He yawned again, meeting Juushirou's gaze sheepishly.

"You are probably right." He added. "But please, for the time being, humour me. At least if I can wear myself out completely, I might be able to sleep without disturbance until the morning bell."

"Ryuu…" Juushirou bit his lip, but slowly he nodded.

"All right." He agreed. "If that's what you want."

"What have you covered in the other classes? I know you had a Hohou assignment, but what about Sakusen?"

"Sensei's been giving us open debate sessions, pretty much." Juushirou said thoughtfully. "He says that we have all of the pieces now, but its up to us to put them together properly. He hasn't given many details, but there are rumours that the bulk of this year's Sakusen grade doesn't rely on classwork at all, but something else. A project, or an expedition, or…_something_ else. None of us know for sure, though, what that is. Not even me, though I've been asked."

He grimaced.

"Being Anideshi does not make me Sensei's repository." He added wryly. "There's still plenty that I don't know about what this year is going to hold."

"That's quite an admission coming from our most Senior Senior student."

Before Ryuu could respond, a fresh voice cut through the discussion, and both boys turned to see Akira standing beneath the alcove's archway, his gaze flitting from one to the other.

"You aren't invincible, huh, Ukitake? That's good to know."

"Can I help you, Yamamoto-kun?" Juushirou's brows knitted together. "As you can see, Ryuu and I are studying, and he has stuff to catch up with, so unless you've something important…"

"That book, if you don't mind." Akira cut across him, reaching out to indicate the volume that lay open on the desk at Ryuu's side. "I've spent the last ten minutes looking for it – I should have known it would be you that had it."

His gaze lingered briefly on Ryuu for a moment, then,

"Should I know who you are?"

"I imagine not, seeing as this is the first time we've happened to speak." Ryuu shut the book with a snap, pushing it across the table pointedly. "But even if you lack the manners to correctly introduce yourself, I won't be so lax. My name is Kuchiki Ryuu. And you might be?"

"Kuchiki, huh." Akira's eyes narrowed. "I see. So you're one of our missing classmates, then – loitering around in District Six observing family rituals instead of making it back to school on time. Well, each to their own, I suppose."

He shrugged.

"Yamamoto Akira." He added off-handedly. "Though if you really didn't know that, the Kuchiki are more insular than I thought."

"Yamamoto-kun, do you have any idea what's been going on in District Six?" Juushirou began, but Akira snorted, casting him a disparaging look.

"I am Clan. I imagine I know far more than your peasant grapevine has allowed you to find out." He said disparagingly. "Pipe down, Ukitake. I know all right – that some Kuchiki _bocchan_ got cut down in his own territory and that his kin have been flapping around doing nothing about it except cause confusion among themselves. The Yamamoto are a far more organised Clan when it comes to matters of this nature."

Ryuu's eyes darkened, and for a moment there was silence. Then, in icy tones, he spoke.

"Sensei would be most aggrieved if he knew how ill-mannered one of his noble kinsfolk was." He said acerbically, his cold gaze boring into Akira's own defiant one. "However, since _I_ have been raised to use good manners, I have no intention to rising to your bait. Whether it is I or Ukitake who you wish to rile, you are wasting your time, as well as ours. We have assessments to study for. I suggest you take the book,"

He patted it firmly,

"And go find some more useful endeavour, since we do not have time to indulge you here."

"Ryuu." Juushirou put a hand on his friend's arm, feeling the tension running through the other boy's body, then he turned to Akira, who was already bristling with indignation.

"I am _not _going to referee a fight in the library over anything." He said firmly. "You can go of your own accord, Yamamoto-kun, or we will go – but I won't tolerate any more of this. You've crossed the line, because Sensei has made it clear we're not to bother Ryuu or Mitsuki about what happened in District Six. If you continue, I will be forced to report you."

His eyes hardened.

"And don't think that because you're his kinsman, or a fellow Senior, I'll balk from doing it." He said grimly. "Because it doesn't matter to me. I'll do it regardless – so if I were you, I'd take the book Ryuu's giving you and go."

Akira stared at him for a moment, then an unpleasant look entered his gaze. He snatched up the book, turning as if to leave, but at the last moment he swung back, fixing Juushirou with a black look.

"You think you have power over everyone." He said quietly. "You'll learn soon enough that you don't."

With that he was gone, and Juushirou let out his breath in a rush, sinking back down into his seat.

Ryuu pursed his lips, tut-tutting softly under his breath.

"So _that_ is Yamamoto Akira." He murmured. "I was right to term him a spoiled brat. What an unpleasant personality."

"I think it depends who gets him." Juushirou sighed, rubbing his temples. "You're tainted on first meeting because you're here with me. And he seems to hate me to an irrational level. I can't read it – I just know that he does. He's not like this with Enishi, and his friends are…fairly benign most of the time. Michihashi-kun doesn't seem to like arguments and Souryou-kun speaks his own mind and makes his own decisions about things. But…sometimes Yamamoto-kun is…very hostile towards me. And…I'm sorry it spilled over onto you and your Clan too because of it."

"I don't believe it's your fault, if someone else behaved in an unacceptable way." Ryuu said simply. "And we were studying. So we should continue."

He paused, trying to stifle another yawn, and Juushirou sighed, shaking his head.

"For now we're going up to the dorm." He decided, getting to his feet and gathering his books together. "You'll drop this afternoon, otherwise, and I won't be responsible for that. Even if you don't sleep, it'll be more peaceful there and you can read without interruptions. Sensei wants to speak to all of us in the Gymnasium after all normal classes are done for the day, but we have nothing else timetabled between now and then. You might miss lunch, but you look like you need sleep more than food at present."

"You have obviously already forgotten the identity of my room-mate." Ryuu said dryly, and Juushirou looked surprised.

"I thought you and Kai had a sort of truce over this already?" He asked. Ryuu nodded.

"Yes." He agreed. "But even so, I would not term it exactly, 'peace and quiet'."

He sighed, running his fingers through his thick dark hair.

"But…perhaps you are right." He acknowledged reluctantly. "I'm not particularly hungry. I am probably too tired to read or think coherently, and I am going to snap at people who annoy me until I have managed to get some rest. Perhaps here I will sleep more soundly than at home – in either case, perhaps that would be for the best."

"Then I'll show you where your room is." Juushirou decided. "And you can get to moving in."

* * *

He was running out of time.

As Tsunemori cowered in one of the storerooms that led off the main corridor, he clenched his fists tightly, fighting against the panic that threatened to well up inside of him.

Twice he had got up his nerve to make it as far as the Senior corridor, but twice the sound of voices had made him retreat and now, in his lonely, dusty hiding place, he contemplated miserably the path ahead of him.

First three girls, then, a short time later, Anideshi himself followed by another boy who Tsunemori did not know. They had not noticed him, but the longer he had lingered, the more his nerve had broken, and he drew a shaky breath into his lungs, trying to calm down.

_I can't do anything while they're there. But...I have class this afternoon, and...and..._

Slowly he pushed open the door of the storeroom, padding sadly down the corridor towards the stairs that led to his own dorm.

_If I miss that, Kazoe-sensei will probably use his stick on me. He doesn't like late people or lazy people. And I'm already in Uebashi's bad books enough. But...then when...when..._

"You look troubled, kid."

A hand reached out suddenly from a study room along the hall and he gasped as he found himself roughly yanked inside and wheeled around to face the speaker.

"K...K...Kamaki...senpai?"

"Hello, Tsukabishi-kun." Azusa offered him a benign smile. "Well? I wondered how you were doing with your little errand?"

Tsunemori reddened, struggling to pull his arm free.

"I...not...yet." He said unsteadily. "Because...right now...they're there. In the rooms. I can't..."

"I see." Azusa tut-tutted. "But you are planning on doing it?"

"Y...yes." Tsunemori dropped his gaze. "I will. I will do it. So please, senpai, don't..."

"We had a deal." Azusa clapped his hands down on the boy's shoulders, but Tsunemori was not fooled by the false joviality in the other's tones. "But your time is running out. Ah well. Lucky for you today is a good day."

He laughed.

"I'm in a good mood, suddenly." He reflected. "And so I'll tell you something I found out that might help you. Two things, actually."

"Senpai?" Tsunemori sent his companion a wary look, and Azusa tut-tutted.

"You shouldn't look at someone like that when they want to help you." He scolded. "You should listen to me."

"Sorry." Tsunemori's cheeks reddened again. "What is it, please?"

"Number one, it seems Anideshi is not in the habit of locking the Nest." Azusa dropped his tones, and Tsunemori felt the other boy's fingers dig deep into his bony shoulders. "And two, Genryuusai-sensei has called a meeting of the Senior Class in the gymnasium this evening after general classes end. Do you see what I mean? If Sensei has called them...of course they'll all go. And then..."

"The Senior landing will be empty." Tsunemori's heart twisted in his chest. Azusa nodded.

"Yes." He agreed. "So that's your chance. While they're away from their stronghold, as it were."

He chuckled.

"I'm counting on you, Tsukabishi." He added pointedly. "So whatever you do - don't let me down."


	20. Confrontations

**Chapter Nineteen: Confrontations**

Well, so now his Senior Class was finally complete.

As he strode to the front of the big school gymnasium, Genryuusai cast a wise eye across the row of thirteen gathered students, taking in more from each of them than any of them could have guessed with just the briefest glance. They were all strong individuals, he knew that. Strong in different ways, but all of them worthy of their place in the top class. Yet there was still much to be done before they could step out into the world of the Gotei. His influence over them would also be tested soon enough - and as he paused at the front of the group, he allowed a moment of silence before gesturing for them to sit.

They did so, not a word spoken between them, although Genryuusai saw several exchanged glances, and his eyes narrowed as he observed the faint, unconscious gap that existed between the two groups. Still, he mused, running his fingers through his beard pensively, there was nothing he could do about that. He was not their father, nor their nursemaid. They were not children now, and they would have to find their own ways to resolve such petty disputes.

At length, he spoke.

"This is the first time I have called you together in this way." He said softly, his words nonetheless carrying throughout the whole of the expansive chamber. "Because this is the first time since term began that I have an opportunity to address the whole of my Senior Class. Ryuu, Mitsuki, welcome back among us. We have missed you both."

His gaze fell on the two Kuchiki students, both of whom acknowledged his words with a bow of their head, and he frowned, taking in the weariness that lingered in the auras of both.

_Well, and that's something else I can't do anything about. The Kuchiki will have its own justice, and doubtless, it requires no outside help. But I am glad to have them returned, all the same. Both are on the brink of becoming decent shinigami, albeit in completely different areas. I would have hated to have lost either one on account of this unfortunate business._

"Normally, I speak to the Senior Class in the first few days of term." He continued now, his grip tightening on Ryuujinjakka's wooden cane as he paced slowly across the room. "Because the challenges that face you this year are greater than have faced you in any other year to date. I am aware that for some of you the jump has been a bigger one than for others, but you are all here on your own merit. Each one of you are in this class now because you are capable of graduating as proper shinigami."

He paused, offering them a smile.

"Well, in fact, taking this talk now is of some benefit, as I've had a chance to see your adjustments and hear from my colleagues about your early classes." He added thoughtfully. "So far I'm pleased to say that you've all tried your best to rise to those challenges. I'm reassured by it, but there is a long path ahead yet. You won't find this year easy - or if you do, you are not applying yourself to it fully. Your responsibilities are not just to clear Senior year with good academic grades. You are also here to prove to me that you have what it takes to survive the rigours of squad life."

"Sensei?" Shunsui raised his hand, and Genryuusai turned, offering the boy a quizzical look.

"Yes? What is it, Kyouraku?"

"I just wondered about the last thing you said. It sounded ominous." Shunsui admitted. "Like you were going to throw us into some horrible situations - almost like tossing us into a river and seeing if we sank or swam."

"That seems like an adequate analogy, yes." Despite himself, Genryuusai smiled, nodding his head. "That is more or less my duty as your teacher, now. You are all at a point where your academic levels don't need a lot more polishing. But using those skills is also a lesson in itself. I won't divulge all the details you want from me yet, Shunsui. Be patient. But you can rest assured that your classes this year will not just take place within class walls. And the lessons you learn - some of them are not ones that can be put down on paper."

"Sensei..." Akira raised his hand now, and Genryuusai indicated for him to speak.

"Sensei, I wondered if you would explain something to us." Akira spoke quietly, but it was clear there was a good amount of frustration in his tones. "If you can, please. Because some of us...several of us...are wondering. Why...only four of us were promoted, and..."

He trailed off, and the look he gave Juushirou made Genryuusai's lips thin beneath his heavy moustache.

"I see." He said quietly. "You want to question my judgement on how to pick the candidates for Senior Class? Is this something you feel I ought to justify to you, Akira? You or any of your fellows?"

"Sensei, that's not what Akira means." Kanshi took a hand now, seeing that his friend was struck silent by the gentle rebuke. "It's not that we - any of us - doubt your judgement. We would just like...several of us have been asked questions by those left behind, and...I suppose we want to understand a little more. Why...us. Why not...all of us."

"Mmm." Genryuusai fixed Kanshi with a thoughtful look, then nodded. "Very well. Since you've worded that so well, Souryou, I will tell you. This year's Senior Class is comprised of the thirteen students who, at present, are closest to entering Gotei rank come the spring."

"Even though we were only Fourth years last year, Sensei?" Kai asked. Genryuusai nodded.

"Yes. Even so." He agreed evenly. "It's not unusual for students who have not completed Fifth year to be in that position. What you fail to realise, I think, is that all the years of this Academy are intermediary and the pace at which the syllabus is completed depends on the aptitude of the students. It's not uncommon for me to promote a student here and there if it seems right. I'm sure you all see there is no point in a student undertaking a year they are already moving beyond."

He tapped his cane absently on the floor, then,

"In this case, it wasn't _one_ individual student so much as a _group_ of students." He added. "Whether they realise it themselves or not, I am not sure. But the top class of last year's Fourth year did not take Fourth year assessments at the close of last year. The examinations they took were largely the same as the ones being taken by the Fifth years."

"What?" Aoi's eyes widened. "Sensei..."

"There was a big gulf between the abilities of some Fifth years last year." Genryuusai added quietly. "You four - Akira, Kanshi, Aoi and Suzuno - all of you might have done the same at the end of the Fourth year, except that I felt then that there were enough students to fill the Senior class last year without pushing you into a position which might have been difficult. You all know yourselves, I think, that such a gap existed. However..."

He swept his hand towards where a startled Juushirou and his friends sat,

"There was a bigger gap between last year's Fourth year classes." He said gravely. "That isn't to disregard the achievements of those students now studying their Fifth year. Their progress was entirely as expected and well on track. It's just that...it was no longer fair to expect them to operate in the same class as peers who were moving away at speed."

"But...we took Fifth year exams?" Ryuu murmured. "In which case...we were studying..."

"A mixture of Fourth and Fifth year syllabuses." Genryuusai agreed evenly. "In the space of twelve months, you managed to digest almost all of two year's study in Sakusen, Hohou and Kidou. Also, three of you had _zanpakutou_ already by the time you entered Fourth year - the time that most students begin studying for such a thing. Could I have consigned you to sitting through Fifth year, even though all of you had more or less reached that level of zanpakutou release before the end of your Fourth year? When the Gotei has such need of skilled people, I couldn't do that. Normally in my Senior class, about half of the members are still in the process of calling their _zanpakutou_. This year...for the first time...every member of this class has spoken to their_ zanpakutou_. Given that fact...who should be my Senior Class?"

He turned his gaze back towards Akira.

"Akira, who should be my Senior Class?" He asked softly. "Given that fact?"

Akira bit his lip, then lowered his gaze without speaking, and Genryuusai nodded.

"It is a first for me to have a Senior class with so many gifted people in it." He said quietly. "It makes me excited...it gives me anticipation for the future. I have never yet had a student graduate this Academy and go on to Captain a division. In this Seireitei, that possibility was an unlikely one to begin with, but there are now four squads operating which I hope will eventually move away from specific Clan affiliations. Still, even so, among my most exceptional students I have only had one or two who have gone on to assume a deputy position. But with you...I can sense that changing. All of you...I sense something different. And I wanted you to challenge each other, compete with each other and grow. Because I see something very special within all of you. And its something the Gotei needs."

"Captain, huh." Shunsui looked rueful, and Genryuusai offered him an amused look.

"Even if your Clan are decided, you know that I intend to make sure that's a position _you_ earn." he promised. "Which is why, you see, I've assigned Nagasata Kaoru to your care. I trust you are up to that challenge."

"It might have been nice to know in advance that Kaoru was a girl, but otherwise, yes." Shunsui said wryly. "And it's all right, Sensei. I won't let her down. I promise."

"As for the rest of you, whilst your Gotei positions are far from settled yet, I expect much from you all the same." Genryuusai turned back to the group as a whole. "And helping out the junior students is a part of that. If you're to be leaders in the future, you must pay attention to those juniors now. During the course of this year some of you will probably follow Shunsui's lead and find yourselves as shishou to younger students. Even to this point, you've all experienced - Mitsuki and Ryuu excepted - a taste of duty on the gates and I've heard from several sources that you've taken charge of the dining hall in my absence and ensured calm there, too."

"Sensei...you know about that?" Juushirou blinked, and Genryuusai laughed.

"You should consider everything, no matter how slight, to be a test this year, Juushirou." He said comfortably. "I want to see how you deal with many things. So you should stay on your guard. But don't worry - so far I have no reason to doubt that my judgement in choosing you as Anideshi was sound."

His gaze flitted briefly to Akira at this point, noting the sudden tension that flickered through the other boy's body.

"As it happens, I have need of your skills - all of you - this evening." He added. "Shunsui, you are excused from this for the time being. I want you to focus on Kaoru. Understood?"

"I think he'll do that just fine, Sensei." Enishi grinned, and Shunsui reached out to thwap his friend playfully on the arm.

"Stop it." He protested. "You'll make Sensei think bad of me."

"He knows you. Too late." Kai snorted, and Genryuusai hid a smile at the light-hearted banter.  
_  
Yes, that's what I wanted. When I set this Academy up, that was my ideal. To have Yamamoto, Kyouraku, Shihouin...joking together over something so trivial, and forgetting the history that divides them as families. Young people are not yet dug deeply enough into traditions that their views can be changed. Gambles I may have taken, but right now, I feel them all worthwhile. To create that cameraderie - all has been worthwhile._

"I have not finished speaking." Was all he said aloud, however, and the trio subsided, shooting the old man sheepish looks of contrition. "Another duty belonging to the Senior Class is the job of overseeing coaching sessions where appropriate."

He cast Kanshi and Aoi a glance.

"The second years are preparing for their camp expedition at present." He added. "Your year were deprived the chance of camping due to the problems in Distict One at the time and I've regretted that fact for some time. However, I will make it up to you somewhat, I think. The two of you - Souryou and Michihashi - are both good at Sakusen and steady enough for me to give you this assignment. Some of the Second years are apprehensive and confused about what's up ahead. I want you to help them in their planning and preparation. I also intend for you both to be involved in overseeing their camp assignment on a very loose level. This was something I tried with the Seniors last year and it worked very well. Therefore I seek to repeat that exercise."

He paused, then,

"Yes, I think, Suzuno - I'd like the same from you." He added. "There are a couple of good young healers in Second Year and your guidance would probably be reassuring."

"Yes, Sensei." Kanshi looked rueful. "I was really cross, actually, that we didn't get to go on camp. Helping the Second Years might be fun."

"But not me, Sensei?" Akira looked startled. "I was part of that class too - but...?"

"No, I have another job for you." Genryuusai shook his head. "As well as ones for your classmates. I'm sorry it means you'll miss out on the role of camp leader, Akira, but it can't be helped. Instead...Shikibu, as someone who went on a camp expedition, would you make up the fourth member of this team? You are Suzuno's kinswoman, and I feel..."

"I'll do it with pleasure, Sensei." Naoko nodded soberly. "If I can help."

"Good." Genryuusai looked approving. He paused, then,

"Mitsuki, you and Ryuu are excused from any additional duties until you have caught up what you have missed." He said thoughtfully. "You know there are assessments in a few days, and while I don't expect you to top the class, I would like you to both make an effort. You will have covered some of the material before, and it will help you get a gauge of what you need to focus on. Mitsuki, I believe Retsu-dono also wants to speak to you when you have a moment to go see her."

"Yes, sensei." Mitsuki nodded, and Ryuu also inclined his head.

"Kai and Enishi, your sword skills are going to, I hope, batter some recalcitrant third year slackers into shape." Genryuusai continued. "I won't keep it a secret from you that on last year's grades overall, you two ranked first and third for Ouyoudou - with Akira in second rank. But since you two are used to working together, I'm going to deploy the two of you. There are five or six...who would benefit from your knowledge. They have been told to come here and wait outside - I imagine they are already headed this way, and I would like you both to try and explain to them how kenjutsu works at this Academy."

"We get to bruise them, right, Sensei?" Kai exchanged looks with Enishi, who grinned, and Genryuusai nodded.

"A few bruises indicate a good session of study." He mused, his eyes twinkling slightly. "Shiba, I would like you to stay and work with the two of them, as well. You are the highest ranking female in Ouyoudou and there are two girls among this group who seem to believe it isn't ladylike to swing a sword. I trust you might be able to persuade them otherwise."

"I will." Sora dimpled. "I'll teach it them good. Don't worry. It sounds like fun."

"Very well, then." Genryuusai smiled. "Hirata, I'm also sending you to tackle some third years."

"Me? Alone? Sensei?" Hirata started, staring up at the old man in dismay, and Genryuusai smiled.

"You can't do it on your own?" He asked quietly, and Hirata reddened, shaking his head.

"Not if it's sword skills, Sensei." He said frankly. "I'm no good at that."

"But in your case, I have two third year students who struggled badly on their Hohou assessments last year." Genryuusai said evenly. "Uebashi-sensei and I decided to promote them, but he hasn't time to take them on extra for coaching becuase of some trouble with the first years and because of the way our class sizes are growing. Your Hohou grades are exceptional, however, and have moved on in leaps and bounds in the last twelve months. I think they could benefit from your knowledge - if you're willing to help."

"If it's Hohou, then yes." Hirata looked relieved. "I can, Sensei. I'll do it. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound defeatist."

"I think it's been some time since I heard you sound defeatist." Genryuusai reflected, causing Hirata to redden once more behind his glasses. "Very well then. Edogawa, Kuchiki, you can go begin catching up on what you've missed. Souryou, Michihashi, Amai, Shikibu, Endou - you are all dismissed. Souryou, you will find the second years in the library in the third study room, waiting eagerly for your arrival. I'm putting you in nominal charge, understand? They're all very excited about this camp, even if some are nervous. And Hirata, you should collect anything you need from your room and then go to the second Hohou theory room. That's where they've been told to wait for you."

"Yes, Sensei." The students rose and departed, and Genryuusai gestured to Kai, Sora and Enishi.

"You three can wait here. I can sense the third years arriving, so you can have free reign of the gymnasium." He added. "Shunsui, you're also dismissed - though if you want to stick around and help your friends teach sword skills, I won't object."

"He might teach them how to be lazier, Sensei." Sora grinned, and Shunsui laughed.

"I might." He owned. "And I don't have my swords. Besides, I was going to meet with Kaoru in the training field this evening, and I have to go back to the dorm and change first. So..."

"What about Yamamoto-kun and I, Sensei?" Juushirou cut across the merry banter, a troubled look in his eyes, and Genryuusai frowned, stroking his beard once more.

"Ah yes. The two of you." He murmured. "The assignment I have for you is Kidou related, and it will be with the Second years who are, at the moment, not making grades good enough to be allowed to join the camp expedition. There are five of them, and three are District, like you, Juushirou. Therefore you'll understand that their background in Kidou is uneven. None of them are natural with Kidou, but they are keen - and they don't want to be left behind. I want you two - as two strong Kidou users - to go and help them with their spells."

"Ukitake...and I..._together_?" Akira looked horrified, and Genryuusai nodded calmly.

"Last year's final examinations had you two within a point of one another in class rankings for Kidou." He said softly. "Ukitake was top, and you were second, Akira. Shunsui's mark was equal to yours, but he has another assignment to take care of at present. Therefore it seems right, doesn't it? That you two, as the top seeds for Kidou on last year's exam...should take on this task?"

He spoke slowly and deliberately, and Juushirou uttered a heavy sigh, nodding his head.

"When put like that..." He murmured, and Akira bristled, shooting Juushirou an angry look.

"Well, I suppose we'll see one thing." He muttered. "And I want to see it. If you're so good at everything, I want to see it for myself. What you're actually made of, _Anideshi_."

* * *

"Kaoru-chan, we're going to the library to do some work for our Sakusen paper. Are you coming too?"

At the same time as Genryuusai's Seniors were filing into the gymnasium for their special meeting, the remainder of the Academy's several hundred students were finishing their final classes of the day, gathering up their belongings and hurrying to meet friends to chat and relax before the evening meal. For the Fourth years, that had meant a demanding Kidou theory class with Kazoe on top form, and at the sound of Akaya's question, Kaoru sighed, stretching her hands over her head.

"I can't." She said regretfully. "Though I've still four chapters I need to go over before I can write anything that Sensei will accept. I promised Kyouraku-senpai I'd meet him at the training ground after lessons today to have another session with my sword and I can't really let him down."

"Ah, she'd rather hang out with Kyouraku-senpai than us, Aka-chan." Sakura grinned, looping her arms playfully around Akaya's neck and leaning over her shoulder as she cast Kaoru a knowing look. "You've done nothing but talk about him these last few days, so I guess we shouldn't be surprised."

"Sakura, please get off me." Akaya disentangled herself from her friend's embrace, shooting her a dark look. "I'm still wondering why exactly you're coming to the library, if I'm honest – at least Kaoru bothers to do some work sometimes, unlike you."

"I do work. I do enough to stay in top class." Sakura said unrepentantly, shrugging her shoulders. "Besides, I don't have anything better to do. And I do have to write this report too. Come with us, Kaoru-chan? I'm sure Kyouraku-senpai would understand, and our deadline's getting closer."

"I can't really." Kaoru looked doubtful. "I mean, you're right, but if he's giving up his time for my sake…"

"You said he was nice though, didn't you?" Akaya reasoned. "For once, Sakura's probably giving you good advice, so you should grasp the moment and take it. Why not go speak to Kyouraku-senpai and say you've got an urgent paper due? He'll probably reschedule your training, since Seniors have a much more fluid timetable than we do."

"That's true." As they made their way down the hallway that led from the classrooms towards the library and the main entrance, Kaoru nodded her head. "And I'm not sure I'm feeling like running around the training ground after that last class, if I'm honest. Kazoe-sensei really knows how to drill it into you, doesn't he? Even though it's last class of the day, he expects you to focus from start to finish."

"Yeah." Sakura grimaced. "Just be glad it isn't him we're writing a paper for. But go speak to Kyouraku-senpai, Kaoru. Akaya-chan and I can come with you – if you don't want to venture into the Senior wing alone."

"I hadn't thought about it." Kaoru was startled. "I've never been there before for anything. Is it scary, to go to the Senior wing?"

"No, but Sakura just wants to get a glimpse of Souryou-senpai." Akaya tut-tutted under her breath. "You shouldn't be so blatant, Sakura. Kaoru's younger than us and you'll give her the wrong idea – she's far too trusting and you're taking advantage of that."

"Is it wrong to want to see him?" Sakura pouted. "I'm going to study with you, Akaya, so you could at least let me have some fun before that. I'm sure it would inspire me far more if I did."

She struck a dramatic pose, and Akaya snorted, thwapping her lightly across the back of the head with her Kidou notes.

"Stop it, you idiot." She scolded. "We're not First years now. You know half of last year's Fourth years are Seniors this year – acting like that, Sensei won't promote _you _to Senior class till you've done about ten. Act your age for once, will you? You're nineteen, not nine!"

"You two are silly." Kaoru giggled, even as Sakura poked her tongue out at her companion. "But I'm glad you are. I like being in this class – I just have so much more reading to do than everyone else."

"Which is why it's best you come with us." Akaya said wisely. "Because otherwise you'll fall behind. I'm sure even as your _shishou_, Kyouraku-senpai wouldn't want that."

"No. I don't think he would." Kaoru agreed. "All right. So I'll go to speak to him. You two don't have to come, though. Really. I'll be all right on my own. I know where it is, and I'm not scared."

"Are you girls going to loiter in front of the library entrance all evening?" A fresh voice prevented either Sakura or Akaya from answering, and the three girls turned, Sakura's features flushing a rich scarlet at the sight of the speaker.

"S..Souryou-senpai?" She whispered, and Kaoru exchanged amused looks with Akaya, both knowing that their outgoing friend was probably hoping that the Senior had not overheard any of their earlier conversation.

"Yes?" Kanshi eyed her quizzically for a moment, and Akaya sighed, grasping Sakura by the arm and yanking her forcibly out of the way of the door.

"Sorry, Senpai." She said contritely. "We were talking and not paying attention. We didn't mean to stop dead."

"It's all right." Kanshi shrugged his shoulders. "But you probably shouldn't be hanging around the halls."

A wicked glint of mischief sparkled in his eyes, then,

"If you're not careful, you might find an evil Senior will come along and assume you have nothing to do…you might wind up spending the whole evening running errands."

"I'll do it!" Sakura spoke without thinking, then clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes big with alarm. It was impossible for her to go any redder, but Kanshi just laughed, slipping by them and pushing open the library door.

"Senpai, are you studying too?" Akaya asked innocently, and Kanshi shrugged, shaking his head.

"Helping some of the kids prepare for camp." He said dismissively. "You guys remember that, don't you? There'll be plenty to do, so I can't stop and chat to you all night. Run along and find something to do, okay? Otherwise you might find I wasn't kidding."

"We're going to do just that." Akaya assured him, still grasping Sakura firmly by the arm. "Kaoru-chan? We'll wait for you here, if you want to go and speak to Kyouraku-senpai about your training."

"Kyouraku?" Kanshi paused, turning to glance at Kaoru, who nodded her head.

"Yes. Do you know where he is, Senpai?"

"Ah…so _you're_ Nagasata Kaoru. You're the kid Sensei's landed in his hands. I see now." A wry smile touched Kanshi's lips. "Well, we just all came from a meeting with Genryuusai-sensei, so I imagine he'll go back to the Senior wing now. He said something about training with you, but I think he'll head there first so if you're quick you might catch him. Just try not to bother anyone else while you're up there, all right? Most everyone's got an errand to follow this evening, and they won't like you for holding them up."

"Yes, Senpai!" Kaoru bowed her head quickly, and Kanshi grinned, before disappearing into the library proper.

"We're going in too." Sakura recovered herself, taking a step towards the door, then pausing. "I mean…Kaoru, you'll be fine on your own, right? You said that, right? Because you know, it's really important we get to studying…"

"I'll go." Kaoru laughed, nodding her head. "I'll be back soon, if I can be. It might not be possible to change the time, but I'll try and if I can, I'll see you soon."

She glanced at Akaya, then dimpled.

"Good luck." She said playfully. "I'll try and be back as quickly as I can."

With that she darted off down the halls, almost running into Souryou's following group of seniors who had stopped to collect class lists and materials from Uebashi and Kazoe on their way down to the library. A sharp rebuke from Naoko for running in the halls still ringing in her ears, Kaoru crossed the main entrance foyer with more care, taking the stairs two at a time all the same as she made a bee-line for the Senior wing.

_If he's already gone down to the training ground, that'll be a problem._

As she mounted the final flight of stairs that led to the cluster of rooms inhabited by the most high level rank of students in the school, a frown crossed her lips.

_And I'll have to run down there twice as fast so as he won't be cross with me. If he's gone to the trouble of getting ready and waiting, I can't not train. That would be rude. But Akaya-san is right, too. I need to keep up in my classes and I have got a lot still to read for Sakusen before I can write this. Having their help would be really good – so I hope Senpai will understand._

At that moment she reached the polished wooden divide that separated the Senior wing from the corridor as a whole, and she pushed it back, a flicker of anticipation in her chest. She had never been here before, and despite what she had said to Akaya, she was a little apprehensive of barging into the Senior's space uninvited.

But it wasn't as though she was there for no reason.

Steadying herself with that thought, she stepped determinedly through the archway, and up the three small steps that led onto the landing as a whole. At first glance there did not seem to be anyone about, and so she made her way slowly along the hallway, running her hands idly along the panelled walls as she absorbed the atmosphere of this place.

Absently she wondered what it would be like to be a part of this world – to be a Senior herself, one day, with Akaya and Sakura and the other members of her current class. Her fingers traced the ancient, faded patterns of the Yamamoto insignia as she tried to picture how it had looked when it had first been built, but try as she might, she could not envisage anything but the great school being housed inside this ancient building.

_Akaya-san said that this part of the school was once a lady's apartments. I guess I can see it. Everything is so ornate and carefully done – even though it's been changed, you can still see that it was once the home of a hime._

She sighed heavily.

_And really, nobody does seem to be here. Maybe Souryou-senpai was wrong – perhaps nobody did come back here. In which case…in which case…_

As she rounded the corner towards the alcove that fronted the chamber known to all and sundry as Anideshi's 'nest', however, she heard the sound of footsteps and then the soft slide of the door as it moved to open and then back closed. Kaoru's heart leapt in her chest.

_Oh! But if Anideshi's here, he'll be able to tell me where Kyouraku-senpai is! Kyouraku-senpai said himself that Anideshi was his close friend. And everyone says that Anideshi is really nice…so surely, if I ask him, he'll be able to tell me?_

Unlike any of the other chambers in this hallway, the 'nest' was set back slightly from the corridor, with steps to the door as though it had once been the central bedroom of an important member of the Yamamoto household. With a small balcony on its outside wall and overlooking the grounds to some good degree, Shunsui had often joked about it being the site of illicit trysts between _hime_ and undeserving scoundrels seeking to sneak in past the Clan guards. Kaoru knew nothing of this, of course, but it was a school tradition that any student who needed the help of the most senior student could go to the nest at any time of day or night, and could expect to find a warm reception. Therefore there was no doubt in Kaoru's young heart as she hurried down the steps towards the wooden divide, her eyes eager and full of relief at the thought of resolving her dilemma.

As she reached the door, however, it slid back a third time, and Kaoru found herself face to face with a skinny young boy of about fifteen, his eyes widening with terror and uncertainty as he stopped dead in his tracks.

Kaoru stared back at him, equally as surprised as he was, and for a moment neither of them moved. Then the youngster gave a stifled gasp, pushing past her and into the hallway beyond.

"Hey!" Kaoru was too quick for him, however, and she instinctively reached out to grab him by the sleeve of his _hakamashita_, hauling him forcibly to a stop. In terms of height, she was barely more than a few inches taller than he was, but even so her time training at the Academy had given her strength enough to stop a frightened junior, and though he struggled to tear himself free of her grip, she held him fast.

It had been pure instinct that had made her grasp hold of him, but as she stood there, wondering what she should do next, Kaoru registered the fact that the youngster had not left the Senior's chamber empty-handed. Clutched between trembling thin fingers was something long and black, and Kaoru frowned, suddenly angry as she pushed the young boy against the wall.

"What did you come here to do?" She demanded, even as he tried to hide the item behind his back, and she stretched out her free hand, slipping it behind his body and closing her fingers around his narrow wrist. With the same quick deftness that Shunsui had noted in his first session training her, Kaoru brought the boy's right hand forcibly up into clearer view, her eyes widening as she realised what it was he was holding. Even with the blurry vision of her right eye, Kaoru knew at once that it was a sheathed sword.

"But that's…"

The boy let out a faint whimper, but he did not try to speak, and Kaoru's eyes darkened as she glanced from it back to her unexpected prisoner.

"Who are you and why did you come here?" She asked again. "This isn't yours, is it? You're a First year, you shouldn't have this…and besides…this…did you take this from Anideshi's room?"

The boy stared at her, tears pricking at his eyes, but he was shaking visibly and obviously beyond speaking. Kaoru knitted her brows together in what she hoped was a stern look, releasing her hold on his arm and changing her grip so that she could bring the stolen item more clearly into her line of good vision. As she did so, her grasp on the boy loosened for the briefest of instants, and he took his chance, slipping her hold and darting away down the hallway before she could react.

"_Hey_! Hey, come back here!" She called out, but the boy acted as though he hadn't heard her, fear adding wings to his feet as he sought to escape.

Kaoru muttered a curse, taking some steps along the hallway in the direction he had gone, but by the time she reached the top of the alcove steps he was already out of sight, and she sighed, sinking back against the wall in defeat. All thought of her own sword training had been driven from her mind with the sudden and unexpected confrontation, and as she examined her prize, she knew her instincts had been right. It was obviously a sword, even with her hampered vision she had soon spotted that. But she quickly registered that it was more than just a training sword, for as she turned it over, she made out two neat silver characters on the ebony scabbard – two characters that clearly marked out its owner's name.

"_Ukitake_." She read softly, running her finger gently alongside them. "Then this really is…Anideshi's _zanpakutou_? That kid…came here to take…Anideshi's sword?"

Her heart skipped in her chest, first indignant and then excited as she realised what she had stumbled into.

_But because I came here to find Kyouraku-senpai, I stopped it from happening! I rescued Anideshi's sword from being stolen! Oh, but…now what should I do with it? Should I put it back in his room? Or…_

Her cheeks pinkened slightly at this thought.

_Even if it is Anideshi's chamber, and even if we are allowed to go to him for help and stuff, that's still waiting in the corridor, not actually going and lingering inside when he's not around. And going into a boy's room is…I shouldn't go in any boy's room without permission, whether they're there or they're not. _

She sighed.

_Oniichan didn't care about stuff like that, and people said a lot of bad things about him because of how he was with girls. But my guardian was very clear when I came to live with them. That girls didn't go in boys' rooms and boys didn't go into girls' rooms unless they were very small children or they were married. Anideshi and I are definitely not married – and we're not small children either._

She grinned at this thought.

_No, definitely not. So…I wouldn't like to do anything to make my guardians ashamed of me. I did promise the first time they sent me to the Academy that I would obey the rules and work hard and not do anything that would cause them to be embarrassed.  
_  
She turned the sword over in her hands once more, gazing at the kanji pensively again. It was an expensive scabbard, although Kaoru knew that Juushirou did not come from a rich family, yet somehow she understood that its precious contents were even more irreplaceable.

_So I can't take it away from here. He'd be worried, if someone did that. It would be like I was stealing it. But…well…it's not like I know where he keeps it. Still, if I left it out here, that kid might come back, and…I should report him, although he looked so scared, I sort of feel like I was mean. But he was the one doing something bad! If I'm caught in a Senior boy's room, though, I'll get into a whole lot of trouble anyway, so even if I didn't report it, it could be really bad. Oh, I wish I'd brought Sakura-san and Akaya-san with me! They would've known what to do – or one of them could've held onto the kid whilst I went for help. As it is, though…I'll have to think of something on my own._

Slowly she clambered up the steps of the alcove and back onto the main corridor, her gaze fixed on the object in her hand as she tried to work out what she should do next. She was so deep in thought that she did not hear the sound of footsteps or voices approaching the Senior wing, and it was not until someone let out an exclamation that she started, jumping almost out of her skin as she brought herself back to the present.

"Kaoru-chan?" Shunsui hurried forwards, and Kaoru swallowed hard, realising that it was not only her _shishou_ but that at the far end of the hall were other members of the Senior class. One was Anideshi himself, she knew that, and another, the one with glasses, was Endou Hirata, for Akaya had told her that he was the heir to the Seventh District's Clan. The other two were strangers to her, however, and she gulped, suddenly berating herself for how casually she had trespassed into the Seniors' domain.

"What are you doing up here? I'm not that late, am I? And…what have you got in your hands?"

"I didn't take it. It wasn't me." Kaoru's eyes widened in alarm as she suddenly realised how she must look, wandering around the corridor with a stranger's sword clutched in her hands. She held it out, and Shunsui stared at her in bewilderment, taking the weapon and then letting out another exclamation.

"_Sougyo-kun_?"

"Sougyo?" That was Anideshi himself, pushing through the group of Seniors to the front at the sound of his sword's name. "What about Sougyo, Shunsui? What's happened? What's going on?"

Shunsui shrugged his shoulders, holding the black-sheathed weapon out, and Juushirou's naturally pale face drained of colour as he slowly took it, turning it over and then sending his friend a look of dismay.

"What happened?" He repeated. "I left it in my chamber…why is it out here?"

"Kaoru-chan?" Shunsui turned his attention back to his student, and Kaoru took a deep breath, fixing him with an earnest look.

"It wasn't me." She repeated. "I didn't go into Anideshi's chamber and I didn't take the sword. Really. I don't know quite what happened. But I didn't want to put it back in there, because going in there is well, going into a boy's room, and so…I was trying to work out what to do, and you came back. I knew I couldn't take it with me anywhere, since I didn't know where to find you or Anideshi and I knew Anideshi would worry about where it was if he came back and it was gone. So I was holding it till I decided what to do next. But I didn't take it. I promise. It wasn't me who..."

She trailed off, and Shunsui sighed, resting his hands on her shoulders and glancing at his white-haired friend, whose dark brows were drawn together in consternation.

"Juu, I believe her." He said at length. "I've only been training Kaoru a little while, but I don't think she's the kind of person to lie or sneak around. If she says she didn't take your sword, she didn't – but why she's here and why she has it I don't know."

"I don't think she's lying, either." The group's only girl spoke up at that moment, her expression one of concern as she met Kaoru's gaze. "But she's upset about something. Something obviously happened up here while we were in the Gym with Sensei."

"It's a good thing I came up here to get my Kidou notes before going down to meet with Yamamoto-kun and the others." Juushirou said heavily. "Obviously he'll snipe at me for being late now, but it can't be helped. Please, Nagasata-san – will you tell us why you're up here and what's going on? If Shunsui and Mitsuki believe you, so do I – but you have to agree that the situation is a confusing one."

"Mm. For me too, honestly." Relief flooded Kaoru's expression as she realised nobody was angry with her. "I came to find Kyouraku-senpai really. It was all a coincidence that I was here at all."

She cast Shunsui an apologetic look.

"I wanted to change our training time, because I have a Sakusen paper due soon and I'm falling a little behind." She admitted. "So some friends were going to help me and they wanted me to come study now. I'm sorry. I didn't think it would be bad for me to come up here, but I suppose…"

"For now, let's leave that alone." Shunsui patted her on the head. "I don't think Sensei would like it if you were going to come play peek and hide around our bedrooms too much, but for the time being, we won't worry about that side of things. You came here to find me, but I wasn't here. So…?"

"I heard someone in Anideshi's room. I thought it was Anideshi, because, well, it's Anideshi's room." Kaoru coloured scarlet as she realised how silly she sounded. "You told me that you and Anideshi were friends, Senpai…and I know Anideshi is there to help juniors and stuff so I thought…I was only going to knock on the door and wait, not go in or anything! But I thought if I asked him…"

"I'd know where Shunsui was, and be able to point you in his direction?" Juushirou asked quietly. Kaoru nodded.

"Yes."

"But it wasn't Ukitake in his chamber." The strange boy spoke up now, and his piercing slate grey eyes seemed to bore right through Kaoru to her soul. "It was someone else, clearly."

"Yes. A boy. A kid younger than me – I don't know who he was." Kaoru nodded emphatically. "I've never seen him before. I tried to catch him, and when I did, I saw he had the sword. I took it off him, because I thought he was a First year and First years can't carry swords. In any case it didn't look like an _asauchi_ and when I took it, I saw it wasn't. But I lost my grip and he ran away."

Juushirou turned, meeting Hirata's gaze with a troubled look, and the bespectacled boy nodded his head solemnly.

"I thought so." He murmured. "It was Tsukabishi-kun who almost cannoned into us on the main stairs. He could easily have come from this part of the school, just as Nagasata-san says."

Juushirou sighed, pulling his sword briefly from its scabbard to examine it, and as he did so, Kaoru let out a little gasp, for the weapon was a beautiful shining silver, its surface polished and gleaming in the light of the kidou lamps. Though to the naked eye it didn't appear to be more than a simple katana, Kaoru suddenly had the impression that it was a lot more than that, and her heart skipped a beat as she glanced from it to its owner.

At her gaze, Juushirou offered her a faint smile.

"You can feel it, huh?" He asked gently. "Reaching out to speak to you – you're aware of its reiatsu even when it's sealed?"

"I'm sorry." Kaoru felt colour rise in her cheeks again. "I haven't had much to do with _zanpakutou_, Senpai. I just…it's so pretty. That's what I was thinking. That I hope my _zanpakutou_ will be as pretty as that, when I've finished my training. And yes…I can feel it. Like it's a living sword, and not just…it's not like an _asauchi_ at all."

"Mm." Juushirou returned the weapon to its sheath, pausing for a moment and then slipping the black scabbard through the fabric of his _obi_. "And I obviously should be less careless about leaving it unattended. I didn't think I needed to lock my door – but maybe I do."

He bowed his head slightly in Kaoru's direction.

"Thanks to you being here, though, no harm was done."

"Oh!" Kaoru was startled, then she giggled. "Senpai, please don't bow to me. It looks funny and then I'll laugh and that'll be rude and then you'll get angry at me and I won't get to go do my Sakusen report."

"You seem to already be laughing, Kaoru-chan." Shunsui offered her an amused grin, reaching out to ruffle her dark hair playfully. "All right. You go do your Sakusen study. We'll meet tomorrow instead – same time. Okay? Go now, and don't talk about this to anyone else for the time being. We'll handle it from here."

"Yes, Senpai." Kaoru stifled her giggles, nodding as solemnly as she could manage before darting away down the corridor towards the main stairs.

_I helped save Anideshi's sword. And they were nice to me, even though I was so completely stupid when they were asking me questions._

A little skip slipped into her step as she hurried towards the library to meet up with her friends.

_And I have a trusted secret to keep now. Plus I got to see a real zanpakutou. And it's so beautiful. I wonder if Kyouraku-senpai's is beautiful – I want to ask him now even more._

As she reached the library door though, she frowned, putting her hands against the wood as she remembered the frightened look in the boy's eyes.

_But what was that kid trying to do? A dare gone wrong? He looked a whole lot too scared to be on a dare or some other kind of mischief. He looked frightened out of his life, to be honest…and what would have happened if I hadn't been there? If I hadn't gone to find Senpai, what would he have done with Anideshi's sword?_

_

* * *

_

"Juu, are you all right?"

Once Kaoru was out of earshot, Shunsui sent his friend a concerned glance, and Juushirou sighed, rubbing his temples as he slowly shook his head.

"I should be, but I'm not." He admitted. "A lot of things bother me about what Nagasata-san just said. I don't want to believe her, but I do believe her – just like you and Mitsuki, I didn't think she was hiding anything either. She probably saved Sougyo no Kotowari from being taken but…I'm more bothered at the moment about…"

"That kid she saw." Ryuu's eyes became slits. "Tsuka..bishi? Was that what you said, Hirata?"

"Mm." Hirata adjusted his glasses, looking troubled. "It worries me too. I wasn't sure that he'd come from the Senior wing, and I didn't like to raise the point when he came barrelling down the stairs like he did, but it sounds…a lot like…"

"Whatever his problems are, they've reached boiling point." Juushirou let out another heavy sigh. "And right now I can't do a thing about it. I have to go to help the second years with their Kidou, else Yamamoto-kun will nail me for letting my duties go by the wayside. Besides, Tsukabishi is just one student, and he obviously has some kind of issue with me, even if he hasn't tackled it directly. Whereas the second years are counting on my help, and I can't just duck out of that on my own account. Whether I'll be able to concentrate or not, I don't know – but given the situation…"

"I have to go see the Third years, too." Hirata grimaced. "Otherwise I'd volunteer to go and find him. Someone needs to talk to him – if it's possible – and find out what he was thinking and why. There's something wrong with him, Juushirou-kun. I don't think he's a nasty kid – but he is one with problems."

"Hirata getting protective and big-brotherish is a new one on me, but I kind of like it, all the same." Shunsui shot him a grin, but there was a seriousness in his brown eyes. "You've come across this kid before then, both of you? It's the first time I've heard the name – something you guys want to share?"

"It's not that big a deal, really." Hirata shook his head. "I just noticed him – a homesick kid – and Sora likened him to me when I first arrived. Juushirou-kun and I have spoken about him before, but not a lot. Just we met him in the halls a few days ago, and he reacted very oddly to Juushirou-kun."

"It obviously _is_ a big deal, if he is stealing _zanpakutou_, now." Ryuu remarked acerbically, and Juushirou nodded.

"But I'd still rather handle it myself, and not take it to Sensei." He admitted tiredly. "I don't know if I can, but whatever is wrong with this boy, I want to try and find out. If I can help – if any of us can help – that's what we're here for, isn't it? If it went to Sensei, he'd get into a lot of trouble. And…I don't think I want that."

"Even though he took Sougyo?" Mitsuki looked concerned, and Juushirou glanced at his sword, tapping the hilt absently.

"He didn't take Sougyo. Sougyo is here." He said simply. "Thanks to Nagasata-san, all ended well. But whenever I've seen the boy face to face, he's seemed frightened. And I want to know his reasons."

"But for now, we ought to go attend to our own things." Hirata murmured, and Juushirou nodded.

"I know." He said unwillingly. "The last thing I want now is to spend time with Yamamoto-kun, but I suppose that there's no getting around it."

"Well, I'm at a loose end, now." Shunsui said with a shrug. "Kaoru-chan's stood me up for her classmates, as you all saw, so I'll go and try and find this kid. He doesn't know me, and I might catch him off guard – at least I can try and see if I can root him out. If I can, I'll bring him back up here and feed him tea in the study until you get back. Then you can talk to him, and if the pair of you are late for dinner, well, we'll take care of the rabble if need be."

"Shall Mitsuki and I also assist?" Ryuu asked, but Shunsui shook his head.

"Better not. You have far too much to catch up and honestly, you both still look kinda shattered." He said evenly. "I can manage on my own. How hard can it be to find one First year kid? There aren't that many places to hide in this school and I probably know them all and then some."

He clapped his hand against Juushirou's back, giving him a little push towards the arch that led into the main body of the school.

"Go rescue your second years from Akira-kun." He added. "And leave it to me. I'm involved now, thanks to Kaoru – so I might as well do what I can."

"Thank you, Shunsui." Juushirou looked relieved. "I appreciate it. If you can find him, do bring him back up here. I don't want it involving any of the staff if we can keep it to ourselves – but for now Hirata and I have to go."

"We'll just have to manage without notes and other things." Hirata agreed grimly. "We've already wasted too much time as it is."

"No kidding. At this rate we'll have to shunpo to make up even a little." Juushirou groaned. "Today's already been a long day – and it's getting longer by the minute."

"What Sensei said in that meeting may make Yamamoto-kun less hostile towards you, though." As they hurried through the corridors, Hirata shot his friend a hopeful look. "Because now he knows that we weren't promoted out of favouritism."

"You didn't hear him or see the look he gave me when Sensei said we had to work together." Juushirou grimaced. "If you hadn't tripped over and dropped your glasses on the way upstairs, I wouldn't have caught you up, and you didn't see how it was when the meeting ended. Nor did you hear what he said to Ryuu and I in the library. I did think it might calm down a little with time – but he's been really hostile today. And now this."

"Do you think he was involved?" Hirata's eyes widened, and Juushirou sighed.

"No…" He said slowly, but there was a faint flicker of doubt in his hazel eyes. "It doesn't really seem his style. But…ah, I don't like it. It's one thing when people say things to my face, but another when it's like this."

"Well, good luck with your Kidou tutoring." Hirata said seriously. "He's an idiot, so you shouldn't let him bother you. That's what Kai-kun would say, anyway – so since he's busy battering students in the gym, I'll say it instead."

"I appreciate it." Despite himself, Juushirou managed a faint smile. "All right. I'll try. And hopefully we'll settle the Tsukabishi thing tonight. Now it's come to a head, I at least have a reason to send for him – so we'll see what he has to say for himself when Shunsui finds him."

"Don't be too hard on him." Hirata warned. "He's scared and he's just a kid."

"Don't worry. I know. I'm not angry – more worried about him." Juushirou responded. "Since my sword is safe."

"All right." Hirata nodded. "Then I'll see you later. Wish me luck too. Sensei's thrown this at me because he wants to make sure I don't shy away from taking the lead, given the politics in District Seven now. But I'm not overly happy with it, so I'll need all the luck I can get."

"I think that goes both ways." Juushirou muttered, putting his hand on the door of the Kidou classroom. "But if you do need it, good luck."

With that he pushed the door open, taking a breath and uttering an inward prayer for strength before stepping into the classroom.

"Nice of you to join us, Anideshi."

Akira's tones cut through the room immediately, and Juushirou frowned, his gaze meeting the accusing, almost mocking one of the Yamamoto student's for a brief moment. His frown deepened, and he bowed his head slightly.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. "A junior student had an urgent problem that I had to deal with, and it delayed me in coming here."

He moved to the front of the room, offering the gathered group of five students a tired smile.

"But I'm sure you've been in safe hands with Yamamoto-kun." He added. "And I'll do my best to help out too from now on."

"Kazoe-sensei says that we're hopeless." One of the students said with a grimace. "If he can't teach us to do spells right, how are you supposed to do it?"

"Enjouji-kun." One of the girls in the group pulled a horrified face. "You can't talk like that to Anideshi!"

"I wasn't being rude. It's just true." Enjouji, a heavy-set boy with rather distinctive facial features objected. "If the Kidou sensei can't help us, what use is it getting other students to do it for us?"

"I already told you, didn't I?" Akira said frankly. "You're only useless if you think you are. And if you think you are, you won't be Shinigami. So you might as well go back to the dorm right away. If you've given up, there's no point in Ukitake and I wasting any time trying to help you."

"Enjouji-kun, was it?" Juushirou frowned as the boy nodded. "Is Yamamoto-kun right? Have you given up?"

"I don't know." Enjouji said honestly. "I just don't see the use in it. In the First year it was hard enough, but now we're expected to do all kinds of other spells and well, I can't remember all the First year ones that good yet. The further we go on, the more we're going to learn. Kazoe-sensei said so – that there were a lot of spells we had to learn the theory of by the end of Second year. If we can't cope now, how are we going to get to Third year?"

"But Kidou is so pretty." The group's other female member put in, letting out a wistful sigh. "I want to make pretty spells like the others do. The other day in our practical class, we had to do Byakurai. One of my friends did such a beautiful lightning bolt and it hit the centre of the target right away. I want to do that too – but when I tried, I got my words muddled up and it went wrong."

"Kazoe-sensei says we can't go camping unless we can be trusted with our spells." Another boy added. "He said that camps in the past have been called on to use Kidou in the outdoors environment, and so we should be able to too."

"That's true." Juushirou acknowledged, and Akira snorted.

"I don't know about that." He admitted. "My class didn't get to so the camp exercise at all, so I couldn't tell you what was or wasn't needed. But it's not about that, is it? You're not here to go camping. You're here to be shinigami. You should want to learn the spells for that reason. Not because they're pretty or because you won't be able to go have fun in the woodland without them."

"When my class went camping, we were attacked by a Hollow." Juushirou said gravely, and Akira started, staring at him in disbelief.

"A Hollow? You mean a dummy. No way any of the teachers would allow…"

"It wasn't planned." Juushirou's expression became clouded as he remembered the events that had led up to the beast's invasion of their camping ground. "But it happened all the same. Something went wrong with the barrier surrounding our campsite – in any case, a real Hollow attacked us. Kazoe-sensei rescued us with his _zanpakutou_ – but we all fired Kidou at it first of all, to try and stop it attacking till he came. If we hadn't…who knows what would have happened?"

"That's not true." Akira snorted, and Juushirou bit back an indignant retort, merely shrugging his shoulders.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Kazoe-sensei about it yourselves." He said, addressing the group of younger students instead of his classmate. "I'm sure he'll remember it vividly, because all of us who went on that trip do. That's why he thinks its important that you all know your spells before you go camping. Just in case of times like that."

"Will you tell us about it?" Enjouji asked excitedly. "About how you fought the Hollow and stuff? Because Kidou in the classroom seems kinda boring. But its not boring if you're fighting stuff with it!"

"Great, Ukitake. Tell the kids a bunch of stories and get them trying to blow up the school." Akira rolled his eyes, and Juushirou shook his head.

"I'm not going to." He said softly. "Because using Kidou isn't about flaring spells willy-nilly at enemies that appear at random. That was one incident, once. It may never ever happen again. But you know, if we couldn't use Kidou – and control it – and if we hadn't learnt the spells Kazoe had set us to learn – we wouldn't have been able to fire those spells then. What's important is that even if it seems dry and complicated to learn right now – one day it might save your life to know how to fire a spell like Shakkahou. Or Byakurai."

"I bet Yamamoto-senpai and Anideshi can fire spells really prettily." The girl who had spoken earlier observed with an envious look on her face. "I bet you can do it even without incantations, if you want to…right?"

"Kazoe would have us strung up in front of the school if we dared." Akira said frankly, and Juushirou laughed, nodding his head.

"We're not allowed to use any spells like that until after we graduate, and only then if we're of a high enough standard to do it safely." He agreed. "We're still students, just like you. We're not experts on anything, yet."

"Which brings us back to why we're here." Akira said pointedly, reaching out to tap the copy of the Second year spell book that lay on the front desk. "We're not going to have a story-time session or a fireworks display. Sorry about that. Sensei wants us to help you all to remember your spells – and if you can do that, you'll find firing them more easy."

"Yamamoto-kun is right." Juushirou nodded. "So let's see. There are five of you, aren't there? Do you all find the same spell difficult, or are you all struggling with different things?"

"Shakkahou and Soukatsui." The first girl said expressively, and the second girl giggled.

"I've started calling them both Soukahou." She admitted sheepishly. "Because I always manage to muddle the spells. I keep expecting a purple flare to come out, but instead it either does nothing or I make things explode."

"I can't get my head around Bakudou." Enjouji admitted. "I can blow stuff up – sort of – though Kazoe-sensei says I'm too haphazard. But the binding spells confuse me. Seki. Geki. Sai."

He counted them off on thick fingers.

"Those three especially."

"I don't like Bakudou either." The second boy admitted. "I can do Shakkahou and Soukatsui now – I spent ages going over them through the holiday and Kazoe said they'd improved. But I'm not good with Byakurai, and like Enjouji, my Bakudou sucks. Last time I fired Hainawa, I got myself tangled in it."

"That was pretty funny though." Enjouji smirked. "Kazoe-sensei had to rescue you because you were all trussed up."

"Like I said, it's not my gift." The other student acknowledged ruefully.

"What about you?" Juushirou turned his gaze to the final member of the group, who had so far remained silent. At his question, the fair haired youngster started, then stiffened, shooting the older student a black look from cold blue eyes.

"I don't intend to be taught by a District student." He said frankly, his words clear and pointed as he met Juushirou's gaze even on. "Not even if he _does _consider himself to be Anideshi."

At this overt hostility, Juushirou faltered for a moment, and the other students exchanged horrified looks, Enjouji's earlier cheeky remarks forgotten in light of this new sin. Silence fell, and hastily Juushirou gathered his wits, aware that Akira's eyes were boring into him too, waiting for him to respond to this clear piece of Clan prejudice.

To begin with he could not find words, then he remembered his first days in the First year, and the reactions he had fielded then. Something about the recollection made him smile, and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I'm sorry about that." He said evenly, keeping his tones calm and moderated as he held the youth's gaze. "But unfortunately this is _Kazoe-sensei's_ request and not yours or mine. I understand that you might not be used to this kind of thing, but I'm sure _you'll _understand that Genryuusai-sensei and Kazoe-sensei both asked for Yamamoto-kun and I to come here. Since they are both Clansfolk, I imagine you'll find it less difficult to obey their instructions than if they were just mine."

The boy glowered at him for a moment, then tossed his head, folding his arms defiantly across his chest.

"I'm sorry, Senpai." At last, one of the girls broke the hush, shooting her classmate a dark look, then meeting the Senior's gaze apologetically. "Iemura-kun is always like that. He won't speak to anyof us in our Class who come from the Districts. He doesn't believe in it – that's what he says."

"I wasn't raised to be tutored by common folk." The boy said calmly. "And I don't intend to be. _He _can teach me instead."

He pointed at Akira imperiously, and despite the fact he was obviously enjoying Juushirou's discomfort, the white haired boy saw his classmate bristle slightly at the younger boy's tones. Without a word Akira got to his feet, crossing the floor and boxing the boy's ears sharply.

"Yamamoto-kun!" Juushirou exclaimed, as the boy let out a yelp, but Akira wheeled around, glaring at Juushirou darkly.

"This is a _Clan _matter. It's nothing to do with you." He said bluntly. "Keep out of it. How he speaks to _you_ is different from how he speaks to a son of the Yamamoto Clan Leader – and I'm going to teach him so, too."

He glared down at the younger boy, who was now trembling as he raised his gaze slowly to his senior's.

"What rank are you?" He demanded, and the boy swallowed hard, then whispered,

"Third…Third degree."

"Right. Then you'll understand that speaking like that to a _First _degree son of a Clan – _and_ a senpai – is not done." Akira said blackly. "And I won't have it any more. One more peep like that out of you and you'll soon find out that what I gave you just now was the lightest of little taps. Understand? We're giving up free time to do this, and…"

"Stop it, Yamamoto-kun!" This was enough for Juushirou and he crossed the room in short, sharp strides, grabbing Akira by the arms and pulling him forcibly away from the young boy. "He's a kid and he said something stupid – that's all. If everyone got slapped for saying something stupid, there'd be a lot of bruised ears around this school! Sensei wouldn't sanction us bullying the juniors and nor will I!"

"Do you think you have authority over me?" Akira demanded. "He's third degree, but you're District and you know it! There is an order to things in this world, Ukitake – even if you seem to think you're outside it."

"There is an order to things, yes." Juushirou's eyes became steely, as his frustration and tiredness bubbled up into indignant temper. "The order is this. Those who lead, lead. Those who follow, follow. And those who behave like animals are cast out completely. Do you understand?_ This is the Academy_. It may be inside District One, but it is still Genryuusai-sensei's Academy, which qualifies as neutral ground for Clan and District alike. And unless you had forgotten, _I am Sensei's Anideshi._ Therefore you will do as I tell you and you will _not_ intimidate the junior students. His insult was to _me_, not to you. And I see no strength in battering a child who is simply repeating the bad lessons he was taught as a youngster."

Akira shook himself free of Juushirou's hold, and for a moment his fingers moved towards his sword hilt, but then he seemed to register the horrified gazes of the five second year students and he restrained himself, letting out a low growl of frustration as he put space between them.

Juushirou, still bristling with anger himself but knowing that to pursue it any further would only lead to greater problems, turned his attention instead to the dazed Clan boy, dropping down beside his desk and casting him a concerned look.

"Are you all right?" He asked quietly. Iemura looked at him in mute silence, a mixture of resentment and fear in his eyes, and Juushirou nodded.

"I don't mind if you hate me – or if you consider me 'common folk'." He said evenly. "I don't get hurt by insults because they're just words and they don't change whether or not I'm going to become a Gotei Shinigami. I've faced prejudice like that since I came here, and I'm still here. But the world is changing. You saw how your classmates reacted, didn't you? They were shocked. Horrified by what you said. The one who gets hurt by words like that isn't me – it's you. Because how you speak to others is how people see you. And that's how they see your Clan."

He got to his feet, ignoring Akira's dark glare as he made his way back to the front of the room.

"I'll go over the Hadou, if you take the Bakudou, Yamamoto-kun." He said simply. "That way we'll divide our resources and cover more ground. I imagine Sensei will want us all to meet like this again – and we're clearly not going to do very well trying to teach things together. If we divide it like that, I think we'll have more success."

Akira snorted, but he seemed to have calmed down somewhat, for he made no further demur, instead settling himself with very bad grace on the side of the room where Enjouji and his friend sat.

Juushirou moved to join the girls, half feeling that he had battled a storm and somehow dispersed it, but as he sat down, he heard his classmate speak.

"Tomorrow." Akira said brusquely, and Juushirou raised his gaze to meet his companion's stormy eyes. "At the training ground. Before breakfast."

"What is?" Juushirou was genuinely confused, and Akira's expression became one of annoyance.

"Don't play stupid with me." He said blackly. "You and I are going to settle this with swords, once and for all. In a fair spar, Ukitake._ Asauchi _on _asauchi._ Once and for all – understand me? I want to see exactly what it is that Sensei thinks is so special about his District prodigy."

For a moment Juushirou faltered, then he nodded, his pride winning through over his common sense.

"Very well." He agreed quietly. "Tomorrow it is."


	21. Lost Lamb

**Chapter Twenty: Lost Lamb**

"Ryuu-sama and Edogawa-hime were escorted safely to their destination in District One as instructed, Seiren-sama."

Bowing low before his master, the weary retainer gave his report, thick dark hair falling over his shoulder in a long tail as he waited for his companion's response. It was the first day that mourning colours had been rescinded – a day which had dawned with Ryuu and Mitsuki's departure from the District and although Seiren had seen many cream and green clad figures milling about the estate, the mood was still strained and heavy in every quarter.

Guren had called a priority meeting of his inner court's most trusted members that evening, and Seiren had been on the verge of going to join the gathering when his senior retainer had entered, bearing his news. Despite the troubles that still weighed heavily on his mind, Seiren let out a sigh of relief, reaching out to touch his servant on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Shibata, for riding so quickly and reporting so soon after your arrival back here." He said softly, as the man raised his head to meet his commander's clouded gaze. "I can rest a little easier knowing that Ryuu is safe in Genryuusai-sama's jurisdiction. Only a fool and a simpleton would try and attack my son in that environment – and so I can cease to worry that his life is in imminent danger."

"Yes, sir." Shibata got to his feet, fumbling at his sash and producing a slim, greenwood box, simple in its design yet clearly distinguishable as a vessel for conveying an important message. "Also, as I arrived back here, I checked to find out whether there had been word yet from Kinnya-sama's manor regarding your letter. It seems there has been a reply – I thought you would want to see it before going to your meeting with Guren-sama this evening."

"Oh, indeed I would." Seiren's eyes took on a look of surprise and he held out his hand, taking the box and turning it over in his hands for a moment as he examined the container.

"This is unusual." He murmured. "Kinnya-sama doesn't usually send missives in this form – but this is undeniably the crest that belongs to his line of the Clan. Can you remember a time since Father's death when he sent a message with such ceremony and formality?"

"No, sir." Shibata admitted. "To be honest, I do not. The messenger was also confused by it. That's why he asked me to convey it to you directly, just in case there was some serious issue that needed to be dealt with urgently."

"Well, we'll soon see." Seiren broke the seal, opening the box and taking out the scroll that was neatly concealed inside. Carefully he unravelled it, glancing down the columns of kanji. It had been written by a manservant, for the characters were not Kinnya's own – yet at the bottom of the sheet the reclusive shinigami had written his own name, adding his crest for authenticity.

"_From Kuchiki Kinnya, Incumbent of the Coastal Provinces to his nephew Lord Seiren, honoured advisor to the Head of Clan, cordial greetings._

_Regarding the recent communication relating to your son Ryuu-dono and his claim to the Kuchiki inheritance; please be advised that we have no objections to your proposal. We are ready and willing to support Ryuu-dono in his claim if the young Lord himself wills it so._

_Written this day by Mihara Keiichi, aide to Lord Kinnya and with his master's assent and seal below given."_

He read the words softly, digesting them for a moment, then a faint smile touched his lips as he re-rolled the message, slipping it back into the box and replacing the lid.

"Then that is the last." He whispered, hope flickering in his heart as he did so. "Every major provincial landholder and significant member of the Kuchiki has replied to say they will either support or make no contest to the naming of Ryuu as Guren-sama's successor. This is good news indeed."

"With respect, sir, Kinnya-sama has not been to the centre of this Clan for some time." Shibata observed softly. "Surely even without his agreement, such a thing could progress?"

"Yes." Seiren rubbed his chin pensively. "It could, and you're right. Doubtless my Uncle would not bother about such things either way, since it's been many years since he was actively involved in the Kuchiki Clan. But even so, these things must be done by the book. Even if his view is that of a self-appointed hermit and exile, it can't be forgotten that he is Guren-sama's Uncle and mine as well. Once he held a position of high esteem here – and he still controls the coastal lands against the border of District Five. It is proper to ask for his support just as it is to ask the support of any landholder who bothers to give voice at the Kuchiki court."

"I see." Shibata bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect."

"I know." Seiren tapped the box pensively. "And this was more than I expected from him, to be truthful. For him to simply say he wouldn't argue it is one thing – but an official writing like this bearing his seal almost implies a willingness to act if Ryuu needs his support. This is more than I could have hoped for from that difficult and incomprehensible man – I was always under the impression as a boy that he disliked me, but perhaps I was wrong to judge him so."

He got to his feet.

"I must be going now, to Guren-nii's meeting. I believe he intends to address the issue of succession today for the first time – and I don't want to risk losing my chance to impress on him or anyone else the importance of my son's claim."

"Seiren-sama! Seiren-sama!" As he made to leave the room, a young page boy of about fourteen burst into the study, tumbling over his own feet and almost sprawling headlong across the _tatami _covered floor. Shibata let out an exclamation, reaching down to grab the boy by the collar of his _hakamashita_ and hauling him forcibly into an upright position.

"Where are your manners, boy!" He demanded, giving the youth a rough shake. "You know that you do not enter the chamber of a noble Lord in such a way!"

"I'm sorry, Shibata-dono." The boy coloured, wriggling against the older man's hold as he met Seiren's gaze with a penitent one of his own. "Seiren-sama, I meant…I meant no disrespect. Just an urgent message came. I was told…it must be conveyed directly to you, and I mustn't stop for anyone!"

"_Another_ message?" Despite himself Seiren was confused, and he nodded, gesturing for Shibata to release his hold. Shibata did so, and the boy stumbled and almost overbalanced, grabbing hold of Seiren's desk for support. With his free hand he reached into the sash of his robes, pulling out a folded sheet of yellow-white parchment which he thrust eagerly in the nobleman's direction.

At the sight of it, Seiren felt his heart clench and he grabbed it, sending the youngster a troubled look.

"Boy, who gave you this?" He asked softly. "What manner of messenger commanded you to come to me?"

"I didn't see his face." The boy admitted, shaking his head. "I think he came from the town. He said that it was an urgent message for Lord Seiren, and that nobody else must read it. He said it had great importance for Ryuu-sama and I thought…I thought he must be one of Shibata-dono's men, coming to report. So I took it, sir. And I brought it, just like he told me."

"A man who came from the town?"

"I don't know, sir. He had a heavy black cape, and it's dark outside." The youngster shrugged his shoulders, clearly oblivious to the potential danger of what he had done. "He just gave it to me, and told me to run and give it to you. So I did sir. And now you've got it."

"Shall I take him and whip him for his idiocy, Seiren-sama?" Shibata asked quietly, and the boy flinched, staring at the commander in wary dismay.

"But I did what I ought to do, Shibata-dono!" He protested, his eyes wide with alarm. "I didn't do anything wrong. I brought the message and now Seiren-sama has it, so I didn't do anything bad!"

"Fine. I understand." At length Seiren spoke, somehow managing to keep his tones calm and even as he met the youth's gaze. "No, Shibata. The boy can be spared this time. He's carried out his errand and I don't have time to deal with such low ranking members of staff."

He flicked his fingers in the direction of the door, and the boy scrambled into a hasty bow, fleeing the room before either man could change his mind.

"Something is wrong, my Lord?" Shibata asked softly, and Seiren glanced at the letter, his fingers trembling slightly as he moved to break the seal. As he did so, he realised that the wax that had fastened the note together did not bear any particular insignia – and his misgivings grew.

So it _was_ another communication from his unknown contact.

Quickly he unfolded it, his gaze racing over the contents in fear and apprehension of what it might contain.

_I know your secrets. I will extinguish every enemy in this Clan, so nobody can stand in my way. You should watch out for me, for I am watching you…and I won't stay silent forever._

Almost before he knew what he was doing he had scrunched the paper into a tight ball, his fist clenched so tightly that his knuckles went white and his nails dug deeply into the palm of his hand.

"Seiren-sama?" Shibata was alarmed now, and Seiren struggled to find his composure, meeting his companion's concerned gaze with a stricken one of his own. Slowly he drew breath into his lungs, trying to calm down.

He opened his hand reluctantly, glancing at the crumpled parchment a second time as he tried to work out who had written the missive and from where it had come. Very quickly he recognised once again the superior style of good quality parchment, and as he scrutinised the letters, he was sure he could smell the distinctive odour of the expensive ink that Guren himself favoured for writing important documents.

Whoever had sent him the first letter had definitely sent him the second.

He folded the sheet with difficulty, sliding it into the folds of his Clan _obi_.

"I must go to my brother's side. This meeting cannot be delayed by idle nonsense." He said flatly, ignoring his companion's startled glance as he swept out of the room and into the hallway beyond. Shibata's footfalls on the landing told Seiren that his manservant was following him, clearly concerned for his master's safety, and something in this immediate loyalty soothed Seiren's panicked emotions just a little bit.

_But even so, to receive another one. What secrets? Things I know? Things I don't know? And why? Is this really Shirogane's work? Could he be so brazen? _

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he paced purposefully through the halls towards the court chamber.

_He was brazen yesterday, before Guren, Futsuki and I all, almost hinting that he would draw his sword against me if the need arose. That reckless look I never saw in his eyes before Ribari's death – did that drug truly turn his mind to such a point that he now believes it's his God given duty to stand against me in every way? _

As he reached the centre of Kuchiki administrative power, he was startled and alarmed to see the subject of his thoughts standing outside the door, leaning up against the wall with a dissatisfied expression on his features. He was robed in his shinigami attire, the band and badge of Vice Captain strapped provocatively to his left arm, and for a brief moment Seiren wanted to strike forward and rip it off, throw it in the boy's face and demand to know his motives.

But he could not do that. If Shirogane was or if he wasn't the one tormenting him, there were secrets that he could not let come to light.

_For the sake of this Clan, Father buried those secrets. Probably more secrets than I even know. For the sake of this Clan, therefore…I can't speak about them either. Father had his reasons. If I can keep silent, so others must as well._

Out loud he said,

"What are you doing here? You're a shinigami, not a member of the Kuchiki inner court."

"And as you see, I'm outside, not inside the chamber." Shirogane raised his gaze to meet Seiren's, and Seiren was sure there was a faint flicker of defiance in those grey eyes. "Guren-sama asked me to come here. He wishes to speak to me. Therefore I am awaiting his pleasure."

His eyes narrowed.

"Of course, if you feel that your authority supersedes that of the Clan leader, I will return at once to my quarters." He said softly. "But you can explain to Guren-sama yourself why I have not obeyed his summons."

"Shirogane-sama, you should not address lord Seiren in such a way!" Shibata had caught his master up now, and he sent the young shinigami a reproachful look. "He is your Uncle and your superior in this Clan – you should bow your head and greet him properly, no matter what your standing."

"And _you_ are a Clan retainer, in whose opinions I have no interest." Shirogane said flatly. "I will continue to wait here until my Captain orders me to do otherwise. But I would hate to delay you, Seiren-dono. Please, feel free to enter. It is not my intention to delay the _legitimate_ members of the court going about their _legitimate_ business."

Was it his imagination, or had there been a faint sneer to Shirogane's words then?

Seiren frowned, shaking his head as if to clear it. He cast Shibata a glance, then,

"I'll leave you here." He said quietly. "Make sure that nothing untoward befalls my nephew, since it seems he is once more in a peculiar state of mind. Since Guren-niisama entrusted his wellbeing to me following Ribari-sama's murder, I will delegate that duty to you in my absence."

"I don't need your nurse-maiding, Uncle. I am quite well, now."

"And as you wait for your Captain's orders, I wait for my brother's." Seiren said coldly. "Until he relieves me of this charge, you are under my jurisdiction as well as his. You should do well to note that and to keep in line – since I will report to him on everything that you do."

With that he pushed back the door, stepping into the chamber and striding across the room towards his usual seat. His heart was pounding unusually quickly in his chest, he realised, and the folded, anonymous letter seemed to burn a poisonous hole through his clan clothing as he remembered the look in Shirogane's eyes.

_As though he knows something he shouldn't. Suspects something he shouldn't. The paper, the ink, the attitude…all fits. As though he discovered something and decided to act on it._

He took his seat, bowing automatically in Guren's direction as he contemplated this.

_Could he have conspired in Ribari-sama's death? Could he have done that – betrayed my brother and his cousin so completely for his own ends? Or is this simply since that point? That now Ribari-sama is no longer here, he feels he has a right to a voice in this Clan beyond what he had before?_

"Seiren, you seem troubled?" Guren's voice broke through his musings and he glanced up, realising that the eyes of his companions were all on him. He sighed, shaking his head apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Oniisama." He said gravely. "I have spent much of today worried about my son, and only just has my retainer returned with news of their safe arrival in District One."

"Ryuu-dono is in the custody of Genryuusai-sama now." Futsuki observed. "You should rest easy at that thought, Seiren. Nobody will touch him there."

"That is what I also believe." Seiren agreed. "I am relieved, but it has preyed on my mind all day and I suppose only now is taking its toll."

"Then perhaps the subject of this meeting will help lift your spirits somewhat." Guren said gravely, and for the first time Seiren registered his brother's attire and the sombre, almost ceremonial expression on the other's face. Guren was robed not in the dark colours of mourning that he had adopted since his son's death, but in his proper robes of office, the gentle cream silk and expensive emerald damask worn by a Kuchiki Clan leader at times of political significance. Cast about his throat was the expensive white silk scarf that had once been worn by their father, and his ebony hair was tamed back firmly into the distinctive white Kuchiki _kenseiken_ that was the traditional sign of rank for the most elevated member of the Clan. About his shoulders was the cream ceremonial _haori_ of the Sixth shinigami division and Council of Elders, and his elegant pale hands were half concealed beneath the sheer fabric of woven white _tekkou_ gloves.

In that moment, Seiren understood. Despite the pain that still resonated in Guren's eyes, and the lines of tiredness and grief that crossed his brow, his brother intended to put the Clan first.

They would discuss the succession of the Kuchiki that night.

"Oniisama." He murmured, and Guren nodded.

"You are right." He said simply. "We must not dally any longer with the settlement of our future. I am a father and I remain in mourning – but I cannot do so as a Clan leader and let my family fall to ruin. I have been to Father's shrine this morning, Seiren – and I have prayed there for strength and conviction in the things I must do. Ribari is gone. To say so hurts me more than if someone had cut off my arm or my leg in battle – but it is true and I must face it. I can no longer provide this family with a male heir…therefore the Clan must now look to other claimants."

"There is only one legitimate claimant remaining." One of the senior Kuchiki clansmen put in at this juncture. "With all respect, Guren-sama, Ryuu-dono is the only blood heir through the male line with a connection close enough to your own. As the son of your own twin brother, it seems quite straight-forward that the succession now falls on his shoulders."

"I am in concurrence with that idea, as you well know." Seiren nodded. "Ryuu has always been raised to think of his Clan first and his needs second. He understands duty and responsibility and now bears a _zanpakutou_ with which to defend those who serve under him. True, he is still young and lacking in experience, but even despite that fact…"

"Ryuu's claim is without doubt a strong one." Guren said evenly, and although his words were quiet, Seiren recognised the note of firmness in his brother's tones that indicated he would not be prevented from saying his part. "And I am considering that fact very carefully. Yet we remain in an uncertain political position, with my son's killer not found and no clues to it remaining. Only yesterday a disturbing incident occurred in our own grounds, when five good serving men were cut down by an unknown assailant. This is still a Clan under fire – and Ryuu is not only no longer here, but also not yet fully fledged in his role as a shinigami."

"Are you saying you don't consider him a claimant, Guren-sama?" Futsuki looked startled, and Guren shook his head.

"On the contrary. I must consider him first and foremost because he is the only claimant with the acceptable bloodline to meet the expectations of the whole Clan." He said grimly. "But I must also think of other things. Seiren, for example. I must think of you as well."

"Of me?" Seiren was taken aback. "Oniisama, I have every faith in Ryuu and intend to back him entirely. I have no concerns for his being able to do the job – I don't understand why you would think otherwise."

"I have lost my son, Seiren." Guren's eyes were heavy and sad. "And I do not wish you to feel what I feel now. Naming Ryuu before his training is complete may bring his life into danger. Ribari died because he was not yet well enough trained to defend himself or the men with which he was deployed. Ryuu is in the same situation. He is growing in strength – but what good is it for me to name him heir and put him in unknown danger when he is not yet even at Gotei standard?"

"You believe the assassin will strike again?" One of the other members of the court circle whispered, and Guren rubbed his temples.

"When my son died, I thought not. That Ribari and Ribari alone had been their target." He murmured. "But the incident yesterday has made me think on this again. I want to find out who killed my son and bring them to justice, if I can. Not because it can bring Ribari back, but because it can protect the future of this family. I do not want Ryuu – or any other member of this Clan – hurt because of someone's unknown intentions. Surely in this you can all agree with me – that we do not want more blood spilt."

"Guren-sama is right." Futsuki sighed. "With what happened yesterday in the stables, everything is uncertain again. Naming Ryuu might make him a target for these people, if they are trying to wipe out the ruling house. They must know that we have rules about inheritance and how strict those rules are."

"Perhaps its time those rules were changed." This time it was Mitsuki's father who spoke up, and Seiren shot him a horrified look.

"Teitou-dono?"

"I have long thought them to be out of date and potentially damaging to the future of our Clan." Teitou smiled, offering a sheepish shrug. "While we had a strong hope in Ribari-sama, surely we had nothing to concern us and we didn't look beyond. But – with all due respect, Guren-sama, we are not prepared as a Clan for this situation to arise. On the contrary, we are thrown into turmoil and chaos by it, to the point where the entire heart of the Clan has been disrupted. The loss of Ribari-sama is a tragedy without equal, admitted. Especially for Guren-sama himself. But even so…"

"What would you suggest then, Teitou-dono?" Guren asked quietly.

"That it's time we reconsidered the agnatic tradition and started looking instead to widening the pool of acceptance for future generations of this family."

"You mean…let a _hime_ inherit the Clan?" The older Kuchiki looked scandalised, and Teitou laughed, shaking his head.

"I think it would take some great force of nature indeed to bring that change about." He said wryly. "No. I wouldn't suggest that – I don't suppose that the wider elements of this Clan would accept a female Clan leader, despite how successful our neighbours in Five have been since Kyouki-sama took control. But as for those sons born legitimately through a _female _line – what of them?"

"You mean, I suppose, Shirogane." Guren murmured, and Seiren's eyes widened in horror.

"_Not a chance_." He said emphatically, banging his hands down on the table to illustrate his point. "If the idea is to raise Shirogane as a potential candidate for this Clan, I will stand out against it and so will all of my people. We are talking about a boy whose mother may well have been my sister, but his father's bloodline was way beneath that required of a Clan heir and successor! No Kuchiki who does not carry the family's name has the right to inherit – that has always been our custom! And besides…"

"Seiren, silence." Guren held up his hands, and despite himself, Seiren subsided, anger and fear still blazing in his eyes. "Teitou was simply making a suggestion. There is no formal movement to change the Kuchiki's rules and regulations at this time."

"But Shirogane-dono would make an adequate candidate for leadership." One of the other court members said thoughtfully. "Futsuki-dono, what say you? You know more of the boy than I, but he seems a gifted and intelligent youth from the times I've encountered him."

"I believe he would make a very good candidate for the Clan." Futsuki admitted. "As you say, he and my daughter Meroka played together often before she married and moved to District Four, and so I saw much of him when he was small. He has a sword he can use to a high level and has proved his leadership skills in Sixth Division over the last few years."

"Have we forgotten whose leadership it was under which Ribari-sama lost his life?" Seiren demanded.

"_Seiren!_" Guren exclaimed, casting his brother a dark glare. "Shirogane is _not _at fault in the death of my son. That has been established and the matter has been closed. If you raise it again, I will be forced to take action – _do you understand_?"

"Oniisama…" Seiren was taken aback, and Guren nodded.

"Whether or not Shirogane is a suitable claimant for the Kuchiki in character and deed is one thing." He said, suddenly seeming tired. "But it cannot be argued that Ryuu – despite his lack of experience – has the stronger bloodline. I must therefore consider Ryuu to be the favoured candidate for the succession. However, I will not name him thus – or anyone else – until this matter is resolved and until he is safely graduated from the Academy in District One. You gathered members alone can know my mind in this matter. I will only offer the succession of the Clan to Ryuu himself if and when I feel the time is right to do so. This is my final word on this matter. No further discussion will be entertained."

Seiren stared at his brother for a moment, then he sighed, the tension coursing out of his body as he understood what the other man had said.

_Ryuu will be his heir. He has accepted that – Ryuu will inherit. Once this is over, Ryuu will be named. Then everything will be well – because the family will acknowledge him, I'm sure. But Shirogane still remains a thorn in the side. That anyone would even think to raise his name here…perhaps that is the boy's aim all along. That he thinks he has a right to this Clan too. That's why he's been playing sweet with Teitou's daughter Mitsuki, in order to get her father to put forth such a monstrous and unconventional suggestion. Shirogane has no claim to this Clan and no position in it beyond that given him by Guren. That is the truth and thankfully, Guren seems to have seen it. For anyone other than my son to be named as heir…would be a travesty of justice that would have even Father turning in his grave._

"Then we must open discussion on the other matter." Futsuki said gravely. "And that is the incident in the stable-yard in which five men died. Edogawa-hime is no longer here – though Guren-sama, Seiren-dono and I have heard her testimony clearly already and she has helped as much as she was able. Shirogane, however, has been summoned here – he waits outside."

"Shirogane was also present during this incident?" The elderly Kuchiki asked, and Futsuki shook his head.

"He came onto the scene after Edogawa-hime did." He responded. "But with Guren-sama's permission, I wish to involve Sixth Squad in investigating this business on a deeper level."

"Bring Shirogane in." Guren gestured towards the servant that stood attentive at the door and the man bowed, hurrying to slide back the ornately carved divide. A moment later Shirogane himself entered, bowing properly before his Clan leader and avoiding Seiren's gaze with a haughtiness that only put his Uncle's nerves even more on edge.

"You sent for me, Guren-sama?" He asked quietly, and Guren nodded.

"Futsuki-dono has requested my permission to deploy agents of Sixth Squad in investigating the incident yesterday and any connection it might have to my son's death." He said quietly. "I am far too busy with other things to be able to do this myself, and so Futsuki-dono will assume overall command of the investigation. However, I would like you and some officers of your own choosing to assist him. Your skills as shinigami may come in handy, as well as your training in searching difficult environments and patrolling long hours. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Shirogane's expression darkened and he nodded his head. "I want to find out the truth just as much as anyone else. The scene that I walked into yesterday…nobody should ever have to be in the position those men were, cut down for no reason at all."

"Then you accept my instruction?"

"Yes, sir." Shirogane inclined his head. "I will assemble some officers and begin immediately. I will report directly to Futsuki-dono on any findings so that he can report back to you."

"Good." Guren seemed relieved, and Seiren felt a flicker of envy at how easily his brother seemed to trust his Vice Captain. "Then I will entrust that to you. Thank you, Shirogane. You may go."

Shirogane bowed a third time, and then withdrew, shutting the door behind him.

"Are you sure about that?" Seiren asked softly. "That Shirogane is well enough to operate in such a high pressure situation?"

"Shirogane has made a full recovery, so Edogawa-hime and Retsu-dono have told me." Guren said simply. "And I believe them to be correct. He seems well enough, and I do not want him to dwell on the night my son was killed. More, though, the assassins are not interested in taking his life. They had their chance and disdained it, therefore I feel safe sending him on such an errand."

Seiren's heart skipped a beat as in that moment he realised the true reason why Guren had not named Shirogane as a potential heir.

_He's protecting Shirogane too. Just like he's protecting Ryuu. He hasn't ruled out Teitou's suggestion at all – he's just glossing over it because he doesn't want to make Shirogane a target. I need to keep an eye on this – and make sure it has no chance to progress beyond theorising. Perhaps I've underestimated Shirogane's influence on my brother. It seems he has more of a motive to write those letters than I first thought…and I need to watch him all the more now he's supposedly healed than I did before!_

_

* * *

_

"That was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do since I came here."

Hirata sank down into an empty seat in the Senior study with a sigh, slipping his glasses off his nose and setting them to one side as he rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. "Honestly, worse than fighting Seimaru, worse than taking on any of the things I did in District Seven. Teaching two completely unknown Third years how to calculate the speed of a flash-step in accordance with someone's reiatsu is definitely the most challenging thing that's ever come my way."

"That was very melodramatic." Ryuu lowered the Kidou book he had been reading, shooting his young classmate a curious look. "Was it that bad, then, tutoring people? Were they completely dull? I have to admit, I'm not sure how much patience I would have for such a thing...in my opinion, you either understand it or you don't, and if you don't, you should read more books."

He shut the book with a snap as if to emphasise his point, and Hirata grinned despite himself, shaking his head.

"I don't think they're stupid." He said cautiously. "But they were very confused. And I'm not...good at asserting myself if I'm on my own. I wanted to help them, but I don't know how effective I was. It's a bit pitiful really, Kuchiki-kun - I think I was a little scared of them, despite what I said to Sensei."

"It's the first time you've been asked to do something like that, though." Mitsuki set her own book aside, offering Hirata a reassuring smile. "And they're probably not a lot younger than you, are they?"

"One seventeen, one eighteen - so no." Hirata agreed heavily. "I think that was part of the trouble. They were polite and attentive enough, but I didn't feel very much their Senpai."

"This from the boy who faced his cousin in a pitched battle of life and death." Ryuu intoned wryly, and Hirata nodded.

"I know. But I wasn't alone then." He said seriously. "I had Midori-sama with me, and Kyouki-sama was there too. Even though they weren't at first - they were by the time things got really serious. If they hadn't been, I don't know if I would have succeeded."

He sighed again, stretching his arms over his head.

"Truthfully, though, I was thinking a lot more about that boy who was in Juushirou-kun's chamber earlier this evening. My mind couldn't have been further from Hohou."

"We've been talking about it a little too." Mitsuki admitted. "But we've only come back today, so we don't know anything about any of this. It's obvious that Juushirou being Anideshi has created a bit of a stir - that was clear from the meeting and the way Yamamoto-kun was behaving. But other than that...?"

"Mm." Hirata pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Well, it hasn't been plain sailing for him or for anyone, really. But it's not that. Not especially. It's more the boy himself. Something I saw in his eyes when Juushirou-kun and I met him in the hall. It was how he looked at Juushirou-kun. As though he was...I don't know..."

"Scared?" Ryuu asked. "We are Seniors. I seem to remember you were quite afraid of Seniors when we were First years."

"I wasn't all that keen on them in Second year, either." Hirata acknowledged sheepishly. "Yes, I know. But it wasn't just that. It was Juushirou-kun in particular, and it wasn't so much fear as...maybe...that he was sorry? That something was hurting him, and he wanted to get away from us before it hurt anyone else?"

"That sounds odd." Mitsuki reflected. "That he was physically hurting? Like sick? Or...emotionally? I didn't get a good enough read of his mood when he charged past us on the stairs - and I'll be honest, I was too tired to really try. But I didn't think he was in pain."

"Emotionally...perhaps." Hirata mused. "It's hard to explain. I only saw it, I think, because I've felt it. Like I was in a place I hated, but there was nowhere I could go and hide. That I was surrounded by things that terrified me and that I didn't know what to do about it. I wouldn't have ever reached out to anyone on my own. If Juushirou-kun hadn't..."

"But Ukitake tried with this kid, and the kid ran from it?" Ryuu asked. Hirata nodded, slipping his glasses back onto his nose and blinking experimentally to bring the world back into focus.

"Yes. Maybe you're right. Perhaps it is the age gap."

"Kyouraku-kun hasn't come back yet." Mitsuki sighed. "He went down to look for the boy almost as soon as you and Juushirou left, but he hasn't been back here. Nobody has, really. I saw Naoko-chan poke her head briefly around the door to see if Sora was back yet, and she wasn't - and we've otherwise just been studying quietly. Nobody else has been around - I almost feel we ought to go and look ourselves, despite what Kyouraku-kun said."

"We wouldn't achieve much if we did. We'd just find ourselves looking in the same places he has already been." Ryuu pointed out.

"I know." Mitsuki acknowledged. "But it was Juushirou's sword, Ryuu. And he looked so upset..."

She faltered, as the door slid back to reveal the subject of their conversation, and at the thunder that lurked in the boy's hazel eyes, Hirata's eyes widened.

"Juushirou-kun?" He murmured, and Juushirou shut the door with a click, moving across the chamber to the window and gazing out at the darkened skyline beyond.

"Juushirou, what's wrong?" Mitsuki was on her feet, but Ryuu reached out to grab her arm, pulling her back down.

"What happened?" He asked quietly.

"Shunsui's not back yet?" Juushirou did not turn to face his companions, instead resting his hands on the sill as he fixed his gaze on some unidentifiable object in the night world beyond.

"Not yet." Hirata agreed. "I expected him to be here before me, but he hasn't come yet. It's just us."

"I see." Juushirou was silent for a moment, then he sighed. "I see."

"Juushirou?" Mitsuki's eyes were troubled. "Something did happen, didn't it? Did you have a run in with that boy again? Or...something...in your class...?"

"Yamamoto-kun." Hirata's eyes narrowed, and at this Juushirou turned, meeting his friend's gaze. Once more Hirata was aware of the suppressed anger in the depths of the boy's gaze, and a deep sense of foreboding filled his heart.

"What did he do?" He whispered.

"To make Ukitake look like that, it must've topped whatever he did this afternoon in the library." Ryuu decided archly. "There is no point in trying to conceal it, Ukitake. It's clear to all of us that you're on the verge of losing your temper. I suggest that while it's just us in here, you do so - unless you want to risk causing an inadvertent storm in the world outside."

"The weather looks bleak enough without that. It's been raining hard for at least an hour." Mitsuki murmured. "But Ryuu is right, Juushirou. If something's on your mind, you can talk to us about it. We're on your side - even Anideshi has to let his feelings out sometimes."

Juushirou glanced at his hands for a moment, clenching and unclenching his fists. Then he sighed, dropping down into an empty chair.

"I don't want to shout and yell at any of you." He said heavily, running his fingers through his thick lank hair. "It's not your fault. And I couldn't yell and scream in front of those kids...but seriously...I wanted to. As it is...probably I said far too much. But I couldn't not say anything. I'm Anideshi, right?"

"Yamamoto did do something, then." Ryuu pursed his lips, and Juushirou nodded.

"One of the youngsters was rude. Iemura, I think his name was." He said wearily. "And Yamamoto-kun decided to box his ears for his attitude."

"Box his..." Hirata's eyes widened. "But...is he allowed to even do that?"

"I'm not sure." Juushirou admitted. "It happened so suddenly, I didn't really know what he was going to do until he did it. I prevented it from going any further, but...I put Yamamoto-kun's back up and he put mine up, too. What Iemura said...wasn't really that good, and I don't pretend I approved of it. But...even so..."

"What did the kid say?" Ryuu enquired, and Juushirou groaned.

"He said he wasn't going to be taught by a District student, even if I _was_ Anideshi." He admitted, and Mitsuki let out a gasp.

"To your face?" She demanded, indignation surging in her own eyes. Juushirou nodded.

"So Yamamoto-kun _defended _you?" Hirata was confused.

"No...no, he didn't." Juushirou shook his head. "It was Iemura's tone after that he went for. Something in it he didn't like, and decided to go all out to prove to him the difference in their birth ranks or some such nonsensical Clan thing."

"Clans are full of such nonsense." Ryuu said darkly. "You should pay it no mind, Ukitake. It sounds to me as though the kid probably deserved to be punished."

"But not by Yamamoto-kun and not like that." Juushirou was frustrated. "I was angry too - it hurt me too, when he said it. It was in front of the whole group, and in front of Yamamoto-kun of all people. But slapping him about never achieved anything. He's just a kid, when all is said and done. One who was taught badly, or at least, according to outmoded traditions. I don't know what Clan he belongs to, and I don't really care. It doesn't interest me. But...you can't go around hitting kids whose attitude you don't like."

"Juushirou-kun is right." Mitsuki murmured. "No matter how badly Iemura-kun behaved, hitting him wasn't the answer. That kind of punishment should only be dispatched by a member of staff, and only if they deem it appropriate. It's nothing more than bullying, if we start doing it."

"But you stopped him from doing anything worse?" Hirata asked. Juushirou nodded.

"He was in high dudgeon, though." He said grimly. "And he challenged me to a spar. To prove once and for all what I can do."

"A spar? When?" Ryuu's eyes became big, and Juushirou looked sheepish.

"Tomorrow. Before breakfast. And before you ask, I accepted his challenge." He said simply. "I know," As Mitsuki arched an eyebrow. "It was done in the heat of the moment. I was angry, my pride was dented and I reacted quickly without giving it much consideration. But I don't think that it was the wrong decision. I'll fight him, and then that will be that."

"I don't know..." Hirata looked troubled. "Juushirou-kun, you didn't see...the spar between him and Houjou-kun. It was...Yamamoto-kun is...strong."

"From what Sensei said in our meeting, he ranked highly in Ouyoudou last year, too." Ryuu added. "You've never beaten Houjou in a spar of any kind, and you want to take on his cousin? Houjou wouldn't ever try and hurt you - but I get the impression that Yamamoto wouldn't mind if he did."

"Right now, I don't really mind who he thinks he is or what his rank is." Juushirou's eyes flashed with annoyance for a brief moment, and Hirata swallowed hard as he realised his friend's rage was still simmering just below the surface. "I don't intend to run away from him. If he wants to spar me, I will spar him. If I win, or if I don't win, that's not the point. The point is that I'm not afraid of him. And I'm not going to cow to him or his attitude."

"If he beats you, he'll probably crow it over you, though." A fresh voice came from the doorway at that moment and Hirata started, turning to see Shunsui leaning against the door-frame watching them. "Evening all. It seems Juu needs to work off some stress on someone, and so I thought I'd come intrude and volunteer to be it."

"You heard all that, huh?" Juushirou offered him a faintly guilty look, and Shunsui nodded.

"I also met Yamamoto coming up the stairs, muttering and cursing you out under his breath." He agreed. "So I got the gist of what had happened. I think you're an idiot, Juu, to rise to him. But I also know you when you're riled. Just don't let him carve chunks out of you, all right? If he's angry enough, he's someone who probably could."

"I don't intend on that." Juushirou said evenly. "Like I said, I'm just not going to run away from him. I'm not scared of him or his attitude. If he wants to pull Clan on me, I'll counter it with District determination. You shouldn't try and talk me out of it, because I won't go back on my word."

"Wasn't even going to try." Shunsui held up his hands. "Besides, we have a more pressing problem right at the moment."

"Tsukabishi-kun?" Hirata asked apprehensively, and Shunsui nodded, his eyes becoming grave.

"Yes." He said quietly. "That."

"You didn't find him?" Suddenly Juushirou seemed to realise his friend had returned to the study alone, and Shunsui shook his head.

"No sign. Not a trace." he said helplessly. "I checked everywhere I could think of, plus all the obvious places - nowhere to be found. And then I spoke to some of the other first years, and what they said bothered me even more."

"What did they say?" Mitsuki asked softly, and Shunsui entered the study proper, pushing the door shut behind him and leaning up against it.

"One of them - Oomaeda, that was his name - said that they've tried to cajole Tsukabishi into hanging out with them, but he seems to like to pull away." He said pensively. "Like he's frightened of something. Oomaeda's one of those kids whose full of his own opinions and I can imagine a scared little mite like the kid Kaoru described would run a mile from that, but despite it I think he and his coterie were worried. Apparently the last couple of nights Tsukabishi's been even more withdrawn. When he could get a word in edgeways, one of the other boys said that Tsukabishi had been crying in his sleep the night before, and that he'd been restless and upset about something last night, too. Then Oomaeda said he thought the boy was being hassled - by some unknown kids in the Fifth year."

"In the _Fifth_ year." Hirata echoed slowly, and Shunsui nodded.

"_Not_ Seniors, then?" Ryuu asked, and Shunsui looked surprised.

"You mean Yamamoto? Not his style." He said with a shake of his head. "That guy is an idiot and a bigot and full of his own arrogance and sense of self. But he's said what he thinks to Juu's face enough times. He's not the kind of person who'd send a kid like that to do his dirty work. This sword challenge is far more his kind of thing - he's unpleasant but I think he's up front about it."

"I think so too." Juushirou nodded, rubbing his temples. "But I seem to be generating enemies all over the school at this rate. Am I that bad as Anideshi that already people are mutinying against my leadership? Or is it just the District thing that's hanging like a weight around my neck yet again? Because I can't do anything about that, dammit - and I'm trying my best."

There was a note of frustration in his tones, and Shunsui sighed, shaking his head.

"Neither." He said quietly. "We've all seen you take charge at breakfast or dinner, and people listen to you. If there are a few who don't, they're a minority. And if they're bullying a scared first year kid and making him do things he doesn't want to do - we have to do something about that."

"Finding him would be a good place to start." Ryuu put in acidly, and Juushirou raised his head.

"He's really nowhere in the school grounds?" He asked.

"I can't find him." Shunsui agreed. "And his classmates haven't seen him for a while either."

"Maybe he ran away." Hirata suggested, his eyes troubled. "Maybe because they made him do something he hated, and to someone he didn't want to hurt, he was frightened and ran away. I would...I would have done the same, if I was him. I would've wanted to get away from everyone and everything - so maybe that's what he's done."

"Perhaps he's tried to go home." Mitsuki suggested, and Shunsui shook his head.

"From what the First years were saying, Tsukabishi doesn't have any family." He responded. "He doesn't get any mail or anything like that - and when one of them asked him about it, he got all tearful and upset and said his mother had died. After that he withdrew into a corner for a whole afternoon and so nobody mentioned it again. But it seems like he's a kid on his own. He doesn't have anywhere else he can go."

"Then where_ is_ he?" Juushirou's expression became one of concern. "Mitsuki, you said it was raining out - if he's really left the school grounds, then..."

"Perhaps we really ought to report this to Sensei." Ryuu suggested.

"No." Juushirou shook his head. "If we do that, we have to tell him what Tsukabishi did. And if he was being bullied, I want...to know by who and how. I want to deal with this, I said that before. This is my problem, and I intend to wrap it up."

"So you're going to look for him, is that it?" Shunsui cast him a resigned look. "Even though it's about time for dinner and its tipping down buckets out there?"

"I am." Juushirou nodded his head. "I can't do anything else. If he gets hurt, it's my responsibility. I knew he was missing, and as Anideshi...there's nothing else for me to do but go."

"Then I'm going with you." Hirata said firmly.

"Hirata?" Juushirou looked startled, and Hirata nodded.

"I know how this kid is feeling. I've been him." He said gravely. "I don't know if I can reach him, or if he can be reached that easily. But I need to go, anyway."

"All right." Juushirou nodded. "Then we'll grab our cloaks and head out right away."

"I'm coming too." Shunsui raised his hand. "My _deshi_ was the one who raised the alarm, and since I've begun the hunt now, I feel I should see it through. Three pairs of eyes are better than two - so I'll tag along too."

"Perhaps we should _all _go." Mitsuki suggested, but Ryuu shook his head.

"Kuchiki roaming alone around the forests of District One at present is asking for trouble." He said bleakly. "No, Mitsuki. We will remain here and report what has happened to the others when they return. It will be our duty to help calm any fracaas at dinner - for the time being, that must be our responsibility."

"I suppose so." Mitsuki sighed. "All right. We'll do that. But...be careful, all right? All of you."

Her gaze rested on Juushirou, then,

"It's not good weather out there. If you can't find him, come back. We'll go to Sensei and get a proper search party sent out. All right?"

"All right." Juushirou agreed reluctantly. "But I hope it won't come to that."

"In which case, we shouldn't waste time." Shunsui said simply, pulling back the door. "Well? Let's cloak up and go track down our lost lamb."

* * *

The rain was falling in sheets and the sun had completely set by the time Hirata, Shunsui and Juushirou ventured out into the night, a chill wind whipping around District One in a reminder that it was not yet fully summer, in spite the fact they had had several bright days since term had begun. Despite himself, Juushirou stifled a shiver, pulling his heavy old cloak more tightly around his skinny body as he cast his gaze out across the school grounds. They would have to leave the safety of the school yard and venture out into the land beyond, he knew - but his mind was more on the safety of the missing boy than it was on anything else.

"Well?" Shunsui said softly. "It's not going to get any better, so we oughtn't linger here where it's sheltered and dry. If we're really going to find him, we need to get moving."

"I think we should split up." Juushirou cast another glance up the unforgiving sky as it continued to pour its deluge down onto the ground. Something prickled against his senses and he frowned, nodding his head more decisively.

"I'm pretty sure we're going to have a storm." He added. "We're dealing with a first year who can't do shunpo. Therefore he can't have got too far, even if we're talking about a couple of hours since he disappeared. If we split up and divide the surrounding area between us, most likely one of us will come across him, grab him and bring him back before it gets too late in the evening."

"On our own?" Hirata looked doubtful, but Shunsui nodded.

"I'm agreeable to that." He said frankly. "The less time _you_ spend out in the rain the better, too. Even if storms are your friend, Juu - it won't do you any good any more than it will this young idiot."

"I'm fine." Juushirou flashed him a rueful smile. "Though I would like to spend as little time out here as possible. It's vile weather, even if I do like storms."

"Then we'll split up." Hirata said with a sigh. "And see what ground we can cover."

"I'll head towards the town then." Shunsui decided. "Just in case he's made it there to try and get some form of transport or shelter. I'll find him, if that's what he's done. I know that town pretty well, even though I don't sneak out there after curfew any more."

"Fine." Juushirou agreed. "Then that leaves the rest for you and I, Hirata. At the gate, you go left and I'll head right, up towards the mountains. I don't think he will have got even as far as the cave that Shunsui and I sheltered in in our first year - but those paths I'm familiar with, so I'll take that route."

"Which leaves me going down towards the river." Hirata nodded. "All right. That's fine with me."

"If one of you find him, send up a Kidou flare." Juushirou added. "Something that's visible, so we know."

"In that case, if all is well, fire Soukatsui." Shunsui suggested. "If you need help, fire Shakkahou. That way the other two will know if we're to head back to the school or if we're to come to the rescue. With shunpo we should be able to close in on a location quickly that way - so that seems like the best idea to me."

"Then it's settled." Juushirou agreed. "That's what we'll do. Come on - we can't waste any more time!"

With that he steeled his courage, darting out from the shelter of the school building into the drenching rain. Behind him he could sense his friends following as he hurried across the courtyard towards the rear gate that the three of them had used in the past to slip out of the grounds when they had been younger. It was that recollection that added urgency to Juushirou's feet, for he knew how unforgiving District One could be at night - and also the risk of them finding danger along the way.

The rain continued to fall, slicking Juushirou's lank white hair to his neck and running down the inside of his _hakamashita_ to his body beneath. Despite his heavy cloak, it was impossible to prevent every drop of water from sneaking in and by the time he had reached the edge of the surrounding forestland, he almost wondered why he had bothered to bring the unwieldy garment with him. His feet were already drenched, the water splashing up to soak the bottoms of his _hakama_ till they stuck to and flapped around his ankles in an awkward, unpleasant way, and a stream of water ran down the outside of Sougyo no Kotowari's black sheath, adding further discomfort to the Senior boy's progress.

Yet he knew he wasn't going to stop. Tsukabishi had fled the school because of something he didn't fully understand yet, but he knew that it involved him in some way, and therefore he knew that he would not leave the youngster scared and alone with a storm on the horizon.

_Of course, if he sees me, he might yet run away further. If he's been bullied, it's because of me. It's because I'm Anideshi that this has happened to him, so I wouldn't blame him if he did._

Juushirou chewed down on his lip, remembering the last time the two had encountered one another and the frightened rabbit expression that he had seen in the young boy's eyes. Although he had encountered many negative reactions from people since he had joined the Academy, this one was one of those that bothered him the most, for as the oldest of a long family, his fraternal instincts automatically had wanted to reach out and help.

_When Hirata said it - that he didn't want my help, it bothered me. _

Juushirou sighed, reaching up to push a sodden lock of white hair from his eyes as he drove on through the endless rain. By this time his head and shoulders were so wet through that he was no longer as aware of the persistant flow of cold water that had begun to saturate his hair and his clothing. He raised his gaze to the horizon as the next second he saw a distant flash of lightning, followed by the soft yet ominous rumble of oncoming thunder. He had felt it coming before it had begun, and he had always loved storms, but the sight of it gave him no comfort this time.

_And then there are things like what Iemura-kun said. That he wouldn't let someone like me help him, no matter whether I was Anideshi or not. Was it an arrogance, on my part, to expect that I can reach everyone just by talking to them? Did Sensei send me to tutor that class because he knew Iemura would react to me in a hostile way? Was that a test, too? Because if it was, how I feel now...I'm sure I failed. And with this too - even more. We're only just into the start of term...and already my being in this position is causing chaos._

Juushirou dodged a large puddle that was doing its best to become a small lake, his brow knitting together as he narrowly avoided a slick trail of mud that lay on the other side.

_People always say it to me - about me - that I push and push till I win them over in one way or another. And Sensei's said that I'm a leader, whether I choose to lead or I don't. So I accepted this challenge of his and decided to see it through. But the way Tsukabishi looked at me bothered me. As though he was frightened of me. As though he didn't want to talk to me. Because I was the one causing him problems? And for someone to put him up to stealing my sword...surely everyone at the Academy knows how important a zanpakutou is to its master. The connection between the sword and the wielder is a soul connection. To try and steal Sougyo was an attempt to hurt me and hurt me in a way I wouldn't forget. But the Fifth years were our classmates last year, weren't they? Who have I made hate me that much since becoming Anideshi that they'd force a scared boy to do such a thing?_

_**Focus on the task ahead, Juushirou.**_

You's voice broke unexpectedly through his thoughts at that moment, and Juushirou frowned, reaching down to touch the sodden hilt of his sword.

_You. But how can I, clearly? The things are all woven in together. What Tsukabishi did, why he did it...I don't understand what's happened. Whether this is my fault, somehow, too. Whether I've upset people as Anideshi by trying to do my job._

"You will always upset people, Juushirou. That's a fact of life. By this point you should have discarded your naivety about popular opinion - and you should understand more clearly how this world works."

You, that's harsh." This time it was In's softer voice, and despite himself Juushirou was faintly comforted by the gentle tone in her words. "Juushirou is not at fault for the bad behaviour of others."

"No, but he will bear the burden of it just the same." You was unmoved. "The sooner he learns that and hardens himself to it the better. He has to realise clearly that his actions affect others - and deal with it accordingly."

"Juushirou's gift is that he doesn't do that. No matter how people are to him, he pushes on and doesn't let them bring him down." In reproached. "Juushirou, you shouldn't be discouraged by something beyond your control. Your friends said it too, didn't they? That if there are those who dislike you, they are not the majority."

_But those are the opinions of my friends. People who are on my side - people I've already won over._

Juushirou's eyes were troubled.

_Their opinions of me and what I can do are biased in my favour._

"Or they know you better than everyone else does, and therefore understand you better than others can." In suggested, and Juushirou was faintly aware of the swishing of a fish's tail across his senses.

"This world is not an easy one for someone like you." You added bluntly. "You've known this since you came to District One the first time. Nothing has changed since then. You've won people over, but you won't always win over everybody. Yamamoto Akira, for example - even if you fight him, even if you defeat him - I don't suppose that will change. And this...this too. Things like this will always be there. If you're so cast down by that that it hurts you now, perhaps you aren't ready to be involved in the Gotei at all."

_You..._

Juushirou faltered, almost stopping dead for a moment as he digested this.

_Is that what you think? That even though I've come this far, you don't believe I'm ready?_

"Juushirou, You and I react to your mood and speak to you the things that you don't speak to yourself." In said gently. "We are more bound to you than we ever were, and our emotions and yours connect far more closely than they did before. Those are not You's doubts, but _your_ doubts - all he's done is speak them to you so that you can face them where you might have tried to push them aside. What you do with them is up to you - we can't answer the question of whether or not you are ready."

"You are our master. We are no longer your teachers in the same way we were when first you spoke our name." You added grimly. "People will always be against you. There is no such person in the world who achieves the approval of everyone around him. You are no different, Juushirou. You are no less flawed or more likely to succeed than any other in Seireitei. Whether you do succeed lies entirely in your hands. In and I are here to guide you and support you. We believe in you. But you have to believe in yourself - and that you are able to overcome their doubts and press on regardless."

_Even though someone hates me enough that they'd try to steal you from me?_

"One day, someone might hate you enough that they try to steal your life from you." You said gravely. "Such is the nature of a Shinigami's duty. Understand that, Juushirou. Your world is not perfect, and you cannot make it perfect alone."

"At present, a young boy needs your help." In added simply. "Whether he hates you or not - whether others hate you or not - that was your decision as Anideshi. Do you still believe that to be the right thing to do? Even if he pushes you away and rejects your help when you find him?"

Juushirou hesitated for a moment, then he nodded his head.

_It hurts more coming from a young child like that, because it makes me think of one of my siblings pushing me away. _

He admitted sadly.

_But you're right. Both of you. Ever since this year began, there have been those nagging things at the back of my mind, digging into me and making me wonder about my position as Anideshi in this school. It's not just Yamamoto-kun, but other things. Little things. Things that shouldn't matter but things that...I haven't fully been able to shake._

His eyes narrowed.

_Things like the attitude of some of the Fifth years who were kept down in order for us to be promoted. Thank you, In'you. Now you've focused my mind, I remember it - the confrontation on first day with Kamaki Azusa and the looks he gave me since. I had worried...the Fifth year was our year last year, and I had worried that someone I knew had been responsible for creating this rift. Someone I had studied with...someone I liked. But now I realise that I'd overlooked the most likely people to hate me. Those who have a reason to resent me - those who were kept down._

A sudden dark flare seeped across his senses at that moment, and he tensed, swinging around to the right as something sinister and unpleasant began to creep across the edge of his senses. He swallowed hard, all the hairs on the back of his neck pricking up as he interpreted what the sudden flood of tainted reiatsu meant.

_A Hollow._

And then, almost at the same time he felt something else. Faint, and flickering, but clearly discernable - the reiatsu of a scared, lost young boy.

"Juushirou!"

You's voice was sharp and urgent now, but Juushirou had already reacted, his fingers closing around the hilt of the sword as he took to his heels, charging through the forest-land with no further thought to either the slick nature of the terrain or the torrenting rain that continued to pour down around him. All he knew was that there was a Hollow in the forest, a creature on the hunt for a vulnerable soul to steal and devour in the way one had once tried to devour him - and that its target was most likely the missing Academy student himself.

Without stopping to consider what he was doing, Juushirou released his own reiatsu, hoping against hope to draw the creature's attention away from the defenseless child and towards his own position. To do so was risky, he knew - he had no way of judging the strength of his opponent at this distance and although he had practiced many times with Sougyo no Kotowari against dummy hollows over the previous two years, he was still fundamentally terrified of fighting a real one face to face. He did not know whether Genryuusai would forgive him if he released his sword without permission outside of the school grounds, but as he heard the faint sound of a boy's tears, Juushirou threw caution to the wind, drawing his _zanpakutou_ purposely from its sheath as he prepared to do battle.

A brief image of his father's bloody body flickered across his senses and he forced it away, gritting his teeth as he focused on what he intended to do.

_I am not going to let anyone get killed by one of those things. I won't!_

"Concentrate, Juushirou! It's coming your way - and the kid isn't far away either!"

You's voice steadied his rising panic, and he drew a deep breath into his lungs, trying to steady his _reiryoku_ before it burned through his lungs and made him cough.

"_Tsukabishi-kun!_" As he broke through the densely packed trees into a clearing beyond, Juushirou could sense the boy's reiatsu more clearly, picking up the heavy waves of fear and despair that crashed over him. The Hollow was also close by, and the next moment there was a tremendous shriek as the air distorted, the rain spraying in all directions as a tree cracked and toppled across the path in front of him. Startled, Juushirou jumped back, his heart pounding as he realised how close it had come to hitting him, but there was not time to focus on near misses or uncertainties, for the next moment a clawed white and grey hand pushed through the undergrowth, and Juushirou saw his enemy face to face.

Its eyes glowed a horrible reddish in the night haze of rain and moonlight, and Juushirou could just about make out the edges of a jagged white mask as it opened its jaws to let out another shriek of despair. At the same time, the sky was split by a tremendous flare of white lightning, and as the copse was suddenly illuminated, Juushirou saw Tsunemori for the first time, huddled in terror at the base of a tree.

"Tsukabishi-kun!" He exclaimed, and the boy glanced up, as though startled by his senior's sudden appearance on the scene. "Tsukabishi-kun, get away! Run away from here - it's not safe!"

"Senpai." Tsunemori gulped, and then, in a panicked yell, "Senpai, I'm stuck! I'm stuck! I can't get up and the Hollow..."

"Stuck?" Before Juushirou could pursue this any more, the Hollow dropped its huge limbs down in the white haired boy's direction. Juushirou swung Sougyo no Kotowari desperately towards him, the blade resonating against the tough surface of the beast's skin, but it did not cut it, and the Hollow reeled back only for a brief moment, quickly lowering its terrifying visage towards Juushirou's body and breathing a hot, fetid burst of air towards him as though sizing him up for the kill. For a moment, the Senior felt his body paralyse with fear, and he swallowed hard, struggling even to breathe as the monster drew closer and closer.

_I can't cut him. I can't cut him. I can't cut through with Sougyo. I can't..._

"_Senpai!_" Tsunemori's hysterical scream brought him sharply back to the present, and he rallied his courage, tightening his hold on Sougyo no Kotowari's hilt.

If he did not fight this Hollow now - kill this Hollow now - he would be killed. He would be killed, and then the boy - the young First year he had come to rescue - he would be killed as well.

The beast's reiatsu was strong - stronger than the Hollow who had killed his father, and stronger than the one they had encountered in this forest when they had been camping. It was an angry beast, a creature full of despair and pain - but more importantly, it was a creature who was hungry and whose mind was set firmly on making a kill.

"Juushirou, calm down. You and I are here - you don't have to do this alone." In's voice brushed over him like a calming stream rippling over jagged rocks, and despite himself, the Senior found his panic settling as he understood what they had told him to do. He took an unsteady breath of air into his lungs as he made up his mind, lifting his weapon with shaking hands so that his left palm covered the hilt.

"_Nami kotogotoku, wa ga tate to nare_." He whispered.


	22. Juushirou vs Hollow

**Chapter Twenty One: Juushirou vs Hollow**

Sixth Squad were to investigate the incident in the stable yard.

As Shirogane made his way back towards his quarters, he contemplated his Captain's orders carefully, a faint flicker of both relief and malicious pleasure in his heart as he remembered the expressions of the inner court members as Guren had spoken. Seiren had looked stricken at the idea, he recalled - as though he knew that this meant his careful observation of his nephew was effectively at an end - but it had been Guren's faith in him and his ability that had soothed his ruffled spirits the most.

_Guren-sama still thinks I have a purpose in this Clan, whatever Seiren-dono is trying to persuade him of. That's something to hold onto, at the very least. Ryuu and Mitsuki might have gone back to District One now, but I never needed protection from either of them in the first place. To have their company was, I admit, not unpleasant. But this is my Clan and Guren-sama is my Captain. That has not changed. And for Ribari-sama's sake, I will do whatever I can. I'll prove to the Clan that I've recovered my wits and that I can find out the truth of what happened. _

He mounted the stairs two at a time, sauntering along the corridor with a little of his old swagger as he approached his quarters. As he did so, however, he paused, a frown touching his features as he realised that the door of the chamber was a little ajar.

_What...? I closed it. I know I closed it. So...what?_

He hesitated for a moment, debating what to do. Was someone inside his room? An agent of his Uncle, still trying desperately to find a way to bring him down?

Rage flooded briefly through him, but then he calmed himself, shaking his head.

Shibata had been outside the meeting room, Seiren had been inside. Shibata had not made to follow him back here, despite Seiren's instructions.

_If there had been some kind of ploy to raid my room on his orders, surely Shibata would have stood in my way. There's nothing that Uncle of mine doesn't plot in which Shibata wouldn't play a part - therefore I shouldn't jump to conclusions. I'm becoming paranoid - maybe Ryuu's words have made me paranoid. Still...I'm sure I left the door closed._

Cautiously and stealthily he crept up to the door, putting his hand gently against the wood as he listened for any sound of conversation inside. There was none, but just as he began to think the room was empty and he had been imagining things, he heard the faint rustle of paper and he set his teeth, flinging back the door with a bang.

A young girl stood in the middle of his room, a cluster of paper in her hand, and at his entry she swung around, her grip on the parchment slipping as she gazed at him in undisguised dismay. Shirogane stared at her, just as taken aback, for where he had expected to encounter an armed retainer, he instead found himself face to face with a maidservant, her blue eyes wide with fear as she gazed back at him.

For a brief instant, Shirogane had the impression they had met before, but he could not place it, and so instead he frowned, stalking across the room and grabbing her firmly by the arm. She did not resist him, but flinched at the tightness of his grip, and Shirogane had the impression that she saw him as a predator who had stalked and captured his prey.

"What are you doing?" He asked softly. "This isn't the normal time you clean this level, and even if it was, why are you going through my papers?"

The girl did not reply, and Shirogane gave her a little shake, his eyes narrowing.

"I asked a question." He said flatly. "Answer it, else I will take you to Guren-sama and have him pry the words out of you."

For a moment, he thought the girl was going to burst into tears, collapse or beg him for mercy. Then her eyes hardened, and to his surprise, she shook off his hold, offering him a faint smile. There was a slight flicker of humour in her expression, and Shirogane felt suddenly uneasy at her change in demeanour.

"That is no way to speak to the _hime_ of another Clan, Shirogane-dono." She said quietly, her words precise and even as she met his gaze. "Even one in exile who came here to help you."

"Help...me?" Shirogane stared at her blankly. "A maidservant...a _hime_...what are you talking about?"

The girl chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.

"The Kuchiki Clan are highly stupid." She said derisively. "No wonder one of your kin was so easily cut down by assassins."

"You know something about that?" Shirogane grabbed out for her once more, but somehow she evaded him, slipping her fingers beneath the collar of her maid's robes and producing a glittering pendant. At the sight of it, Shirogane faltered, his gaze becoming one of incredulity as he interpreted what it read.

"But...Kyou...raku?"

"Oh, so you do recognise emblems at least?" The girl was mocking him now, he knew that, yet Shirogane was too stricken to react. "That's something, I suppose. Yes. You're right. Kyouraku."

"Why do you have something like that? Dressed as a maidservant - who are you and what do you want?"

"I told you. I came here to help you." The girl's eyes became hard. "To stop you becoming the next victim of the assassins that are hunting your people down."

"What do you know?" Shirogane demanded. "Stop talking in riddles. Why are you here, in my chamber, going through my papers? Where did you get that pendant - who are you and what do you want?"

"I told you that already." The girl said derisively. "Kyouraku Nanaki. An exiled _hime _of the Kyouraku who came here to warn you."

"Warn me about what? And why? What have your Clan to do with mine?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Nanaki admitted freely. "But I have been in hiding here since my Father's death in District Eight at the end of the civil uprising between him and the lord Kyouraku - my cousin, Tokutarou. This crest proves it."

She slipped it from around her neck, holding it out so that Shirogane could see it more clearly.

"My father took his own life rather than be brought to justice, and I fled." She said softly. "But assassins followed me, so I left my District and took on a new life here in District Six. When Ribari-sama was cut down, I knew that those assassins had reached here. At first I thought it was me they were seeking - but then I learnt it was not. That they were targeting the blood of the Kuchiki - hence Ribari-sama was slain. You too are not safe, Shirogane-dono. Not you, nor your cousin Ryuu, nor any other of legitimate Kuchiki blood. So I came to warn you. Before more blood is spilt."

"Assassins." Shirogane swallowed hard, taking the pendant in his hand and examining it carefully. It was a well made example, he realised, engraved carefully with the emblem of the ruling Kyouraku and of good enough quality to be considered genuine. Yet there was something about it that made him uneasy all the same, and he frowned, turning it over.

"Sumomo?" He murmured, reading the kanji on the back. "Plum? What does that mean? Sumomo?"

"I thought Kuchiki _bocchan_ had a good working knowledge of all their characters." Nanaki said waspishly, taking the pendant back. "And if you want to spend all your time doubting me, then that's up to you. But my warning still stands. People are out to kill you. And you shouldn't sit back and let them - otherwise you might find your family in the same situation I was. Do you understand?"

Her eyes became slits, and Shirogane almost thought that they glowed beneath her thick dark lashes.

"Your life is dispensable." She said coldly. "Yours, Ribari-sama's, Ryuu-dono's - maybe even Guren-sama's. These people will stop at nothing to destroy you."

"And yet they are hunting you, but you aren't afraid of them?" Shirogane challenged. "You carry a pendant, but how can I believe you're not one of them? How do I know you didn't kill the person who owned that pendant - you are robed as a maid before me. How should I believe you are a _hime_?"

Nanaki frowned, then grabbed up a sheet of the discarded parchment, moving to the desk and dropping it down. Grabbing Shirogane's brush and sweeping it across the inkstone, she wrote four characters deftly and neatly across the expensive paper.

"Kyouraku Nanaki." She said quietly, picking up the sheet and thrusting it into his grip. "My name, and my proof. How many maidservants do you know who write pretty kanji? I am taking a good amount of risk to reveal myself to you, and yet even so you doubt me? I'm not the one you should mistrust. Your family is full of secrets, and as a maid, I've learnt most of them. You should beware of your Uncle - he more than anyone else would like to see _you_ dead."

Shirogane froze, staring at Nanaki in alarm, and she let out a soft chuckle.

"Well. So you _don't_ know, then? The secrets that lurk just beneath the surface of this Clan?"

"What about Seiren-dono? What do you think you know – tell me!" Despite himself a flicker of urgency surged in Shirogane's eyes and he reached out to grab her again, but once more she was too quick for him, darting neatly out of his reach.

"If you don't know, that's your weakness. Not mine." She said with a careless shrug. "This family is a web of secrets going back generations. Even a simple maidservant can find those things out if she dusts carefully and listens well."

"You've been spying on us!" Shirogane exclaimed, and Nanaki looked amused.

"Cleaning staff are low born, but have eyes and ears and can learn." She said with a shrug. "I don't have to spy on you or your companions in order to find things out. People are careless. Rooms are left unlocked. Documents are left lying about. Maids can't read Clan kanji, or so you people think – but I can. I do. And I have. For my own safety, I wanted to know what things were going on in this place – and I found out far more than I expected. Secrets about your _Uncle_, for example. Reasons why he might want you – _and_ your cousin Ribari-sama – to no longer exist."

Shirogane paled slightly, remembering Ryuu's words and expression when they had spoken in the library.

"**Because if it was here, and it no longer is here...that means...it is in someone else's possession. It might...be the reason Ribari-sama was killed. And...if you knew...you might become a target."**

**"But you would not?"** He heard his own voice echo the question, and then, like a deluge of icy water, Ryuu's uncertain reply.

**"I don't know. I don't know what's going on."**

_Seiren-ojisama._

Despite himself Shirogane felt doubts creeping into his own heart.

_Is that what Ryuu meant? Whatever it is he knew related to Seiren-ojisama? And that's why he wasn't sure he was a target. Because the only person Seiren-ojisama would definitely not betray is his own precious son. _

He bit his lip, not liking the direction in which his thoughts were heading.

_Did Ryuu find proof that indicated Seiren-dono might have conspired in Ribari-sama's murder? If he did…if he did then…then I understand why he didn't want to speak it aloud, or before Guren-sama without proof. Against his own father…but if that's what he found then…is that why Seiren-dono has turned on me so greatly in the last few days? _

He stared at Nanaki as if seeing her for the first time.

"It was _you_." He murmured. "_You _took that paper of Ryuu's from the Archive, didn't you?"

"Paper?" Nanaki's eyes became wide, and then she grinned. "I don't know what paper you're talking about, Shirogane-sama. I'm a maid, I'm not a thief. Even in exile, don't you think that _hime_ are above and beyond stealing things from other Clans?"

"I don't know anything about you or whether a single word you've told me is the truth." Shirogane's brows knitted together. "I don't know why you're here or why you're sharing this information with me at all, so you tell me."

"Or maybe you should look closer to home." Nanaki retorted sweetly, tilting her head on one side as she eyed him carefully. "I'm quite serious, you know. About what people can do when something really matters to them."

"But…"

"You shouldn't assume that just because assassins come from outside, nobody inside is working with them." Nanaki absorbed his expression, the continued. "A family will stoop to great depths to get what they want. Your Uncle wants his son to inherit, just like my Uncle Matsuhara wanted his son to inherit despite his Shiba blood. A man who killed his own wife, and then went to great lengths to ensure that my Father's children were all destroyed. I am the only one who yet survives."

Her eyes hardened, and for a moment Shirogane thought he saw real dislike in the girl's azure eyes.

"Kyouraku Tokutarou pretends to be a noble lord, and his brother the same." She murmured. "But their family is stooped in blood promises and murder, just like yours. Even now they would hunt me down – kill me, if they could – because I pose a threat to them and the perfect world they've sought to create for themselves. That's how Clans are – to protect their facades, they will do anything it takes, even kill. And the Kuchiki are the worst of them all. How much of this Clan is real and how much is false? I've been here a short time, really, but already I can see how rotten it is beneath the surface."

She shrugged her shoulders dismissively.

"You can ignore my warning if you like. I don't care, it doesn't matter at all to me. But if you do ignore it, don't regret it when you realise I'm right. Clansfolk kill to protect secrets, even those who share their blood. And to further their ambitions, there's nothing they won't stoop to. Keep that in mind before you judge me, Shirogane-sama – otherwise you might find yourself sacrificed next."

With that she was gone, the door shutting with a click behind her, and Shirogane sank down on the floor, the sheet of parchment still clutched in his hand.

_Kyouraku Nanaki._

He glanced at the paper once again, taking in the elegant, neat way the characters had been written. It was, he acknowledged to himself, not the writing style of a maidservant, but rather that of a nobleman's daughter who had been correctly and carefully educated to follow a particular path. Yet although she had held the pendant, spoken of the Kyouraku-ke and written her name so clearly and concisely, Shirogane felt ill at ease.

_Why come to me? _

He wondered, folding the parchment across and across again before slipping it into the folds of his obi.  
_  
Why risk her life to talk to me that way? Was she waiting for me? But I don't think she was. She looked frightened when I first entered. As though she had not intended to speak to me at all. So why did she? And more importantly, should I believe her?_

He flopped back onto the tatami mat, gazing up at the ceiling as he tried to make sense of what she had said.

_Something about this is wrong. Something I can't put my finger on, but something all the same. A hime with a hime's crest, a hime's turn of speech and a hime's skill with a brush...those things I can't dispute. The girl who spoke to me just then was no simple maidservant. But what she said...about Clan secrets, and assassins...and the Kyouraku-ke. Do I believe that? That Kyouraku Tokutarou, who is generally considered a reasonable and fair-minded man, would have somehow conspired with his father to destroy his Uncle's family in order to hold the Clan? I don't know enough about the Kyouraku as a family to know for sure. Some of what she said added up - I've heard before that Tokutarou-sama's Uncle was briefly Lord of the Kyouraku and that he took his own life following defeat in a civil dispute, just as she said. But...but..._

He rubbed his temples.

_And what has that to do with us? That there's an underground group of assassins working to the orders of influential Clansfolk? A group with the power to turn and change the political path of those families?_

His eyes narrowed as he remembered Ribari's final words.

_Gold eyes. Dark skin. The Shihouin. But do I believe that? That that Clan was dispatched in any way to conspire to destroy this one, after so many years? So many things about what she said trouble me, and so many don't add up.  
_  
He pulled himself to his feet, making up his mind.

_I'll go to the archive. If I recall correctly there should be records from the Council of Elders because all the Clans hold those - minutes of meetings held in times gone by. If that's the case, surely there I'll find out whether what she told me is true. And more, whether that crest she showed me really does belong to that line of the Clan. Her Father was a Lord of the Kyouraku, therefore that crest should appear in the Council records. If it does, then maybe...I can believe what she says. And if not...then I have another mystery on my hands._

_

* * *

_

So he had taken the bait.

From her alcove near to the servants' stairway, Nanaki watched Shirogane leave his chamber, an approving smile on her face.

_That was quick thinking on my part. I was told that I should seek to ally with either Shirogane or Seiren against the other - but when he burst in on me like that, I almost lost my composure. I didn't expect him to return so quickly - but thank goodness, I saved the situation._

She leant back against the wall, closing her eyes briefly.

_But this won't do...not like this. I've made Shirogane suspicious - either of me, or my story, or of his Uncle. But if he decides not to believe me, he could easily report me to someone and then I'd be in trouble. So I have to think again. I have to do something more._

Her fingers closed around the stolen pendant, a faintly malicious smile touching her lips.

_I can be a hime, and my knowledge of the Kyouraku is enough, thanks to the endless political disputes and my having visited their land at least once. Besides, I owe them some negative karma for the lies they told and the promises they broke two and a half years ago. A promise not to kill – a promise to protect. But instead, even now, we are hunted like outlaws and animals instead of being able to shelter even for a little while. If I damage the Kyouraku in the process, so what? I heard Tokutarou-dono say with his own words that his father killed his mother, and that information I'll put to good use. If it drives a wedge between the Kuchiki and the Kyouraku, so be it. The Kyouraku and the Shihouin are now Clan allies – so the connection is a convenient one in light of the fact we want to throw suspicion in the direction of District Two. Whether Shirogane trusts me or doubts me – the result is the same. There is still something else that I must do.  
_  
She sighed, absently smoothing down her rumpled maid's uniform. The fabric was rough against her delicate skin, but she was becoming used to it now. She was used to a lot more discomfort now, in fact, she reflected, a wry smile flickering at the corners of her lips. She had come a long way from the caged bird she had once been. People had underestimated her – but that was all right.

She glanced at her fingers. Though they were clean, the skin a little flaked from constant scrubbing, she knew that in reality they were stained. Stained with blood and conviction that would never be erased. Yet instead of being troubled by this fact, she felt faintly comforted by it. She had a purpose, now. She understood who she was and why she was here. And she would do her utmost to complete the orders given to her, even if that meant putting her life in danger.

_What I learnt in District Eight should be enough I hope, to make me seem authentic. When I was there, nobody seemed to mind what I heard or what was said around me, and I have a good memory for detail when there's a purpose behind it all. Besides, __**he's **__relying on me to do things properly. So I will. I'll act while I have the momentum, and tackle the other half of the equation myself._

She reached down to touch her _obi,_ remembering the precious sheet of parchment she had taken from the room and then returned there with an added flourish, before Shirogane had arrived.

_Unfortunately for you, Shirogane-dono, I already managed to spend a good amount of time in your room before you entered. And now I'm going to go stir up the enemy camp. Because although having you as an ally might be interesting, I think more power lies on the other side of the equation._

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

_I know more about Seiren-dono. And therefore I think...maybe...he will believe me more readily._

She slipped further into the shadow of the alcove as a couple of other maidservants passed by, glancing at her arms thoughtfully as she did so. Shirogane had grabbed her, sure enough, but his hold had not been enough to inflict bruising on her body, and she tut-tutted softly, realising that she would have to take matters into her own hands.

Deftly she reached up to rip the fabric of her maid's uniform so that the pendant fell carelessly loose around her throat, then, very purposefully, she raised her left hand to her right arm, bringing her nails down the soft pale flesh with an involuntary wince. She did not falter, however, repeating the action until she had drawn blood, and then smearing some of the red substance against her clothing to simulate the signs of a struggle.

Moving to the top of the stairs, she took a deep breath, swallowing hard to gather her courage. Then, saying an inward prayer for help to her missing mentor, she closed her eyes, allowing her body to drop forwards and roll down the eight or nine steps to the middle landing. She landed with a heavy thump, her head jarring and her body aching all over, but as she picked herself up, she realised that she had not done any serious damage, and she clasped her hands together in relief, scrambling to her feet.

_Faking an assault is a heavy business. I don't think I'll do it again any time soon. But at least these bruises have a purpose...now to use them to my best advantage._

Wincing slightly, she made her way carefully down the serving stairs towards Seiren's office, slipping open the servant's door and stepping cautiously inside. The room was empty, but a green wooden box lay unsealed on the desk, and curiously Nanaki tiptoed towards it, lifting the lid carefully and removing the scroll that lay curled up inside. With a quick glance to the door to make sure she would not be disturbed, she unrolled it, skimming over the contents thoughtfully.

_So your plans to give your son the succession are progressing. That's fine. That's what we expected._

She gave a little nod, putting the scroll back and replacing the box lid carefully.

_It gives you the perfect motive to make people suspicious of you - Shirogane's reactions just now are proof that he mistrusts you, and I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to make others mistrust you. But for now, I want to make you my ally. Therefore..._

She stepped away from the desk, dropping down into the middle of the floor and screwing up her eyes until tears pricked at them.

_I want to be the most pitiful young maiden you ever did see, Seiren-dono, when you return from your meeting. I've been trusted with a mission - and I won't fail it._

_

* * *

_

The rain continued to beat down in the forest clearing as Juushirou's body became enveloped in an eerie bluish glow. As his _zanpakutou_ began to morph from one blade into the two distinctive lightning rods that made up Sougyo no Kotowari's released form, he felt a surge of adrenalin race through his drenched body, and he swallowed hard, struggling to hold back the bulk of his _reiryoku_ so that his weapon did not explode extra energy into the surrounding area. He was all too aware that Tsunemori was still cowering beneath the branches of one of the sturdy elm trees, possibly hurt and in either case unable to move or run from the location. Yet he could not hesitate in facing the threat the Hollow posed. Even if his released reiatsu dazed the boy, he would have to take the risk.

At the sudden flare in Juushirou's power, the Hollow let out a groaning cry, shaking its head in confusion as it drew back slightly. Juushirou darted forward, blades raised as he sought to take advantage of the beast's momentary hesitation, and as he slashed and swung his twin weapons against the creature's thick, greyish skin he felt a sudden sense of relief – for where he had been unable to break the Hollow's hide before, now Sougyo no Kotowari's razor sharp edge sliced cleanly through to the soft tissue beneath.

But this Hollow was not a weakling, and nor was it about to give up without a fight. With a tremendous scream it pounded its feet hard on the floor of the forest, sending the earth shaking and trees rocking as it rallied itself for another attack. With a jolt Juushirou realised his attack had been too shallow – that though he had intended on severing both front limbs, all he had achieved was to wound the beast – and probably to anger it all the more.

_At least, though, its attention is on me and not on Tsukabishi._

Juushirou gritted his teeth, fighting to keep his rising _reiryoku_ under his control as the monster lowered its head back in his direction, letting rip another burst of hot pungent air that almost made him gag. He stumbled slightly under the sudden blast, digging his left blade into the ground to steady himself as he swung his right blade towards the Hollow's masked face. It glanced off the edge of the white surface, but just as Juushirou thought he had not managed to make a dent, a fine, hairline fracture appeared across the creature's mandible, and it let out a terrific roar of anger, wheeling its left claw across in a swift, sweeping movement to knock Juushirou back.

The assault had come suddenly and unexpectedly, and Juushirou had had no time to react before the broad paw of the beast struck him across the chest, sending him flying back into the undergrowth. As he lay there for a moment, dazed and winded, he heard the roar of the monster as it turned its attention back to its original target, and Juushirou was aware of Tsunemori's frightened, hysterical screams.

_**Juushirou, get up. You have to get up.**_

You's voice ricocheted across his senses and he winced, bringing his left hand up to touch his bruised chest even as he used the right blade to haul himself to his feet. Though the monster's claws had not touched him, the blow had struck his weak spot, and he took a tentative breath of air into his lungs, half afraid that he was going to choke and cough blood.

_**You have to get up. The boy is in danger.**_

You's voice was unrelenting and urgent, pushing at his senses and Juushirou forced back the sense of fear and pain that had rattled through him, tightening his grasp on his weapon as he focused his spiritual wits on Tsunemori's reiatsu. It was not hard to do, for the boy was terrified and flaring his aura all over the surrounding area, but even as he forced his stiff, rainsoaked body into shunpo, Juushirou realised that it was also because of something else.

Tsunemori was physically weak and easily intimidated, but he was also in possession of a fairly significant level of spirit power.

And right now that was more a hindrance than a help to the terrified child, for Juushirou knew that it was that unchecked aura that had drawn the Hollow's interest back to where the First year was trapped against the tree.

_But this is all my fault. This whole thing happened because of me – somehow, it's my fault._

Juushirou focused his thoughts, dropping out of the flash-step a few feet in front of Tsunemori and making the already jittery boy jump with the suddenness of his appearance. The Hollow too seemed slightly put out, for it rattled its head against the trees before letting out a bellow of indignation, reaching up to claw Juushirou out of the way. Juushirou was wise to the action this time, though, reaching up to parry the attack with first his right blade and then, as he steadied his footing, his left, and as he sliced through the fingers of the Hollow's attacking paw he heard the soft thump of the digits as they fell to the ground then disintegrated into a cloud of black _reiryoku_.

But the battle was still far from over, and Juushirou knew that his control over his own reiatsu was slipping fast. If he released it to its full level, he knew that he could probably take down the Hollow and quickly, too. But his junior still cowered behind him, and Juushirou was old enough now to know that releasing his spirit power fully in the confined copse could do Tsunemori more damage than it would help.

_Reiatsu control is something I learnt from the First year. I can do it now – but because Tsukabishi is frightened, he's forgotten all thought of how to do it himself. So right now, to the Hollow, he's more attractive a target than I am. But I can't protect him by releasing more of my spirit power – probably I'd just poison him, or do damage to myself. I have to focus and think this through. Remember what we've done in practice sessions – how to take the Hollow down without letting the kid get hurt._

"Senpai! Senpai!" Tsunemori was beyond coherence now, it seemed, his eyes huge and tears mingled with the rain streaming down mud-stained cheeks. "Senpai, the Hollow! _The Hollow_!"

Juushirou turned his attention back to the battle hurriedly, his eyes widening as he saw the monster's tremendous jaws open wider than ever. Something ominous and red glittered at the back of the beast's throat, and for a moment Juushirou wasn't sure what he was seeing, for the driving rain made it hard to focus and the flickering lightning continued to bath the landscape in brief flashes of silver light.

But then he felt the change in the monster's spirit pressure, and he understood.

_Cero._

His heart stilled in his chest for a brief moment, as fear paralysed his body. Though he knew In'you was trying to speak to him, he could not hear anything but a fuzzy murmur as terror took hold of his senses, urging him to take to his heels and run.

He had never faced a cero before, though he had heard plenty of times in classroom lectures about how it was the ultimate attack wielded by a Hollow in battle. It was their equivalent of Kidou – the deadly red flare of energy that burnt through Shinigami and, on occasion, seared the life and spirit right out of their bodies, leaving nothing behind but charred scraps of fabric and a lingering trace of reiatsu. Genryuusai had warned them about the danger of this attack many times in their Sakusen classes, and they had even written long reports on ways to counter an angry Hollow launching its most deadly attack.

But at that moment Juushirou's mind was a complete blank.

The Hollow shook its head against the trees once more, sending a few branches flying down towards where Tsunemori was huddled, and he screamed, covering his head to try and protect himself from their sharp, splintered ends. This seemed to jerk Juushirou back to where he was and what he was doing, and he steadied himself, forcing his body to take deep breaths of air into battered lungs as he faced the situation head on.

_**You almost panicked – I thought we lost you there.**_

You sounded reproachful.

_**Juushirou, use us to defend you. You know what we can do – use us.**_

That was In, and as coherent thought trickled back across Juushirou's senses, he nodded, raising his blades resolutely as the Hollow let the Cero rip.

It was a concentrated, dense burst of red hot power, laced with something dark and tainted and as it scalded against Sougyo no Kotowari's left blade Juushirou gasped, his feet sliding on the wet ground as he struggled to hold his stance. He closed his eyes tightly, his brow screwed up in concentration as he focused on absorbing the terrible flare into the glittering metal. Pain rocketed through his chest as he felt his spirit power rise naturally to meet the invading sensation of the Hollow's dark energy, but somehow he controlled it, forcing himself to take even, deep breaths of the damp air into his lungs.

As he did so, the iridescent ribbon of energy that tied the two weapons permanently together began to shimmer, the silver links shifting and vibrating as the Cero's evil energy rippled through them, and Juushirou tightened his hold, desperately trying to keep the surge of power within his control. One slip, he knew, and it could explode into the surrounding atmosphere, probably taking down the Hollow but almost certainly destroying the copse and potentially killing Tsunemori into the bargain.

It seemed forever before the Cero's dark core penetrated Sougyo no Kotowari's second blade, but really it was only a matter of seconds between the blast having been absorbed and the moment when Juushirou lifted his right arm into the air, turning his wrist so that the flat of the right hand weapon was facing directly towards the monster's lowered head.

The next instant the blast of power broke forth from Sougyo's right blade, searing through the air and hitting the confused Hollow head on, blasting a hole through its white mask and sending fragments of powdery white jaw and skull into the ether. There was a sudden glow of bright light, then the Hollow disintegrated into black mist, and Juushirou let out a heavy sigh, reaching up absently to brush the specks of blood and dirty rain from his chin.

"Senpai!" Tsunemori's plaintive call reminded him that he had not come to the forest in the first place to fight a Hollow, and he sealed his _zanpakutou_, sliding it quickly back into its sheath before dropping his heavy body down at the young boy's side.

"Tsukabishi-kun." He managed, then, "Are you hurt?"

The boy stared at him for a moment, his teeth chattering as a chill wind whipped through the somewhat devastated clearing, and Juushirou sighed, unfastening his heavy cloak's clasp and lifting it carefully so that it spread over Tsunemori's shoulders.

"You're as wet as I am, so it won't help much." He said apologetically. "But at least its something."

"Sen…pai." Tsunemori gulped, then he burst into fresh floods of tears, burying his head in Juushirou's shoulder as his emotions and his terror overwhelmed his young body. Juushirou slipped a comforting arm around the youngster, patting him gently on the back.

"It's all right. The Hollow is gone." He said quietly, his words faintly hoarse yet full of relief. "Sougyo and I, we took it down. So you needn't be afraid. It's all right."

Tsunemori raised tear-filled eyes at this, meeting Juushirou's gaze with a hopeless one of his own.

"You saved me." He whispered. "When I…but I…"

"Shh. Not now." Juushirou shook his head. "Right now you said you were stuck, and it's not nice out here. So we need to get you out."

"I c...can't." Tsunemori glanced down at his feet, and Juushirou saw that his companion had slipped on the wet surface, his right foot becoming hooked under the protruding root of a tree. As he put his fingers tentatively against the ankle, Tsunemori winced, and Juushirou drew his hand back, a troubled expression on his face.

"You hurt it going in?"

Tsunemori nodded.

"I couldn't get out, and then, trying, I…I fell on it again…and it hurts."

He swallowed hard.

"Senpai, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I c…caused so much trouble. I'm sorry."

"I told you. Later, not now." Juushirou said gently. "I want to get you free of this first. Anything else can wait."

He eyed the youngster keenly.

"I think I can cut the root with Sougyo's sealed blade, but I want you to stay absolutely still." He added. "Do you think you can do that? It will come quite close to your foot, and I don't want to cut you by mistake."

"I'll try." An involuntary shiver ran through Tsunemori's body. "I'm so c…cold, so I…d…don't know. But I'll…try."

"Okay. You try." Juushirou forced himself to stand up, pulling his _zanpakutou_ once more from its sheath and putting the edge of the weapon carefully against the thinnest point on the tree's twisted root. "Just stay exactly as you are now – don't move at all. I'll try and be as quick as I can – and then you'll be free."

Tsunemori closed his eyes, clenching his fists and screwing up his face as he fought to control his shivers, and Juushirou smiled despite himself, bringing Sougyo no Kotowari's sharp edge down against the old root. The sealed blade had not been able to penetrate the hide of the Hollow easily, but an old stretch of wood posed no challenge and it sliced through it cleanly. Tsunemori let out a little gasp as the wood's pressure against his leg lifted, and Juushirou bent to pull back the remainder of the root, tossing it away into the undergrowth.

"There." He murmured. "Is that better?"

"Mm." Tsunemori reached down to rub the joint, wincing again as he did so, and Juushirou sighed, sheathing his weapon for the second time. As he did so, lightning split the sky again, highlighting the torn edge of Tsunemori's _hakama_ and the shredded _tabi _beneath and for the first time the Senior could see clearly how red and swollen the youngster's ankle was.

"No wonder you couldn't get free." He murmured. "You're not going to be able to walk on that, are you? No…worse. You shouldn't even be asked to. It might be broken – I'm not a healer and I can't tell clearly whether it is or not. But I'm pretty sure you shouldn't stand up on it. We're a long way from school, though, so how to get you back…"

"I don't…want to go…b…back." Tsunemori shook his head anxiously. "Please, S…Senpai. I don't w…want to…"

He shivered, suppressing a sneeze, and Juushirou bit his lip.

"You're coming back with me." He said quietly. "Out here isn't safe – haven't you already seen that for yourself?"

"But…after what I did…" Tsunemori whispered. "Nobody will ever forgive me, and…and…"

"Someone put you up to it, didn't they?" Juushirou could see that putting off the subject any longer would not work, for the desperate hopelessness in the young boy's eyes told him that at last Tsunemori was reaching out for help. "To go to my room and take my sword – someone made you do that, didn't they?"

Tsunemori's eyes became frightened, and Juushirou nodded.

"It's all right. I'm not cross with you, and I have no intention of telling Sensei that you went through my things." He said evenly. "My sword is safe, and nothing worse came of it. But I do want to get to the bottom of why it happened. And I do want to make sure you're safe and sound back at school. You're hurt and you're freezing and you need someone to look at that foot. So we're going to go back – before people get even more worried than they already are about you."

"Nobody will worry about me." Tsunemori murmured, and Juushirou snorted.

"Of course they will. They already are, so don't be silly." He said pragmatically, though in truth he too was beginning to feel the effects of the cold, damp weather. "_I _worried about you, so I came looking. So did two of my friends – which reminds me, I must tell them that I found you. I don't think I can carry you myself – but Shunsui probably can, and I know they'll come if I call them here."

He raised his hands to the sky, hoping that he had enough spirit power in him still to fire the spell.

"Senpai?" Tsunemori looked confused, and Juushirou closed his eyes, murmuring the words of the spell and forcing the last of his _reiryoku_ to obey his command.

"_Hadou no Sanjuu Ichi: Shakkahou!_" He whispered, and a sudden blaze of red energy shot between the branches of the tree above them, glittering like a firework in the sodden night air.

It had stopped raining, Juushirou realised absently, as he watched the fire spell explode cleanly among the clouds. He had not even realised that the deluge had stopped, for he was already far too wet to register the change. But the storm was passing, and for that he was grateful – much as he loved the thunder and lightning, he knew that sheltering beneath a tree in a thunderstorm was never a good idea.

"Kidou…" Tsunemori murmured, and Juushirou realised that the young boy's gaze had also traced the pattern of the spell into the sky. "Senpai…will I ever be able to fire a spell like that?"

"Without a doubt." Juushirou offered him a crooked smile, lowering his hands. "I learnt to do that in First year, and so you'll learn it very soon."

Tsunemori sighed, bringing his knees up to his chest with some difficulty and wrapping his arms around them in a defensive pose.

"I like Kidou." He whispered. "But Kazoe-sensei…is often cross. Uebashi-sensei too. And…and…"

He faltered, shaking his head, and Juushirou could see fresh tears forming in his eyes. Despite himself he felt a pang of guilt as he looked at the young boy.

"Obviously there are a lot of things that have been going on and I've not been aware of them." He said apologetically. "And we will talk about them, Tsukabishi-kun. I'm sorry…I feel like I've let you down in some way, but I'll do better from now on, I promise."

"Sen...pai?"

"Please don't give up – on the Academy or on your own ability." Juushirou added gently. "Because I can tell already that you aren't weak – anything you want to achieve, I believe you can do it."

"M...mother used to say things like that." Tsunemori's words were almost indistinguishable and he sank back against Juushirou's body, exhaustion finally getting the better of him.

"Don't go to sleep. You're cold, and it's not good." Juushirou said sharply. "If you're tired, it can wait till we're back somewhere safer. If another Hollow comes because of my spell or our fight, we have to be alert."

_Though I don't think I can fight another battle like the last one. I'm struggling to keep awake myself._

He smiled wryly, reaching up to rub his chest.

_I suppose there's still a lot of things I need to learn about what to do when faced with a situation like that one. Sensei might yet be cross with me too - but right now I just want to go back to school. Even if I'm yelled at, or demoted, or anything else happens because I released my sword out here without permission. I don't care. So long as I'm safe and Tsukabishi-kun is safe…I don't mind._

"Juu!"

Shunsui's voice cut through his thoughts at that moment and he swung around, his arm still clutched protectively around the shivering First year. Relief coursed through his body as he saw his friend, then a moment later, Hirata appear on the scene, his glasses misted and his hair slicked back from the rain but both clearly unharmed.

"I found him." He said unnecessarily, and Shunsui frowned, crouching down at the boy's side.

"So you did." He remarked flippantly, though his eyes were serious. "Hey, Tsukabishi! You've led us on a wild chase – do you think we can go home now?"

"The rain has stopped at least." Hirata held out his hand, glancing up at the sky. "Though it hardly matters when we're all soaked through."

His gaze flitted to Juushirou, and the District boy could see his friend's concern beneath the fogged up glasses.

"You were fighting." His words were almost reproachful. "You released Sougyo – I felt it."

"Me too." Shunsui agreed. "I was about to come and lend a hand when I felt the Hollow's reiatsu disappear."

"I didn't have much choice." Juushirou coughed, putting his hand to his chest for a moment, then, "It came at me – it was after Tsukabishi-kun first of all and he'd trapped his foot. But we handled it. Just he can't walk – and I don't think I can carry him back on my own."

He coughed again, and Shunsui's brows knitted together.

"No, you're not even going to try." He said decidedly. "You being soaked through is worse than us being soaked through, so let me carry the kid and let Hirata help you get back to school. You used a lot of your _reiryoku_, I can tell – and Sensei will probably want to know why, so you'd do better saving your protests for then instead of for me."

Juushirou, who had opened his mouth to refute his friend's suggestion stopped, then sent Shunsui a rueful grin.

"I called you here so you could carry Tsukabishi-kun, actually." He said frankly. "Because I'm not as strong as you are when it comes to things like that."

"He's half-asleep." Hirata murmured. "Tsukabishi-kun? You can't rest here. It's dangerous to fall asleep when you're so cold and wet – open your eyes properly, will you?"

Tsunemori blinked, bringing Hirata into focus, and the other boy smiled, patting him gently on the shoulder.

"Shunsui-kun is going to carry you back to school." He said quietly. "And then Unohana-sensei can look at your hurt leg. You can change and have a hot bath – then you'll feel much better."

"But Anideshi…" Tsunemori swivelled around as best he could on the wet ground to meet Juushirou's gaze. "Anideshi, what about…"

"I'm fine. Hirata and I will be right behind you." Juushirou assured him. "Don't look so worried! Everything will be all right. But before the rain begins again, it's better we get moving."

He stifled a cough, suppressing a shiver as it ran through his thin frame.

"I could use a bath myself, I think." He murmured. "I'm covered in mud and soaked to the bone."

"That could go for all of us." Shunsui hoisted Tsunemori up into his arms with a sigh. "You know, I've said it before, but heaving around incapacitated males really isn't an interest of mine. Next time, can you scare some damsels into the forest instead? They'd be much more fun to chase after."

Tsunemori's eyes became big with bewilderment at Shunsui's playful words, and despite himself, Juushirou laughed.

"Tsukabishi-kun, you'd do better not to listen to anything silly Shunsui says between now and getting back to school." He said dryly, inwardly grateful to his friend for lightening the mood. "He's obviously had a bit too much rainwater gather between his ears and its starting to affect his thinking."

"That's nice, when we came out to help you." Shunsui tut-tutted. "Hirata, I'll leave him to you. The squirt and I are heading back to school via the quick route – if Juu can shunpo, you guys follow – if not, I'll make sure to leave a gate open on my way in."

"I can shunpo." Juushirou assured him, but Shunsui was already gone, and Hirata shot him a concerned look.

"You're white as a ghost, Juushirou-kun." He said quietly. "No…blue around the edges would be a better way of putting it. You should have called us sooner – there was a big gap between you fighting the Hollow and your Kidou flare."

"Did I worry you? I'm sorry." Juushirou looked penitent. "I didn't mean to. Only Tsukabishi-kun was very scared, and his foot was trapped…and I didn't think about firing the Kidou until after I realised he wasn't going to be able to walk. I wanted to bring him back myself, Hirata…but I really couldn't."

He coughed, pulling a face as his chest began to protest from its earlier bruising.

"It wasn't an easy Hollow. So I guess I used more strength than I expected. But sitting for a moment then has helped – so I can shunpo back if nothing else."

"Then let's go." Hirata looked doubtful, but to Juushirou's relief he didn't complain. "I'm not sure how long we've been out – but I suspect we'll have some questions to answer when we do get back."

"No. _I _will. Not you or Shunsui." Juushirou said simply. "I'm Anideshi and this was my call. If there's trouble for it, I'll deal with it."

"I don't think Shunsui-kun will be any more satisfied with that answer than I am, but I'm not going to waste time arguing with you right at the moment." Hirata said with a sigh. "It's cold out here, and I'm wet through too."

Juushirou nodded his head, steadying his spirit power before slipping into shunpo. As he dropped out of the flash-step outside the school's infirmary, he found that not only Shunsui and Tsunemori but also Retsu and, with a sinking heart he registered the Headmaster too awaiting their return. The school around them was dark and silent, and Juushirou realised that they had not only missed dinner, but that all the students were now safely in bed.

All of them, that is, except for three Seniors and one bedraggled First year.

"Is this all of you?" Genryuusai's words were quiet and even, but Juushirou found the hairs prickling at the back of his neck as he struggled to meet the Headmaster's gaze. Slowly he nodded, and Genryuusai's lips twitched together beneath the heavy bristles of his moustache as if ascertaining something for himself.

"Tsukabishi Tsunemori is in bed." He said softly. "Tonight he will remain here under the care of Retsu-dono, who will see to his bad leg and the shock and exposure he seems to have experienced roaming wild in the forest. I don't know why he was there – and nor did any of his worried classmates when they came to report to me that he didn't come to the evening meal or to their dormitory for bed. Tomorrow I will speak to him fully, I imagine – but one thing I _did _glean from the First years who came to see me. That a Senior student had been asking questions about the boy earlier this evening."

"That was me, Sensei." Shunsui said gravely. "Because we were concerned about…about his whereabouts."

"I see." Genryuusai cast his gaze between the trio. "Well, for the time being, you are all drowned rats and more sorry examples of Senior students I have never had the misfortune to see. Go to the bath-house, all three of you – wash, change and tidy yourselves into something that better resembles members of my top class. Then I would like you all to come to my office."

"Tonight, sir?" Hirata's eyes widened, and Genryuusai nodded.

"It is already late. A little later won't matter – I know that you have no early class tomorrow morning." He said calmly. "The midnight hour has been and gone, and curfew is long behind us, so I'm sure you aren't in a position to complain about staying up a little longer."

"Sir, I think…Hirata is worried…about…" Shunsui faltered, his gaze resting on Juushirou for a brief moment, and despite himself the white-haired boy felt a flash of indignant pride rush through his weary, frozen body.

"I'm quite all right, as it happens." He said frankly. "Certainly well enough to report before you this evening, Sensei. Hirata, Shunsui – let's go do as he says. The longer we argue about it, the longer our night will be."

With that he bowed his head before Genryuusai and Retsu, then withdrew from the Healing Bay, hoping that his composure would not falter until he had got beyond their solemn gazes.

"He's not happy." As they made their way down the halls towards the Senior bathhouse, it was Shunsui who broke the oppressive silence. "Juu, you can't take this all onto your head. We don't know, yet, what drove that little idiot to act quite like this, but either way, it isn't your fault. You can't take responsibility for something that you didn't trigger."

"You're wrong, though." Juushirou said quietly. "I am Anideshi, Shunsui. I did trigger it, just through that fact. Whether I hurt anyone directly or not, I don't know. Maybe I have, maybe not. But by being Anideshi, I caused Tsukabishi-kun to be bullied and scared into doing something drastic."

"The way Sensei looked just then, though…" Hirata shivered. "Juushirou-kun, Shunsui-kun is right. You can't take all of the blame for what happened this evening. Not even as Anideshi."

"Hirata and I followed you because we wanted to, not because you told us to." Shunsui added. "Sensei's wise enough to see that, hence we're all already in some kind of trouble. As for the runt, well, someone put him up to stealing your _zanpakutou_ and he panicked. That's all. Going to rescue him wasn't the wrong decision, and the real people to blame are the Fifth years that drove him to that desperate point."

Juushirou was silent for a moment, then he sighed, nodding his head.

"I'm supposed to set an example. To District children most of all." He said quietly. "But tonight in the forest, the Hollow scared me. I released my sword because I didn't see how to fight it without doing that – then found myself stuck because I couldn't flare my reiatsu without risking hurting the person I went to save. I didn't think that battle through at all well – and I broke all kinds of rules doing it. I could have handled it better…in the end, if there's blame, it's really mine."

He stretched his hands over his head.

"Releasing a _zanpakutou_ without licence and putting others in danger isn't just a breach of Academy rules, it's a breach of Council law." He added regretfully. "And after our adventures in First year, it's not a law I can pretend I don't know. I was outside the school grounds, so that law applies just as much to me as it does to anyone else. The reason why I was there is not important – its how I handled the situation that is."

"If you hadn't released Sougyo, what would have happened then?" Hirata asked softly. "To you and to Tsukabishi-kun? What would have happened?"

"I don't know." Juushirou admitted. "But that answer won't sound very acceptable before Genryuusai-sensei."

He coughed, wincing slightly as his chest spasmed and ached, and Shunsui shot him a troubled glance.

"And you hurt yourself in the process, didn't you?" He demanded. "Fighting that thing – you were hurt."

"Not hurt. Just winded. But it's my weakness and it shook me." Juushirou rubbed his ribcage gingerly. "I'll feel better when I'm bathed and in dry clothes, I think. And Tsukabishi-kun is safe. That's the main thing."

But, as he remembered the look in Genryuusai's eyes, Juushirou realised that he was genuinely afraid of the meeting in the old man's study. That even if he was clean, warm and dry and properly kitted out in fresh uniform, it wouldn't shake the dark, lurching sensation in the pit of his stomach.

_Still, I won't let him blame Hirata or Shunsui. They broke curfew, but they didn't break any laws. That was me. Just me. I'll make sure Sensei knows that._

Surrepticiously he cast a glance at each of his companions, then,

_Their clans need them. As for me…I don't know what it will mean. But I'm Anideshi, so I'll take the blame. That's how it works, isn't it? Even if it means I've failed Sensei's challenge. This was my decision…and I'll face it, regardless of the consequences._


	23. Nanaki's Gambit

**Chapter Twenty Two: Nanaki's Gambit**

"This meeting is adjourned."

Guren got to his feet, offering his companions a tired nod of the head as he gestured for them to withdraw. One by one they did so, offering their bow to the head of the Clan before leaving the chamber, and soon only Seiren and Guren remained in the spacious council chamber that had been used by generations of Kuchiki going back as far as Clan records did.

Seiren stood, pausing as he met his brother's gaze, and at his look, Guren sighed, shaking his head.

"I know you are not happy." He said quietly. "But I have made my decision, Seiren. I know you want your son's claim to be acknowledged, and I had intended to made a firm statement about that tonight. But events yesterday have made me more cautious. I won't risk more young lives - please understand that."

"You haven't ruled out the idea of Shirogane inheriting this family, have you?" Seiren's question was a direct one, and Guren started, then shrugged his shoulders.

"That would mean a change in the Clan's laws." He said wearily. "As you well know, to achieve that I would have to have a majority vote among all the Clan landholders. I'm not oblivious, Seiren. I know that you've spoken or written already to almost every one of them asking them to back Ryuu's claim."

"Oniisama?" Seiren looked startled, and Guren nodded.

"I would have acted the same in your place." He admitted. "Therefore I have said nothing about it. I do know, however, that you have had many favourable responses."

"This evening I received the last." Seiren agreed. "Not a single one of the communications I've received indicate any plan to oppose Ryuu as your heir. Therefore I had assumed it to be a formality."

He sighed.

"Guren-sama, I must speak with you frankly about Shirogane." He said quietly. "You asked me to observe him, and so I have. You believe him to be well now, but I don't see that as being the case. I have never heard him speak with such reckless abandon as he has done since Ribari-sama's unfortunate death. I think...there is a very real danger that the effects of whatever poisoned him have lingered in his system longer than we thought."

"You dislike Shirogane because you see him as competition for Ryuu." Guren replied levelly. "On those grounds, Seiren, it's difficult for me to know how much faith to put in your opinion. I trust you - I have trusted you ever since Father died and you have never let me down, not once. But I know that Ryuu is everything to you in terms of the future. When Ribari was born, you accepted him as my heir. I think you were the first to do so - to bow down and acknowledge a newborn as your future Lord. I was happy, then - because I knew you put the Clan ahead of your own hopes for your son. But now those old wounds are open once more. Masane is not here to see it, and nor is my own wife. But I am...and it pains me."

"I do not like Shirogane." Seiren admitted. "And I never much have. But the issue of the succession is a matter of bloodline, nothing else. The Kuchiki have always defined status on the father's bloodline. Yet Shirogane's was designated on his mother's at Masane's request. You...well, I admit, I also - were always soft on her. We always gave her her way. But he is not...the same as Ryuu. Even if Masane had been a brother, even then..."

"You are right, of course." Guren nodded. "Ryuu's bloodline is correct. And I have not refused him as my heir, either. Seiren, I need to know him first. I have never had that chance - your son has never been as much in my line of sight as Masane's. I want to know who Ryuu is before I name him. _And_ that he can take this job on. You are his father - you know him, and you have insight that I don't. But because Father trusted this Clan to me - I can't betray that trust. I have to be absolutely sure in my successor before I can name him as the next head of the Kuchiki. You understand that too, don't you? Even as a father who wants his son to succeed."

Seiren sighed, nodding his head.

"Yes. I understand. And I accept it." He said reluctantly. "I know you're right - Father would have wanted you to be sure. And I know Ryuu, so I know you will be able to gain that knowledge, too. He is a good candidate, Guren-niisama. Please do not discard him lightly."

"On the contrary, I do not intend to discard him at all." Guren smiled faintly, reaching out to rest his hand on his brother's arm. "I intend to do my utmost to reach a position where I can accept your son as my heir. The Kuchiki would rest easier that way, and so that is my intention. You should trust me too - as I trust you."

"I will." Seiren returned the smile with a hesitant one of his own. "I'm glad we spoke about it, then. I wanted to know your mind - and now I am put somewhat at ease. But even so, Niisama, my worries about Shirogane..."

He faltered, then,

"I am concerned about behaviour of his - both openly and behind closed doors." He said softly. "I do not speak as an ambitious father, now, but as a worried member of your inner court. Several times I have had the impression he knows something - perhaps remembers something - from the night Ribari-sama died. He has just chosen not to speak about it. He is more prone to losing his temper, too. And...I don't feel that, at present, he is acting entirely on his usual wits."

"Then I will take your concern and reflect on it." Guren promised. "You are right - he has seemed more quick to react of late than I have known him before. But I had put it down to frustration over being so deprived of action. Now he has a job and I believe he will carry that out. He is my Vice Captain - whatever else he is not. And I trust him, Seiren. My son did too. If Shirogane can help find justice for Ribari - then I believe he will settle down."

"I hope you are right." Seiren bowed his head, knowing that he could not raise the subject of the letters before his brother without explaining in detail the cryptic threats contained in their words. "Thank you, Oniisama. Good night."

"Good night." Guren acknowledged the gesture with one of his own.

"Seiren-sama?"

As Seiren withdrew from the court chamber, Shibata shot him a quizzical look, and Seiren started, eying him in surprise.

"Shibata? But...you did not follow Shirogane?"

"No, sir." Shibata shook his head apologetically, falling into step with his companion as they made the short journey back through the winding halls to Seiren's well-positioned and generously appointed study. "I know you instructed me so, sir, and I apologise. But he was cast from the chamber on Guren-sama's instruction - and I did not feel I could overrule that. I thought...I understood that...Guren-sama had ended our observation of him. And so..."

"For now, I suppose, it's all right." Seiren sighed, rubbing his temples. "The meeting was a little more complicated than I thought, but I am still confident that Guren-niisama understands what must happen next. He has said to me that he intends on trying to reach a point where naming Ryuu as his heir is possible. I will keep faith with that and try and get on with my other duties in the meantime. You too, Shibata."

"Yes, sir."

"In the meantime, we know we have the support of the influential Kuchiki - even Kinnya-ojisama." Seiren mused. "And that will help my brother form his opinion."

He looked sheepish.

"This is important to me." He admitted. "More even than I realised it was. But..."

"Seiren-dono, I beg your pardon for interrupting, but please, stand back." Shibata held out his hand suddenly, darting in front of his companion and approaching the study cautiously. "I think...I heard something coming from inside. Someone is here...please, be careful."

"Someone?" Seiren's fingers slipped automatically towards the expensively crafted _katana_ that hung at his waist, even as Shibata pushed back the door, leading the way inside. Now he could hear it too - but it was not a sound of aggression but instead the soft sobbing of a young girl.

"What the...?"

As he stepped into the study, Seiren saw the pitiful figure for the first time, huddled on the floor in front of his desk. Her arms were bleeding, her dress torn, and red patches on her skin were already beginning to darken to an ugly purplish hue as she raised frightened, hopeless blue eyes to his dismayed grey ones. At the sight of him, she burst into more floods of tears, scrabbling around on the floor to bow low before him.

"Who are you, girl?" Shibata demanded, but Seiren held up his hand, indicating for his manservant to step back. Shibata did so, clearly not happy about the order, and Seiren paused at the edge of the _tatami_ mat, bending down to touch the young woman hesitantly on the shoulder.

"Raise your head and explain yourself." He said quietly. "This is not the place for conduct such as this."

"S...S..Seiren-dono." The girl did as she was bidden, gulping back her tears as she raised her head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I...I...I..."

She faltered, swallowing hard as her eyes darted fearfully towards Shibata, and Seiren sighed.

"Shibata, you're frightening her. Please, wait outside. I will deal with this alone."

"But Seiren-dono...surely..." Shibata was concerned, but Seiren flicked his fingers towards the sword at his waist.

"I can defend myself against one young girl." He said dryly. "Please. Wait outside. I will handle this situation - whatever it happens to be."

"Yes, Seiren-dono." Shibata's expression became one of displeasure, but he bowed his head, obediently withdrawing from the chamber and shutting the door behind him.

Now left alone with the sobbing maidservant, Seiren sank down behind his desk, casting her a quizzical look.

"Well?" he demanded. "Why is there a maid crying her heart out in the middle of my study? What..."

"Seiren-dono! Seiren-dono, I've come to you for...for...for sanctuary!" The girl scrambled to her feet, making Seiren jump as she rested her hands on the desk, bowing her head low before him once more so that her thick tail of black hair brushed against the surface of the wood. "Please, please hear me. Please here what I must say. Even though I realise to you I hold no status or position, I still...I must speak to you."

"You must speak to me?" Seiren's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, you must?"

"About something important." The girl raised urgent blue eyes to her companion. "Even though you might not believe me, I have to pray that you will, else all might be lost!"

Seiren was about to open his mouth to respond, when something glittering at the girl's throat caught his gaze and he frowned, reaching out a long finger to touch it. The girl flinched back instinctively, and Seiren hesitated, then lowered his hand.

"I wasn't going to touch you." He said quietly, seeing that the young woman was close to hysterics. "I was just curious...about what you were wearing around your neck."

The girl nodded, reaching with shaking fingers to unfasten the chain before dropping it down on the desk before him.

"This is my explanation." She said, her voice trembling. "I should have known a great Lord like Seiren-dono would see it right away. I should have...but I was so afraid. I thought I was going to b...be k..k..killed!"

"Killed?" Seiren scooped up the pendant, glancing at it, and then doing a double-take as he registered the insignia. "Wait a minute. This is...?"

"My father's l...last gift to me, before I never saw him again." The girl admitted tearfully. "I...I realise dressed l...like this, you have no reason to believe me. But m...my name is K...Kyouraku N...Nanaki. And...and I was b...born in District Eight."

"District Eight?" Seiren swallowed hard, gripping the pendant tightly in his hand. "But this is...then this is..."

"My f...father was the previous Lord of the Kyouraku, though Tokutarou...sama does n…not choose to acknowledge h...him." Nanaki sniffled, reaching up to dry her tears as yet more fell. "He w...was defeated in a c...civil battle and t...took his own l...life rather than b...be arrested. Before that, I was...sent into exile. Because people w...wanted to kill me."

She swallowed hard.

"My f...father had allies in District Seven." She whispered. "So I and those with me f...fled there. But when S...Shouichi-sama started purging people with s...spirit power, some of th...those sent to protect me were hunted and killed. I...I escaped to District Six and...and I came here, h...hoping one day I c...could reveal myself and ask for aid to...to reclaim Father's manor in District Eight as m…my right i…inheritance. But...instead..."

She closed her eyes, as though struggling to compose herself, and Seiren's mind whirled.

"And now you think is a good time to ask for such a thing?" He demanded sharply. "Even if you are a _hime _of the Kyouraku, that District is the least of our concerns and its politics none of our business. We have no quarrel with the leaders there – nor a firm pact of alliance that requires a Kuchiki to act in their favour. Therefore if you have come to beg for aid before me, you have come to the wrong place. Go to District Five and grovel before Kyouki-sama – maybe she will hear you more favourably than my brother or I."

"No. No, you don't understand." Nanaki's eyes became wide with dismay and fear. "The Shiba are allies of my cousin Tokutarou and would probably kill me on sight. Besides, it's not that. I...I'm fine here. I can...I can live. Even in this lifestyle, I can...I can manage. But...then Ribari-sama was...was k...killed...and..."

A shudder ran through her body.

"Yesterday, in the stable-yard, I w...was there." She whispered. "I...I s...saw it. All of it. I s...saw what happened."

"What?" Seiren's irritation was gone in a moment and he stared at the girl in disbelief. "I understood nobody had witnessed that scene. Now you tell me that _you_ did - and yet escaped with your life?"

Nanaki nodded mutely.

"You'll forgive me if I don't easily believe you. Having seen the bodies of the men..."

"I wasn't in the yard itself. I...I was some way away from it on an errand and I heard the screams." Nanaki whispered. "And then I saw...I saw _him_."

"Him?"

"Dressed in black, with golden eyes." Nanaki's skin was pale, her fingers twisting together as she recounted her story. "I w...was frightened, so I hid."

"Golden..." Seiren's stomach lurched. "You're telling me the person who killed those men had golden eyes?"

Nanaki nodded again.

"But yet you weren't close enough to see clearly?"

"I didn't see his features very clearly, because he was all...all robed in black." Nanaki admitted, her fingers gripping at the desk for support. "But I knew. I knew, because...at the end, he turned and looked right at me. And I saw it...his eyes, staring right into me. And it made me remember..."

She closed her eyes as another shudder ran through her body.

"The assassins that Tokutarou-sama and his father sent after my family." She whispered. "He looked...the same. A...A Shihouin. And the Shihouin are now the allies of the Kyouraku, and so I…I am afraid."

Seiren's brows knitted together, taking in the girl's demeanour carefully. She was physically trembling, as though she had gone into some kind of shock at the memory, and with a jolt the nobleman found that he believed her account. That she truly had seen a gold eyed assassin kill the stable staff.  
_  
But..._

"If he saw you, why did he not kill you?" He asked out loud, and Nanaki started, staring at him in confusion.

"Mm?"

"This assassin. If he saw you - knew you - why did he not come after you?"

"I...I ran. As soon as he looked, I ran." Nanaki confessed. "Into the house, away from the stables, as far as I could get. I didn't think...he'd follow me that far. And he...he didn't. So I didn't say anything, because...I thought it might make people aware that I was here. With that pendant...I might come into danger. Tokutarou-sama and his family hate my family, so I didn't want to draw attention to myself. Since they signed papers with the Shadow Cat, I knew the only place I could be safe was in a District where Shihouin were mistrusted. That was here…under Kuchiki rule…but now…and then…"

"And then...?"

"Tonight I was fetching water for the kitchen before I returned to my home in the village and I saw them. Talking. And they saw me." Nanaki's voice was little more than a murmur now. "And so he came after me. And he threatened me. And I thought I was going to be killed! But I got away...somehow I got...I got away..."

She swayed slightly, and Seiren realised that his companion was really not far from passing out.

"Who threatened you?" He demanded, reaching across to grab the girl by the shoulders. "Who did you see talking – that gold-eyed assassin was here tonight?"

Wordlessly Nanaki shook her head.

"No. Not him." She said. "I heard them...they said that...the only thing to do was kill the true heir of the Kuchiki Clan. Not Ribari-sama, but…but the _other_ heir. The one who isn't here now. Your son. Ryuu-dono. That's what they said. That they had to destroy the...the true line of...the Kuchiki Clan. That...your son's claim...was...too dangerous..."

She swallowed hard, and Seiren tightened his grip, afraid she was going to fall headlong.

"Nanaki? Who did? Who said those things...tell me now? Who was talking to those assassins - who?"

Nanaki was quiet for a moment, moistening her lips as though struggling to form the words. Then, at length,

"Shirogane...dono." She murmured, and Seiren felt as though a knife had been plunged right through his gut.

_Shirogane. So I was right. He is involved. He does know...things he shouldn't know. And maybe...he knows more about Ribari-sama too. Maybe his loss of memory was all a lie - maybe his poisoning was all a distraction. Maybe it's all been a lie - and Ryuu is in danger, even now._

As Nanaki's body went limp, Seiren muttered a curse under his breath, hurrying to catch her before she fell headlong.

"Shibata! Shibata, summon a doctor! The wench has fainted - I think she's gone into shock."

"Seiren-sama?" Shibata appeared at the door, his eyes widening at the sight of the young girl slumped unconscious in his master's arms.

"What happened?"

"She's been assaulted, by the hands of my nephew, or so it seems." Seiren said grimly, gently laying the girl down on the floor. She did not stir, her face still ash pale, and he frowned, holding up the pendant that the girl had carried to the light.

"More, she carries the crest of our neighbours but one, the Kyouraku." He added. "It seems she's an exile from that family, taking shelter here from land allied to the Shihouin. The crest is quite genuine – that much is easy to tell. Her life may still be in some danger – I want her to be protected until we know for certain what that danger is."

"An exile from District Eight?" Shibata came to kneel beside the fallen girl, reaching to examine her hands one by one. He nodded.

"Her fingers show some wear from working, but she has fine hands which are probably not used to long term hard labour." He agreed solemnly. "I doubt she would have had any way to put up a fight against anyone if they had chosen to hurt her."

He glanced at his companion.

"But Seiren-sama, you said that this was…Shirogane-sama's handiwork?"

"That is what the girl claimed to me, before she collapsed – either from her injuries or from simple fear." Seiren agreed, speaking in low, even tones as somehow he managed to contain his temper. "And we both know how erratic and unpleasant my nephew has become in the days since Ribari-sama died. It appears that Shirogane may know something more about Ribari-sama's assassination than he's told us – perhaps even that he was involved in it himself."

He got to his feet, dusting his clothing down.

"More, he has been plotting against Ryuu – I knew his attention to my son lately was a dangerous omen! Doubtless he has befriended Mitsuki so that Teitou would put forward foolish suggestions such as he did tonight, too. He seeks to inherit this family – a snake in the grass that even I didn't see clearly until now."

"Shirogane-dono…was…?" Shibata was stunned a second time, and Seiren nodded.

"So it appears. But before this goes to my brother, Shibata, I need to speak to him – him and I alone, while I ascertain his reasons, his motives and what he thinks he knows that might do damage to this Clan." He said softly. "I am quite sure now that there is something and that whatever it is would be detrimental to my brother's peaceful leadership in District Six. This girl needs a doctor too – she's stable enough and breathing, but bruised and battered and her arms are scratched and bleeding."

He sighed, suddenly weary.

"She was quite terrified, Shibata. Clan _hime_ or common maid, that my nephew has sunk to such a level where he would assault such a young girl…"

"I see." Shibata's eyes darkened. "Then what would like me to do, Seiren-dono? I will act exactly to your word as you command me."

"Go now. Fetch someone who can treat her, and watch over her till she wakes." Seiren instructed. "Her testimony will be important in the days ahead. And then...and then gather some men and go and find Shirogane. No matter where he is or what he's doing, I want him brought before me this evening. Whatever method you have to use to restrain him, do not hesitate to use it. I will speak to my nephew tonight, and find out what he knows."

* * *

"What do you intend to do with them, Genryuusai-sama?"

Back at the Academy, it was Retsu's voice which broke the uneasy silence, and at the sound of it Genryuusai sighed, rubbing his brows as he felt a dull ache begin to spread across his skull.

"Wilful boys, taking decisions into their own hands." He murmured. "What would _you_ do, Retsu? Three of my best students –behaving recklessly and roaming the country, using shinigami techniques and fighting Hollows. They could have all been killed…as it is I will have to explain to my Clan why one of my students chose to release his sword in protected territory. More, that it was Juushirou...when I already begged Hashihiko's indulgence by not choosing his son as my Anideshi."

"I see." Retsu looked thoughtful, moving across the chamber to the window and casting a pensive glance out at the dark night sky. "It's a heavy night tonight, don't you think, Genryuusai-sama? They must be frozen to the bone from the rain. They truly did appear as drowned rats this evening – I don't think I've ever seen any one of them quite like that."

"That's avoiding my question, I think you'll find." Genryuusai arched an eyebrow, and Retsu spread her hands.

"If your mind is made up, I won't be able to change it." She said sensibly. "And besides, I know that arguing with my Sensei is no wiser than it would be for one of them to do it."

"I want to hear their reasons. All of them, for such a reckless act." Genryuusai admitted. "It puzzles me why, if they were so concerned about a missing First year, they did not report his absence to a member of staff. But they haven't done that – they've simply gone out on their own into the most awful weather to track him down, regardless of the risk to themselves or to him when they found him."

"Perhaps they remembered their _own _First year." Retsu mused. "When Senior students went into the mountains to rescue Kyouraku-kun and Ukitake-kun."

"Yes, but on _my order_, not of their own volition." Genryuusai groaned. "This year group are always like this for me. They are talented, yet they try the limits of my patience and my rules, push boundaries and take the law into their own hands. It's a wonder that none of them have so far been killed – tonight I find myself wondering yet again how that is possible."

"Because they want to live." Retsu turned from the window, her gaze drifting towards the door of the small ante-chamber where Tsunemori had been tucked up safely in bed. "And become part of Seireitei's future. That in itself is enough to drive them forwards. There is a great…expectation among the students of the Senior class this year, Genryuusai-sensei. It makes me curious to see where those talents they're so keen on polishing are going to take them in the end."

"Perhaps that is true." Genryuusai acknowledged gravely. "Though enthusiasm can go too far. Retsu, I'm fond of those boys. Each one of them is like a son to me in their own way. I do not want to lose any of them. But I can't simply ignore what is a blatant breach of school rules just because of that fact."

"Because you favour them, you will be twice as strict?" Retsu asked lightly, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Probably. You are astute tonight, Retsu."

"Ah, or I remember what kind of a Sensei tutored me when I was young and eager to learn." Mischief danced for a brief instant in Retsu's clever eyes. "I understand how fondly you view your students, Genryuusai-sama. I have had the fortune of being among their number, and I know how dear you hold us all."

She sighed.

"But I think...you are doubting them this evening." She added pensively. "And that surprises me. You have never doubted them before - I wonder why this time."

"Doubting them?" Genryuusai shot his junior a startled look, and Retsu spread her hands.

"You have given them their heads in the past, and allowed them to make up their own minds." She said softly. "This year more than any other they must do that. We have not heard their stories yet - possibly I will not hear those confessions, although I understand as well as you what occurred. You're worried because Ukitake-kun broke a law of District One and you will have to explain it to your Clan. But perhaps you should be looking at it from a different angle."

"A different angle? Such as?" Genryuusai eyed his former student thoughtfully. "I'm listening, Retsu. Your perception is different from mine and I don't always agree with it. But I respect it all the same - please share your view with me."

"Tonight, Ukitake-kun took down a Hollow in the forests of District One." Retsu settled herself down on the end of one of the empty sick beds, folding her hands in her lap. "With the power of his _zanpakutou_, Sougyo no Kotowari. That is what happened. Do you agree?"

"Yes. I agree." Genryuusai acknowledged.

"How would you expect a trained shinigami to behave when faced with such a situation?" Retsu's eyes twinkled. "Did not your Anideshi just react as a shinigami ought? Is that not what you have taught him to do?"

"I admit that's the case." Genryuusai agreed. "But to do so in breach of regulations and rules and the laws of this region, Retsu, that's another matter. I can't overlook it, just because he acted like a shinigami. Juushirou _knows_ that law. I'm sure he released his _zanpakutou_ knowing that law. What he should have done was take the boy and escape. Instead, he released his weapon and fought. He had no right to do that."

He rubbed his temples.

"Shunsui and Hirata only broke curfew. Their crimes are easy to overlook with a simple word." He added sadly. "But I...don't know about Juushirou."

"And as I said, Genryuusai-sama - I am surprised how easily you doubt him." Retsu said simply. "Especially before you have heard him speak."

Before Genryuusai could open his mouth to respond, there was a thud from the ante-chamber, followed by a shuffling sound and then the door slid back, revealing a pale-faced, anxious looking Tsunemori. He was on all fours, dragging his injured leg behind him, yet he pulled himself determinedly through the divide before dropping into a huddled heap on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Retsu asked quietly, though from the tone of her voice Genryuusai suspected she had known full well that the boy was not only awake but listening intently to the conversation beyond. "You are meant to be resting. It's late."

"I'm s...sorry, Unohana-sensei." Tsunemori's voice was barely more than a whisper, and Genryuusai could feel the genuine terror in the boy's aura. "But I…I heard what you were saying. To Sensei. What Sensei was saying. And…and…"

He gulped as Genryuusai fixed his gaze on the youngster, trailing to a stop, and the old man frowned.

"And you felt that you should play a part in the conversation too?" He asked lightly. Tsunemori swallowed hard, his face white, but he nodded, and despite himself the old man could not raise a rebuke.

"There is something you believe Genryuusai-sama should know about?" Retsu questioned, and Tsunemori nodded again.

"Please, Sensei…please don't…don't do bad things…to An…An…Anideshi." He begged falteringly, tears glittering in his eyes as he shuffled awkwardly across the floor towards where the old man stood. "It…it was…my fault. Senpai…didn't report it…because he d…d…didn't want you to p…p…punish me."

"Punish you? For leaving the grounds unauthorised?" Genryuusai lowered his gaze to meet the young boy's, and Tsunemori shook his head.

"For…for t…trying t…to steal h…his _z…zanpakutou_." He whispered, and Genryuusai's eyes widened.

"What did you just say?"

Tsunemori gulped again, wilting under the old man's stern gaze, and Retsu sighed, crouching at the boy's side and sliding her arm around his shoulders.

"Will you explain from the beginning what happened today?" She asked gently. "Because we don't understand what you're telling us – but we want to know the whole picture. If it will make you at ease too, Tsukabishi-kun – please, tell us what you know."

"Some…people…m…made me steal Anideshi's _zanpakutou_." Tsunemori lowered his gaze. "They…they s…said if I didn't, they'd m…make sure I g…got kicked out. So I…I had to."

"Who said that to you, Tsukabishi?" Genryuusai demanded, and Tsunemori's eyes became fearful. Fervently he shook his head.

"I can't say." He said hurriedly. "If I do, they'll kill me. I know they will. They said they would. So I…I can't. I can't."

"And these people told you to take Ukitake-kun's _zanpakutou_?" Retsu asked curiously. Tsunemori nodded his head.

"They w...wanted me to throw it in the river." He admitted, the tears trickling down his ashen cheeks once more.

"And you didn't know how to stand out against them?" Genryuusai murmured. Tsunemori lowered his gaze.

"I was frightened." He whispered. "So I…w…went to his room while you w…were all meeting. But…a girl came there and she took me by surprise. I d...don't know who she w...was, but she…she took the sword off me and I…I knew she'd report me so I r…ran away. I was scared…I thought that I'd…I'd be in trouble, so…I left the school and w…went to hide. But I fell and h…hurt my foot. And then…the Hollow came."

"The Hollow attacked you?" Retsu was alarmed.

"S…senpai stopped it." Tsunemori said miserably. "Senpai saved me, Sensei. Because he used h…his sword. The s…sword I almost t…took from him. He s…saved me with that s…sword."

"What he should have done was take you and escaped the area using his shunpo." Genryuusai said grimly. "He knows that as well as I do. Even if he acted to save you..."

"He couldn't." Tsunemori was petrified now, but somehow he stood his ground. "Sensei, it was because...I was stuck. By the tree. I couldn't m...move. And the Hollow came. And S...Senpai had to...to stop it. Because it w...wanted to kill us. Both of us. S...Senpai took it away fr...from me using his s...sword. And fought it. And when he beat it, he c...came to help me. He c...cut me free. But while the Hollow was there...he...couldn't. And...that's all."

Genryuusai's eyes widened at this broken, stumbling account.

"This is the truth, Tsukabishi?" He asked gently, and Tsunemori nodded his head sadly.

"Senpai is k...kind, even though I did a bad thing to him." He murmured mournfully. "And I...I didn't want him to g...get punished. Because h...he s…said he w…wasn't going to report me, so that I w…wouldn't get sent away. But I d...don't want him to be sent away e...either. Because he s…said I should believe in my own ability. And that he th…thought I wasn't weak."

"Well, then there it is." Retsu cast Genryuusai a glance, offering him a slight smile. "You should probably go to your office, Genryuusai-sama. Some sorry Seniors will be waiting for you."

"I will speak to them about this." Genryuusai's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "And tomorrow, Tsukabishi, we must talk more about what kind of people put you up to such a reckless act. More, what made you so afraid that you couldn't resist them. I won't have bullying in my school - so I want to get to the bottom of it."

"I...can't." Tsunemori shook his head frantically. "Sensei, I can't. They know something...I can't tell you. And they'll...I can't. Please...don't..."

"For now, you would do best to go back to bed and sleep." Retsu reached down to pat him gently on the head. "Don't worry about Ukitake-kun. I also don't believe he should be punished for acting out his training...especially since it seems clear now why he behaved as he did. I won't allow anything bad to happen to him on your account. I promise."

"Retsu, can I remind you whose school this is?" Genryuusai raised an eyebrow, and Retsu offered him a serene smile.

"Of course." She said evenly. "But I am Ukitake-kun's medical representative, as appointed by you when first he began here. And his body will not take too much more strain this evening. He understands the severity of what has happened, and that itself is a learning curve. I'm sorry, Genryuusai-sama. I will not let you discipline him for saving the life of one of his juniors."

Genryuusai sighed heavily, but something in his former student's gentle gaze made him realise that he was beaten.

_Though truthfully, I am relieved. That there was another reason...why Juushirou didn't simply take the boy and flee. _

He nodded.

"I will go to my office, then, and speak to the three of them." He reflected. "Perhaps they can add a few more details to this story once they know that Tsukabishi has spoken to me."

"And I shall tend to my patient." Retsu said lightly. "Good night, Genryuusai-sama."

"Hrmph."

Genryuusai turned on his heel, pushing back the sliding door and stepping out into the hall. It was not a long walk between the Healing Bay and his own study, and by the time he had settled himself properly behind his desk, there was a tentative knock at the door.

"Come in." He said soberly, and the divide slid back, revealing first Juushirou and then his two companions.

Genryuusai gestured for them to stand before his desk, taking each one of them in in turn. Shunsui's demeanour seemed nonchalant, but Genryuusai knew him well enough to realise that it was largely an act, and when he thought he wasn't being watched, his gaze kept flitting to Juushirou as though he was concerned about something that he wasn't ready to say out loud. Hirata's pale blue eyes were also clouded and troubled behind his glasses, his fingers twisting together absently as he stood silently before the desk, and Genryuusai was suddenly struck by the similarity between the Endou heir and the young District boy who had fled into the forest to hide from his tormentors.

_But Hirata has grown into an effective young man. Even if he is not ever the loudest voice, what he says often holds merit._

Genryuusai rubbed his beard pensively.

_I'm sure he saw that too. That Tsukabishi was just like him, the day he fled Seimaru's clutches and started to forge his own path. The way that young rascal looked at me in the Healing Bay was just the same as the way Hirata looked at me the first time I spoke to him about his Clan. Perhaps tonight has been a turning point for Tsukabishi in a way I hadn't expected._

He drew his gaze to the centre of the group, running it slowly over Juushirou's tense form. His Anideshi's expression was even and calm, but there was something in the hazel eyes that told the old man he knew the severity of what he had done. A faint flush to his pale cheeks reminded him of Retsu's words about the boy's physical condition, and his lips thinned as he realised the arms folded across the boy's chest were not in defiance but rather a defensive gesture, protecting his frail body from penetrating eyes.

"You three." At length he spoke. "Well, in your own words, please. What possessed you to run out into the rain to play hide and seek with a First year?"

"The blame is mine, Sensei. It was my decision."

Before either Hirata or Shunsui could speak, Juushirou had raised his voice, his words calm and even although there was a flicker of fear in his expression. "I decided to go into the wilds to look for Tsukabishi. I decided not to inform you or any other member of staff what had happened. It was my decision."

"And I suppose that I'm meant to believe Shunsui and Hirata don't have minds and wills of their own?" Genryuusai looked sceptical. "I beg to differ. I know full well that you like to lead your companions and often do, Juushirou. We've discussed such things before. But I also know that Shunsui is not one who's easily led, and that if Hirata's made up his mind to something, he will see it through regardless of what anyone else says."

"We chose to go of our own volition, Sensei." Shunsui agreed gravely. "I couldn't find Tsukabishi, and when I told Juu, he said he was going to look. Hirata and I decided to go too. We weren't asked to. We just decided we would."

"And we have no intention of letting Juushirou-kun take all the blame." Hirata added firmly. "Even if he thinks he should."

"Hirata!" Juushirou shot his friend a startled look, and Hirata returned it with a reproachful one of his own.

"You're _not_ responsible for everything that happens." He said frankly. "And you should only take the blame for things you _are_ responsible for. Otherwise you'll cause misunderstandings."

Genryuusai's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected criticism, and despite himself, Juushirou's cheeks flushed a deeper red.

"I was just saying that it was my decision." He murmured. "And it was. That's all."

"Very well." The old man gathered his wits. "So far as I see it, Shunsui, Hirata - the both of you chose to break curfew by choice, but neither one of you did anything more than that when in the forest. You neither one of you released your swords, correct?"

"We didn't, Sensei." Hirata agreed quietly, and out of the corner of his eye Genryuusai saw Juushirou flinch. However, he ignored it, focusing instead on the other two.

"Seniors have to obey certain rules about leaving the school, just like any other student." He said levelly. "And they must report things such as missing students to a member of staff. Those aren't things I should have to tell you - either of you. There is a good chance for both of you to wear _haori_ in the future - please bear in mind that your choices carry weight and you must live with the mistakes you make."

"Yes, sir." Both boys murmured, and Genryuusai sighed, gesturing to the door.

"You are both dismissed." He concluded. "No, Shunsui, I don't want to hear it," As Shunsui's lips parted to protest. "Juushirou and I have a few more things to say before I'm finished with him. Go to bed and to sleep. This does not concern you."

"We should go." Hirata shot Juushirou a worried look, but reached across to take Shunsui by the arm. "Come on, Shunsui-kun."

He dropped his voice, and as he guided his reluctant classmate towards the door, Genryuusai was certain he heard the younger boy say,

"We can wait for him at the Nest, but let's not make his situation worse now."

Until the door had closed fully behind them, however, the old man did not speak, observing the final remaining student carefully all the time. Juushirou was uncomfortable, he knew that. Anxious and apprehensive about what was about to be said, but also in some physical discomfort, and Genryuusai pursed his lips.

"Sit down, Juushirou." He said quietly, gesturing to the cushions that lay before the desk, and Juushirou started, staring at him in confusion.

"I should rather you sat down than fell down." Genryuusai explained. "You've taken some harm from this evening, I think - and I don't want to make that worse."

"I probably deserve it." Reluctantly Juushirou did as he was told, and Genryuusai felt a little bit of the tension seep out of the other's aura as he took the weight off his feet. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I know you're cross with me, and I don't really have an explanation. I know I shouldn't have released Sougyo, or fought the Hollow. I know that I broke an important law and...and that the punishment for that will be...be harsh."

"Mm." Genryuusai's eyes narrowed. "But you have no explanation for me as to why you did it?"

"I...wanted to help Tsukabishi-kun. Because he was in trouble, and hurt." Juushirou said unevenly, and Genryuusai realised with a jolt that the boy was only just fighting against the spasms in his chest. "I reacted...stupidly. I know that. But..."

"Why did you not report to me that the boy was missing when you first realised it?"

Juushirou looked stricken, and Genryuusai eyed him keenly.

"You can't answer that?"

"I..." Juushirou wavered for a moment, then shook his head. "I suppose I just wanted to do something as Anideshi. To prove myself, or something. I don't really know why else. It was silly."

"I see." Genryuusai's lips twitched into a faint smile. "And so you don't know anything about an attempt to steal your _zanpakutou_?"

It was impossible for Juushirou to look any more floored, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Tsukabishi told me." He said quietly. "That he had gone to your room at the behest of another to steal your _zanpakutou_ and throw it in the river."

"The..._river_?" Juushirou swallowed hard, his fingers unconsciously going towards Sougyo no Kotowari's hilt as if to protect it. Genryuusai nodded solemnly.

"And that he was caught at the scene, so left the sword and fled the school proper." He continued gravely. "Out into the stormy weather. Are you going to tell me you knew nothing of this?"

"Tsukabishi-kun...told you that?" Juushirou seemed bewildered, as if unsure what to say, and Genryuusai nodded.

"The boy seems to like you. Admire you. Even to the point where he'll speak up for you, although he was petrified raising his voice to me to do it." He said softly. "I've told you before that you have a particular effect on those around you. Tonight, you seem to have reached out yet again. I know, Juushirou, because he told me - that you weren't going to tell me about the invasion of your Nest so that I wouldn't punish him for it. But he told me he didn't want to see _you_ punished for it either. Because you used that sword he tried to steal in order to save his life."

Some of the tension seemed to seep out of Juushirou's body at this, and he rested his hands on the floor, taking a deep breath into his battered lungs.

"What you did this evening was wrong, undoubtedly." Genryuusai continued. "You released your sword without permission, and you didn't report something you should have reported to me or another member of staff. You know that - I don't need to tell you that."

"Yes, sir."

"But Retsu-dono reminded me of something else." Genryuusai sighed. "That this evening you acted like a shinigami. On instinct, you did what you'd been trained to do. And she's right. In the situation, there was nothing else you could have done. Not reporting the boy's disappearance to me was reckless, but it has gained you that child's loyalty, and given him the strength to speak up in your defence. You realise how strong a power that is, I hope? More, because you used Sougyo no Kotowari, you and he both live to see another day. I had not appreciated that his foot had been trapped, but Tsukabishi told me that, too. He said you freed him - after the Hollow was beaten."

"It kept...he couldn't control his spirit power, because he was afraid." Juushirou whispered, and Genryuusai half wondered if the boy was going to pass out, for his skin was pale and he was trembling. "I could...hold back mine, but he...and so the Hollow kept going back towards him. And then the Cero...I'm sorry, Sensei. I'm sorry I was reckless. But I didn't want to see a Hollow kill anyone else. And I felt like it was my fault. That he'd had to steal my sword because...someone made him. Someone I'd made hate me."

"Do you know who those people are?" Genryuusai asked, and Juushirou shook his head.

"He didn't tell me." He admitted, raising his gaze. "I don't know, and I won't accuse without evidence. Just, I don't think it was him. I mean, I don't think he wanted to hurt me. Hirata said...that he had things going on and that they would spill over sooner or later. I wasn't able to reach him in time, so...I think some of it is my fault too."

"I will tell my Clan that you released your _zanpakutou_ to save a life that otherwise would have been lost." Genryuusai said frankly, getting to his feet and coming to help his student to his. "And we will say no more about this incident. You are tired and battered, and you have a lot of things to think about."

"You...aren't going to punish me any further?" Juushirou was startled, and Genryuusai shook his head.

"I don't think it would help anything if I did." He admitted. "You are my Anideshi, and...now I understand what happened...I'm relieved. Just...promise me that in future you will report any missing students to me directly before going off to save them?"

"I promise." Despite himself, Juushirou managed a faint smile.

"Then go. Go to your room and sleep - you look like you need it." Genryuusai said gently. "I can tell you're not feeling at all well, so if you want to go to the Healing Bay, I'm sure Retsu-dono wouldn't turn you away."

"No...I just need to rest. Now I'm warm and dry, I just need to sleep." Juushirou shook his head. "Sensei...about Tsukabishi-kun? Will...he be...?"

"I intend on finding the truth out, but I won't punish the boy, no." Genryuusai shook his head. "Because he showed some spirit tonight to defend you. And when I saw that, I remembered another scared young boy who you guided forward into a strong, capable young man. Perhaps I hope the same will happen again."

"You mean Hirata?" Juushirou asked.

"Yes."

"He said that himself. Hirata. That he understood Tsukabishi's feelings because he'd been in the same position." Juushirou looked thoughtful. "Hirata's really very clever about stuff like that, Sensei. If he hadn't mentioned it to me, I don't know that I would've understood...quite as well as I do why Tsukabishi was upset."

"Don't underestimate yourself, my boy." Genryuusai rested his hand briefly on Juushirou's arm. "But for tonight, that's enough. Go. I won't expect to see you in my class tomorrow unless you really feel you're up to it. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Can you make it back to your room alone?"

"Yes. I can, sir." Juushirou got to his feet, resting his hand on Genryuusai's desk for a moment to steady himself before shooting the old man a rueful look.

"I always cause you trouble, don't I?" He murmured, and Genryuusai laughed.

"The best students always do." He reflected, resignation in his expression. "Because they have the spirit to push for what they believe in. Go on with you. Quickly, before I change my mind about being so lenient."

"Yes, sir." Juushirou bowed his head, hastily withdrawing from the study, and as the door closed behind him, Genryuusai sighed.

_Tsukabishi spoke in Juushirou's defence, and Juushirou reached out to protect Tsukabishi, even at his own cost. I've chosen an interesting Anideshi this year. No doubt what he says is true - he's the kind who will continue to cause me trouble so long as he's within my reach. But in some ways, I'm glad of it. Retsu is right. He is a shinigami, now. More than he even realises. And though tonight was foolish...it has let me see clearly that my faith in training him was right. _

He folded his hands pensively in his lap.

_Well, who knows? Perhaps...my ideas for his future are not so farfetched after all._


	24. Mitsuki's Temper

**Chapter Twenty Three: Mitsuki's Temper**

The archive was almost empty by the time Shirogane reached it, with just one or two of the older kinsfolk secluded away in dark corners to go over transcripts of documents several hundred years old. In the next few days many would be returning to their own regions of District Six, and Shirogane knew without even asking that most of these library-dwellers now were checking fine details in old documents in order to find new fuel over border disputes and other petty matters in their own domains. It had happened spectacularly some two hundred and fifty years previously, when the border Kuchiki had waged war on the Endou over a dispute relating to ancient land holdings, and Shirogane remembered with an inward grimace reading about the catastrophic disaster of defeat that had soon followed.

_Though this Clan dislike such stories, and in the official records there is barely more than a passing comment regarding that border war, let alone the savage exploits of the Endou's eagle princess, Lady Yayoi. Typical of the Kuchiki, to gloss over defeat and glory instead in victory._

He sighed, moving through the rows of shelves and walls lined from floor to ceiling with ancient tomes, heading straight for the rear section of the library and the stairwell that led up to the Council archives on the level above. Though most Clans kept records of these meetings going back to the time of the Council's inception, the Kuchiki were particularly fastidious about completion, and so as he stepped through the wood-panelled entrance and into the chamber proper, he was confronted by row upon row of neatly catalogued volumes, all bound in the same identical black and silver and all neatly dated by hand by some overzealous scribe. Every so often the handwriting changed, as a new scribe took over from an old in managing these ancient but precious records, and Shirogane paused to cautiously scan the room first, making sure that the current incumbent had long since left for the night.

He had, for it was growing closer to midnight, and so with a little sigh of relief, Shirogane moved through the shelves, lighting occasional Kidou lamps with a touch of his finger as he scanned the books for the ones that he wanted. Following his mother's death, he had spent a good amount of time here reading through sections and meetings relating to important Kuchiki decisions, and so he knew that each set of minutes was archived according to year and the Clan who had assumed leadership for that twelve month period. The current Leader of the Council of Elders were the Shihouin, Shirogane remembered – but he was not interested in this year's minutes. Rather, he was keen to go back further than that – to a time before Tokutarou had inherited the Kyouraku title.

As he approached the most recent volumes, Shirogane paused, working it out carefully in his head. He did not know precisely how old Tokutarou was, but a fleeting recollection of his time at the Academy and a particularly unpleasant run-in with Tokutarou's brother Shunsui caused a faint smile to touch his lips and he nodded, raising his gaze to scan the books carefully.

_Who would have thought that little upstart pulling rank on me would ever have any positive purpose – but now it does, and quite clearly too. I can remember him standing before me – the young heir to the Kyouraku as he was then, and of an age not dissimilar to that wretched District boy whose sword skills were infuriatingly good. Tokutarou-dono is not much older than his brother – no more than ten years at the most, which means he cannot have turned twenty before the Academy began. That year the Yamamoto had hold of the Council, which is probably the only way they were able to push through such an ambitious project with so little fuss. That must have been this year, then…_

He reached up to touch a book, then ran his gaze to the left of it, taking in the spine labels one by one.

_There was a Kyouraku held Council a year before that. I wonder if that was Matsuhara-dono or his brother? Let's see._

Carefully he removed the old book from its place on the shelf, setting it down on the table and flicking pensively through the pages until he came to the frontispiece, adorned as it was with bright and intricately coloured images of Clan insignia followed by names.

"Yamamoto Hashihiko. Shihouin Kamuki. Urahara Nagesu. Unohana Retsu. Shiba Kyouki. Kuchiki Guren. Endou Shouichi. Chair: Kyouraku Matsuhara…"

He frowned, realising with a jolt that the crest of the Kyouraku was missing. Confused, he flicked through the pages, his eyes widening as he realised the reason for its omission.

"Chair: Absent. Chair: Absent." He whispered. "The Council fell to the Kyouraku to chair but Matsuhara did not attend all of the meetings and was declared absentee for the duration of the year. Therefore his crest isn't recorded…wait a minute. No…that's different. Something here…is different."

He paused, smoothing down the page and then frowning as he read the short but concise entry.

_**Kyouraku Matsuhara is reported to the Council as being deceased from cause of a sword wound to his body. District Eight representative Kyouraku Sadehira has henceforth been sworn in and accepted before the Council as interim leader until Matsuhara's son Tokutarou reaches his majority. Tokutarou is represented by Shiba Kyouki-dono in this agreement and has assented in his absence. This agreed and signed by all representatives and Sadehira-dono is hereafter sworn in as a member of the Council of Elders. **_

Beside the entry was a crest, and Shirogane bit his lip as he realised whose crest it was.

_Kyouraku Sadehira. That's Tokutarou-dono's predecessor, then – the one she was talking about. But that…that isn't the crest that girl showed me. Whatever it was…it wasn't the crest of Tokutarou-dono's militant Uncle. So…that being the case…_

He flipped the book shut with a bang, sending a cloud of dust all around him, and for a moment he froze, half certain he had disturbed the people in the lower level of the library by making such a noise. Nobody came to chastise him, however, so he lifted the book with a sigh, returning it to its place on the shelf.

_That was the year Matsuhara-dono was murdered, and his brother took control of the Clan. Usurped, is the word I think most people use – though it looks as though the Council accepted him readily enough as leader during Tokutarou-dono's minority. I suppose looks can be deceiving – most politics go on behind closed doors, not in front of them._

He skimmed back a few more volumes, pulling down another book from some twenty years earlier and setting it down on the table. Opening the cover, he soon found what he was looking for – the crests of the Eight Clan leaders and there, bright and still crisp as though it had been painted only yesterday was the official crest of Kyouraku Matsuhara.

It matched exactly the emblem that Nanaki had worn around her neck.

_So what, then?_

Shirogane closed the book slowly, lifting it and returning it to its place on the shelf as he considered this inconsistency.

_She claims to be the daughter of the Uncle who allied with the Endou and lost the civil war – a matter about which most every Clan in Seireitei is somewhat aware. But she carries the crest of his brother – the man who Sadehira murdered to take power and whose son he tried to oust when he came of age. Does that mean she is a Kyouraku, but lied about who and where she came from? Or is she not a Kyouraku after all – is there something else at work here that I don't understand?_

His eyes narrowed at this.

_And what does she know about our Clan? Was my impulse right? Was it her who took the document Ryuu found in the library? If she's been hiding as a maid here, it could easily have been. Maybe Ryuu was the first person to see it, and then this Nanaki was the second. But then what about the things she said regarding Seiren-dono? Ryuu was uncomfortable about something too, and…and even if she wasn't telling the whole truth, maybe that still fits. Something in that document – that I never got to see._

"Shirogane-sama!"

A sudden commotion at the door alerted him to the fact he had company and he swung around, his eyes widening in surprise and dismay as he registered Shibata, his hand already closed around the hilt of his sword and in his slipstream, five or six other guardsmen, each similarly armed. They were all attired in the uniform of Seiren's retinue, and Shirogane's alarm soon became anger as he realised his Uncle had decided to act.

"What is this?" He exclaimed, stepping away from the bookshelves and sliding his fingers firmly around the hilt of his own weapon. "The Archive is meant to be a place of quiet reading and study, not violent interruptions! Can I not even come to read about my own family's history without being stalked by my Uncle's men?"

"On the orders of Seiren-sama, we have been instructed to take you to answer questions before him." Shibata said quietly, crossing the room in short swift strides and pausing a bare two or three feet from where Shirogane stood. "I am sorry, Shirogane-sama, but in the face of orders from such a high ranking person, the sanctity of even the burial vaults can be gainsaid, let alone the archive. We do not want to create an incident – please come with us quietly and no damage need be done."

"Stand and answer questions? On what grounds?" Shirogane demanded, making no attempt to move towards the waiting guards.

"That is for Lord Seiren to raise, not for me to speak of." Shibata said gravely. "I am instructed to bring you by force if need be. You will only worsen the charges against you if you resist us now – your best option is to come quietly and without a fight."

"To do what? Be interrogated or be killed behind the private closed doors of Seiren-dono's study?" Shirogane's eyes blazed with anger. "Was that wench right – does he really seek to do away with me even though I'm supposedly beneath his notice?"

"Wench?" Shibata's eyes widened, then, "So you _do_ know the girl! You did speak to her after all! And doubtless beat her too, when she refused to keep your secrets?"

"Beat her? Beat a woman?" Shirogane stared, then he snorted, shaking his head in derision. "Is that the best my Uncle can do, then? To fabricate some story that I abused a maidservant in order to cover his own back? Tell me, what did he do to her? Torture her for her information? Threaten her if she didn't disclose what she knew? Is he that desperate to make Ryuu heir of this Clan that he'd resort to such low tricks?"

"Lord Seiren is protecting a witness from further violent attacks against her person." Shibata said coldly, and even Shirogane was struck by the sudden look of ice in the retainer's eyes. "And I will protect his reputation with this sword against the slurs you cast against it. _You_ are the one who is under arrest, Shirogane-dono. You can disdain it all you want, but I saw the state that girl was in after she had come from your rooms – she had met with nobody else, but by your own admission just now she _had _met with you. I may be a soldier, and I've seen many bad things in battle. But I will not condone violence of this nature against a woman, regardless of who she might be. I will take you, even if I have to fight you myself."

His eyes narrowed.

"In whatever state that might be." He added blackly, and Shirogane was reminded of the many years of good, efficient service Shibata had done as a member of the Kuchiki armed forces before his rise to Seiren's chief retainer. "I have been given my orders. If you resist them, I will not be held responsible for spilling blood."

_He really does intend to kill me. By fair means or foul, whether by legal execution or secret murder. Seiren-dono seeks to destroy me – in any way he can._

The realisation slipped through Shirogane's startled mind like the soft whisper of another's voice against his senses, as everything that had happened since the night Ribari had died suddenly flashed in vivid pictures through his mind. Seiren's attitude, his disdain – no, his true, clear hatred merged together with Nanaki's words and Ryuu's own doubts to harden his conviction.

_Maybe Seiren-dono was involved in Ribari-sama's death. Ryuu knew, but was frightened without proof of accusing his own father, and so he kept it a secret. Now Seiren-dono is doing everything he can to make sure his son inherits. Even if that means removing me – who has always held more favour with Guren-sama – by force. _

Shirogane stood for a moment, his mind whirling as he struggled to digest what his companion was saying. Almost before he knew what he was doing, his right hand had drawn itself up from his side, pulling Ginkyoujiki from its sheath and wielding it with a shaking hand in the retainer's direction.

_Was Nanaki right, then? Whoever she might be or not be, was I wrong to suspect her information, when right now it's Seiren-dono's retainers who are stood in front of me, swords drawn?_

"_Saite, Ginkyoujiki_." He commanded, casting his free hand in the direction of the assembled men. His voice trembled as the sword glimmered with a soft silver light then shattered into petals of razor sharp metal, spinning out across the room towards the startled guards. Shibata let out an exclamation, raising his own spiritless weapon in an attempt to defend himself from the sudden onslaught of metal fragments, but he was not able to repel them all, and as the edges sliced against the skin of his face and arms and cut through the fabric of his kimono, blood spattered on the floor and across the tables.

"Shibata-dono!" His men swarmed forward, but Shirogane's attack was in full flow now and he flicked the hilt of the weapon in their direction, too angry now to really care what he was doing. The blood-specked fragments swirled back and then redoubled their assault on the gathered guards, a cloud of razor sharp shards cloaked in a haze of metallic silver energy as Shirogane's attack became more and more resolute.

"Whatever Seiren-dono is planning, I don't intend to sit back and quietly accept it any longer." He said darkly, spreading the fingers of his left hand to increase the haze of magnetic reiatsu and Shibata's sword juddered then ripped free of his hand, spinning in the air once before embedding itself firmly in the wood of the shelf behind him. "If you want to catch me, Shibata, and lock me up, you'll have to get past Ginkyoujiki first. I've done nothing to deserve such a summons, and I obey the orders of my Captain, not my power-hungry Uncle. Until Guren-sama summons me, you can go back and report to your master that I'm not coming. I don't have time to play his games."

Shibata grabbed the hilt of his sword, yanking it forcibly from the shelf and without missing a beat, throwing it with some force across the room towards Shirogane. The shinigami cursed, hurriedly recalling his blade shards as he sought to deflect the swing, and as he did so, Shibata gestured to his men to surround their target, each hurrying to grab an arm to hold the young man still.

"You are under arrest." Shibata reached up to wipe blood from his cheek, fixing Shirogane with a black look. "On suspicion of the murder of your cousin, Ribari-sama, and high treason against the Clan Kuchiki. You will be taken before Lord Seiren, who will interrogate you before this matter is reported in full to the Lord of the Kuchiki, Guren-sama – to whom you will ultimately be answerable. Someone take his sword, before he can release it again and damage the records held here."

"Yes, Shibata-dono." A young man hurried to do his bidding, grabbing Shirogane's right fist and seeking to pry the still-glittering weapon free of his hold. As he did so, however, something inside the shinigami's mind snapped and his eyes narrowed, a storm brewing in their grey depths.

"_Hadou no Ichi. Shou_." He murmured, and the young soldier fell back with a yelp, tumbling over his feet with the force of the Kidou blast. His right hand now free, Shirogane brought his weapon up, slicing without hesitation through the arm of one retainer and then another as he sought to cut himself free of their hold. They dropped back in fear at his sudden savagery, blood spilling from the wounded limbs and Shibata let out a curse, lunging forward to grab Shirogane firmly around the neck. Shirogane had anticipated it, however, and he swung around, spreading his left hand fully as he thrust his palm towards the older man's chest.

"_Bakudou no Ichi. Sai_." He whispered, and the arms that had reached out to grab him were suddenly pinioned by an invisible force behind Shibata's back, causing him to drop to his knees in surprise and dismay.

"I told you. I don't intend to sit back and quietly accept Seiren-dono's actions." He said, his voice trembling in anger as he surveyed the group of soldiers, some bleeding and others edging away from him in clear terror at the sudden nature of his assault. "I'm not going to be killed by him – quietly or publicly, I don't intend on being anyone's martyr or scapegoat. I didn't kill Ribari-sama, but obviously nobody here believes me – or have reasons to want me blamed. So if that's the case, I'm not going to wait around to be murdered in my bed. I'm going to find someone who does believe me – and I'm going to find the truth."

He raised his hand over his head.

"_Bakudou no Nijuu Roku. Kyokkou!_" He exclaimed, as he blurred a Kidou barrier around his body, concealing himself from view and slipping into shunpo. For a while he did not stop, simply pushing himself from one step to the next as he sought to get as far from his Uncle's retinue as he could, but at length his anger and adrenaline faded and he dropped down onto the ground, realising for the first time that he had not only left the archive but also the Kuchiki manor far behind.

It was a cold and wet evening, although the rain was not falling here, and he shivered despite himself, realising that he had not even stopped to collect a cloak or anything else.

_But I can't go back._

Getting to his feet with some difficulty, Shirogane turned back in the direction from which he had come, only just able to make out the faintest outline of the Kuchiki manor between the dense trees of the forest around him.

_Ribari-sama died in this forest. _

Shirogane's brows drew together as he registered where he was.

_But I'm not going to do the same. If I can't stay here – and I can't – I have no choice but to keep going. Away from here. Out of District Six, if need be. To find someone who'll listen to me, and maybe, who'll help._

He turned on his heel, strengthening the Kyokkou barrier around his body as he trudged purposefully forward into the night.

_Ryuu and Mitsuki are in District One, and so is Genryuusai-sama. So I'll go to District One, and somehow, I'll find the truth!_

_

* * *

_

"I might have known you would be waiting for me."

As Juushirou reached the door of his chamber, he smiled ruefully, his gaze flitting from Hirata to Shunsui.

"Just because you don't want me to take all of the blame for something doesn't mean you have to take charge of everything I do, either."

"Well, I didn't like that Sensei dismissed us first, and neither of us were going to sleep till we knew what he'd said to you." Shunsui said gravely. "Don't tease us, Juu. What happened? Even if you can't tell us the specifics – what's he going to do to you?"

"Nothing, it seems." Juushirou admitted, shrugging his shoulders, and Hirata's eyes became huge.

"Nothing?" he echoed. "But…when he looked as cross as that?"

"He was cross. I mean, when we came back, I could tell he really was." Juushirou sighed, pushing open the dorm of his chamber and ushering his companions inside before sinking down onto his bed. "I'm so tired now it's over I could drop and sleep without changing, but I suppose I must. Apparently Tsukabishi-kun said something to him before he left the Healing Bay. About what had happened with Sougyo and that I had had to use my sword because he had been trapped and the Hollow was trying to kill him. So in light of that, Sensei let me off with a warning. And…that's that."

"That kid did, huh?" Shunsui tut-tutted under his breath. "Well…I'll admit it, I didn't think he had it in him."

"Quiet people do have conviction too, Shunsui-kun." Hirata chided, but there was relief in his pale blue eyes. "And I'm glad he found the courage to tell Sensei the truth."

"Sensei said that Tsukabishi-kun seemed to like me. Even…I don't know, admire me." Juushirou's cheeks reddened slightly at this. "I'm not quite sure what to do with that, to be honest. Especially since I've inadvertently put him through a whole lot of bad things, but…"

"You're not to blame if idiots start getting their noses out of joint and decide to bully their juniors." Shunsui said pragmatically. "And you shouldn't get embarrassed if the kid looks up to you. As Anideshi, he should. Right?"

"Yeah…maybe…but…"

"I looked up to you, when you first reached out to help me." Hirata said matter-of-factly. "And I still do, quite a lot, although I've found my own place now. That's because of you believing in me to begin with though, Juushirou-kun. You must know that already – if I hadn't met you in First year, who knows what might have happened to me, my Clan, or anybody."

"Stop it." Juushirou could not go any redder, and he flopped back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Hirata, don't you start with it too. Because the truth of it is, I made lots of mistakes tonight. And I…I must have made a bunch of them leading up to this point. See, I'm sure that the people who were bullying Tsukabishi are those who were kept down in the Fifth year this year."

"Well, that's an obvious deduction." Shunsui snorted. "You didn't really think Kira or Kamitani or any of that group would start stabbing you in the back, did you?"

"I didn't really know." Juushirou admitted. "They're the first people I think of when you say Fifth year, because we studied with them for so long. But it focused my thoughts, being out in the rain and trying to track the kid down. That it is only me who's been targeted. It's only me that Tsukabishi-kun has been running scared from, and it seems to be only me that these bullies have a grudge again. Because I'm Anideshi. Right?"

"Well, it's either a case of you being District, or it's a case of sour grapes." Shunsui reflected. "Neither of which is something you've done."

"You're wrong." Juushirou shook his head grimly, turning to meet his friend's gaze with a sober one of his own. "On the very first day, I crossed words with Kamaki Azusa – one of last year's Fifth years. And since then he's been generally disapproving around me. I don't know it's him for sure – and since I have no proof, I didn't give his name to Sensei. But…the more I think about it, the more sure I am. Because I was sharp with him on first day about his behaviour – in front of witnesses, too – I think he's disposed to hate me."

"All because of one exchange of words?" Hirata sighed. "Do you really think that would make him want to steal your sword?"

"Kamaki is a kinsman of Sora's." Shunsui said thoughtfully. "Third degree, I believe, though his father operates as one of Kyouki-sama's particular advisors. I've only met him once, when Oniisama dragged me to District Five for some important occasion or other when I was fifteen. I wasn't impressed. The Shiba aren't anti-District, so that probably isn't his motive –_ if_ Juu is right. But from the little I remember of him – and from what I've heard when Sora's been on one of her inexplicable rants, he's not a particularly nice person. The kind who blames his ills on others – and certainly one who wouldn't forgive being kept down. He was quite stuck up to me, if I recall correctly – because I was younger than him, and I quote, 'only heir by default.' The truth is I think he was jealous of the attention Kyouki-sama and her children gave me as Tokutarou-nii's brother, but it was only a brief encounter and it never got beyond that stage. I'd forgotten about it till you mentioned his name, in fact."

He sighed.

"But I can see that if Juu put himself in a place where he became a focal point for that resentment…I think he's as good a candidate as we've got."

"But we have to prove it." Juushirou groaned. "So that he won't tackle Tsukabishi-kun any more. The kid is frightened of whoever it is – and there's more to it than we know, I'm absolutely sure about that. So tomorrow - if I'm all right - I'm going to see what I can find out. As Anideshi…"

"You take care of your fever first." Shunsui ordered. "I guess this means your spar with Akira-kun is off."

"_Spar?"_ Juushirou sat bolt upright, alarm flickering in his hazel eyes, and Shunsui sighed, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"You'd forgotten, hadn't you?" He murmured. "I shouldn't have reminded you – all that battling of Hollows clear wiped it from your mind."

"Yes, it did, but now you've said it, I need to deal with that, too." Juushirou bit his lip. "Because that's a whole other problem, and…"

"Postpone it." Hirata suggested. "That's the easiest solution."

Juushirou looked troubled, but before he could answer there was a soft knock at the door, and all eyes turned to the divide.

"Mitsuki-chan, right on cue." Shunsui murmured, and Juushirou shot him a dark look, before raising his voice to call the healer in. She slid back the door, offering them all a rueful smile before stepping carefully over the threshold.

"I shouldn't be here, and I don't want to be caught in a boy's room." She murmured. "So I won't stay very long. I just…when you were out in the cold…I wanted you to have this. Because I thought you'd need it."

She produced a small vial, setting it down beside Juushirou's bed.

"You know exactly what happened out in the forest, don't you?" Juushirou picked it up, glancing at her, and Mitsuki nodded.

"Ryuu and I both do, and Shihouin-kun felt it too." She agreed gravely. "We filled Sora-chan and Houjou-kun in on the details. But I know you're hurting right now too, Juushirou-kun. So take that and try to sleep. Hopefully it will take the edge off and you'll feel better in the morning."

She paused, then,

"Sensei…didn't get very cross with you, did he?"

"He was, but he's forgiven me." Juushirou assured her. "So you needn't worry. I've been sent back here to sleep – and that's what I intend to do. It's already far too late…Sensei said it was past midnight, and I'm exhausted."

He took the stopper from the vial, sniffing the contents cautiously before letting out a heavy sigh.

"This is going to be bitter, isn't it?" He said resignedly, and Mitsuki nodded.

"It is a little." She said apologetically. "I didn't have time to dig out anything to make the taste sweeter, so you'll have to take it neat I'm afraid. It's all I could manage in a short space of time. I only did get back today and I haven't properly reported to Retsu-sama for anything yet, so I didn't have much I could use."

"It's all right. If it tastes bad maybe it'll teach him to be less silly next time." Shunsui chuckled, as Juushirou pulled a graphic face, then downed the contents in one go.

"You make me sound like a naughty child." He complained, handing the vial back to Mitsuki. "Thank you, Mitsuki. It wasn't as bad as it smelt – and I trust your potions where my fevers are concerned. I'm going to kick all of you out now, though…because if I don't get changed soon, I will fall asleep like this and have to explain to Sensei tomorrow why my one clean uniform is rumbled and creased from being slept in."

"We're going." Hirata nodded, stifling a yawn. "We're tired too…it was a long night for all of us."

"Mitsuki-chan might want to stay and help the patient to change." Shunsui said innocently, and Mitsuki snorted.

"I already said I didn't intend to get caught inside a boy's room, and I've already been here too long." She said archly. "Stop trying to put innuendos into situations, Kyouraku-kun. Juushirou is exhausted and I'm going to bed too, now."

She flashed Juushirou a tired smile.

"I need to sleep as well." She admitted. "Goodnight, Juushirou. Sweet dreams, all right?"

With that she was gone, and Shunsui let out a low whistle.

"With a nurse like that, I imagine your dreams will be very sweet." He said playfully.

"Shut up and go away, will you?" Juushirou retorted, his fingers already moving to unfasten his _obi_. "She's right, and I'm too tired to be teased. We'll return to this issue in the morning…I'm done for tonight."

"And Yamamoto-kun?" Hirata asked. "Do you want someone to take him a message?"

"Mm. No." Juushirou shook his head. "I'll deal with that tomorrow too – leave it with me."

* * *

Well, the Academy certainly wasn't dull.

Mitsuki pushed open the door of the small chamber which from that night she would share with Sora, gazing around it pensively for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. It seemed as though she had been back for days, for term had fallen into full swing in her absence, yet despite the craziness of their first day back, the young healer felt somewhat relieved.

_I'm back where I belong. Nobody is getting killed. Nobody is plotting to kill anyone else. Servants aren't going to be savaged in the stable yard here – and Ryuu and I are safe._

Her grey eyes softened as she thought back to that morning, before they had left the Kuchiki manor for the toll road to District One. Her father had been there to see them off, and as he had hugged her, he had murmured in her ear,

"Try not to take it back with you."

She had known without asking what he had meant – for although she had no deep ties to the Kuchiki way of life, she and her father had been very close ever since her mother's death some years before. Teitou had always been prone to overprotecting her, and he had been horrified when he had discovered that she had been the first to see the slaughtered stable hands, her clothes stained with their blood as she had tried desperately to save the groom's life. Even now she knew he worried about her – and that her choice of vocation would end up causing her more pain that it would pleasure. Although he had accepted it, the most recent events had drawn those concerns once more to the forefront of his mind – and Mitsuki was sure that Teitou in particular was relieved to have her sent far from the centre of the Clan.

_A place I would never choose to be of my own volition, but a place that I found myself all the same._

Slowly she changed out of her uniform and into her nightrobe, sinking down onto the covers of her bed with a yawn. Sora had told her she was heading to the bath before she had gone to check on Juushirou, so she knew her room-mate would not be back for a while, yet although Sora had been excited about the prospect of a late night conversation, Mitsuki felt fairly sure she would be asleep before her friend returned.  
_  
Still, being back with Sora has helped, too. Even though she's Clan, Sora isn't tied up in political intrigue. She's just…Sora. Someone I trust. Someone who can be trusted. Someone whose motives I know and understand._

She frowned, her mind flitting to Shirogane.

_I wonder if Senpai is all right. Father said he wasn't going to come see us off – that he'd decided not to, because Seiren-dono's guards were the ones escorting us back. The rift between Ryuu's father and Shirogane-senpai is growing wider, and it worries me. But there isn't anything that a third degree hime can do about Kuchiki politics, even if I had stayed in District Six._

She rolled onto her stomach, resting her chin in her hands as she thought this through.

_It's funny. I didn't ever really speak to Senpai before Ribari-sama died. Before I was called from home to treat him, I was even a little scared of him. But…that night I sat with him…it changed. I couldn't be scared of someone who grabbed hold of my hand so desperately and who was so obviously afraid. Little by little I've seen the other side of him – that he isn't just sardonic and austere but that he has feelings and they can be hurt just like anyone else's. I'm a little ashamed of myself for not knowing it sooner – but now I do know it, I don't like that Ryuu and I have left him alone._

She smiled slightly at her own stupidity.

_I'm sure he hasn't even thought twice about it, though. He's used to us not being there – he's never bothered with either of us before. This was a specific and exceptional circumstance – like as not he'll get back to his duties now and things will calm down. If he can help find Ribari-sama's killer, everything will be all right. Although given the things Ryuu was saying earlier…_

She shook her head as if to clear it.

_I don't believe Seiren-dono killed Ribari-sama, or had any involvement in his death. Guren-sama was shattered when I arrived at the main estate that night, but it was Seiren-dono who refused to accept the boy was really dead. He made me examine Ribari-sama twice before Guren-sama ordered us to leave his son in peace. And then Shirogane-senpai started to get into difficulties, so I was ordered to stay with him and save his life no matter what. But it was Seiren-dono in whose eyes I saw real fear and uncertainty that night. _

_Guren-sama knew. He knew his son was past all hope, and he acted as a Clan leader had to, even while he was grieving as a father. It was Seiren-dono who was still struggling to accept it. Ryuu might not be able to pick up those things from his father, but I did. Whatever has happened since, Seiren-dono did not know Ribari-sama was going to be killed that night. And more, although he doesn't show feelings very openly, he was almost as devastated by it as Guren-sama was. Even if it's true that Seiren-dono dislikes or mistrusts Senpai - I don't believe he would have hurt Ribari-sama, not even to make Ryuu the heir to the Clan._

She sighed, flopping forward onto her bedcovers.

_But I shouldn't be running this over and over in my mind. With everything today and this evening, I'd begun to push it away – but on my own like this it comes back. The bad feeling in the Kuchiki estate is oppressive and stifling – especially for someone with healer's wits. But I can't help but be worried about what's happening back there. I've never felt so involved in the centre of the Clan before…even if the truth is that I'm not._

"Mitsuki-chan?"

The sound of Naoko's voice startled her to the fact she had company, and she turned, shooting the Unohana girl a surprised look.

"Naoko? It's late – has something happened?"

"No, I don't suppose it has." Naoko hesitated, then slid the door shut, coming to sit down on Sora's bed. "Suzuno said you were up and moving around still, and I thought I'd come make sure that you were all right. With the things that have been happening lately, and then tonight…I was worried you were dwelling on things too much."

"Probably I am, but that's nothing new." Mitsuki offered her friend a weary smile. "Thank you, Naoko-chan. But I'm all right, I think. There is a lot that's not settled in District Six, that's all. So now I'm alone and it's late, I'm remembering that fact."

"Mm." Naoko pursed her lips for a moment, then, "To tell you the truth, I saw you a little while ago. With…Kyouraku-kun and Endou-kun, coming out of the Nest."

"Oh." Mitsuki pinkened. "Well, I did go there…that was something else that bothered me. Juushirou got drenched this evening, and wound up fighting a Hollow to top it all off. I could sense it – that he was hurting – so I just went to take him a simple herbal remedy. That's all. I didn't stay very long."

"It is a breach of rules." Naoko reminded her lightly. "Had anyone else seen you…by which I mean less understanding members of our class – you might have found yourself in trouble. You may not have been back here long enough yet to really appreciate the ill feeling beneath the surface, but that isn't an excuse. You should be more discreet, you know – even if you haven't seen one another for such a long time."

"There's nothing to be indiscreet about." Mitsuki shrugged her shoulders. "I'm in love with Juushirou and I won't deny it. But we are just friends, and there's nothing more to it than that. I told you that earlier, and I'll give you my word again now, Naoko-chan. That's all it is."

She smiled faintly.

"I might like it to be something more, but I know more than ever lately that it can't be." She added wistfully. "Because my Clan is a complicated place at the best of times. And I am…a part of that Clan. Even though I'm a healer, and I've always felt on the edge of it. Right now I feel…I am a Kuchiki. And I care what's happening there, even though now I'm here."

"Well, of course you do." Naoko said matter-of-factly. "That's just common sense. I'm an Unohana and what happens in my Clan bothers me – even if I don't want to go round running after sick people like the most of them do. You don't have to be a carbon copy of your Clan's stereotype to feel a kinship to your family. It's perfectly normal that you would, given your position."

She paused, then,

"Guren-sama acknowledged you, didn't he?" She asked quietly, and Mitsuki nodded.

"He never really has before, though he did give permission for my training." She agreed with a sigh. "But when Ribari-sama was hurt, Ryuu told his father and Seiren-dono pushed Guren-sama to send for me. It was too late for Ribari-sama, but I did manage to help Shirogane-senpai at the very least. I think…maybe that made people understand a little. That even if I am…odd to them, I have a purpose too."

She laughed ruefully, glancing at her hands.

"Or maybe _I_ was the one who realised I had a purpose there." She amended. "Though I don't intend to always be at the heart of Kuchiki intrigue. Just…there was a lot I couldn't do to help, but I did save Senpai's life. And…that was something important that I did because I was a healer. If it had waited till Retsu-sama had come…he would probably have died. She said that too – because of me, he's still alive."

"And able to carry out his own duties, too." Naoko looked thoughtful. "Mitsuki-chan, tell me, for I've forgotten – what degree of Clan is Nagoya-senpai?"

"Mm. That's complicated." Mitsuki pulled a face. "Well, everything associated with the Kuchiki is. His mother was Ryuu's aunt, making him second degree. But his father was a fourth degree kinsman, and so some feel…"

"He is beneath second degree in reality, but elevated by talent and favour?" Naoko asked. Mitsuki nodded.

"He's not elevated beyond his station though." She added hurriedly. "Senpai is smart and able and he's good at what he does. He should be considered second degree and Ryuu's effective equal. It's a silly rule, in my mind, that because it was his mother and not his father who was from the central line, he should be thought of any differently."

"Agnatic tradition." Naoko sounded disdainful. "An outmoded concept in most progressive Clans. I'm glad the Unohana don't believe in it – Retsu-sama is the strongest and most able Clan head we've had in many generations. Everybody says that that's so."

"Sora's mother is also that way in District Five." Mitsuki agreed with a sigh. "But I think the Kuchiki inner court would throw up hands in horror at the bare suggestion. Masane-dono was the daughter of Senaya-sama and a _hime_ of good blood. But really she wasn't anything more than that. And because of that fact, Shirogane-senpai's position depends pretty much entirely on Guren-sama's good opinion."

"You sound worried about him." Naoko murmured, and Mitsuki reddened, nodding her head.

"It does sound that way." She acknowledged. "I suppose I am. It's funny that I should feel so concerned for someone who a few months ago I would probably do my best to avoid meeting. He can be sharp-tongued, dismissive and intolerant…and he doesn't generally talk to those who rank beneath him more than he has to. But…now things are different, and his own position is under threat. More, though, he's grieving. The boy who died…was very close to him. And I don't think he's ever been in that situation before. I…it's hard to explain, but when I saved him, that night he was truly vulnerable. He didn't know I was there, or that anyone was – he was trapped in delusions and when he cried out or reached for my hand it was involuntary, not conscious. But my healer senses responded to that need…and I haven't been afraid of him since."

"You sound more than unafraid of him, if I may say so." Naoko said acerbically. "You sound somewhat fond of him."

"Fond?" Mitsuki looked surprised, and Naoko nodded.

"You said yourself that your friendship with Ukitake-kun must remain on a platonic basis because of your difference in birth." She said pragmatically. "And that you were more aware of your position within the Kuchiki Clan as a result of recent events."

"Yes, I know I did." Mitsuki frowned. "But Naoko-chan, if you're suggesting…"

"You need to look at things more realistically." Naoko said firmly. "There's no shame in having a close friendship with a District boy – even with a boy whose antecedents are illegitimate Kuchiki. Ukitake-kun is a respectable person, and not someone whose manners would cause an upset. You can't take it any further. You and he have both accepted that. However…Nagoya-senpai is an entirely different prospect."

"Naoko, are you suggesting I should focus my affections on Shirogane-senpai?" Despite her tiredness, Mitsuki's was suddenly alert, staring at her friend in complete disbelief. "I said I was worried about him – and yes, I have become somewhat 'fond' of him, but not in that way! If anything it's a very new friendship – but it's completely different from how things are with Juushirou!"

"Things aren't anything with Ukitake-kun, by your own admission." Naoko said bluntly. "Listen, Mitsuki-chan. As your friend, I'm going to be straight with you. Your Clan is in flux and right now it doesn't need any further disruption. You have been noticed by your Clan leader – you can't hide any longer in the shadows of obscurity because of your healer vocation. Do you think that, even if you were to pursue anything with Ukitake-kun, your Clan would accept it? All you would do would be disgrace yourself and your father in Guren-sama's eyes and create irreparable damage for people you care about. Probably for Ukitake-kun as well. You know all of this – you've said it yourself. Now I'm saying it back to you."

"But…"

"You're not a teenager now." Naoko said gently. "You're an adult woman who can make her own choices in life. Most Kuchiki hime are betrothed or married by the time they reach twenty, are they not? The main reasons you are not are because you are a healer - and because you are here, training as you are. But when you graduate, I'm sure your father will raise the subject, and within the Kuchiki, a woman's role is very different from what it might be in other less mysogenistic families."

She pulled a derisive face, then,

"Ukitake-kun is a resident of your Clan's District, and you must realise the impact it could have on him too, now you're in Guren-sama's notice." She continued. "You would do far better to forget about those feelings and focus yourself on the future. Nagoya-senpai is not quite second degree and not quite fourth degree. You are third degree. A more suitable match within the Clan probably does not exist."

"I don't have that kind of interest in Shirogane-senpai, Naoko-chan."

"Well, that isn't how it sounds to an outside observer." Naoko said acerbically. "Besides, I didn't think that kind of thing really mattered when it was the Kuchiki. I've heard of many virtues your Clan seek when making marriage matches. Bloodline. Heritage. Talent. Even handsome appearance. But romance? It's not really a Sixth District trait. Perhaps it isn't a Clan one either. You've allowed yourself to become naive, that's all - but like I just said, we're none of us children now."

"Are you serious?" Mitsuki asked softly, and Naoko looked surprised, then nodded her head.

"I'm thinking with your best interests at heart." She agreed. "I know you don't want to hear those things, but Mi-chan, you have to see it from an outside perspective too. You lost your heart to Ukitake-kun and that's your own folly, I suppose, because you did it with the one boy in our class that nobody would ever sanction you being with. But to take it further might destroy both of your lives. To persist in feeling such things...don't you see that if you were to be married to someone suitable when you graduate here, you'll not only be provided for in the heart of that masculinised Clan of yours but also your friendship with Ukitake-kun can't fail to be seen as nothing beyond platonic? I know you're intelligent and that you understand more clearly than most what being Clan means. Your family will forgive your socialising with a District boy - an illegitimate Kuchiki boy, even - if they know it's simply a school friendship and nothing more."

Mitsuki was silent for a moment, unable to speak as a mixture of emotions rushed through her young body. Anger, fear, sadness and frustration all competed to be uppermost in her tired senses, and she bit her lip, clenching and unclenching her fists as she sought to keep a firm grip on her rising feelings.

"You're mistaken." She said quietly. "Being married to anyone would not settle anything at all. Because I don't intend to follow that path, Naoko. I'm not interested in doing anything like that. I'm not going to make a traditional Kuchiki match."

"Then you're foolish." Naoko said briskly. "And I didn't think you were that reckless a person deep down. You've never been a rebellious type - you've had your dreams and your vocation and you've followed it - but in the end, you've still stayed close to home. You've made your father proud of you, and let him protect you. What are you intending to do, then, when you're out there on your own in the real world? Seireitei isn't the Academy. And you're not going to have the protection of the Kuchiki squad. Do you think that just because Retsu-sama has tutored you, you'll immediately fall under her protection and she'll answer all your questions for you? Don't be naive. Retsu-sama is a good person, but she's a Shinigami Captain and a Clan leader. She can't spend all her time nursemaiding a student who isn't even of her blood."

"So that's what you really think of me, then?" Now Mitsuki's hot-blooded Kuchiki pride overrode her normal calm, and she got to her feet, glaring down at Naoko indignantly. "That I'm a helpless, kept _hime_ who isn't capable of taking initiative into her own hands and forging her own path? You come from a family of healers, so you think you understand the healing vocation and what it is that drives me forward to train. But you don't, do you? You don't have even the slightest flicker of it inside of you. Only someone completely dense to it could say such things and believe in them as though they made sense."

"I was trying to give you sound advice, and instead you resort to casting low blows at me." Naoko bristled, her own obstinate temper rising in the face of this tirade. "You're not an Unohana, Mitsuki. Don't pretend that you are. I know my family better than you - I know more about this than you. You will have to prove yourself against people who have spent their whole lives training to be great healers and high ranking ones in District Four. Don't be naive. It's not as simple as you think it is."

"I don't care." Mitsuki snapped back, her eyes glittering with tears, but they were tears of fury, not of sadness. "I didn't choose to be a healer, but I am one. You didn't choose not to be, but you're not. You're the one who doesn't understand, Naoko. From the things you've said tonight, I understand that more clearly than I ever have before. That you might be an Unohana, but you don't have an Unohana's sensitivity. You don't really know how other people feel at all, do you? And more, you don't really care."

"If I didn't care, you stupid girl, I wouldn't put my neck out to make such suggestions in the first place!" Naoko shot back, and Mitsuki snorted, shaking her head in frustration.

"Don't make them at all, because I don't want them!" She exclaimed, banging her hand down on the wall as if to emphasise her point. "I'm_ not_ a helpless _hime_ who can't choose or act for herself, you know! And I realise I have a long way to go before I'll make a great healer. I know that! I've seen the blood spilt of those who I should have been able to save, and I've not been protected from death or violence since I chose this path. But I know my own mind, Naoko. I know it, and I will follow it. Even if you, or other people think differently. I have made up my mind. I don't intend to marry. Not Senpai, not anyone at all. I'm in love with Juushirou, and I can stay that way for the rest of my life if need be. It doesn't matter if we can't get married or be together or do anything other than be friends. Because I'm a healer, and that is my path. I won't be the prized trinket wife of any powerful Clan lord - not for anyone!"

"Mitsuki, you..."

"No, you listen to me for once." Mitsuki strode forward, grasping Naoko by the shoulders and fixing her with a defiant, challenging glare. "You always have an opinion, and that's fine. I listen to those opinions and I take them on board. But when it comes to my heart or my future, don't presume you understand. You don't know anything about the Kuchiki, nor about healers. You only see Clan and status as a security for the future. Well, perhaps I don't choose that easy, stable future. Perhaps I choose something different to that."

"What the hell is going on in here?"

Before Naoko could fire back a response, the door of the chamber slid back to reveal Sora, towel in hand and a bemused expression on her face as she glanced from one friend to the other. "Mitsuki, why are you red in the face and why do you look like you're about to shake the heebie-jeebies out of Nao-chan? And Nao-chan, why are you glaring at Mitsuki as if she just killed your favourite pet? What on earth are you doing? It's gone midnight and I could hear raised voices all down the hall!"

"I'm sure I don't know." Naoko shook herself free from Mitsuki's grip, turning to shoot the Kuchiki girl an ice cold glare before turning to meet Sora's gaze impassively. "Since I have no understanding of other people's feelings, I wouldn't presume to guess. You'll have to ask the healer for the details, Sora - I'm sure she'll be far better qualified than I to give you a rundown of the facts."

With that she was gone, sliding the door firmly behind her with a forceful click, and Mitsuki groaned, sinking down onto her bed and burying her head in her hands. She was still shaking, she realised, with anger and a force of emotion she had not known she had possessed. Naoko's words had preyed on her tiredness and she had snapped - but even though she knew she had lost her head thoroughly, she did not feel sorry for what she had said. Instead she simply felt anger - searing rage that bubbled and stirred within her and that try as she might she could not fully quell.

"Well?" After the silence threatened to become endless, Sora's voice finally broke through the heavy atmosphere and at length Mitsuki raised her gaze, her expression defensive as she stared at her friend.

"Hey, don't eat me too." Sora held up her hands hurriedly. "I only said 'well?'. I'm sure there are rules of argument etiquette that forbid people snapping heads off without provocation."

At this, Mitsuki sighed, rubbing her temples.

"I'm sorry." She murmured, then, "I'm not angry at you. But I'm still...quite angry. So I might shout at you...if you ask me too much now."

"Naoko said something you didn't like, huh?" Sora flopped back on her bed, gazing up at the ceiling. "But even so, I've not seen you like that before. Well...well, like this. Like...your reiatsu is prickling enough that even I can feel it and feel it clearly. Were you that worried about Juushirou's antics? He came back safe, didn't he?"

"It's not about Juushirou." There was more force in Mitsuki's words than she intended, and Sora arched an eyebrow.

"From the way you said that, I think it was a little bit about Juushirou." She observed pensively. "And knowing Naoko, I'm sure I can work out what. She told you to stop your crush on him, didn't she? Something on those lines. And you're tired, and worried about Juushirou's adventure this evening, and so you snapped. It'll blow over in the morning - you know how Nao is. She has strong views on things."

"So do I, Sora." Mitsuki murmured, glancing at the backs of her hands as she fought to bring her emotions under control. Tears still pricked at her lashes but she forced them back, resting her hands on the bedcovers in an attempt to stop them trembling. "So do I."

"I wasn't saying otherwise." Sora assured her hastily. "But you are tired, and it is late. And so..."

"She doesn't understand at all." Mitsuki cut across her, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Sora. I'm not going to forget it so easily. What she said. What she thinks. It's not about Juushirou - it's not just about that. It's about how Naoko sees me overall - as a helpless _hime_ who when graduation comes will wind up running back to her Clan instead of following her vocation and becoming a proper healer. She doesn't think I'm strong enough to do that - to forsake everything in order to help people as a healer should. But she doesn't understand at all."

"Nao is Nao." Sora came to sit beside her friend, slipping a tentative arm around her shoulders, and Mitsuki did not pull away, allowing the tension to seep out of her weary body.

"And I'm Mitsuki." She murmured. "Edogawa Mitsuki. Not Kuchiki. Not Unohana. Edogawa. That's who I am. It's all I am. It's all I ever will be."

"Huh?" Sora stared at her, bewildered, and Mitsuki groaned.

"Yesterday, at the main estate, five stable hands were cut down by an unknown assasin." She said quietly. "The whole place was awash with blood. They were badly savaged by someone with no qualms about death - maybe someone who enjoyed killing, I don't know. One man...was still alive when I reached them, but I could not save him. I simply had to watch him die. I was there, in the midst of that scene, with nobody to protect me from their pain or from the violence. Naoko thinks I'm a coward - that I've been shielded by my family my whole life and that when it comes to it I won't be able to face what being a Shinigami healer means. But yesterday I saw it face on, Sora. I saw what it means. And I only realised one thing. That I wanted to have saved them. I didn't mind the blood. I wasn't frightened of the danger. But I couldn't stand that they died...and I couldn't help them."

She buried her head in her hands.

"Naoko thinks I should be a good Kuchiki, try and snare Shirogane-senpai as my husband and settle down in peace and tranquility, because I don't have the sword skills to fight on the front line." She whispered. "Because I'm distressed by other people's pain, I'm sure she thinks I'm weak - and because I'm a Kuchiki, I'm sure she thinks me spoiled. But she doesn't understand even a little bit of how things are for me. She never has. I realised it properly tonight. Naoko is an Unohana, but she has no healing wits at all. And she doesn't really understand people - just social rules and etiquette."

She offered a faint, bittersweet smile.

"Even you understand a little bit, although you're not as sensitive to reiatsu as some of the others." She added. "Because you listen to what I'm saying, rather than just assuming what I mean."

Sora sighed, gently ruffling her fingers through Mitsuki's hair.

"You've really been through it lately, haven't you?" She said quietly, and Mitsuki shrugged.

"It's like I said before." She said sadly. "I've just realised all the more how much I am a healer - and how much more important that is to me than being part of my Clan. I am a Kuchiki - I feel ties to that family I never did before, now. But it hasn't changed who I am deep down. No matter how hard the path is, Sora - I intend to follow Retsu-sama and become a proper healer. Even if the Unohana shinigami all hate and resent me and even if I have to start from the very bottom without help from anyone. It's the only thing I can do."

"Then do it." Sora advised matter of factly. "It's your life. Your vocation. So do it. Nobody's stopping you - right?"

"Right." Mitsuki nodded, wiping her eyes. "When you say it, it sounds so simple. That's why it's easier to talk to you, Sora. I don't think I'll make Naoko understand."

"I could talk to her?" Sora suggested, but Mitsuki shook her head.

"I don't think...I want to make her understand." She admitted. "I don't think...after tonight...there's a lot of point."

She frowned, remembering the cold look that the older girl had shot her way.

"She's always thought to protect me, too." She added simply. "But I don't need protecting any more. So I don't think...we'll work this through, Sora. I don't think that I want to. I'm not...who she thinks I am. And that isn't going to change, no matter how much talking we do."

She shrugged.

"But for now, I'm going to sleep. If I can." She said heavily. "I'm sorry you had to walk in on that, Sora-chan - and that it puts you in the middle. But I'm not going to change my mind, I don't think. Because even now I'm calming down, I'm still angry. And I don't think...that I'm going to forgive her for what she said very easily at all."

* * *

_**Author's note:**_

_Here ends the longest day in fanfiction history ;)_

_Also – __**Kyokkou**__. This is Kyakkou as referenced in previous fics – the incantation that Hirata often uses to conceal himself. It's the fault of my own laziness really, in that I didn't bother to go look the spell up in the raw manga for myself until I saw the Kanji on a forum somewhere and thought, hang on a minute, that doesn't make sense. So I went to the raw to check, and sure enough the spell is actually called Kyokkou, not Kyakkou. I haven't any intention of changing the references in the early fics because it would be too time consuming – but I thought I'd explain here, just so as people weren't confused._

_It's a pity. Kyakkou is a nicer word ._


	25. The Kyouraku Hime

**Chapter Twenty Four: The Kyouraku Hime**

The sun was streaming through the window of the small chamber as Nanaki opened her eyes, blinking and lifting a heavy arm to shield her gaze from the glare.

For a moment she could not place where she was, and a brief wave of panic washed over her as she struggled into a sitting position, struggling to bring her surroundings into clear focus.

The room was somehow familiar, and as she leant up against the cold panel wall, she realised that it was one of the small servant chambers that flanked Seiren's own rooms when he was staying at the heart of the main estate. As a maidservant, she had been here to dust many times, but it was the first time she had absorbed its appearance with any seriousness, and she was quite surprised to discover that though it was quite simply furnished for a Kuchiki bedchamber, it was pretty and allowed a good deal of light in. Arched windows ran along the one wall, interspersed with wood panels stained a delicate green, but there was no sign of the distinctive Kuchiki swan carved into any of them, and Nanaki found that she was glad.

Kicking the blankets away, she got to her feet, resting a hand briefly against the wall to steady herself as a giddy sensation rushed over her.

How had she got here?

Instinctively her hand went to her throat, and she frowned, realising that the pendant was gone. Had she given it to someone? Her memory was hazy, but she seemed to recall that she had – that the night before she had done something, and her being here was all part of that plan.

_But I'm stiff and bruised all over, so whatever it was didn't come without a little pain._

She sighed, moving cautiously to the window and resting her hands on the sill.

_I wonder if the door is locked. I'm not chained or bound, so I suppose what happened yesterday went well. I wish I could remember it more clearly though. I remember talking to Shirogane, and to Seiren…but what was said is a blur and I don't know how it ended. _

"Nanaki-dono?"

A voice from the door startled her and she swung around, almost losing her balance as her head swam once more with sudden giddiness. Her fingers closed hurriedly around the window catch, preventing her from falling headlong, and she raised her head more cautiously, meeting the concerned gaze of the intruder with an impassive one of her own.

"Nanaki-dono, you are awake."

The man bowed his head slightly.

"Please forgive my interruption, especially into a lady's chamber. But Seiren-sama entrusted you to my care and mine alone, to ensure your continued safety following the events of last night."

_The events of last night._

Nanaki's eyes became slits as slowly but surely she dredged the missing memories out of the depths of her subconscious.

_That's right. I spoke to Shirogane and warned him…then I went to Seiren in order to put the fear of God into him, too. But before that…_

She touched a hand to her head, wincing as she felt the bruises that had begun to form beneath her thick dark hair.

_To make sure that Seiren took pity on me, I threw myself down stairs to generate a bruising. No wonder I feel groggy this morning. I expect I banged my head and became concussed – and that's why I don't remember coming here. Still, I remember the rest clearly enough now. Who I'm supposed to be – and why._

She inclined her head slowly.

"Shibata-dono." She murmured. "Thank you. For helping me. I feel…that maybe I am safe."

"You are quite safe, I promise you." Shibata seemed relieved at her meek reply, for he closed the door behind him, leaning up against the wood as he surveyed her pensively. "I am a soldier, Nanaki-hime, but I am not the kind who wages war on women or on children. I will not hurt you – you need not be afraid of me."

"You have honour about you. I believe you." Nanaki managed a tiny smile, fixing him with tragic blue eyes. "You don't look at me how he did…so I know…you won't harm me."

She injected as much tragedy into her bright blue eyes as possible as she looked at him, searching his expression for any sign of doubt or suspicion. There was none, however, and she fought to keep the triumph from her voice.

"I'm sorry that I've inconvenienced Lord Seiren more than I intended to."

She had always been good at looking scared, pitiful or helpless, and in the past two years that fact had frustrated her more than once. But now she realised that that in itself was a talent – that people rarely suspected the meek and would not see the blood that now stained her pretty_ hime_'s hands.

"Seiren-sama has gone to report events to Guren-sama directly. I expect he will want to call on you too, to explain your part in what happened last evening."

Shibata looked suddenly weary.

"You must not stray from the protection of myself and my guardsmen, Nanaki-dono. Last night an attempt was made to arrest Shirogane-dono, but it met with failure. As a shinigami, he easily slipped away from us – attacked my men and I and disappeared into the night. His whereabouts is still unknown – but using his kidou skills, it is possible he is in the local area and keeping himself concealed."

"Shirogane-dono?" Nanaki started, hoping that her face had gone white to match her frightened expression. She sank down on her bed, clutching at her discarded blankets and hugging them instinctively to her chest. "But…Shibata-dono…"

"You should not worry." Shibata assured her. "As I said, Seiren-sama has charged me with your safety. And I'm sure once Guren-sama hears what you have to say, he will dispatch men who can see through Shirogane-dono's demon arts and locate his whereabouts."

"You…believe me?" Nanaki injected just the right note of hesitation into her voice, and Shibata nodded his head.

"By his own words, Shirogane-dono confessed to having met with you." He said gravely. "More than that, though, I saw the rage and insanity in his eyes as he released his _zanpakutou_ on my men. He did not care whether he caused harm – even death – he simply hacked and slashed at them as though he was willing to cut through them to be able to escape. It reminded me of the terrible events in the stableyard with far too much clarity."

"Shirogane-dono did not do that." Nanaki whispered, and Shibata nodded his head once more.

"I know. But from your testimony, it seems that he had some connection to the one who did." He said darkly. "That is what you told Seiren-sama, isn't it? That the one who killed those in the stableyard was seen by you before he escaped?"

"Yes." Nanaki's expression became haunted. "And you're right. It's not someone I'd easily forget."

She shivered.

"Those golden eyes…looking right through me. Like the devil's own eyes." She added.

"Then you must tell all of this to Guren-sama." Shibata said seriously. "And trust in him to protect us all from the insurgence lurking in the shadows around this Clan."

Nanaki was silent for a moment, her fingers once more going to her throat where the pendant had originally hung. Then she smiled slightly, nodding her head.

"I understand." She agreed softly. "And I will."

* * *

"Seiren, I want a clear explanation for your conduct last night."

Across the other side of the Kuchiki manor, a quite different conversation was taking place, and as Guren banged his hands down on his desk, he cast an angry glare at his brother who stood silent and vaguely defiant across the other side of the well-appointed, formally decorated study.

Years before, this had been Senaya's domain, and Guren could still remember his father pacing around it in restless annoyance, struggling to pull together the different aspects and angles of dealing with the Clan.

He had been young then – he and Seiren both had been – but even so he recalled the arguments that would often fill this room. His Uncle Kinnya had often raised his voice to his father behind the closed doors of the study, and as a small boy Guren remembered hearing the angry exchanges of words between the two men drifting across the grass towards where he and his nurses had been playing.

At the time he had not understood how two men who seemed so close could shout at each other so readily and still retain their trust for one another. And now he found himself remembering that feeling again as he gazed at his own brother's defiance and realised that despite their mutual efforts to work together for so long as they had, they had never been close enough to really argue.

_To argue with someone in the way Kinnya-sama and Father argued implies implicit trust and an understanding that goes beyond the ties of office. Seiren and I have never had that level of anything – as I said to Retsu, cracks lie just beneath the surface. _

"I came to report to you, Oniisama." Seiren's own words were calm and somewhat cool, further strengthening Guren's opinion that the conversation that would follow would touch on dangerous territory. He remembered with only too much clarity how much the twins had hated one another as children, and though that hatred had been set aside in the pursuit of a common goal, at that moment Guren felt those emotions flickering and flaring once again, frustrating his rationality and making him struggle to keep his temper under wraps.

He could not say the things he wanted to say out loud, for fear of generating a greater rift in Kuchiki administration than already existed. But deep down, he was angry in a way he had not been in some years. Since Masane's death, he had looked out for Shirogane not only out of duty to her but also with genuine affection – and with his emotions already raw from the loss of Ribari, he felt now that in the space of a short time a second son had been stolen from him. He did not like the helplessness of being the bereft father – and that Seiren had acted so without his direct agreement had only served to stoke his annoyance further.

"I understand that without my authority you sent men to arrest our nephew Shirogane last evening." Somehow he kept his words even and calm. "Although I had already assured you that I intended on keeping an eye on Shirogane myself. As a result, I believe that not only are men of yours now nursing injuries and the archive is somewhat in disarray, the boy himself has disappeared from the immediate vicinity. And, more than that, Seiren…you waited until this morning to report any of this business to me. In fact, I learnt of the entire episode by accident – _not_ from the brother I am supposed to consider my right hand man."

"If you'll allow me to speak, Guren-sama, I'll explain to you clearly the events of last night." Seiren's words were once more chilly, and Guren recognised an old obstinacy rising in his dark gaze. "As for not reporting to you sooner, I am sorry. But I – and my men – spent the majority of last night trying to track down Shirogane's whereabouts with the intention of bringing him before you in person to explain his conduct properly."

"Yet you failed to locate him."

"His whereabouts remain unknown."

"Seiren, what were you doing?" Guren asked softly. "Even if you felt strongly that he was somehow disturbed from the events recently, surely…"

"Further evidence came before me late last night, Oniisama." Seiren spoke evenly and calmly, his gaze fixed right in front of him as though he too was fighting to hold down a violent burst of temper. "It was not my intention to cause Shirogane harm – but the new evidence I discovered meant that I did not with all conscience leave matters to themselves."

"What evidence?" Guren demanded, and Seiren's eyes narrowed.

"A young girl among the menial staff of this manor was assaulted last night." He said flatly. "You will remember, of course, that low level staff of this estate were also targeted by an unknown assassin only a day before, so I thought it prudent to listen to what she had to say. She claimed to have been assaulted by Shirogane himself – after having overheard conversations between him and some unknown other party planning the removal of my son and, if I may say so, your only legitimate Clan heir."

"A serving girl said so?" Guren was sceptical. "On which evidence, your men invaded the library, created a scene of chaos and drove your blood nephew into hiding without asking for his own side of the story?"

"Shibata was dispatched to bring Shirogane to speak to me." Seiren said matter-of-factly. "To me, and then to you, for you to decide on matters directly. Shirogane was the one who became violent – he released his _zanpakutou_ and used Kidou on men who have no spiritual ability or training and he did so, so my men tell me, without hesitation or mercy. Then he fled the manor – which is surely not the act of an innocent man."

"If you are right about his unsettled mental state, Seiren, you realise such an action might have done him damage rather than anything else?" Guren somehow managed to keep the impatience out of his tones. "If he is still suffering paranoid delusions of some kind from that night, your attack will have driven him into hiding and maybe into danger. Besides, all on the word of a serving wench with nothing further to back up your actions? You've let your personal bias go too far this time. I want him found and brought back here – and I will hear what he says before I consider any idea of arresting him."

"The maidservant is an exile from District Eight, sir." Seiren's eyes were flinty as he met his brother's gaze. "A child of a former Kyouraku lord who took shelter here when her father died and Tokutarou-sama took control. Shirogane admitted to Shibata that he met with her – and immediately after he did so, she was found in a bloody, bruised state and near hysterical with fear and shock. She is currently in the care of some of my people, and she will be brought before you to explain her story to you herself."

"A…Kyouraku exile? A _hime_, among our serving staff?" Guren arched an eyebrow. "Seiren, what stories are you believing now? Maybe you're the one who's having the delusions, and not Shirogane at all! Since when have you acted so rashly based on the words of a servant? No matter how I look at this, it seems…"

"She carried the crest of District Eight, Oniisama." Seiren cut across him bluntly. "A genuine crest which identifies her as a descendant of the main house of the Kyouraku Clan. I have verified for myself the crest's authenticity – not only is its craftsmanship obviously superior, it matches identically to the crest held by the former lord Matsuhara when he sat on the Council of Elders."

His eyes became unpleasant.

"Strangely that was easy enough to discover." He added coldly. "Because Shirogane was looking through those exact books when my men apprehended him. He too was matching the crest of the Kyouraku – further proof he met the girl, and probably, that he knew who she was. Maybe even, if I might suggest it, with the purpose of selling her over to less than savoury allies in return for some unknown deed. Certainly I can't imagine given the state of the wench when I found her that he meant her anything but harm."

Despite himself, Guren's heart lurched momentarily in his chest.

"A Clan crest?" He murmured, and Seiren nodded, slipping his fingers into his rich emerald _obi_ and producing the pendant which sparkled in the morning light. He set it down carefully on the wood of Guren's desk, and the other man picked it up tentatively, turning it over in his hands. At once he could see that his brother was right – that it was a genuine Clan crest, and more, that the family insignia was one he had seen before.

"Matsuhara-dono's crest indeed." He murmured, more than half to himself, and Seiren nodded his head, the faintest glimmer of triumph in his grey eyes.

"What else did this girl say?" Guren set the pendant down, fixing his brother with a searching look. "I am loath to believe that Shirogane is an enemy of mine or of Ryuu's – or that he would plot with anyone behind anyone's back. But I will hear everything first, if I may."

"She said that she fled here because the Kyouraku had allied with Shihouin assassins and that such people had been hunting her down behind the scenes since her father's suicide." Seiren said quietly. "She knew that the Kuchiki would not enter into such a pact, being that we have a long enmity with the Shihouin, and so felt here was a safe place where she could hide. But the day before yesterday, she was at the stables. She said that she witnessed the attack on the men and that it was carried out by a man dressed all in black – a man with golden eyes. She recognised him as one of the assassins for hire that the Kyouraku had drawn on to hunt down and destroy her family, and so she fled in fear. And she claimed Shirogane to be involved in this in some way."

"I see." Guren's eyes narrowed. "I must speak to this girl. You say she is in your custody?"

"Yes, but I have not tried to rouse her from her sleep. She was badly battered in yesterday's attack and it was enough to try and keep that matter quiet from the other servants."

"Still, I will speak to her and without delay. Send a man to rouse her, Seiren – or perhaps a woman, if you feel that to be more appropriate."

Guren grimaced.

"Would that Teitou's daughter was still here. With her healing wits and gentle manner, she would have been the ideal choice to gain this girl's trust – but never mind. We must do as we can. Tired or battered or not, if she can walk and can speak I will have her here and as soon as possible."

"Yes, Oniisama."

Seiren inclined his head slightly, moving to the door and opening it to speak to the guards posted outside. Guren did not hear their exchange, but the next moment his brother had returned to the chamber, closing the divide once more behind him.

"She will be brought here as soon as is possible." He said quietly, his tones full of deference yet still with a certain edge that Guren did not quite like. "Shibata has been stood guard at her door since I left to report to you, so you need not worry about any delay."

"Good." Guren sighed, drumming his fingers absently on the desk as he ran his mind over the things he had already heard. "Because I don't like this, Seiren. This girl may or may not be a Kyouraku _hime_ – I certainly cannot dispute the crest you've shown me, and I also know that the Kyouraku Clan have not always enjoyed the stability they enjoy now. But even though that is the case…for Shirogane to plot against his family in any regard…"

"There is one other thing, Oniisama." Seiren cut across him softly, his words not disrespectful yet somehow demanding to be heard. "I knew you would not simply take my or anyone's word for it, since you are far too fond of Masane's boy for common sense, even when an innocent girl has been beaten within inches of her life. So I had Shibata conduct a search of Shirogane's chambers in a hunt for evidence linking him with any conspiracy."

"And?"

"Mm." Seiren hesitated for a moment, then slipped his hand back into his _obi_, pulling out two folded pieces of parchment which he dropped down onto the desk. Guren picked up the more scrunched up piece of paper, unravelling it and then staring at it blankly before raising his gaze to his companion in confusion.

"But this is…?"

"A fragment taken from Father's _nikki_." Seiren agreed grimly. "And when I say a fragment, I mean a fragment. There is only a few lines of text here, but it looks like it has been recently torn across. Perhaps by accident, perhaps by design. The page is old and faded – it may have been separated from the _nikki_ for some time. But the tear across the middle is a fresh one."

"How can you be sure?" Guren squinted at the faded script. "Certainly, it is Father's writing, Seiren, but that this is from his _nikki_…? Why would you be so certain of that? It says nothing of particular significance."

"The style and paper appears the same to me." Was it Guren's imagination, or was there some hesitation in Seiren's eyes as he answered that question. "I have recently had cause to scan through Father's diary, and so the style and appearance is fresh in my mind. Perhaps I am wrong – but that is how it appears to me."

"_At that time, Kinnya was also summoned and a course of action was chosen for the greater benefit of the Kuchiki Clan." _Guren frowned, reading the text slowly out loud_. "On this occasion, it seemed that…"_

He paused, raising his head.

"That is all it says." He added. "Perhaps it is from the _nikki_, but I would have noticed any pages that had been so damaged or vandalised. Why Shirogane would have this is a mystery to me. It contains nothing of any worth."

"Perhaps the rest of the page did."

"But there is no rest of page." Guren said sensibly. "Seiren, unless you know with certainty where this comes from and what its significance is, I'm afraid that…"

"Shirogane took my son to see the _nikki_ a few days before all of this occurred." Seiren said softly. "It troubles me, that's all. That coincidence."

"It may be nothing more than coincidence." Guren pointed out, setting the scrap aside. "And this? This second sheet? This is newer paper, surely?"

"It is."

Seiren faltered again, and Guren could see consternation in his brother's eyes.

"I have received twice letters from an unknown individual in recent days." At length the man spoke, and Guren was certain now that his brother was revealing information he did not want to disclose. "They are written in a fine hand in expensive ink – the kind of ink you use yourself, and on parchment such as that Masane used to use. Though most of the paper in Shirogane's chamber was blank, there was one which was not."

He tapped the second piece of paper with his index finger.

"Please, Guren-sama. Read this and see what you think."

Slowly Guren unfolded the piece of paper, then his eyes widened in surprise.

"_Leader of the Clan you may be, but leader of the Clan you are not._" He murmured. "Seiren…what is the meaning of this?"

He turned it over, recognising with a chill the neatly printed kanji for his name on the outside of the paper.

"That one was meant for you, it seems." Seiren said blackly. "The letters I received I burnt – but I believe they were intended to threaten Ryuu and his position. Maybe even his life. I had not wanted to concern you with them, but on finding this one, I thought…I could no longer keep silent about the ones I had received."

"You believe Shirogane wrote this – and the others you burnt?" Guren demanded, and Seiren nodded his head.

"That is my conjecture. Yes."

"It is a serious allegation." Guren sighed, setting the paper down on the desk and rubbing his temples as a sudden sense of weary heaviness washed over him. "And it is impossible to tell from the writing whether a particular individual wrote it. I know Shirogane's hand and I admit, the characters are not entirely dissimilar to his style. But then again, they are not similar enough for me to say they are his, either. Many young nobles are trained to write in similar form and pattern – all I can say from this is that they were written by someone with a recent education, not a classical one like yours or mine."

"In Shirogane's room, written by such a person, using the ink you gave him and parchment favoured by Masane?" Seiren arched an eyebrow. "I know you are fond of the boy, Guren-nii, but even so…you must see…"

"Circumstantial evidence is only that without the testimony of the person himself." Guren said quietly. "I wish Shirogane to be found, Seiren. Whatever the truth, I want to know it."

"Even if it proves that he was plotting against you, against Ryuu – even Ribari-sama?" Seiren asked, and Guren nodded.

"I know Shirogane." He said simply. "I want to believe in him. Until I hear his own account, I can't do that – or pass any kind of judgement. Your men were hasty last night. Whether they frightened a guilty man or chased out an innocent one is something I still can't be sure of. But for now…I want him found."

"I think there's a good chance he might leave Six." Seiren admitted, and Guren nodded.

"If he is innocent or he is guilty, the chances are he'll head for familiar ground." He agreed tiredly. "If he means Ryuu harm, or if he seeks Genryuusai-sama's shelter, I think there's a good possibility that he'll make for the border with Seventh and then beyond that towards District One. In which case, we will deploy what we can to find him before he reaches that divide. Shinigami, if need be – his concealment kidou skill is high and will probably fox most of the ordinary retainers."

A shadow crossed his features.

"I will deploy Sixth squad, such as they are, along with your men." He decided. "In the meantime, Seiren, I must speak to your Kyouraku _hime_ about this apparent golden eyed assassin she saw cut down members of my household staff."

His eyes darkened.

"That is one area on which I have experience and will not hesitate." He added soberly, his fingers brushing the hilt of his _zanpakutou_. "If I find there is good evidence of Shihouin involvement in my son's death, Seiren, I will cleave that Clan apart myself. The blood they owe us is already far too high – if I find they took my son from me as well, I will not rest until they are trampled out of existence completely."

Before Seiren could respond, there was a knock at the door.

"Seiren-sama, Guren-sama, I beg pardon for the intrusion." The voice was Shibata's. "But I have brought Nanaki-hime for an audience with Guren-sama as requested. She is quite risen and ready to speak to you – please allow her to enter."

"Send her in, Shibata." Guren raised his voice, and the door slid back to reveal the retainer, a young girl in his slipstream.

Guren's eyes rested on her thoughtfully, taking in the soft bruising to her face and hands. She was robed in a soft, simple white and cream kimono, yet from the slightly tentative way in which she moved, Guren could tell that the pure fabric concealed other injuries and that whatever his suspicions regarding Shirogane's guilt, he could not avoid the fact this stranger had come to harm.

She was younger than Mitsuki, he reflected, perhaps no older than seventeen at the most, with thick dark hair pulled neatly back from her face and bright, apprehensive blue eyes that gave her the appearance of a startled animal struck by a sudden gleam of moonlight through the trees. As she reached the desk, she paused, bowing low towards the Clan leader with a solemn formality to her air, and Guren realised with a jolt that his brother had been right. This was not a serving girl, thrust into the spotlight and uncertain of her manners. This was someone of Clan birth who for whatever reasons had fallen to the level of menial maidservant in a foreign family's home.

"Your name is Nanaki, is that right?" At length he broke the silence, and the girl raised her head, nodding slowly.

"Yes, sir. That's my name."

"Will you tell me please, Nanaki, how you came to be in District Six, and why you have been acting as a servant when from your very bearing I can tell that you were raised a different way?"

"I am an exile, Guren-sama." Nanaki's eyes took on a melancholy look. "Since my father died. I was born Kyouraku Nanaki, in District Eight. Kyouraku Sadehira was my father, and the uncle of the current Lord, Tokutarou-sama. But he and my Uncle Matsuhara had a great feud, and when Matsuhara-sama died, my Father claimed control of District Eight."

"I see." Guren's lips thinned. "I knew Sadehira – briefly – during his short time in command of Eighth District's Clan. A military man – a soldier with a ruthless edge to his blade, but not a Shinigami. Yet that he had children – this I did not know."

"For the sake of our safety, Guren-sama, we were mostly hidden away from public view." Nanaki did not falter at the question, merely offering him a small smile. "My mother and my brother and I, because my Father's life had been targeted by Matsuhara-sama's agents in the past. Matsuhara-sama…was not mentally stable. He…I believe he killed his first wife, and some time after, brought the Clan into such disfavour with his behaviour that my Father was forced to use his own weapon to take hold of the Clan by force. But because of that…and because my cousin Tokutarou-sama was always in the care of his Shiba allies, we were never safe. We didn't know if we might be killed. And so Father would often move us around the District."

She sighed, glancing at her hands.

"When Tokutarou-sama tried to take back the District, and Father took his own life, assassins were dispatched to kill my brother and my mother." She whispered, and Guren was almost sure he saw the glitter of tears on the girl's lashes. "I alone was able to reach District Seven in safety and appeal there to my Father's allies, the Endou – but in the purge of spiritually gifted people, several of those sent to protect me were killed and I became once more under threat by assassins sent by Tokutarou-sama to remove all traces of my family's line. I only saw those killers once…but when I did, they had…the same golden eyes as…as…"

She faltered, her words breaking down mid-sentence, and Guren pursed his lips.

"We'll come to that in a minute." He said gravely. "But I'm curious to know why you came here? Surely you know that the Kuchiki have no political treaties with any other Clan beyond trade – and that here you would have nothing."

"I had my life." Nanaki faced him bravely. "And I came here because first the Endou and the Shihouin, then the Kyouraku and the Shihouin allied. But the Kuchiki hate the Shihouin. So I supposed that Shihouin assassins could not come here…and I would be safe. Even if I had to live at the lowest level to survive…I would be safe."

"But last night something happened to change that, didn't it?" Seiren said quietly, and Nanaki started, as if seeing the other nobleman for the first time. She nodded her head, and Guren thought he saw her tremble slightly as if remembering something terrible.

"I saw the man who killed the stable men." She said unevenly. "He was robed in black with gold eyes, just like the assassins who came and took my mother and my brother. The ones who were hunting me down. And when he looked at me, I knew…I remembered…and I was frightened."

"You are quite sure of that?" Guren asked sharply, and Nanaki nodded fervently.

"Quite sure. Sure enough to stake my life on it." She agreed. "That the one who killed those men was a Shihouin. I thought he had come for me…but with Ribari-sama…I…I don't know any more what's going on. I'm just…frightened. Because…what if they come back?"

"And Shirogane?" Guren pressed. "You spoke to him yesterday, also?"

Nanaki swallowed hard, and Guren saw her hand move unconsciously to touch her brow where a faintly purplish bruise was just visible beyond the line of her hair.

"Shirogane-sama…is missing, isn't he?" She whispered, and Guren sighed.

"We will find him." He said firmly. "For now I want to know what passed between you and my nephew last night."

"I…he was talking…to someone." Nanaki said quietly. "I didn't see who…he was. Just…someone in the shadows. About…getting rid of…the other Kuchiki heir. Not Ribari-sama. Ryuu…Ryuu-sama. That was what they said. That it wasn't enough – that they had to get rid of the other claimant too. I wanted to run away and report it, but he saw me, and he followed me. He d…dragged me to his r…room, and then he…he…"

"Nanaki, show Guren-sama your arms." Seiren instructed, and slowly and tearfully the young girl drew back the heavy folds of cream fabric to reveal the barely healing scrapes and bruises that mottled her fair skin. Despite himself, Guren let out an exclamation of dismay.

"Those injuries…!"

"I thought he was going to kill me himself." Nanaki swallowed hard. "I don't even know how I m…managed to get away. I think he r…ripped my uniform, and somehow I…so I ran and ran to S…Seiren-dono. Because Seiren-dono is…strong. And…I thought…he wouldn't let me get h…hurt any more. If I told him everything, he would…"

"Nanaki collapsed from the shock of her injuries in my study, and my people took care of her." Seiren said quietly. "My own daughter Murasaki cleaned and robed her for bed, and said that her body was bruised all over beyond her maid's uniform. Hence I have had her guarded, in case of a second attempt on the girl's life. Now you have heard everything that I have, Guren-niisama. Do you still maintain that Shirogane is an innocent party?"

Guren was silent for a moment, running his gaze once more over the young girl who stood before him.

_The things she says are true. About the Kyouraku…and the unsettled nature of the Clan. Her story is plausible, her crest is genuine. Her bearing is that of a hime, and still…there is something that makes me uncomfortable. Is it my partiality for Shirogane, clouding my judgement? But without him here to give his side of things, what should I believe?_

His brows knitted together in consternation.

_For now, there are two things I must do. First, I must find my nephew and hear from his own lips what has occurred. Even if I have to condemn him, I want to hear it all the same. And second…I must pursue this Shihouin clue. Because even if I cannot believe my nephew to be a traitor, I…I can believe that Clan to be involved in an assassination. Midori-dono is a reasonable person, but I mustn't forget she is also a ruthless one. And that Shihouin paid killers are a deep-rooted tradition. If this goes back to a time before she took over the Clan, it may be that it is beyond her control or her knowledge._

He took a deep breath into his lungs, then,

_If I find her or her people complicit in my son's death, though, God help me I will not forgive, no matter what the circumstances._

Out loud he said,

"You need not be afraid, Nanaki. We will continue to protect you and I will investigate these matters directly. It seems they have a close tie to the death of my only son – and so you can be assured that I will treat everything you've said as being of the utmost importance."

* * *

Well, so it was morning now.

Juushirou opened his eyes, gazing up at the ceiling of his chamber with a mixture of weariness and resignation. Though rays of sunlight had begun to pour through the window, he did not feel as though he had had much sleep, and with a groan he dragged his heavy body into a sitting position.

All too clearly he remembered the storm, the trek through the mud and the fight with the Hollow that, in hindsight, could easily have cost both him and Tsunemori their lives.

_Yet I'm here and awake and still alive, so I should be grateful for that fact at least._

Juushirou rubbed his chest absently, stifling the urge to cough.

_Mitsuki's remedy has helped a little, too. I felt much more raw and ripped about when I crawled in here last evening, but the herbs have taken the edge off it. I suspect I still have a fever – but it's not enough to keep me tied to my bed, thank goodness._

He sighed, his gaze falling on the sheathed blade that lay beside his bed.

"The last thing I want to do is sit around here and dwell on things." He murmured aloud, half to the sword and half to himself. "I'm sorry, Sougyo."

_**Why are you so apologetic?**_

You's voice cut suddenly through his thoughts and he jumped, only just suppressing the urge to swing round and look for a speaker.

_**And on edge – that's not like you.**_

In's words were laced with concern, and Juushirou sighed, sinking back against the wall of the room.

_I suppose not. In'you, did I do the right thing last night?_

"That's a foolish question." You snorted, flicking his tail against Juushirou's consciousness in his derision. "The boy is alive who would have been dead. You carry a sword – if you are afraid to use it to protect your juniors, why exactly do you have it?"

_I don't know._

Juushirou reddened.

_I suppose when you say it like that, you're right. I just feel as though…_

"Are you going to go off on another rampage of self-doubt and criticism because you got scolded last night for not reporting the matter to Genryuusai-sensei?" You demanded, and Juushirou buried his head in his hands.

_It isn't that. It's the whole thing. If you're just going to lecture and poke at me, You, you might as well shut up and let me think things through for myself. It isn't about protecting Tsukabishi from the Hollow. It was that things got to that point. They should not have done. That's all._

"You didn't summon the Hollow, Juushirou." In said gently. "There was no way to prevent that circumstance. You acted as a shinigami should. Don't regret it. You were right."

_No…not that._

Juushirou's eyes became frustrated.

_I suppose I can't expect you two to understand what I mean, because you are my sword and everything you see and do connects to that part of me – my spiritual self. But I'm bothered about other things. About…about…_

"That was quite insulting." You snorted. "As though you think we don't know all aspects of you and your personality. Juu-kun, we are parts of you. You can't keep things a secret and you can't assume we don't know all the things you think are unconnected to Sougyo no Kotowari."

"You doubt your right to be Anideshi, don't you?" In asked, and Juushirou frowned, shrugging his shoulders.

"I broke the law last night." He said out loud, reaching over to pick up the sheathed sword and pulling the silver blade carefully from its resting place, laying it across his knees as he ran his fingers across the smooth metal surface. "Sensei was lenient on me, but I'm not sure he was right. To you it might not seem a big deal, but it was my fault – it's still my fault – Tsukabishi got hurt. If I'm right, and it was what I said to Kamaki that started all of this…then what Sensei said to me in the First Year is starting to come true."

"Which was that you're a leader, and yet…?"

_No. It was that if I'm not careful about how I lead, I can cause harm._

Juushirou returned the sword to its sheath with a sigh.

_Everything that I do this year is like that. I upset Kamaki. Maybe that was enough to make him hate me. And perhaps because of that…_

"That's superfluous and you know it. You're not responsible for another's immature reaction." You cut across him once again. "Be honest with yourself, Juushirou. What upsets you isn't that on its own. What upsets you is the fact that someone hates you. That people hate you enough to hurt you. And even though you should know that's part of life…you're too idealistic. You can't accept it…you believe you've done something wrong."

_Surely if I'm hated by someone, that's because I did?_

"Not necessarily."

_But…_

"Juushirou, you've faced discrimination since you came here." In pointed out. "You've never let that cut holes in you like this, so why now?"

_Because Kamaki is a Shiba. He's not like the others._

Juushirou pushed back the covers, getting to his feet and moving across the room to where his clean uniform was neatly laid out.

_He doesn't hate District people. It's not about that. _

"So you can't deal with it, then, if someone dislikes you because you're you?" You demanded.

_Maybe._

Juushirou grimaced.

_It sounds arrogant and self-serving, doesn't it? But I'm not sure…how to deal with it. If I can make people hate me…see, with discrimination because of my birth level and things like that, it's different. I've done nothing wrong, then. And I've generally fought through it and proven to those people that I'm stronger than their judgement of me. I've made friends among Clansfolk that maybe it seemed impossible for me to reach – and so I suppose…maybe I am naïve. But I suppose I thought that…if I worked hard…_

"That you would manage to win everyone over in the end?" In asked gently. Juushirou nodded.

"I think Sensei made me Anideshi in order to prove myself to a lot of people." He said frankly. "But I think he also did it to show me what a horrible position it is. To be a target. And…to be hated by people you don't even know."

"It sounds to me that it's not him or anyone else you have to prove yourself to, Juushirou." You said acerbically. "It sounds like you need to prove something to yourself."

"Juu-kun!"

At that moment the door of the nest was flung back, revealing Shunsui, and Juushirou turned, offering his friend a faint smile.

"Good morning."

"Morning." Shunsui grinned. "How are you? You're up, so that's a good sign, I suppose."

"I suppose." Juushirou nodded. "But I have to be up, really. I have to speak to Yamamoto-kun, and I still want to get to the bottom of Tsukabishi's situation. So…"

"You haven't spoken to Akira yet, huh?" Shunsui frowned. "I can do it, if you like. Tell him that you're postponing. Then you can focus on…"

"I'm not postponing, Shunsui." Juushirou cut across him, and Shunsui stared, eyes widening in dismay as he took in the tension in his friend's thin frame.

"Juu? But…"

"Don't." Juushirou said briskly. "Because it's not under discussion. I gave my word and I'm going to go and keep it. That's important for me to do…I'm Anideshi."

"You idiot." Shunsui grimaced, crossing the chamber in short, swift strides and putting his hand against the younger boy's brow. "And I thought so," As Juushirou shied back from his touch. "You're warm. You are better than last night, granted – much better, which is probably thanks to Mitsuki-chan's potion of love as much as it is anything else. But you are not in a fit state to spar with anyone. Not even with sealed swords."

"I gave him my word." Juushirou repeated firmly. "And I'm going. You can disapprove all you like, Shunsui. I need to do this, so I'm going to."

"Even if you beat him – or he beats you – it isn't going to change anything, you know." Shunsui said bluntly. "He wants to fight you because you annoy him. Whatever the outcome, I doubt a few slashes and parries are going to make you break down his hostility. He doesn't like you – accept it and move past it, all right? I'll help you with finding out what's bugging Tsukabishi, if you like, but this spar with Akira is…"

"Going ahead." Juushirou cut across him, his eyes steely and resolute. "And that's the end of that."

"Juu…" Shunsui bit his lip. "Do you want to bring on an attack? You're better, sure, but not one hundred percent right. And your chest…"

"This is my body. I'll thank you for letting me take care of it how I see fit." Despite himself, Juushirou could not keep the ice out of his tones, and Shunsui groaned.

"Fine, but I want it recorded officially that you are an idiot and that I told you so beforehand." He returned neatly. "I'll pick up the pieces afterwards, so there's no need to snipe at me as though I've clipped your wings or locked your bedroom door. I just think you're being foolish and you're not going to do yourself or your situation with Yamamoto any good by turning up half-dead to your battle. He might really hurt you – I'd rather that didn't happen."

"If I don't fight him, it will seem as though I'm afraid of him." Juushirou said simply. "And I'm not. So I'll spar. I'll keep my word. That's all."

"So you are up and about this morning, Ukitake." Ryuu's voice from the doorway prevented Shunsui from responding, and the Kyouraku turned, sending his classmate a helpless look.

"He's going to fight Yamamoto." He said quietly. "I can't talk him out of it."

"What?" Ryuu's eyebrows disappeared into his fringe, then, "Ukitake, are you a complete idiot? You must be running some fever indeed if you think that to be a logical action after everything that occurred last night!"

"You weren't there, so you wouldn't know anything about that." Juushirou objected, and Ryuu snorted.

"Who do you think I am?" He demanded. "I am as capable of following your – and other – reiatsu as anyone else. And besides, I have already spoken to Hirata this morning. I expected you to remain in bed today – and now you're talking about sparring?"

"Yes. I am." Juushirou picked up his uniform. "And at this rate, I'll be late."

He pursed his lips, glancing over Ryuu for a moment, then,

"You're dressed, though, so if you like, you can do me a favour." He said pensively.

"A favour?" Ryuu looked suspicious, and Juushirou nodded.

"Go find Yamamoto-kun and tell him I'll be with him as soon as possible." He replied simply. "That even if I'm a little late, I don't intend on backing out on his challenge. We'll have our spar – just as soon as I'm dressed."


	26. Shoubu

**Chapter Twenty Five: Shoubu**

"I realise that I'm probably talking to a deaf person, and that you'll probably continue to ignore me." As the two boys reached the edges of the training arena, Shunsui cast his companion a plaintive look. "But my conscience will probably bite me if I don't at least try once more, so I'm going to say it anyway. Whilst there's still a chance for you to change your mind and turn back, I'm going to remind you that you don't have to do this, Juu."

Juushirou frowned, impatience sparking briefly in his hazel eyes as he made his way over to the asauchi rack of weapons that stood beneath a flimsy wooden shelter on the furthest side of the arena. Originally there had been proper sheds here, but generations of students with sword releases had managed to put paid to most of them, so now it was only the simplest of shelters that covered the weapons and kept them from being soaked by rain. Only Senior students were allowed to use these for training purposes without signing them out with a teacher first, and it was that fact which had allowed Akira to make his peremptory challenge.

In short, Seniors did not need to seek permission to spar with swords at any time of day or night. It was that which had kept Shunsui trailing after Juushirou even despite his resolution to fight – for the chances of any staff member intervening in the battle of blades was remote, regardless of the previous night's events.

_Which leaves just Ryuu and I to try and stop him from fighting._

Shunsui sighed heavily, then followed his friend towards the rack of weapons_._

_Being the best friend of an idealistic idiot is a thankless task at the best of times. I have no idea what you're trying to prove or who you think you're proving it to, but I wish you'd stop being so bull-headed and think about things for a moment. You're only going to get hurt, and even if you won't acknowledge it, I know that you're still not well._

Carefully Juushirou ran his finger along the rack of sheathed weapons, selecting one and closing his right hand around its hilt.

"No, I know that I don't have to." He said aloud now, pulling the katana from the rack and glancing at it briefly for a moment before sliding it into his _obi_. "I'm choosing to do it, Shunsui. That's a quite different thing."

"With a fever?" Shunsui arched an eyebrow, and Juushirou shrugged.

"When in squad, I won't be able to nurse my ills every time we're called into action." He said pragmatically. "And besides, this is more than just a random training bout. You understand, don't you? If I walk away every time he challenges me, it will just seem more and more like I'm afraid of facing him. I gave him my word. I don't intend to break it now. I don't want people to think I'm unreliable or a coward."

"You don't have to prove anything." Shunsui objected, and Juushirou snorted.

"Of course I do." He said evenly. "I'm Anideshi."

And with that he turned away from his friend, heading purposefully across the training ground to where Akira was already waiting.

The other boy had his weapon drawn from its sheath, and at first glance Shunsui could see that it was not one of the school's regulation _asauchi,_ but the custom made katana engraved with the crest of the Yamamoto Clan on the hilt. Though it was not Akira's _zanpakutou,_ Shunsui felt a faint stir of dislike swell inside of him as he took in the other's stance. Akira had clearly come here to make a point. He was Yamamoto, so was the school. And Juushirou was just a District boy who had usurped a position he had no right to hold.

His gaze flitted to his friend pensively.

_Maybe that's what's on Juu's mind. That this is a territorial fight for the right of Anideshi. Hell, on the terms of this jumped up Yamamoto idiot, perhaps Juu does have to prove he's there by rights. But right now, can he? He's not weak with a sword...that's something that's beyond doubt. But...he isn't a hundred percent fit. Yesterday's drenching has taken its toll on him, and he didn't get to sleep for very long, once Sensei had done grilling him. I wonder if Akira even realises that. Could he have slept through it all, or does he know about it? Perhaps he simply doesn't care, so long as he gets his way?_

"I wondered if you were actually going to come." Akira broke the silence, eying Juushirou with derision. "You certainly took your time in appearing. I was about to give up."

"I apologise for my lateness." Juushirou spoke calmly, the fingers of his right hand slipping around the hilt of the sheathed katana as he did so. "Last night I had to deal with an incident involving a first year, and so I didn't get to bed until quite late. For that reason I overslept a little this morning - but I am fairly sure I gave assurances that I would be here as soon as possible."

His gaze flitted to Ryuu, who nodded his head.

"I told them so." The Kuchiki boy said flatly. "Unfortunately it seems that the word of a Kuchiki is not good enough in such situations."

"That's a shame." Juushirou pursed his lips. "Still, I'm here. Do you still want to spar with me, Yamamoto-kun?"

"Yamamoto-kun." Akira snorted. "I thought I told you how I feel about you calling me that – as though I'm a junior student you expect to look up to you. Let's get this straight now, Ukitake. You are my _kouhai_. You entered this school a year behind me, and where you came from only you know. I've heard enough stories about you and the things you can do - well, I want to see them for a change. I'm fed up of just being told, by you or by other people. Most of all, though, I'm fed up with that smug 'I can do anything' attitude you insist on foisting on people day in and day out. If you are Anideshi by any reason other than Genryuusai-sama's wild whim, now is the time you prove it to me."

"All right." Juushirou nodded, drawing his sword from its sheath and resting it against his leg. "I've no objection to that. I don't know what you've been 'told' about me, or what attitude you're talking about, but its like I said yesterday. I'm quite happy to spar you, if it will make you feel better."

"Right." Akira glanced across to where Kanshi and Aoi were standing on the sidelines, Kanshi looking fed up at being dragged from his bed so early, and Aoi looking more than a little perturbed at what was about to take place. "Kanshi and Aoi are here to witness this for me. Since Kuchiki and Kyouraku are both here, they may act the same for you. I intend on fighting you fairly, and I don't descend to low tricks...so I hope you intend to fight the same way. As you haven't bothered to draw a sword – or even turn up – for much of our Ouyoudou so far this term, I've no way of knowing what kind of swordsmanship District children learn."

Shunsui winced inwardly as he saw the flash of indignation flare in Juushirou's fevered hazel eyes. His friend was twice as emotional and irrational when in the grip of one of his regular attacks, and Shunsui knew that it would not take much for him to throw caution to the wind and simply follow his impetuous instincts.

_He's sicker than I thought he was at first. No wonder he pulled away from me in the nest - he didn't want me to feel just how high is fever was running. Damn you, Juu. This is real madness – why don't you see that?_

"I'll show you, then." Juushirou did not meet Shunsui's gaze, instead casting Akira a challenging glance. "Well? What are the rules?"

"The first to disarm the other is the winner." Akira said flatly. "No Kidou. No _zanpakutou_. No shunpo. Just swords. Understood?"

"That seems fair enough to me." Juushirou nodded his head, and Shunsui let out his breath in a rush.

_If he doesn't have to use kidou or shunpo, he won't be calling on his spirit power. Perhaps it will be all right. If he can disarm Akira quickly...but then, Akira's no mean fighter. I've seen him...Juushirou's not sparring an amateur. This guy gave Enishi a good run for his money before Minabe called time on their training fight - whereas Enishi can still wipe the floor with Juu most days in a battle of straight swords._

"In that case, we ought to get this little party underway." Kanshi glanced up at the sun, then, "I think we've about an hour or so still before our seminar with Sensei. If you guys are ready..."

"We're ready." Akira said briskly, and Juushirou raised his sword, nodding his head.

"Ready." He agreed.

Kanshi frowned, then he raised his hand.

"_Hajime_!" He exclaimed, and almost before the word had dropped from his lips Akira had sprung forward, swinging his sword determinedly towards Juushirou's as though intending to try to disarm him in the very first move. Juushirou had anticipated him, however, and he ducked to the side just in time, bringing his own weapon up to strike it against his classmate's expensive katana. The clash of metal rang out several more times as the two blades met at ferocious pace before Akira let out a yell, driving his weapon towards Juushirou's undefended left side. Shunsui drew breath sharply, but Juushirou once again had anticipated the move, darting out of the way and swinging his own weapon up to meet Akira's.

_But can he keep this up?_

Shunsui's eyes narrowed as he ran his gaze over first his friend then the challenger. Akira was taller and broader of build than Juushirou, and that he had more physical strength was without doubt. Though Juushirou had learnt to fight quickly to avoid putting too much pressure on his delicate body, Shunsui knew that in his current state he could probably not maintain it for a long period of time.

"You couldn't talk him out of it, then?"

Ryuu's voice at his side made him start and he glanced up, shaking his head.

"He wouldn't have any of it." He murmured. "Said he had to prove that he was Anideshi. His pride took on this challenge, but to be honest, Ryuu..."

"I know." Ryuu's lips thinned. "He's not entirely well. I can tell just as much as you can. He's never as reckless as this unless he's starting a fever. And I saw it...in his eyes, just now, when Yamamoto was taunting him. He's intending to fight this to the end, no matter what the outcome."

"It's one of his more annoying traits." Shunsui muttered, as the swords met again, this time Akira managing to push Juushirou back a few steps before the white-haired boy managed to sidestep and launch his own counter attack. "He's stubborn most of the time, but like this..."

"It's not that I don't believe in his ability." Ryuu bit down hard on his lip. "Just in the current physical state he presents, and that in conjunction with Yamamoto's desire to win...I wonder whether he will do more harm than good by accepting this challenge now."

"He'd already accepted it before that first year got himself into trouble yesterday." Shunsui responded. "And he said backing out would undermine his position. Probably he is right about that. But there's still only so much one body can undergo before it gives up. Juu got drenched last night looking for Tsukabishi...not to mention the fact he faced off with a tricky Hollow and had to answer for it before Genryuusai-sensei. In those circumstances, postponing would have been the most sensible thing to do. But he wouldn't hear of it."

"Ukitake has Kuchiki blood running through his veins, alongside the District blood of his own family house." Ryuu said gravely. "Sometimes...even that dilute amount is enough to make one act recklessly in favour of honour and pride."

"Ryuu?" Shunsui glanced at his companion, who sighed.

"Ignore me." He said heavily. "I am a little jaded towards my Clan at present...and certainly, being born of its blood is doing Ukitake no particular favours right at the moment."

"No, on that count I agree with you." Shunsui ran his fingers through his messy brown hair as he watched the two boys circle each other cautiously, before Akira drove forward yet again, narrowly missing slicing through the sleeve of Juushirou's _hakamashita_ to the flesh below. "Akira's a good fighter, and he's been training a long time. Enishi's said that there have been times Akira's beaten him fair and square - and I've never seen Juu beat Enishi in a straight sword fight before."

"That's because it hasn't happened." Ryuu said succinctly. "Shihouin is the only one who has managed that feat to date."

"That's what I thought." Shunsui said grimly. "Juu's such an pain sometimes. I had assumed that now we were Seniors he would've had enough common sense to put his health before his pride, so I'd assumed he was going to talk to Yamamoto - that was the impression he gave Hirata and I both last night, else you can guarantee we would've done something off our own bat to scupper this little confrontation. I only realised he was intending to go through with it this morning - and I wasn't able to talk him around. Mitsuki's potion probably helped him - but honestly, I don't think it did enough."

"Mitsuki can't work miracles." Ryuu muttered. "Her remedies may drop fevers, but they can do nothing for rampant idiocy."

"That's true." Despite himself Shunsui smiled. "I suppose there are some things that just can't be cured."

"Ukitake is also the kind who, once his mind is made up, it is impossible to make him do anything different." Ryuu shook his head. "You know it as well as I do. No matter how little sense he shows, if he was resolved to fight this morning, short of tying him up, we would not have stopped him."

"Also true." Shunsui sighed heavily. "It doesn't make me feel any better knowing it, though."

At that moment there was a yell from the field as Akira lunged forward, sweeping his weapon from left to right and pushing against Juushirou's weapon with such force it seemed as though the other boy must lose his grip. Somehow Juushirou held on, but the momentum of Akira's attack sent him flying against his companion, and both boys tumbled heavily onto the uneven terrain.

"Juu!" Shunsui was alert in a moment, even as Akira began to pick himself up. "Are you all right?"

"Akira, that wasn't part of the rules." Kanshi said bluntly, and Akira grimaced, shaking his head.

"I didn't intend to charge him either. I thought the idiot would let go before I hit him." He said, rubbing his shoulder absently as he did so. "Most sane people let go of their weapon when it's just a training spar like this. If he'd done that and got out of the way, I wouldn't have hit him."

"Akira's right." Aoi pointed out. "They collided because Ukitake didn't let go of his sword."

"Letting...go...of my...sword...is...conceding defeat." Juushirou dragged himself into a sitting position, and Shunsui saw that his left arm was wrapped protectively around his chest as he glared at his companion. "I haven't...let go...because I'm not...done fighting yet."

"Don't be stupid." Akira snorted. "You may have clung on like an idiot, but I rammed right into you. You're winded at best. Your loss, Ukitake. Accept it and relinquish your blade."

"I said...I wasn't done." Juushirou's eyes narrowed. "You...made the rules. If...I haven't...been disarmed...I haven't...been defeated yet."

He coughed, pain flickering across his features, and Shunsui was alarmed to see specks of blood at the corner of his friend's mouth.

"Juu, Akira's right!" He exclaimed. "You don't need to keep fighting...not like this. You know that..."

"I _said _I hadn't finished." Juushirou's glare silenced even Shunsui's attempts, and he dug the tip of his sword into the earth, using the weapon to pull himself fully to his feet. He coughed again, left hand going to his mouth, and this time Kanshi let out an exclamation of his own.

"Ukitake? Dammit, Akira, he's hurt. He's coughing blood...you can't keep fighting him in this..."

"If he says he's not done, then he's not done." Akira waved his friend away, his gaze fixed firmly on his opponent. "I'll take him at his word, Kanshi. He's right. I haven't disarmed him. If he's still fool enough that he wants to take a further battering...well...that's up to him. He's Anideshi, lets not forget."

There was a faintly mocking irony in his last words, and Shunsui saw Juushirou's gaze harden, wiping the blood from his lips with his sleeve as he nodded.

"Good." He said softly, his words a little hoarse. "Then let's go."

Almost before he had finished speaking, he had darted forward, and though Shunsui could detect the swirling of his friend's shaken reiatsu, there was no hesitation in Juushirou's swing. Akira muttered a curse, bringing his own weapon up to meet his companion's attack with relative ease.

"You really can't think that you've the strength left after that to take my sword from me." He said derisively. "Be real and accept defeat, Ukitake. You're not proving anything by..."

"I'm not trying to prove anything to you." Juushirou cut across him, bringing his weapon back and driving it forward again with barely a moment of pause. "I'm fighting because I can and I said I wasn't done. I'm following your rules and I mean to honour them. If you're so sure you can beat me...you want to do it properly, don't you?"

"I'm not objecting." Akira growled back, shifting his weight from right to left as he easily parried Juushirou's swing. "But it's fairly obvious to me that you aren't going to win. I'm only trying to save you getting completely wiped out."

"Thank you...for the...concern." Juushirou gasped back, darting to the left to avoid Akira's swing. Shunsui saw his friend's grip tighten around the hilt of the katana, and he inwardly let out a groan.  
_  
In this frame of mind, there's no reasoning with him at all. If Akira doesn't disarm him quickly...it might get messy for all concerned._

"Have it your way." Akira shrugged, bringing his weapon sharply down in a diagonal thrust towards the hilt of Juushirou's weapon. For a moment it seemed as though the white haired boy had frozen on the spot, then Shunsui saw the fingers of his left hand twitch slightly, and his eyes widened as he realised what his classmate intended.  
_  
Reckless, foolish...idiotic. But dammit, what else is there left to try? It's the one sword strength he has that Akira doesn't. If he can use it...maybe it's the only thing left he can use._

As these thoughts ran through Shunsui's mind, Juushirou ducked out of the way of Akira's swing, turning and launching his own offensive back in the other boy's direction with a sharp, driving thrust. Then, as he drew closer to where Akira was already preparing to deflect his attack, he switched his grip, passing the blade from the right hand into the left and bringing his weapon down firmly against the flat side of his classmate's blade. Taken off guard, Akira's grip faltered for the briefest moment, and Juushirou capitalised, bringing his sword back up again to knock the ornately patterned weapon completely free from the older boy's grasp.

It spun through the air a few times, glittering in the sunlight before embedding itself in the ground some two or three metres away, and Akira could only stare at it in disbelief as he realised what had happened.

"_Ippon_, Ukitake." Kanshi's voice reflected both respect and incredulity, then, "Hey! Ukitake, are you all right?" As Juushirou sank to the ground, dropping his own sword as a fit of coughing overtook his fragile frame. Shunsui darted forward now, dropping down at Juushirou's side and putting a supportive arm around the shaking boy's upper body as he choked, blood spilling once more from his lips onto the earth below.

"Dammit, he really _is_ hurt." Aoi sounded frightened. "We should go get Unohana-sensei...we should..."

"I'm all right." Juushirou gasped out, raising his gaze to shake his head. "I'm fine, Michihashi-kun. Really. I..."

The rest was lost in another bout of coughing, and Shunsui sighed, holding his friend firmly as the shudders wracked through his body.

"You're not fine." He said reproachfully. "Stop talking and just breathe for a minute, all right? Otherwise I will be taking you to the Healing Bay, Anideshi or not."

"Shunsui..." Juushirou managed his friend's name before a fresh spasm of coughing overwhelmed him, and Aoi and Kanshi exchanged alarmed looks.

"Shouldn't we take him there anyhow?" Kanshi demanded. "If he's coughing blood, Kyouraku, surely that means he has some kind of internal injury? When Akira charged him like that - what if he cracked a rib or something worse? Leaving it might be dangerous - this was just a spar, not an all out battle of life and death."

"Kanshi's right." Aoi nodded anxiously. "We should at least ask her advice. Just in case."

"If he doesn't want to go, we won't make him." Shunsui sighed, tightening his grip on his friend as the spasms abated, and Juushirou drew heavy, rasping gasps of air into battered lungs. "But it's probably okay, if he doesn't. You shouldn't look like that, either of you - Akira didn't cause this. It was Juu's own idiocy that did."

Juushirou tensed beneath his touch at this, but he was clearly beyond words at that moment, and Shunsui pushed forward, taking advantage of the brief lull in his friend's ability to converse.

"Juushirou has a lung condition called _haibyou_." He continued quietly. "And thanks to yesterday's events, he woke this morning with a fever. One of the reasons that he was late here this morning was because I was trying to persuade him not to take part in this silly show of power. But Juu seemed to think that keeping his word was more important, even if it brought on a _haibyou_ attack."

"_Haibyou_?" Aoi blanched. "The white...plague?"

"You know about it?" Ryuu eyed him quizzically, and Aoi nodded.

"My father specialises in medical research within District Three, and for a long time they tried to find a cure for it." He agreed gravely. "But they couldn't isolate it or find a way to overcome it. Most...most people died. Several were children. They just couldn't..."

He trailed off, and Shunsui sighed.

"Juu isn't the kind of person to let it dictate his life or his ambitions." He said quietly, raising his gaze to meet the mute expression of the Yamamoto Clan's younger son. "Akira-kun, he came here today because keeping his promise to you mattered to him. If you think that Genryuusai-sensei's Anideshi has no respect for you or your position or ability, that should tell you otherwise."

There was a long silence, punctuated only by Juushirou's struggles to steady his breathing, then Kanshi stepped forward.

"Kyouraku, I'll help you take him inside." He suggested evenly. "Obviously he's proven his point - but there's no sense him pushing himself further. From what you said, I guess its okay if he doesn't go to Unohana-sensei, but like that..."

"I...can speak...for myself." Juushirou struggled to assert himself back into the conversation at that point, pushing Shunsui back. "And there w...was no n...need to talk so much about...things that...don't matter, Shunsui. I...I'm all right."

"No, you're not." Shunsui told him frankly. "So shut up. We gave you your way and let you fight. Now you give us ours and let us take you to the nest. We'll tell Sensei your soaking last night made you ill and so you're sleeping off a fever - he won't mind, and he'll probably expect it, having seen the drowned rat you made rescuing Tsukabishi."

"But..."

"No buts. Kyouraku is right." Ryuu spoke up now. "Shut up and stop arguing, Ukitake. You make no sense when like this, and it's pitiful to make such a fuss when you've won your match."

Despite himself, Kanshi grinned at the obstinate expression that flooded Juushirou's eyes.

"You really are an interesting bunch, that's for sure." He reflected. "More so than I'd realised."

He turned to Akira.

"You know, it seems there _is_ a reason Sensei chose Ukitake." He remarked. "I never saw anyone do anything quite so stupid in a spar before...or with quite so much penache. I certainly wasn't expecting it."

Akira met his gaze for a moment, then he shook his head slightly, moving to retrieve his sword.

"I'll see you in class." He said quietly. "Aoi, if you're not lingering to play nursemaid, you come with me. Let Kanshi do as he pleases...we're not needed here."

Aoi hesitated for a moment, but Akira clearly had no plans to wait around, so with a sigh he turned on his heel, scurrying after his roommate across the uneven ground.

Once out of earshot, Shunsui pulled a face.

"That was a poor reaction." He observed, and Kanshi sighed.

"Akira's got his fair share of pride." He said frankly. "He'll need to think it over for a while, that's all. Besides, he's probably as surprised as I was."

He glanced at Juushirou.

"I didn't know you could fight left-handed."

"Of course I can." Juushirou struggled to his feet, reluctantly accepting the proffered hands as he took a deep, steadying breath of air into his lungs. "If I couldn't, I wouldn't be able to...use my _zanpakutou_, would I?"

"Souryou hasn't seen Sougyo no Kotowari." Ryuu reminded him. "There's no reason he - or Yamamoto - should have known anything about that."

"You fight left handed with your _zanpakutou_?" Kanshi looked quizzical, and Juushirou shook his head.

"Two-handed." he responded, and Kanshi's brow creased.

"Two...?"

"Kyouraku and Ukitake both have dual-bladed _zanpakutou_." Ryuu said categorically.

"But...it's one katana...isn't it?" As they began to walk back towards the building, Kanshi still looked confused. "Kyouraku's I knew about - well, it's two swords, anyhow - a proper _daishou_ pair, so far as I can tell. But I didn't realise..."

"Sougyo splits...from one to two...when I release it." Juushirou said softly. "Hence I had...to learn...to fight with the other hand too. Otherwise...it's a weakness, not a strength."

He managed a faint smile.

"I'm not...as good at it...as Shunsui. He's...ambidextrous, so he...has the jump on me." He added. "But...I'm getting better at it."

"Definitely passable, these days." Shunsui grinned back. "Certainly enough to switch grips and take Akira off guard."

"Mm." Ryuu pursed his lips. "Although what has been achieved this morning, I am not sure. I did not get the feeling that Yamamoto has accepted Ukitake any more than he had before the fight."

"Probably not." Kanshi admitted. "Like I said, Akira's proud. And he...well, he's felt that he should have been Anideshi this year. What happened with our old class...isn't his fault. On the contrary, Akira was always well ahead of everyone. He's not talentless, nor a slacker. So it came as a shock. For Aoi, Suzuno and I - well, we're not slackers either, but we're obviously not in his league. He's never been challenged by anyone particularly before."

"Then we all got shuffled, and now this." Shunsui observed. "Finding out that we got equivalent or higher marks in some things as Fourth years too - that must've rubbed it in even more."

"It did." Kanshi sighed. "That people a whole class below us could outrank us - none of us thought that could happen so easily, to be truthful. But none of you are pushovers. We're all realising that if we want to rank at all this year, we're going to have to work twice as hard in every area to keep up. Akira's the only one who's not in that position - but he's no longer out in front, and...well...it will take him a while to get used to that. With the assessments coming up...I think he's afraid he's going to lose his top rank. And I think...there's a good possibility that he is."

He glanced at Shunsui.

"Sora talks a lot." He said unnecessarily. "But sometimes I listen to the things she says. She seems to think you're some kind of a prodigy yourself. And you know, I'm starting to wonder about it. I know you ranked top of your year since first year. But you don't seem to put in effort the way everyone else does."

"That's because...Shunsui's...a genius." Juushirou's words were hoarse and slightly edged, and Shunsui gave him a dark glare.

"I am not. And I do not like that word." He said firmly. "But as for the assessments, Souryou, we'll see. I don't go out to take top place. When it happens it does. If it happens this time, it won't be by my design. I prefer a quiet life and I'm not very competitive."

He frowned.

"Maybe I should fudge my papers, if it would calm down Akira-kun's ire a little bit." He wondered.

"No." Kanshi shook his head. "Akira's proud - I told you that, didn't I? He wants to do things under his own steam. He isn't a bad person - even if he can be unreasonable at times. And he wouldn't like it, if you did that."

"Pity." Shunsui grinned. "I thought I might get to sleep through a paper or two."

"If that's the case, Souryou, I assume that you can vouch for Yamamoto's character on another matter?" Ryuu asked quietly, and Kanshi shot him a startled look.

"In what sense?" He asked, and Ryuu's gaze darkened.

"Some unpleasantness has happened surrounding Ukitake and a First year by the name of Tsukabishi." He said evenly. "I am freshly returned here, so I do not know all the particulars. Whilst it seems probable that this has no connection to you or your friend - I have seen today the genuine resentment he holds for Ukitake and, if I may say so, that this morning's fight has not abated it. Therefore I must ask..."

"I don't believe Yamamoto-kun was involved." Juushirou shook his head, swallowing hard before he spoke to contain the twitches in his chest and throat. "It isn't...his style."

"Unpleasantness? Like what?" Kanshi's brow knitted together, and Shunsui grimaced.

"Someone scared a kid witless with threats of one kind or another, trying to make him steal Juu's sword and dispose of it." He said quietly. "The lad was so frightened he wound up running away. Last night, Juu, Hirata and I went to hunt him down - and Juu killed a Hollow trying to protect him. The youngster's back here now, and safe - and Juu's sword is also locked safely in the Nest. But we still don't officially know who was behind it, or who made Tsukabishi so afraid."

"Akira isn't like that!" Indignation flared in Kanshi's gaze. "However proud or obstinate he can be, he's not that kind of underhand person!"

"We didn't think so. The suspicion looks more likely to point to others." Shunsui admitted. "But I suppose I understand why Ryuu asked."

"Akira's not that type." Kanshi said firmly. "He doesn't bully children into doing things he wouldn't do face to face."

"I agree." Juushirou said softly. "I don't like Yamamoto-kun, and he doesn't like me. But he's not made a secret of his feelings. He's challenged me up front enough times. It's all right, Souryou-kun. Even if it looked like a Senior was involved...I wouldn't believe it was Yamamoto-kun's doing."

"You mean that, don't you?" Kanshi's anger faded as he gazed at the injured boy in surprise, and Juushirou nodded.

"If people have issues with my being Anideshi, those are m...my weaknesses to find and iron out." He agreed softly. "Yamamoto-kun also has his reasons...for disapproving of Genryuusai-sensei's choice."

He coughed again, and Shunsui patted him gently on the back.

"All right. Enough talking for you, Anideshi-sama." He said lightly. "Let's get you to the nest and you can lie down. You'll feel better once you do, and now you've sated your pride for the day, you'd better rest meekly from this point on."

Juushirou sighed, but as he met his friend's gaze, Shunsui saw resignation in his expression.

"All right." He murmured. "The nest it is. Let's go."

* * *

"I honestly don't know what to think at the moment."

Guren let out a heavy sigh, resting his hand pensively against the cold stone wall of the mausoleum as he cast his companion a hopeless glance. "I thought that coming here might steady my thoughts a little and make it clearer, Futsuki - but in truth, all I'm doing is looking for my son when he's not here to reach any more."

"There's nothing wrong with attending the memorials of those you loved, Guren." Futsuki frowned, eying his younger half-brother keenly as he did so. "But I sense something more to you this morning. A reason why you sent for me so early despite my late errands last night, and a reason why there is an uneasy sense of...something around the grounds today. To speak to me before Ribari's grave...something must be troubling you deeply indeed."

"I suppose I'm still trying to put the pieces together." Guren admitted, turning back towards the shining new marble plinth that indicated the final resting place of his only son's mortal remains. "Within the space of a month I have lost the person who gave me the most pride and joy in this world, and all hell seems to have been let loose around me. The truth is, for as long as I've ruled this Clan, I have never felt so helpless. I've tried so very hard to keep focused on the family and its needs. But...there are times..."

He rested his hands on the smooth stone surface.

"Times I would like to see him, just for a moment, and understand what it was that happened that night."

Futsuki's eyes softened, and he nodded his head.

"He was a fine young man." He agreed evenly. "A very fine prospect and a very grave loss to all of us. But I see it, Guren - in your eyes, in your words, in your general demeanour. It's as though someone stripped from you a part of your soul. You have to have time still to grieve - but in the meantime, you must not let yourself be dragged apart by the murmurs and uncertainty surrounding this house. The Clan needs you. More now than it has since the day Senaya-sama passed away."

"Father..."

Guren's expression clouded for a moment, and he nodded his head.

"That was the last time I felt such grief and anger as this, and I find both hard to conceal or control." He murmured softly. "I confess it, Futsuki - I feel as though I am swithering and uncertain before my vassals because I'm attempting to keep my real feelings checked and reined in. I think...I would frighten people, if I allowed myself to act as I truly wish. I believe...maybe I would frighten even myself."

His fingers brushed against the hilt of his _zanpakutou_.

"When Father died, Seiren and I stained our blades with traitor blood." He added flatly. "How many heads we took, how many rebels we routed - I've forgotten it all in the haze of grief and anger and the drive for revenge. If I think too hard of Ribari now, I know the same rage will overcome me. But I cannot appear that way to my people. Most of all, not to my family. So I try to detach myself, and act reasoned and calm. I am deceiving myself though, that I can keep my calm and manage this matter as Father would have done."

"Senaya-sama was...a very different kind of shinigami." Futsuki pursed his lips pensively. "And in my life I have never known or heard of another who was his like. You shouldn't try to be him, Guren. You have never been in his shadow - you should not try to emulate the past lord. His era was not this time. We have had relative peace for some years thanks to your rule...and even the hostility towards the Shihouin has lessened."

"I wonder if that fact has killed my son, though. I wonder it very much." Guren admitted, resting his hand briefly on Futsuki's arm. "Thank you though, Futsuki. Just as when we were children, when I needed an older brother's advice, I always had one to reassure me. I value that, especially in a time like this."

"Well, I owe a good deal to your Lord Father." Futsuki smiled. "Many lords would not have married a widow for love, when tradition indicated he should take a chaste and untouched bride. Mother's bloodline was good, but in that situation, discarding me to some outpost would have been a logical course of action. Instead he treated me as his own, and had me raised alongside his own children. Although I have always known my position to be less than yours or Seiren's, I have never felt slighted by the main branch of my Clan. And you _are_ my brother. You might bear the weight of this Clan on your shoulders, but you have always been my brother. I will give you what advice and guidance I can until I'm not able to any more - Senaya-sama would have expected it of me. Even in the aftermath of this terrible incident."

"I don't believe it is over. On the contrary, it just begins." Guren said grimly. "Which is why I asked you to come here. A discussion of this nature at the grave of my son is not necessarily appropriate. But I would have him witness it anyhow - here where we are unlikely to be disturbed."

Futsuki frowned.

"This relates in some way to Shirogane, doesn't it?" He asked quietly, and Guren nodded his head.

"It does. So you've heard, then? Well, I'm not surprised if you have."

"Indeed." Futsuki agreed. "Since it was my wife who largely gave him his mothering as a youngster - I would venture to say I know more of him and his ways than most others at the Kuchiki estate."

"That is why." Guren raised troubled eyes to his half-brother's darker ones. "We are only half blood to each other, Futsuki, and yet I trust you and your opinions perhaps more than I trust others."

"Others...like Seiren?" Futsuki was surprised, and Guren sighed, shaking his head.

"I trust Seiren. I know he is loyal to me." He said heavily, reaching up to rub his brow as a dull ache began to settle against his skull. "But we are not close in other ways, and he is too close to the heart of this succession business for me to make out if he is right or wrong. I know he would not betray me - whatever else I think of my twin brother, I do not suspect him of treason. Not even to get Ryuu named as heir - but you see, Futsuki, because of Ryuu and that connection, I am...concerned."

"The story I heard said that Seiren had tried to arrest Shirogane last night." Futsuki observed thoughtfully. "But Shirogane had no intention of being caught, and fled the scene. Since then there have been searches but no sign of him - correct?"

"That is the bare bones of it." Guren acknowledged. "Seiren believes he has found evidence - and a witness - who can implicate Shirogane in a plot against Ryuu. Perhaps even in one against Ribari, too. And...maybe...against me."

"I see." Futsuki's brow creased in consternation. "Those are heavy allegations indeed. What evidence has he?"

"Circumstantial evidence at best."Guren replied. "But truthfully, it is compelling testimony. The witness is a young Kyouraku exile who has some knowledge of assassins, and she claims to have seen a Shihouin strike down the stable staff, just as Shihouin slew my Father years ago. She also claims to have overheard conversations between Shirogane and another unknown about a threat on Ryuu's life. Whilst I have no reason to believe the word of foreigner, I also have no reason _not _to believe her. She is unconnected to this whole matter - except for what she apparently saw. Seiren believes Shirogane tried to silence her, and beat the girl badly. It is true she has been physically harmed, and all other elements...such as her memory of the Kyouraku and the crest she carries...make her seem to be authentic. Yet...yet..."

"With respect, Guren, no matter how many Clan crests she carried or what she claimed to see, I would sooner believe she was lying than Shirogane was any kind of a traitor." Futsuki said bluntly. "I know the boy and I know his temperament. He can be intolerant and arrogant and sometimes he is cold and dismissive of others around him - particularly those he feels are beneath him. But he is a Kuchiki and he holds that fact with pride. More than that though...I believe he looks on you as something of a father figure. You have believed in him, given him position and trust. I cannot see him betraying that, or you. Although Shirogane does not show his feelings often, I am certain that he holds both you and your poor son in high esteem."

"You believe it would be impossible for Shirogane to plot against me or against Ribari?"

"Yes. I believe so."

"And against Ryuu?"

"You think that this matter may have arisen since Ribari-sama's death, on account of the discord between Shirogane and Seiren?" Futsuki questioned, and Guren nodded.

"It's not possible to ignore the dislike they hold for one another." He admitted. "So I wondered whether...the drugs administered to Shirogane the night Ribari died might have had a permanent effect on his brain. He has seemed more reckless and more unsettled since then, and perhaps.."

"I don't believe Shirogane has ever paid much attention to Ryuu." Futsuki shook his head. "And I don't believe he is out of his wits now. If you want my honest opinion on it, I think the boy has just found grief for the first time. He's always detached himself in the past - but you designated him Ribari's _shishou_. As such, you intended them to forge a close bond. To Shirogane - an orphan with no surviving siblings - you gave a family that he had a place in. I can understand that, for though my mother was your mother, I was in much the same position when first we came to the main house. As your Vice Captain, as Ribari's teacher...in one fell swoop that fragile family he had was taken away. And...I know his pride. I know deep down that he hates it - that the son you entrusted to him to train was someone he could not save."

"Seiren said that lately Shirogane had shown unnatural interest in Ryuu. Also in Mitsuki, Teitou's daughter." Guren remarked.

"Mitsuki is an unusual girl, but her gifts for healing are trained now and her behaviour more stable and even responsible." Futsuki remarked. "She saved Shirogane's life, and she is also a pretty young _hime_ of about the right age and equivalent bloodline. Perhaps he has come to see her differently since then - he is a young man and neither of them are currently betrothed, therefore it isn't inappropriate for such things to begin. I would not put anything sinister on him showing her such interest."

"You think Shirogane might have...developed an attraction for Mitsuki?" Guren was floored, and Futsuki shrugged.

"Stranger things have happened." He said simply. "And he could make a far worse choice, considering his heritage and her own. Teitou is a good man who commands respect from most at our court, and don't suppose he would object to the idea of Shirogane as a prospective son in law. Perhaps he has already seen the possibility, in fact, since he has raised Shirogane's name in a positive light a few times of late."

He smiled.

"All Fathers are ambitious for and protective of their daughters." He added sheepishly. "When she decided to choose Clan life over joining Sixth squad, I faced the same challenge with Meroka, negotiating the best possible pairing for her in a place where she would be content and respected. If Teitou has seen things that way, I cannot fault him. A daughter is a more difficult burden to place safely in marriage than a son, so if I had been him, and I had seen signs of such an attachment forming...I would have been relieved."

"Relieved." Guren echoed softly. "I see."

"You have to remember that Mitsuki came to Shirogane's side when he was vulnerable and that makes a difference in such matters." Futsuki added. "You and I - even Seiren - had arranged matches, but we all know that there is a difference between a marriage of politics and the interests of the heart. Besides, as I said, Mitsuki is now very pretty. She's inherited all of her mother's latent beauty with just enough of her Father's features to remind people that she is a Kuchiki, despite her healing skills. Shirogane could choose worse to foist his interest on - though I am sure he would never address a subject of that nature to you or I, even if this was not such a dangerous situation."

"Hrm." Guren frowned. "And Ryuu? Do you think that what Seiren has observed can also be explained that way?"

"Shirogane dislikes Seiren. It may simply be a way to annoy the Uncle who is frustrating him so much by keeping such close tabs on him." Futsuki reflected. "Or it may be because Ryuu is close to Mitsuki, and therefore a stepping stone between the two. I don't know, Guren, but I do think there are any number of reasons for Shirogane to have changed his behaviour - none of which indicate treason. I don't know about this _hime_ witness or what other evidence Seiren has. But I find it impossible to believe Shirogane capable of betrayal. I would stake my life on it, in fact."

He offered a rueful smile.

"Though I don't say he wouldn't try to kill Seiren in an open bout of swords - I don't believe he's the kind to operate in the shadows. And certainly not ally with another Clan to bring about his aims. Don't you think it's too convenient? That it should be a _Shihouin_ who was seen killing the stable hands, and that the _only_ person who saw them happened to be an exiled _hime_ from another Clan? We have no Kuchiki witnesses, and even so, Seiren...?"

"Seiren may be letting his dislike for Shirogane overreach itself." Guren acknowledged. "But he did tell me he had also been the subject of threatening letters regarding Ryuu, and I have seen one such example of a letter, too. Seiren believes - with some cause - that these might have been written by Shirogane. I wondered if they could have been done in a delusion following Shirogane's experiences in the forest, but you think he is in his right mind, so..."

"I do." Futsuki agreed. "His hatred for Seiren has become less disguised recently, that's all. But I think Seiren provokes that as much himself as Shirogane does, to be truthful. Seiren is ambitious - more ambitious than most, given his own situation of helplessness. Ryuu is his hope and his prospect - and has been since the boy took his first breaths. In some ways, maybe he loves his son too much, and Seiren's impetus to protect Ryuu's interests probably goes beyond his desire to prevent conflict at the court. You must remember, Guren, that when Ryuu was born, you had no son of your own. When Ryuu was a baby, it was generally thought..."

"That he would be my successor." Guren nodded. "I haven't forgotten. And I don't deny that Ryuu probably will once more fill that hole. I have married once, and since lost one wife and one son. I have no intention of doing either thing again - the pain of such losses is too great. If Ryuu is capable and strong enough to inherit this family, then I will leave it to him with an open heart and a clear mind. I am not opposed to Seiren's ambitions...but I do wonder if they cloud his judgement."

"Undoubtedly." Futsuki reflected. "Whether he realises it or not."

He sighed.

"Will you let me join the search for Shirogane?" He asked. "I might be able to talk the boy around, and bring him home. And then..."

"Perhaps you could." Guren acknowledged. "But I have few people who are objective and in whom I can currently trust. I daren't involve Seiren any more than I have to now that all this has occurred. If he's right, I might bring Ryuu into further danger, and if not, I might do damage to this Clan which cannot be repaired. But I've thought it too - that it is strange that so long after Father's death, it should be a Shihouin and that that Shihouin should have killed menial staff for no apparent reason. Especially since that Shadow Cat has done all she can in recent years to distance herself from such underhand operations. Unless that reason was to _be_ seen, in which case..."

"There is a possibility someone wants war between the Shihouin and the Kuchiki once again?" Futsuki questioned. "Perhaps someone dissatisfied with Midori-sama's way of changing the Shihouin, who wants a return to the old ways and sees striking at an ancient enemy as a way to do that?"

Guren shrugged.

"It occurred to me. But as you said, this is a different age from Father's." He agreed gravely. "A more peaceful age in many respects in District Six. And I do not want to act with rashness, even though as a father I want to take my sword and impale Ribari's killer on the end of it. I want to know that this Kyouraku _hime_ can be trusted. That what she tells us is true, and not motivated by something else. If she is who she claims to be, there's a chance she's simply using the uncertainty here to launch revenge on her family, being that the Shihouin are Kyouraku allies now, and to wage war on the Shihouin would naturally involve waging war on District Eight as well. Without her evidence there is nothing to link the Shihouin to any of this - so I want something more concrete before I can act. Seiren is not making it easy for me, though - so I'm going to have to ask for your help."

"I see." Futsuki's eyes narrowed. "So you think the wench may be taking advantage of Seiren's insecurities to feed some political agenda of her own?"

"She doesn't seem a likely candidate for such a thing, and she is bruised and beaten, which gives credence to her story of assault." Guren sighed. "But what if the reason Shirogane confronted her - if he did - was because he found something that was damaging to our Clan? Seiren said he was looking up Kyouraku crests in the archive - what if that was the reason why?"

"Without Shirogane here, we can't know that." Futsuki pursed his lips. "But I understand now what you want from me and why you called me here. You want to know about this _hime_, don't you? And what exactly her motives are in District Six."

* * *

It was going to be a nice day, by the looks of it.

Enishi whistled softly to himself under his breath as he strode across the grass that led from the Kidou Arena to the main school building. He had spent the previous hour with Kazoe, being drilled on various spells, but although he had managed to split a hole in one of the fences, overall he felt it had gone quite well, and it was a weight off his mind indeed to know that the intensive training session was now behind him. Kazoe was never unfair, but usually demanding, so it was always a relief to the sturdy Yamamoto when he knew his coaching was at an end.

He had risen early, and as a result, he had only picked up the bare bones of Ukitake's adventure the night before from Mitsuki as they had met on the way downstairs. Had he been as perceptive as Shunsui or Juushirou, he might also have noticed the tension in the girl's aura - but Enishi was not given to complicated evaluations, and he had simply assumed that the young healer was tired and worried about Juushirou, soon discarding it as an overall concern. They had not had a chance to speak much either, for Mitsuki had been summoned by Retsu and Enishi had not dared to be late himself, and as a result Enishi was blissfully ignorant of the bulk of the night's events. Confidently he had assumed that in all likelihood his white haired friend would have put off the confrontation with his cousin Akira, and therefore would be resting in bed, safe and sound as he recovered from his trip into the rain.

_Though it's a damn shame for him that even now things like that upset his chest._

As he crossed the pebble path towards the main building, he pursed his lips pensively.

_Ukitake's no weakling, but even with all his training there are times his body lets him down. He could be a really strong fighter too - it really is a shame. _

"Then maybe you can explain it more clearly for the both of us, huh?"

"No! Senpai, please! I haven't told anyone...I haven't...so..."

As he turned the corner, he heard the sound of voices, and a frown crossed his features at the desperate note in those last words.

"You let us down, Tsukabishi." The next words caused him to pause, his brow furrowing as he tried to work out where the sound was coming from. "You had a debt to repay and we intend on making you repay it. You're hobbled with those things, so don't think you can run and escape like a rabbit this time. We've got you pinned - you'd better start saying your prayers."

"What the hell is going on here?" Enishi burst through the undergrowth, his confusion becoming indignant anger as he surveyed the scene before him.

Two students, about his own age, though neither one as broad-framed stood over a third, and as Enishi's gaze rested on the youngster's pathetic, tear-stained features, he remembered that he had heard the name Tsukabishi before.

_That was the kid, wasn't it? The one who Ukitake and Kyouraku were on about - the one who they went hunting for in the rain last night. The one who was going to steal Ukitake's..._

His eyes narrowed as he took in the boy's frightened face more clearly.

_That's also the kid I saw outside Ukitake's nest that time, too. I see. I didn't think anything of it, then, but I guess it's not a coincidence. Looks like these are the ones who were behind all of that business. Shame on them, forcing a kid to do their dirty work. I should have picked up on it sooner, but I won't let it go now_.

"It's nothing to do with you." Kobayashi was the first to respond, swinging around with a defiant swagger.

"I've just made it to do with me, though." Enishi said evenly, casting Kobayashi a frank look. "Since that kid doesn't look too happy right now to me, and I figure you're big enough to know when you're bothering a young'un like that."

"Tsukabishi has business with us, Houjou." At this Azusa recovered himself, shooting the senior a look of dislike. "It's as Kobayashi said. None of your business."

"I wonder what Sensei would say about that." Enishi remarked, and Kobayashi's eyes narrowed.

"You might be a Senior, but you're no better than we are, and you can't act all high and mighty." He snapped. "Everybody knows that the only reason you got promoted over us this year was because you're a Yamamoto - and because you're older than most people in our year, let alone in your own. The Clan would've been ashamed of you if you'd been kept back - but don't pretend it gives you any special right to speak to us."

Despite himself, Enishi felt an indignant rush of pride and annoyance surge through his broad frame, and his eyes darkened.

"Is that so?" He asked quietly, and Azusa snorted, folding his hands across his chest.

"It's so." He said simply. "We all know it, Houjou. We've all talked about it, and we see what happened. Your grades from last year - we know those, too. How you failed Kidou, pretty much...and everything else."

For a moment Enishi felt rage flood his senses, then at the last minute he checked it, forcing it back as he met Azusa's gaze.

"Well, I can't do anything about that." He said honestly. "But I'd rather have a dodgy grade or two here and there than be cowardly enough to pick on a mite like that one. Look at him! He's damn near shaking with fear because of the two of you. Don't you feel even a little bit ashamed? You're grown - but no wonder Sensei didn't promote you. He couldn't have Senior students who acted like that - so I guess that explains his choice more clearly, doesn't it?"

"Why, you..." Azusa's eyes flared with indignation at this, and he lunged forward, but for all his weakness in Kidou, Enishi was not one to easily lose a fight and though the attack had come from nowhere, he swiftly parried the thrusting punch Azusa had tried to land on his jaw, neatly wrong-footing his companion and pushing him aside so that he landed with a thud on the grassy floor.

"Fighting isn't allowed on campus." He said evenly, his gaze flitting to Kobayashi as he spoke, for his fighter's instinct told him that the other boy was also gauging his chances of taking the tall Senior off his guard. "So I'm not going to fight with you. You don't really interest me - I want to talk to the kid."

"Tsukabishi still has business with us." Kobayashi said blackly, and Enishi's eyes darkened.

"Fighting isn't allowed on campus." He repeated softly. "But if you carry on tormenting this lad, I might chance that rule and make an exception. I don't like it when folk are cowards - I don't like bullies and I don't like sly, dishonest folks who hurt others for no reason except their own gain. You can insult me as much as you like - I'm big enough to take it on the chin, and discard it just as quickly. But turning on a First year is unforgivable. You know that, don't you? That I'm not just going to walk away and pretend I didn't see this."

He smiled slightly, but it was a cold smile, and despite his own impressive stature, Kobayashi seemed to quail slightly under the uncharacteristically icy gaze.

"I'm not quite the idiot you think I am, nor the failure." He continued quietly. "I'm capable of doing damage to both of you without breaking a sweat, but I'd consider that the same as what you're doing to Tsukabishi here. I won't do it - I'm not like you. But you should be glad of that fact, because I know you had something to do with Ukitake's sword almost being stolen yesterday. And I'm pretty sure this has been going on some time."

He bent down at Tsunemori's side, aware that the youngster was now staring at him in unmitigated terror, but he paid no attention to this, simply hauling the boy up in his arms as though he was no heavier than a rag-doll and reaching down for the wooden crutches that had fallen forgotten to the ground when Tsunemori had first been ambushed by his tormentors.

"We'll go for a walk somewhere, because I want to know some more from you about all of this." He said briskly, tightening his grip on the crutches and swinging them round to jab the end lightly against Kobayashi's sternum.

"I'll advise _you_ to keep away from the First years from now on." He added simply. "Else it might be misunderstood. And I don't like beating on people weaker than me. But I will do it, if it teaches you how kids like this one are made to feel when you thunder all over him."

With that he pushed Kobayashi to the floor, striding quickly and purposefully between the two dazed fifth years with a confused Tsunemori still clutched firmly in his grasp.

"It's all right, kid. You don't need to look so frightened."

As they entered a quiet part of the surrounding forest, Enishi cast his burden a sheepish grin, depositing him gently on a dry patch of ground and squatting down across from him. "I know I'm a bit bigger than you are, but I'm not going to hurt you. I just wanted to get those animals off your case."

Tsunemori stared at Enishi blankly, his face white and his eyes huge. For a while there was silence, then tears began to trickle down the boy's cheeks and he let out a loud sniff.

"They scared you, huh?" Enishi's eyes softened and he reached out a friendly paw to pat the boy on the shoulder. "I heard a little bit about what happened last night. They put you up to it, didn't they? Ukitake's sword and all that. It was them, wasn't it? Kobayashi and...and Kamaki?"

"Y...yes." Tsunemori's voice was little more than a wavering whisper, and Enishi sighed.

"Even though Ukitake brought you back safe last night, it's still not over, then?" He murmured, more than half to himself.

"They'll kill me, now." Tsunemori clutched his fingers together, his knuckles as white as his face as he gazed at Enishi in fear. "Because you...they...when I'm alone...and I can't..."

"Well, that won't happen, because I'm going to tell Sensei all about it." Enishi said matter of factly. "I'm a Senior, so it's my duty to take charge at times like that and report things that need to be reported. I might not be enough to dissuade them, but Genryuusai-sensei is. He'll stop it, Tsukabishi. Don't worry about that."

Tsunemori shook his head miserably.

"You can't." He whispered. "Please, Senpai. If you do...they...I won't be able to stay here. And...I don't...have anywhere else."

"Why would you think that?" Enishi was genuinely surprised. "You're not in trouble over last night, are you? Aside from hobbling around a bit - if you were let loose from the Healing Bay already...?"

"I asked Unohana-sensei to let me go to class,and she said it was all right." Tsunemori reached up to wipe his eyes, but more tears fell. "Because when I'm in class, I...I feel safer. Because I'm not on my own then, and my class are...not mean to me."

"Even though you're a skinny shrimp, you're quite tough, I reckon." Enishi looked thoughtful. "Not much muscle, perhaps, but to take a soaking and an injury and still be up and about the next day is no mean feat. Your foot's not broken, is it?"

"No." Tsunemori shook his head. "Just sp...sprained. But it means I...can't escape very quickly. And they find me. And..."

"Then I have to report it." Enishi said frankly. "That's the only solution, if we're going to make it stop."

"But then they'll..." Tsunemori buried his head in his hands.

"They'll what?" Enishi demanded. "When Sensei gets hold of them, do you think that he's going to be following their instructions?"

There was a long silence, then Tsunemori swallowed hard with a gulp, raising hopeless eyes to Enishi's.

"Was it true?" He asked unevenly. "What K...Kamaki-senpai said? Ab...about you f...failing Kidou?"

"Ah. Yeah. That." Enishi rubbed his chin ruefully. "I didn't fail it, but it's not a strength of mine. Between you and me, kid, I'd rather not study it at all. But you don't need to pay too much attention to things like that."

"No...no." Tsunemori swallowed again, then, "It's just...I wondered. Because...you see..."

He hesitated again, then,

"I can understand my classes, but I...I'm not good at writing things down." He said uneasily. "I have trouble with k...kanji and I d...didn't take the entrance exams for the Academy at all. Sensei l...let me come here because I had power and potential and I d...didn't have anywhere else to go after Mother was killed by a H...Hollow. But b..because of that, nobody knows. That I can't read or write properly. Uebashi-sensei and Kazoe-sensei are always cross with me, and Kamaki-senpai said that if anyone found out, I'd be s...sent away..."

"Idiot." Enishi broke through the boy's words with a snort, shaking his head. "You just said it, didn't you? _Sensei let you come here because you had power and potential_. Of course he isn't going to discard you because you have trouble getting your radicals straight. You're District, right? Well, I don't know much about District education 'cept from Ukitake, but even so...I don't suppose that Genryuusai-sensei expects all his students to come here with beautiful calligraphy skills. That isn't what the Academy is here for."

He settled himself more comfortably on the ground.

"I'm not real good at this reassurance stuff." he admitted. "And I don't know whether or not the word of a Clan Senior helps at all. But Genryuusai-sensei is my kinsman, and I don't think he'd do something like that. I think he'd want you to ask for help - and I think he'd probably give it. That's how he seems to me, anyway."

Tsunemori looked blank for a moment, then he sighed.

"But now I've done all of this stuff already." He said sadly. "And...and it's true, isn't it? That A...Anideshi got hurt last night. That because of me he got sick...and now...I heard Unohana-sensei talking about it with someone, and...because of me..."

"Ukitake's that type, though." Enishi got to his feet, scooping up his companion's crutches and hauling the boy upright, pushing the wood supports into the surprised boy's hands. "But you've given me an idea about what to do next. Ukitake should be resting up, so he won't have anything pressing on his agenda - why not come see him? There's some time before your classes begin, I think - and he's better at reassuring kids than I am. I just say it as I see it - but that's not always the best way. Probably I scare you as much as those other louts, huh? Being big often makes it that way."

Tsunemori stared at Enishi, then a faint smile touched his lips and he shook his head.

"Houjou-senpai is kind." He whispered. "I'm sorry, Senpai. I shouldn't have been scared of you at all. Thank you for rescuing me."

"That's all right." Enishi grinned, ruffling his fingers through the boy's hair. "So we'll go see Ukitake, all right? You can tell him all this and I'm sure he'll figure out the best thing to do. And you can see he's still in one piece. Like you, he looks fragile and fit to break at a gust of wind. But he's pretty resiliant when he has to be. And I don't think he'll be at all mad with you - so the sooner you settle with him, the quicker everything can be resolved. Right?"

* * *

_**Author's note:**_

_Does nobody have breakfast in this story any more?_

_I think Tokkun will explain it at some point in more detail, but for the people who are asking about Sadehira and Matsuhara's crests, this is something quite individual to each Clan, and wouldn't necessarily be noticed immediately by members of an outside Clan. Shirogane noticed because he saw the crest and then went to look up Sadehira's. However, Seiren and his people only identified it as Matsuhara's crest. Shunsui carries the same crest as Matsuhara and Tokutarou's is simiilar but with the addition of Shiba ornamentation to identify the other side of his heritage. A Kyouraku would know straight away the difference between Sadehira's and Matsuhara's crests - but someone from an outside Clan may not notice unless they did specific examination. It's like the Shihouin knives in Second Manuscript - to Kai and company, they are all different, but to anyone else they appear more or less the same. Sadehira and Matsuhara's crests are of an era, so it might be assumed that as brothers they carry the same heraldry. It is not uncommon for people to do this within Clans - not everyone has their own specific insignia._


	27. Being Anideshi

**Chapter Twenty Six: Being Anideshi**

Juushirou had been drowsing slightly when Enishi's characteristic loud pounding against the wood of his door had stirred him and he blinked, for a moment confused and disorientated about where he was and what was going on. Hauling himself stiffly into a sitting position, he realised that he was once more on his own, and he frowned, half-wondering if his big friend had come to check up on him after his morning's adventure.

Shunsui and Ryuu had left him some thirty minutes earlier, Shunsui with an assurance to let both Genryuusai-sensei and the rest of their group know where he was and Ryuu with a sharp admonition to stay put and rest. He had sensed the genuine concern in the manner of both boys, and so had acquiesced - if he was honest with himself, now his pride had calmed somewhat, he too felt annoyed that he had been so easily goaded into battle.

Souryou too had departed almost as soon as he had made sure his classmate was safely settled in the nest, but Juushirou had felt a new sense of cameraderie from the older boy after the spar, and he comforted himself with this scant achievement. At least he had obtained the respect of one of his four newest peers.

Still, though, deep down he knew he had pushed himself. And, when he reflected on it, he remembered only too clearly what Shunsui had said.

_It won't change anything, me fighting Yamamoto-kun this morning. I can't make someone who doesn't like me like me just by swinging a sword at him._

He rubbed his eyes with a sigh.

_All I've done is cause worry to people, been stubborn and reckless yet again and pushed myself stupidly. And probably I'll have to explain to Sensei why I felt well enough to spar but not to come to class - because I doubt he's oblivious to this morning's events, even if he does nothing about it. What is wrong with me at the moment? What am I trying to prove, anyway? Am I so bothered about people not liking me that I'm starting to focus on all the wrong things instead of all the right ones? I was going to spend today looking into the matter of Tsukabishi-kun and the Fifth years bullying him, but instead I wound up...and now...  
_  
"Ukitake? It's Enishi. Can I come in, or are you asleep?"

Something in the Yamamoto boy's heedless question brought a faint smile to Juushirou's pale lips as he realised he had not answered his friend's first call, and he settled himself more comfortably against his pillows.

"I'm awake." He called, his voice hoarse but still audible despite the burning pain across his lungs, and the next moment the divide was cast back, revealing the bulky Senior. Juushirou opened his mouth to greet his friend, then paused, realising with a jolt that his companion wasn't alone. Clutched in his arms, as though he were cradling a sack of straw or a scarecrow was the first year student Juushirou had rescued the night before, and as his eyes opened wide with surprise, Enishi grinned sheepishly, letting Tsunemori down and helping him roughly but kindly back onto his crutches.

"This one needs someone to talk stuff over with." He said, by way of preamble. "He and me, we've had a bit of a chat under the trees, but I don't know the answers to some of the things he's worried about. I found him being singled out by a couple of the Fifth years in the grounds, and I soon put them off their game - but I want to take the matter to Sensei, and well, Tsukabishi here isn't so keen."

He patted Tsunemori firmly on the shoulder, then,

"I told him you'd know better than me, being District and being Anideshi." He added, somewhat incoherently. "Besides, he was worried his adventures last night made you sick. I figured it was easier to show him than tell him - that you don't break that easily, no matter how much storm and rain is thrown your way."

Juushirou stared at Enishi for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the pale, anxious features of the young first year. Relief and gratitude crashed across his wits and he smiled, nodding his head.

"It's all right, Tsukabishi-kun. Come on in. I'm quite all right to have visitors." He said gently, softening his tones and beckoning for the youngster to come forward. "Thank you, Enishi-kun. If you spoke to the Fifth years, you know who's responsible - and so I think you should go to Sensei, and tell him what you know."

"I intend to." Enishi agreed. "I told Tsukabishi it'd be all right - convince him for me though, will you? I'm not real good at the fancy chatting stuff, and I'm Clan - not District - so maybe I don't understand fully how the mite is thinking."

He cast Tsunemori a warm grin, and to Juushirou's surprise, the young boy returned it with a faint one of his own.

"Seems to me you understand him just fine." He murmured. "But you can leave him with me a while. I'll see if I can help - I intended to do that today anyhow, if I could."

"Aye aye, Captain." Enishi winked, saluting his friend playfully. Then he was gone, banging the door behind him, and Juushirou and Tsunemori were left alone.

_Enishi may be clumsy sometimes, big and awkward and not fond of all the fancy Clan occasions._ _And maybe he's weak at Kidou and usually finishes bottom of the class lists._

Juushirou eyed Tsunemori thoughtfully, gesturing for the young boy to sit down on the side of his bed.

_But when it comes to kids in trouble, he has a big heart. Maybe I'm going to help Tsukabishi-kun now, or maybe I'm not. But I think it was still you who helped him most, Enishi-kun. He seems less frightened now...than he did before.  
_  
Out loud he said,

"It is the best thing, you know, if Enishi reports the people who were bullying you."

"I know." Tsunemori let out a heavy sigh, lowering his gaze slightly, and Juushirou was aware that the youngster was still somewhat apprehensive about being inside the room that he had entered illicitly such a short time before. "Senpai, I...I'm sorry. I mean, I'm r...really sorry. You were kind to me - nobody's been mean to me, and I did such a bad thing, and now..."

"Shh." Juushirou shook his head. "I already told you I wasn't going to tell Sensei anything."

"But I told him." Tsunemori admitted, raising his gaze, and Juushirou was surprised to see a faint flicker of determination burning there. "Mother...would have wanted me to tell him. Because I didn't want you to get into trouble because of me. Because I did something to you and you...you saved me."  
_  
So Sensei was right. Tsukabishi-kun did want to help me, too._

Juushirou pursed his lips.

"Then it's all right." He said easily. "I'm not in trouble. Sensei only told me that next time I should report it if I can't find one of the juniors, and really, he's right. I should have done - maybe you wouldn't have been in danger and we'd have got back to school quicker. Either way, though, the matter is over. If you told Sensei and he hasn't punished you, he isn't going to now. And I already told you that I wasn't cross. So you needn't look so worried. Let Enishi report the people who were tormenting you, and then..."

"Houjou-senpai said it wouldn't matter, but I don't know if he's right." Tsunemori mumbled. "Senpai, you asked me...yesterday. Why I wouldn't tell you who it was. Because I thought I'd be sent away. Houjou-senpai said I wouldn't be...but even so...I...I don't know what to do."

"About what, exactly?" Juushirou softened his tones. "What's the thing that's bothering you - the reason they were hurting you to begin with?"

"I...I shouldn't really be a student here." Tsunemori stared at his hands. "I can't read or write properly, and I didn't take any exams. I was just...brought here. I have nowhere else to go. So if I was sent away..."

He faltered, his voice shaking, and Juushirou felt a wave of sympathy rise up inside him.

"I see." Was all he said, however. "So because the books we use here are so complicated, you were worried about keeping up? And you were afraid if people knew your secret..."

"I'd be sent away." Tsunemori nodded, his expression becoming pitiful. "Because Kamaki-senpai said so. That Sensei wouldn't let me stay here, if he knew."

His eyes widened, and he clapped his hand over his mouth in alarm, but Juushirou smiled, reaching up to push the youngster's hand down.

"I had already guessed it might be him." He said evenly. "Because I shouted at him on the first day. I was unsettled and I probably spoke to him more harshly than I should have - it seems a very little thing to kick off a grudge, but I suppose I can see it happening, being that they were kept down. I'm sorry they used you as their target though, Tsukabishi-kun. And you know, they're completely wrong. I'm sure Enishi told you this as well, but if Genryuusai-sensei let you come here, it means he has some faith in you. It isn't a mission of mercy."

"But I have nowhere else to go." Tears trickled down Tsunemori's cheeks. "My m...mother died and I...there is..."

"Even if that's true, the only people who can study here are people who have the potential to be shinigami. Otherwise it would be dangerous for them to come." Juushirou said simply. "If Sensei didn't want you here, he would have found some other provision for you - someone else who could have looked after you until you were an adult in your own right. But if he brought you here, it's not your writing or reading he cares about."

"Houjou-senpai said that too." Tsunemori admitted, and Juushirou grinned.

"Genryuusai-sensei is a lot older than we are." he said unnecessarily. "And he's met lots and lots of people over the centuries, I'm sure. He must know that everyone comes from a different background and has different levels of knowledge. Not all District children have a chance to read or write before they come here."

He shrugged.

"A couple of years ago my family took in a young girl." He added thoughtfully. "She'd been orphaned in District Seven and was all alone there. She has strong spirit power too - but till she came to live with us, she couldn't write even her own name. Now she's learning with my own sister and brothers, and she's picking it up well. But she's never really let it phase her. She's learnt a bunch of things in her life that were more important to her than learning to read and write, I suppose. And I'm sure the same is true for you. She'll learn how, and so will you, if you talk to Sensei and ask him for help. But it doesn't mean you haven't already learnt important things. Not everything has to be done in the same order."

Tsunemori's eyes widened, and Juushirou fought back the urge to chuckle, mindful of the pain that still resonated in his chest.

"This world is the Clan's world, but we're not all Clan." He added. "And while we can't have all the things they have, there's no reason why we can't do the things they can. But because we're District, we don't have to do them how Clan people do them. We can do them our own way - there's nothing wrong with that."

"Anideshi is...District too." Tsunemori murmured, and Juushirou looked surprised.

"But you knew that, didn't you?"

"Yes." Tsunemori nodded. "But...last night..."

He blushed, then,

"When you fought the Hollow, I thought...it _couldn't_ be true." he admitted awkwardly. "Because you...were like the shinigami...who killed the Hollow that took away my mother. And...and...I thought...only a Clan person could use a _zanpakutou _like that."

"Believe me, I didn't use Sougyo at all sensibly last night, but we'll put it down to cold and rain." Juushirou said ruefully. He eyed the boy for a second, then,

"I'm scared of Hollows as well, you know." He added honestly. "A Hollow killed my Father - just like you said one killed your mother. So of course, I'm frightened of them too. I haven't had a lot of time to practice fighting real ones - so I panic a little when I'm faced with one. But Father...Father dying taught me that people in the Districts_ need_ to be shinigami, much more than the people from the Clans do. To protect our own people, its something we ought to want to learn. We can't always rely on Clansfolk to do it all. There are more of us than there are of them. And I know...Father would want me to work hard and learn how to protect other people from being taken. Even though I miss him and I can't bring him back."

"Senpai's Father was killed by a Hollow too?" Tsunemori was stunned, and Juushirou sighed.

"When I was fourteen. A year younger than you." He agreed. "So I do know what you've been through. You lost you mother quite recently, didn't you? I can tell," As Tsunemori nodded. "A lot's happened since then but you're still trying to process not having her near you."

"I'm not used to being around lots of people, or...or following schedules...or even staying in one place." Tsunemori admitted. "My classmates are kind but I don't really know how to talk to them. And well, I miss my Mother still. I miss her a lot. So I suppose...I don't really like being here. But I know...there isn't anywhere else. So..."

"She would worry about you, if she thought you were unhappy." Juushirou said quietly. "If she thought you were lonely and scared and crying, she would be worrying about you from the world beyond this one. What that place is I don't know - whether they can see us, I'm not sure. But I think...she'd still know, if you were unhappy. And I think she'd be worried...don't you?"

"I...I suppose she would." Tsunemori admitted, wiping his eyes. "She always worried about me, when she was alive."

"Perhaps you should try talking a little to your classmates. Just a little, to begin with." Juushirou suggested. "Not all of them, maybe, but one here or one there. Because you're talking to me now, and I'm sure that if you tried, you could talk to them as well."

"I..." Tsunemori looked startled for a moment, then he smiled faintly. "I suppose I am, aren't I? But Senpai is easy to talk to. I don't know why. You just are."

"I'm sure your classmates are, too." Juushirou assured him. "If you say they're kind, I'm sure they want you to join in with them and be part of the group. Certainly when Shunsui went to speak to them when we couldn't find you, he thought they were worried about you."

He smiled, taking a breath into his worn lungs, then,

"And I'm not in much good shape at the moment, but if you want extra help with your writing, I'll help you." He added. "I don't think you're stupid, and I know once Sensei realises you have a problem, he'll want to help you somehow too. But I feel like...I owe you my help for being the reason you got into such a lot of trouble with Kamaki and his friends. Because he hated me he picked on you. And I want to redress that balance."

"It's not your fault." Tsunemori shook his head slowly. "And...and...I wanted...to tell you. When you were kind to me, and then they were horrible, I felt...like_ this_ inside."

He held up his hands, clenching his fists as though to indicate his own discomfort.

"I didn't want to do bad things to you, and then when you were worried about me, I felt even worse. So I kept running away from you instead. But I didn't want to. I wasn't cross with Anideshi because of it. I was cross with...with Kamaki-senpai and with me and that I was...wasn't able to do anything at all. Because even on first day - you were only protecting me."

He reddened slightly.

"I thought you were a kind person." He whispered. "And that Kamaki-senpai was wrong to say such bad things about you. But I c...couldn't stand up to him. So I was the one...who did something bad."

"In that case, we'll put the whole thing behind us." Juushirou suggested with a smile. "We can be allies from now on, now the misunderstandings are settled, can't we? Because I don't think any worse of you for any of this."

"Allies?" Tsunemori was surprised, and Juushirou's expression became rueful.

"I have a lot of younger brothers and sisters." He said pensively. "I'm the oldest of seven, and now with Shikiki too that makes eight. I suppose it comes automatically to me to want to play big brother with younger kids. But this time, perhaps it meant I pushed myself too much where I wasn't expected. You're not used to that - Hirata even said that you were scared by it and that you weren't ready for me to reach out to you at all. Maybe I even made it worse by always asking you if you were all right instead of holding back. But now I think...maybe the situation has changed. Now you are talking to me, and I don't think you're scared any more - are you?"

"N...no." Tsunemori reddened further, to the tips of his ears at this.

"Good." Juushirou looked approving. "And you do know that I only want to help you? So we'll start again, and not let people like Kamaki get in the way."

"Kamaki-senpai is jealous of you." Tsunemori said thoughtfully, kicking his feet absently against the bed support. "Because people like you, Anideshi. Lots of people do and Sensei does too. Kamaki-senpai is cross because he wasn't put into Senior Class, but I don't think he'd be a very good Senior. Houjou-senpai said he was a coward. Do you think that's true?"

"Anyone who bullies someone younger than them is a coward." Juushirou said with certainty. "Believe me, if anyone had been treating any of my siblings in the way Kamaki and the others have been treating you, I'd be very very cross indeed. Enishi is exactly right. Kamaki and his friends are cowards and you should not listen to them any more."

"Perhaps I'm a coward too." Tsunemori sighed. "I don't really know. I'm not very brave, so maybe I am."

"But you spoke up to Sensei to defend me, didn't you?" Juushirou reminded him. "You were scared, but you told him the truth. That proves you're not really a coward. Being scared isn't the same thing as being cowardly."

"Isn't it?" Tsunemori looked doubtful. "I'm not sure about that."

"Fright is a survival mechanism." Juushirou replied. "Being afraid of something is proof that you're alive and you want to stay that way. It's how you deal with being afraid that matters. Everyone gets scared. I told you already, didn't I? That I'm afraid of Hollows, even now. But I'll keep fighting them. And eventually, maybe, I'll get to a point where I'm not so scared any more."

He coughed, wincing slightly as he jarred his chest, and Tsunemori looked anxious.

"Senpai! Are you all right? Did I really make you sick, last night?"

"No. No, you didn't." Juushirou waved away his concern with a sheepish smile. "My lungs are never very good, but I made myself bad this morning by having a rather too vigorous sword practice session with one of my classmates. He's a better fighter than me, and I got a little reckless. You needn't be so worried. This isn't your fault at all."

"I see." Tsunemori looked relieved. "I'm glad, then. I was worried...that I'd hurt you somehow again."

Before Juushirou could respond, the sound of a bell resonated distantly through the chamber, and Tsunemori started, reaching hurriedly for his crutches.

"I'll be late for class!"

"I'm sure whoever's teaching you will understand that it takes you longer to get around on those things." Juushirou offered him a smile. "I'm glad you came to see me though, Tsukabishi-kun. And I hope that you'll come talk to me again. I meant what I said about helping you - and I'm sure that everything will be worked out now, one way or another."

"I hope so." Tsunemori nodded vigorously, his tail of dark hair flopping loosely over his shoulder. "And I'm glad Houjou-senpai brought me here too. Will you...say thank you to him for me please, Senpai? Because what he said...made me feel like...I could come and talk to you and it would all be all right."

"I will. I promise." Juushirou said firmly. "Enishi is a good person and a kind Clansman, and he'll stand up for you kids tooth and nail no matter what. So if Kamaki or anyone else dares to bother you again, and I'm not around to deal with it, make sure you go to him. He'll put it to rights. Okay?"

"Okay." Tsunemori grinned, for the first time a real grin, his sombre eyes lighting up as he nodded again. "And...and thank you for your help too...J...J...Juushirou-senpai!"

With which surprisingly cheeky parting remark he hobbled out of the room, his face red once more and his movement swift despite his bad ankle.

_**Juushirou**__-senpai, huh?_

Juushirou was startled for a moment, then a smile touched his own lips.

_I see. Hirata was right, then, wasn't he? Tsukabishi is like him in a lot of ways. He just needed someone to reach him. Now, thanks to last night - and thanks to Enishi too - I think I've done it. At least something's gone right today...and I've managed, somehow, to settle the Tsukabishi business without bloodshed or further tears._

He closed his eyes for a moment, running his thoughts over the conversation in his head once more.

_Was that what you meant, In'you? Even if a few people don't like me and can't accept who I am, it's not a reason to think I can't achieve what I set out to achieve. Enishi's forthright faith in me makes me a little ashamed of myself. I've been too easily knocked back by the wrong things, but I won't let that happen so easily again. I won't be drawn into spatting with Yamamoto-kun so easily, nor will I let myself be provoked by people like Kamaki. That's not why Sensei made me Anideshi. He did that to see whether I could cope with it...and so far I'm going out of my way to tell him that I can't. Well, no more. They can think of me what they like. It's people like Tsukabishi who really need me to come through for them. And I have. I will. If I'm going to meet Sensei's challenge...that's what I have to do.  
_  
He opened his eyes, gazing up at the faded Clan patterns that decorated the ceiling of his chamber.

_In the First year, that was my resolve. I decided to come here and do my best regardless of what everyone else thought of me. I've let myself be jaded by silly things, but it doesn't change why I'm here. Shunsui warned me back then that I should be careful of getting tainted by Clan opinion, and maybe I've been too focused on overcoming prejudice, rather than just being myself. I've come to believe I've something to prove, when in reality, it isn't me who has to prove anything at all. If I take that line, it means I have something to be ashamed of, and that would be disrespectful to Otousama and Hahaue who believed in me enough to let me have this life._

_Today's spar was foolish, and it didn't make Yamamoto-kun change his opinion of me. Therefore I'm not going to fight it - or him - like that any more. I came here to follow my own path - that's what I'm going to do, no matter how much opposition there is. Just like I promised Kamikura-sensei and myself that first day I came here. Being Anideshi means being proactive, not reactive. I've done nothing but react so far this term - it's about time I started trying to lead instead.  
_  
He coughed, rubbing his chest with a grimace.  
_  
But if I don't get some rest now, Shunsui and Ryuu will both be on my back, Anideshi or otherwise. I suppose in that respect at least I'd better do as I'm told. Otherwise I'll be in for another scolding and even if it's deserved, I've had enough of those for one day already!_

_

* * *

_

"Shunsui! Shunsui, is it true?"

As Shunsui pushed open the door of the Senior Sakusen classroom, he felt a hand on his arm and he turned, casting Sora a quizzical look as he took in the curiosity in her bright green eyes. Always wanting to be at the forefront of the action, there were few quicker at picking up gossip than his young friend and he sighed, folding his arms lazily across his chest and leaning back against the wall as he prepared himself for one of her characteristic interrogations.

"Is what true?" He asked wearily. "I can't read minds, Sora-chan – you'll have to be a little more specific if you want me to answer your questions."

"About Juushirou and Yamamoto fighting this morning, at the training ground." Sora's eyes burned with inquisitiveness as she gazed up at him. "Mitsuki said that Juushirou was pretty sick last night – but then I heard that he and Yamamoto had gone at it in the training arena this morning, and so I wondered…"

She paused, turning to glance around her and then lowered her voice.

"I wondered whether he'd finally whacked some sense into that thick headed idiot."

"I see." Despite himself, Shunsui grinned, patting her gently on the shoulder. "Well, I think there were two idiots on display first thing, not one. Yes, it's true. Ryuu and I were both there and saw the whole horrible spectacle. And I don't know about bashing any sense in. Juu really wasn't up to fighting anybody – if you ask me, it would've been better off not done."

"But he did win?" Sora was not to be put off. "I heard it being whispered about – that Juu had beaten Yamamoto in a sword fight first thing this morning."

"How on earth the whole school gets to know these things so quickly – and more, how _you_ do – is beyond me." Shunsui eyed her keenly. "Juu disarmed Akira. That's as much as I can say about it. I won't call it a victory since he wound up coughing blood and we about had to carry him to the nest. He's all right," As Sora's eyes widened with dismay. "But he let his pride get the better of him. So Ryuu and I have more or less confined him to staying in his room till we say otherwise."

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"He shouldn't have done it." He murmured, his gaze flitting across the room to where a bad-tempered Akira was hunched over his desk, clearly paying no attention to whatever Aoi was saying to him. "It won't improve anything, but he let his pride get poked and you know he's not sensible when that happens. Plus he was fevered. Last night took a lot out of him. He was in a funny state of mind all round – if I didn't know Juu better, I'd think he just wanted to batter frustration out on someone and Akira happened to be there."

"Mm. That seems to be going around at the moment." Sora groaned, and Shunsui's brow creased as he registered the expression on her face.

"What do you mean, going around?" He asked quizzically, and Sora let out her breath in a rush.

"Mitsuki and Naoko." She said succinctly. "If you haven't noticed yet, you must be worried about Juushirou. You don't normally ignore the girls quite so easily as that."

"Mitsuki…and Naoko?" Shunsui's gaze followed his companion's across the classroom, his eyes widening as he took in the tension and the wide space between the two girls.

"A fight?" He murmured, and Sora shrugged.

"A big one." She agreed. "I don't completely understand it. I walked into my room last night to find them yelling at each other and then Naoko stormed out. Neither one has spoken to the other since. Naoko's been more or less keeping her distance from us both, actually – because Mi-chan is my room-mate, I suppose, and I guess in a way she assumes I'll be on Mitsuki's side. But I don't like it much. I like Mi-chan and I like Naoko – but right now that stand isn't a forgivable one."

She pulled a graphic face.

"I don't like being in the middle of a feud."

"What caused it?" Shunsui wondered. "I thought it was odd that you weren't asking me if Juu was in one piece, but if Mitsuki's been preoccupied, maybe she didn't say anything to you about his coughing blood up this morning, huh?"

"Not a thing. She's barely spoken a word about anything since we got up, and she picked about at breakfast." Sora sighed. "As for what caused it? Something Naoko said that Mitsuki disagreed with. From what she said to me last night, I think tiredness had a part to play in it – but well…I think it was mostly about Juushirou, to be honest."

"About…Juu?"

"About Mitsuki's continued affections in that direction." Sora shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "Naoko's a realist. A pragmatist. She doesn't see any point in following something that has no future. And she's also quite traditional, too, in how she sees things. Mi-chan thinks that Nao thinks she should just graduate, get married and go hole herself up inside District Six. Apparently that offended her somehow…anyhow, the result is a big mess of angst on all sides."

"Girl fights, huh." Shunsui rubbed his chin pensively. "Thank you for the warning. I'll keep we-e-e-ell out of it."

"I wish I could." Sora pulled another face. "But I can't really avoid it. I suppose in most respects I _am_ on Mitsuki's side – but even so…I know Nao would only say things like she did with the best intentions. She's not a malicious person – but I don't think things are going to die down."

"Mitsuki's surprisingly stubborn when she wants to be." Shunsui nodded. "A real Kuchiki through and through, beneath the Healer surface."

"She is." Sora agreed sadly. "Oh well. Class will begin soon, so I suppose I'd better go and sit down in awkward silence ready for when Sensei arrives."

"All right." Shunsui cast her a grin, before heading across the room towards his own seat.

"What did Sora want?" Ryuu cast him a quizzical look, and Shunsui shrugged.

"She wanted to know about Juu and Akira." He said simply. "She's attached to the grapevine, that one – somehow she knew all about the fight already, and wanted me to confirm the details."

"It's probably not something that should be gossiped about." Hirata looked worried. "It's bad enough he decided to fight it, but…if Sensei was to know…"

"I think Sensei probably already knows a fair amount." Kai said reflectively. "He's like that. He watches everything but only intervenes if he thinks he should. I s'pect he knows Ukitake and Yamamoto clashed swords this morning. More, he probably decided to let it happen. He probably thinks of if as an extra-curricular way of monitoring the both of them, knowing how he works."

He smiled regretfully.

"Kuchiki, I wish you'd bothered to tell me the fight was still on. I would have liked to have seen it – especially Ukitake disarming that guy."

"It wasn't your concern to be involved." Ryuu said dismissively. "Mine either, as it happened – I was simply going to his room with the idea of checking on his well-being. I didn't think even he would be so stubborn as that – but Kuchiki pride seems to run deep inside anyone with District Six blood, no matter what their station."

"That's probably true." Shunsui's gaze flitted briefly to Mitsuki, his eyes becoming thoughtful as he once more read the clouded grey eyes and fixed, tense body language. Sora was doing her best to start a conversation, it seemed, but she might as well not have bothered, for at best all she seemed to be getting were brief one word answers, and for the most part, Mitsuki did not attempt to respond at all.

_You idiot, Juu. This morning, Mitsuki would probably have benefited from a smile or a word from you to cheer her up – instead she's probably brooding on your state of health as well as her fight with Naoko. Sometimes you really are a dolt…you have to become more of an opportunist or you're going to let all your best chances fly by._

"But he _did_ disarm Akira?" Enishi asked thoughtfully. Shunsui nodded, turning his attention back to the conversation.

"He did. It was a bit of a cheat move, switching his sword grip from right hand to left, but it worked for him and he disarmed the guy." He agreed. "I can't imagine that Yamamoto sees it as a fair win, really – being that he had the upper hand almost the whole fight before that."

"Taking an enemy off guard and capitalising on their assumptions is part of sword fighting, though." Kai said sensibly. "It's a good lesson for Yamamoto, I reckon. Having watched him fight, I think he assumes things too easily. He seems to have expectations of his opponent and how he's going to deal with the fight – something that throws that out of the ring is therefore the best way to beat him. Besides, Ukitake is two handed these days. Unless the spar rules were beforehand that only one hand could be used – he hasn't cheated. He's used his skills. That's all."

"Perhaps." Ryuu inclined his head slightly. "But that does not necessarily improve things from Yamamoto's perspective."

"Do you think things will get worse?" Hirata looked anxious, and Shunsui sighed.

"I don't know." He owned. "Souryou didn't seem to be too put out by it – actually, he helped Ryuu and I get Juu to the nest, so I think some ground's been covered in that area. Souryou seemed to think that Juu'd proved his point at least. I'm not sure about Michihashi and as for Yamamoto himself, I think that's still a big grey storm-cloud waiting to spit lightning."

"Bad analogy. Ukitake's spirit power is stormy, not Yamamoto's." Ryuu pointed out and Shunsui nodded.

"Yes, but it's the best description I have for the way Akira-kun looks at Juu on a daily basis. A storm waiting to happen."

"Well, at least the matter of that little first year mite is settled." Enishi stretched his arms over his head, stifling a yawn. "I've had a busy morning, with one thing or another."

"Settled?" Shunsui cast him a glance, and Enishi nodded.

"I happened to run into Kamaki and Kobayashi crowding the Tsukabishi boy in a not too friendly way out on the field." He agreed. "It was an accident, really – I was coming back from my Kidou coaching – but once I knew what was up I wasn't going to just let it be. The kid and I had a chat and I took him to Ukitake, so like as not he's all fine now. Ukitake's good with kids, isn't he? Though I didn't realise he'd been fighting this morning – he might've coughed blood, Kyouraku, but he didn't look so very sick to me."

"He's tougher than he seems, admittedly." Shunsui grinned. "And he did perk up a bit, once we'd convinced him he was better off lying down. So you caught them in the act? Well done, Enishi. That'll take weight off Juu's mind – he was going to pursue that matter today."

"Maybe he really will stay put now." Ryuu reflected. "Unless he feels the urge to run and report these miscreants to Sensei."

"I already did it." Enishi seemed pleased with himself. "He said he'd look into it right away, so that's probably why he's a little late this morning. The end result will probably be that the two idiots keep their heads down and don't go anywhere near the First years."

"Probably." Kai looked thoughtful. "But at least the matter's handled. Sensei will deal with it smartish, no doubt about that."

"He said I was making out like a proper Senior, taking charge of the little ones." Enishi admitted. "I think it's been quite a good morning, given that. And I didn't even blow anything much up in Kidou today either. Just a fence, and it was an old one. So all in all I think today must be a lucky day."

"Not if you happen to be Kamaki or Kobayashi." Shunsui said dryly.

"Nor Yamamoto." Ryuu added. "I think it will take his pride a little while to recover from the bruises inflicted by Ukitake's sword."

* * *

It was unnaturally quiet in District Six.

Nanaki settled herself down on the covers of her bed, gazing pensively across the chamber to the window where every so often blossom-laden branches of the nearby sakura trees brushed gently against the frames. Since her meeting with Guren that morning, she had been confined once more to her room – for her own safety, she had been told, but she was not foolish and she knew that it was as much to keep her where they wanted her as it was to make sure she didn't take any more serious injuries. Though Seiren had accepted her story completely, she had still sensed some faint resistance in Guren's tone and manner, and as for the other brother – the lower born one, Futsuki – he did not seem inclined to have much patience with her at all. Though they had spoken only briefly, his words had been curt and unrevealing, and Nanaki knew that of all of them she would probably have to be most on her guard around him.

Still, she didn't mind. She had had no signal yet from her companions, and although she knew the men that stood guard outside her door were armed with sharp weapons she could not counter, she was not afraid for her own safety. The Kuchiki were good at believing women were incapable of acting for themselves – and Nanaki meant to exploit that element as much as she could. They were therefore unlikely to kill someone that they thought was a foreign _hime_, and she had done her best to portray herself as helpless and meek, the picture of a refugee looking for outside help.

At this a faint, slightly malicious smile twitched at the corners of her mouth.

That was one part she didn't need any practice in playing.

She sighed, rolling back the sleeves of her kimono to glance pensively at the scratch marks she had inflicted on her body before her tumble down the stairs. It had been a very risky endeavour, she realised that now, for the fall had no doubt contributed towards her dizziness and hazy memory first thing that morning. Even now her body and head ached, though it had rescinded to a dull throb for the most part, and though the scratch marks stung, the ointment that Seiren's physician had applied to them had prevented them from becoming infected. Already they were beginning to heal, and after examining them closely for a short while, Nanaki decided that her skin was young and strong enough for her to avoid permanent scarring.

_Though if it was for **his** sake, I would accept scars and wear them with pride and pleasure. He told me that whatever I needed to do to further our cause, I should do. Well, I'm not the kind of girl who goes around like a whore offering myself to whoever seems a good target. But something like this, I don't mind risking. And it's worked in my favour so far._

She allowed the heavy cream fabric to fall back against her skin, folding her arms loosely across her body.

_Now I just wait. When they return, I know__** he'll**__ send for me. Once he realises…there'll be a signal, and that's the time I'll need to go. So until that time, I'll sit quietly and play the docile escaped hime from District Eight. I only need them to believe me for a short time. Only until he's back here and I have somewhere else to go. I've done my work – better than even I expected, in fact – so I know that he'll be pleased._

She got to her feet, moving languidly to the window and slipping her thin fingers beyond the open shutters, reaching across to the sakura tree and carefully but deftly breaking a sprig of blossom from the tip of the nearest branch. A mischievous glitter in her blue eyes, she glanced at it, taking in the delicate, fragile nature of the pink blossoms that the Kuchiki so revered, and despite herself, a low chuckle sounded in her throat.

_There have been no Sakura festivals in District Six this year, on account of the bocchan's death. And now Guren is once more sent into confusion, because his nephew is missing too. I wonder what will be done about Shirogane. Is he more useful to us alive or dead? I suspect alive – whilst the family can't track him down, suspicions about his guilt can only get broader. Now Guren knows about the Shihouin connection, too…_

She moved to the mirror, carefully sliding the spray of pink flowers into the waves of her dark hair.

_And I didn't lie about that. A Shihouin did kill the stable hands. And I did see it, just as I told them I did. It wasn't very pretty and I'd rather not have seen it at all. But I didn't lie about anything, so when it comes to checking out my story, they won't be able to find holes in it there. The Kuchiki hate the Shihouin, and Guren has tried to launch war on that District before, over family blood spilt. The Shihouin have allies who will come to their aid, and so the Clans will turn on one another, bit by bit. The Council will become a warzone, and into the void…_

She smiled, touching the very edge of a slightly curled petal before lowering her hands to her lap and meeting her gaze in the mirror.

_It won't all happen immediately. But it will happen. It must. The Clans can't hold Soul Society to ransom forever. Maybe the Kuchiki is an experiment, or maybe not – but either way the end result will be the same. The ruling families of Soul Society will turn on each other and on themselves, being destroyed in the process. And in the meantime, we can only grow stronger…to a position where nobody will ever hunt us down again._

She sighed, a faint sense of wistfulness touching her heart.

_I wonder how things are going in District Eight. I wonder if he's found what he was looking for. I hope everything is well…and that he comes back to District Six soon._

_

* * *

_

There was something uneasy in the air over District Eight that evening.

As Riri carefully doused the candles in the main chamber one by one, she paused for a moment, her gaze resting on the small box that had once held the precious pendant belonging to her Father. She had heard nothing of it or of Momiji in the time since the fire at the other girl's house, and as time had gone on she had resigned herself that her friend was most likely now no longer alive. Momiji was simple and trusting in many respects, but she had never seemed dishonest, even to one as cynical about the world as Riri, and so the more she had thought it over, the courtesan had decided there was no other explanation. For a while she had held on to the vague hope that the girl had fled into the mists to protect Riri's secret treasure - but now the local area was rife with the story of Gaugen's unexplained death, and though most had accepted it as a domestic incident, Riri had not.

There were too many threads connecting the coincidences together, and she did not like thinking about where they led.

Yet life had gone on as normal, day by day, despite all of this. She had entertained clients, she had practiced both her sewing and her writing and when Chihiro had called on her the day before, they had neither of them said anything about the darker elements that doubtless were still somewhere on the not too distant horizon. Gaugen's stall remained empty at the town market, but few of his fellow townsfolk had liked him, so he was not particularly missed, and Riri had already heard that since the removal of the corpses his old house had been looted by those who had felt certain there was hidden treasure lurking in the cracks and crevasses.

The old woman who sold fabric had told her the day before without an ounce of shame that her own son had been there when the place had been turned over, yet surprisingly there had been no sign of anything of particular value. None of Gaugen's trade wares had remained, only a few glass-and-paste trinkets that had no value had been left discarded on the property floor. The market stall holder had assumed that he must have already sold the rare items and had bemoaned her son's bad luck- but to Riri, there was another, much more sinister explanation.

Gaugen had not killed his wife, nor died of heart failure. Someone else had been responsible in both cases - someone who had staged the scene and then taken the opportunity to remove all of the precious items for their own personal use. One who would do something like that would surely think nothing of killing one prostitute to acquire a valuable Clan pendant - and so Riri had decided that Momiji was dead, the person responsible the mysterious Clan figure who had shadowed in and out of the town briefly and left very little trace.

A treasure hunter, maybe. Someone who was looking for valuable items to melt down or sell to boost his own wealth. Whether he was or was not really a member of the Kyouraku Clan, Riri did not know - but more than once she had looked on the young children in her care and realised how relieved she was that the other treasure - the sword ornament - was now in Chihiro's care. With a man of arms to protect her and within the gaze and approval of the main house, Riri was certain her friend was in no danger. But here in the village she herself felt strangely vulnerable. That just like with Momiji, there was nobody there to keep watch over her.

Riri sighed, extinguishing the final candle and moving to make sure that both the younger residents were settled in sleep. They were quite oblivious to the negative undertones flooding the area, and both were already lost to the world, curled up beneath blankets as they drowsed. Riri envied them their deep, trusting slumber - the rest of children who believed that they had nothing to fear. She had not slept so well in some time - perhaps not ever, she reflected to herself - but especially not since her pendant had been stolen.

_If I had given it to Chihiro first of all, maybe it would never have got Momiji into trouble.  
_  
She sighed, sinking down on her own blanket and leaning up against the wall.

_But I didn't want Chihiro to know the truth about it if I could avoid it, not with her so close to the Clan and with everything else. Still, it's too late now. Whatever I should or should not have done, I can't turn back the clock. I'll just have to live with it now - that if Momiji was killed because of that pendant, her death is my fault. Nothing will change that. It will always be my fault._

The wind whipped through the small house at that juncture, rattling at the shutters and making her jump. She was far too edgy these days, she reflected ruefully, for even the flutter of bird wings or the call of a night predator was enough to fill her with the fear that she was under attack. Whether Momiji had died or whether she had not, there had been no evidence at all that anyone was even interested in this unremarkable home in the midst of an unremarkable village - no evidence whatsoever that anyone cared about an unimportant prostitute living on the fringes of society. Whoever had taken the necklace had long gone, she would tell herself time and time again each evening. It had been bad, but surely, it was past. She had the children to look after, and for their sake, all must go back to how it was before.

A creak of tree branches across from her window made her tense for a moment, opening the eyes she had half closed in preparation for sleeping. Was it her imagination, or had she heard something more among those boughs than normal? Was that the soft padding of footsteps across the roof of her house, or simply the gentle pat of night creatures or even the wind, blowing a stray fragment of wood against the rafters?

Riri froze, knowing that she was probably imagining things, yet unable to calm herself all the same. It was like this most nights, she told herself. These sounds would fade, and sooner or later she would fall into deep sleep. Sooner or later, she would...

The sound of something breaking through wood followed by the eerie glint of something bright and silver sweeping through the air in front of her jerked her back to awareness and she was on her feet., only just narrowly missing the second swing of the shearing object as it came down once more towards her head. It thudded against the wall of the house, embedding itself in the wall and as Riri scrambled to her feet, she was aware of moonlight suddenly pouring in through the roof of her home. The next moment something black dropped down through the hole, and in the faint light Riri saw the briefest glimpse of her attacker, swathed all in midnight colours but with eyes that glittered emptily in the moon's glow. They were gold in colour, and even as she shrank back against the far wall, Riri knew she would never forget them, for she had never in her life seen eyes of that colour before.

The attacker seemed unconcerned by her sudden panic, reaching to pull his heavy weapon from the wall of the house and lifting it over his head, advancing on her calmly and without a moment of hesitation. His eyes remained unchanged as he drew closer to her - utterly impassive, as though he was doing nothing more than taking a stroll in a park. Yet as he brought the weapon down once more, there was no mistaking the force or his intention to kill, and Riri gathered her wits hurriedly, understanding in that moment that the assault she had long been waiting for had come.

Whoever it was had found her. They had been looking after all.

The weapon missed her by inches, slicing through the ends of her braided hair and this gave wings to her feet. Charging forward with a yell, she drove directly into the figure's midriff, taking him off guard and causing him to stumble back against the wooden beams that held the house in place. For a moment he once more lost his hold on the weapon, and in that instinct Riri moved like lightning, terror adding speed to her trembling body as she hurried to pull the children from their beds. Sleepy and disorientated, they did not understand why their guardian was so frantically pulling blankets from over them and shaking them repeatedly, but Riri did not have time to explain. She knew the attacker would soon recover himself, and even if she was the target, something in his manner told her that he would not spare the young ones if he should find them in his path.

Pushing the drowsy Inori and his bleary-eyed sister out of the back window of the house with a hurried instruction of, "find some deep bushes and hide! For God's sake, hide and don't come out until I tell you!" Riri turned her attention back to the matter at hand, looking desperately for anything she could find by which she could defend herself. A broken slat from the house roof caught her attention as she almost stumbled over it and she grabbed at it greedily, pulling it up and wielding it experimentally.

Perhaps it would not stand a chance against the sharp-edged weapon, but at least she was no longer unarmed, and she blinked, trying to work out where her assailant had gone. Between his dark clothing and his lack of voice, it was only when the moonlight glinted off his blade or his soulless eyes that she knew where he was and what he was doing, and as a result he was almost on top of her by the time she saw him, swinging the wood desperately to try and parry his blow. The assailant seemed unperturbed by her struggles, dropping the weapon once more at his side and lunging out for her neck closing his thick gloved fingers around her delicate throat as he forced her to the ground. Though he was slender, he was heavier than her, and his extra weight told as he pressed her against the wood, his hold around her throat tightening as he gazed soundlessly down at her.

Fear coursed through Riri's senses as she began to fight for air. Kicking and clawing at him as best she could, she nevertheless found her attempts weakening as the intruder merely held on, not at all concerned by her attempts to save herself. Dots danced before her eyes as the lack of oxygen began to make her light-headed, and she thrust out her foot one last time, hoping desperately to land a kick on her attacker and force him to loosen his hold.

In her frenzy, though, she missed her target, and her foot clattered instead against the wall of the house. Though there was a lack of force in this last ditch attempt to survive, the already abused property did not need much to start its own protestations, and as the cheap screws that held the shelves up began to fall away, there was a loud crash as boxes, trinkets and the two books Riri used for writing practice tumbled to the ground.

Something about this sound seemed to penetrate the attacker's wits, and he turned, for the first time loosening his hold on Riri's throat. Gasping desperate gulps of air into her lungs, Riri forced herself to stay as still as possible, watching him through terrified eyes as her companion rummaged methodically through the fallen items. It was the cheap jewellery she used as a prostitute that had attracted his interest, she realised with a jolt, and although her brain was still dizzy from lack of oxygen, she knew that there was no doubt - this attack was connected to the stolen pendant somehow. Was he looking for more, then? Other gems and trinkets belonging to the same family?

_But the only other thing I have is with Chihiro. It isn't here, so he can't find it._

Riri did not move even a muscle as the assailant seemed to conclude the same thing, tossing the articles aside with a clumsy dismissiveness that reminded her of a bored child. He turned those golden eyes once more onto her, as if trying to determine if she was alive or dead, and Riri held her breath, unfocusing her eyes and forcing herself to remain entirely motionless as he bent over her body, lowering his face towards hers.

For a moment she thought it was all over, and then, after grasping the hilt of his weapon, the assassin was gone.

Fearful for the children, Riri waited only long enough to be sure that her attacker was no longer in the house before getting to her feet, using the wall to steady herself as she realised how giddy and light-headed she still was.  
_  
But I can't stay here. I must find Inori and Shizuka and we must...leave. Just in case he comes back. Just in case he knows he hasn't killed me. I saw him, and I won't forget. But it means we have to leave. Tonight._

She swallowed hard, scrambling out of the window and onto the grass on all fours as she searched desperately for any sign of her young charges.

_There's only one place I can go, now. To Chihiro, and hope she won't turn me away._

_

* * *

_

_**Author's Note**  
Oh, I love feeling love for OCs!_

_People wondering about Shirogane, he will reappear in Chapter 28 (29 by FFnet's counting system, so two after this one)._

_Masaki will appear in the next chapter, I think. But I'm sure he's nobody's favourite...  
_


	28. Sanctuary

**Chapter Twenty Seven: Sanctuary**

"There's quite a breeze getting up out there this evening."

Takeshi rested his hands briefly on the window sill, glancing out at the weather with a grimace before reaching across to pull the wood shutters closed. "Spring in District Eight isn't usually as windy as this. At this rate none of the early flowers will hold their blossoms."

"It seems strange to hear you worried about flowers." Chihiro teased, her careful fingers knotting the sash on her night robe. "A soldier at arms with a polished sword is concerned about whether a few blooms will survive the wind storms. Do your comrades know you're as soft as this deep down, Takeshi-kun? I'm sure that they don't."

"Talking flowers with my wife may be more logical than talking flowers with my companions." Takeshi admitted, turning to offer her a rueful smile. "But I'm not ashamed of it. I grew up here and I like the colours that come to the hills and valleys early in this part of the world. Call me a little patriotic, if you like – but you shouldn't forget that flowers are a big part of this District's appeal."

"I know." Chihiro came to slip her hand through his, raising her hazel eyes to his dark ones with a smile. "But for a moment it sounded like you wanted to race out there and defend them with your sword."

"You have a far too active imagination." Takeshi patted her gently on the head. "But I'm glad to see you smiling and laughing again. I was concerned about you, so preoccupied all the time."

"Mm." Chihiro's eyes clouded briefly, then she shrugged her shoulders.

"Riri seemed more herself when I called on her earlier." She admitted. "We didn't talk about Momiji or anything else like that, but I think…she was coming to the conclusion that whatever happened was now over and there was nothing to be done about it. I know she feels Momiji was killed and her pendant stolen – and I think she's probably right. But there's been nothing at all since you told me about Gaugen-san's being murdered."

"We investigated that thoroughly." Takeshi agreed. "There was no evidence there of anything except a domestic squabble. Admittedly, there weren't many precious items in the house – but I am fairly sure the townsfolk took advantage once they knew the old guy wasn't going to be coming back. So…the matter's been dropped. Perhaps it was bad timing, perhaps it wasn't. I don't know. But that does seem to have been the end of it."

"I'm sorry for Riri though." Chihiro admitted. "Even if Momiji was just the victim of a chance robber, she and Riri were friends and they were close. It's sad not to have anything satisfactory to tell her."

"If the village is peaceful then that's something at the very least." Takeshi said softly. "And you shouldn't begin to brood on it again. If Momiji is alive, and she shows up anywhere, someone will doubtless see her. Her colouring is unusual for this District, if her eyes are really as bright blue as you say. And given that she has no line of trade except prostitution – she's bound to cross someone's path."

"You didn't say anything, did you?" Chihiro looked anxious. "To Tokutarou-sama, about Riri's heritage?"

"Nothing." Takeshi shook his head. "I wondered if I should, but I gave you my word and so I haven't. I'm unsure about it though, Chi-chan. Even if you're right – and she's right – and her blood can be traced back like that…for me to conceal such a thing from my master may not be a good choice in the long run. You know that, don't you? Our livelihood and stability depend on my loyalty to Tokutarou-sama and Yasuhiro-dono. And I'm not…I don't like feeling disloyal towards them. But keeping this a secret doubtlessly is a form of disloyalty."

"I'm sorry." Chihiro looked guilty. "I shouldn't have told you anything. But I needed your advice – and for you to understand."

"Well, loyalty to my wife is also important." Takeshi sighed. "And so I suppose I'll just have to do my best to keep happy both masters, won't I?"

"In this case, mistress." Chihiro smiled faintly. "Thank you, Takeshi-kun. I appreciate it."

Before Takeshi could respond, there was a sudden thudding at the door of their home, and Chihiro started, gazing up at him in alarm and confusion.

"What was that? The wind?"

"Didn't sound like the wind to me." Takeshi frowned, pulling back from his wife as he focused his attention on the mixture of sounds seeping in from outside. "Wait…there it is again. No doubt about it, someone's trying to beat down our door. It's damn late, though – so if it's a message from Yasuhiro-dono it must be something important."

"And if it isn't?" Chihiro's eyes were faintly scared, and Takeshi sighed.

"It will be. Nobody else comes here." He said frankly, though he was less than certain himself. "You stay here, Chi. I'll be back in a moment, and there's no sense in you showing some lecherous soldier your night attire simply on account of a late message."

"All right." Chihiro still looked apprehensive, but she obediently settled herself on the cushions by the window, and Takeshi pushed open the door of the small bed chamber, hurrying along the hallway to the main entrance. The house they shared was not a big one – three or four rooms at most, and none of them enormous – but it was a comfortable dwelling within the safe area of the main estate's immediate surrounds, and so although Takeshi's fingers brushed against the hilt of his sword as he moved, he did not really think the night caller was someone intending them harm.

_But I have a bad feeling about it._

He reached the door just as a third bevy of desperate thuds came, and he quickly un-looped the leather thongs that held it fastened shut, flinging it back on its runners. The wind helped it to clatter open with a bang, and in the dim haze of moonlight, Takeshi was able to make out a huddled figure, shivering and wrapped in a moth-eaten cloak. At either side a smaller hump in the fabric indicated that the tatty garment was sheltering not one individual but three beneath its worn edges, but it was the tallest of the trio that caught Takeshi's attention most of all. As the door had opened, she had raised her gaze to meet his, and Takeshi was struck by the whiteness of the girl's cheeks, her wide, frightened eyes and most of all, the tears that glittered in the moon's glow against her cheeks.

Looking at her, Takeshi knew his uneasy feeling had been justified. He had only met Chihiro's courtesan friend on a few occasions, but there was no mistaking who it was who had come to his door that night.

"Riri?" He murmured, and at the sound of her name the girl started, as it jerked from a daze.

"Take…shi-dono." She whispered, then seemed to stumble, almost falling headlong into the property as the last of her strength and adrenalin threatened to give out. With an exclamation Takeshi flung out a hand to steady her, casting a furtive glance around at the homes of his fellow soldiers to make sure none of them had seen the arrival of a terrified prostitute to his front door in the dead of night.

"Woah there." He said softly. "What's happened? Why are you here?"

"Riri-neesan?" A faint child's voice prevented the woman from answering, and she turned, reaching out a trembling hand to take a tiny pale one in hers.

"It's all right, Shizuka. Please, don't cry." She murmured, but Takeshi could hear the unevenness in her voice as she gave the instruction. "It's all right now. We're going to be safe."

She turned back to Takeshi, desperation in her gaze.

"I'm sorry." She choked out. "I didn't know…where else. Someone…was in my house, and the children…"

That was as far as she could manage, but Takeshi had already made up his mind and he took her firmly by the arm, guiding her into the property and gesturing for the two dazed, huddled children to follow her. Once he had re-fastened the door, again hoping that the heavy black cloak had been enough to disguise Riri's identity from any of his more curious comrades, Takeshi ushered her into the central chamber, instructing her to sit down and assuring her that he would bring Chihiro right away.

Before long, still clad in her nightclothes but with a warmer robe about her shoulders against draughts, Chihiro herself entered the little room, and at the sight of her friend she let out an exclamation of dismay.

"_Riri_!"

"Chi-chan." Riri's words lacked any strength at all, her voice hoarse and unsettled, and as Takeshi busied himself with lighting lamps around the chamber, he saw for the first time what he had not seen at the door – that both the darkness and the black cloak had concealed the angry red marks about her neck and throat.

"What happened." Chihiro dropped down at her friend's side, resting a gentle hand on her arm, and this it seemed was the last straw for Riri's fragile countenance. With a choked sob, she broke down, burying her head in Chihiro's shoulder as her body shook with frightened tears. Distressed by their guardian's evident fear, first Inori and then Shizuka both joined in her wailing, and Takeshi stared at the children, uncertain of what he should do but sure that he ought to be doing something.

"Shall I bring water?" He asked at length, and Chihiro turned to face him, nodding her head.

"Yes. Yes, do that. Thank you." She said, consternation in her tones. "Obviously something terrible has happened – Takeshi, it will be all right, won't it? If Riri and the children are here tonight? She's been frightened by something…and…"

"She said someone was in her house." Takeshi remembered, then sighed, nodding his head. "It's all right, Chi. I'm not going to turn her out, not in this state. She looks injured to me, anyway – she probably needs to rest."

"Injured?" Chihiro shot her companion an anxious look, and Riri raised her head, revealing once more the ugly weals at her throat.

"Someone came to kill me." She whispered, and Takeshi was struck by how completely lacking in her usual composure the girl was. He had always felt that Riri was older than his wife in many regards – but at that moment, she seemed as young as she was, fragile and frightened by a demon in the shadows.

"To kill you?" Chihiro turned to meet Takeshi's gaze, and the soldier faltered in the doorway, water forgotten as he listened to what Riri had to say.

"Someone dressed in black." Slowly the girl nodded her head, drawing another shuddering gulp of air into her lungs as she attempted to calm herself down. Her arms automatically reached out to take the two still sobbing children in a protective embrace, and as she hugged them tightly to her, she began to enlarge on what had occurred that night.

"I don't know where he came from or who he was. He didn't say a word to me." She said softly, her voice still catching every so often on her uneven breaths. "He had some kind of bladed weapon and he broke through the r…roof and the wall. He was coming for me. He tried to kill…me. But…he…he must have thought I was dead. I lay so still and he left."

"He just came to kill you?" Takeshi asked gravely, and Riri nodded.

"Yes." She agreed. "He came…just for me. I pushed the children out of a window, but he didn't go after them. Just…me. And then he went through my jewellery, but all that I had was paste jewels from my work, so he didn't…and then he left."

"Jewellery like your pendant?" Takeshi wondered, and Riri stiffened, gazing at Chihiro in alarm. Chihiro sighed.

"I'm sorry. I told Takeshi everything, because I hoped he could find Momiji if she was still alive." She said guiltily. "It's all right, though. He hasn't told anyone, and he won't. I promise, Riri. It's only Takeshi who knows about anything, and he hasn't said a word."

"Though now this has happened, I would advise you go to the Clan, Riri." Takeshi added. "In the circumstances…"

"I'm not going to the Clan." Riri shook her head, little by little beginning to reassert herself as her hysteria calmed. "If they knew…about me…there's just no way they'd believe me. They'd think I stole…but I didn't. And then…"

"Riri…" Takeshi looked pained, but Chihiro sent him a reproachful look.

"Riri says no, and so it's no." She said quietly. "I know what you're thinking, Takeshi-kun, and you're probably right. But this is Riri's decision. She's frightened, and she doesn't know that the Clan will be her allies. Not all Clans treat children like her in a good way, you know – and although Tokutarou-sama is a nice person, that doesn't necessarily mean he'll look on her and want to help her. Besides, have you forgotten? The person who Momiji was involved with, and the person who Gaugen-san met…was a member of the Kyouraku Clan."

"I suppose so." Takeshi grimaced. "Though as far as I've been able to ascertain, no such clansman by the name Masaki exists or has ever existed in this District. Still, I take your point. He did have a Clan crest and Gaugen would not have been fooled by a fake, so it must have been a real one."

"The person who attacked you, Riri – what kind of person was it? What did he look like?" Chihiro asked, and Riri sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

"I didn't see much. He was swathed in black." She said helplessly, a shiver running through her body at the memory. "But his eyes…looked straight through me. Golden eyes – like cat's eyes. I've never seen anyone with eyes like that before."

"Not a Kyouraku, then. That's for sure." Takeshi's eyes became slits. "There's none among this Clan with gold eyes. You'd have to look to District Two for that."

"But that's two Districts away." Chihiro objected. "If you mean the Shihouin, Takeshi, why would they care about Riri or her family crest?"

"Well, the Kyouraku did sign a treaty of alliance with the Shihouin, but I suppose you're right." Takeshi rubbed his temples. "If I could speak to Tokutarou-sama, of course, the matter might be cleared up…"

"Takeshi!" Chihiro glared at him, and Takeshi held up his hands.

"I said if. I won't break my word." He said firmly. "As for this unknown attacker…I'll do my best to see what I can find out. A Shihouin in District Eight isn't necessarily a rare thing now there's the trade alliance, but it's not usual for one to go attacking village people or stealing items of jewellery. So if I hear anything, I'll take note of it and see what I can do. On my own, it'll be harder, but I understand what's at stake and I'll do my best."

He paused, his gaze falling on the pitiful form that Riri cut, her two young charges curled up beside her. With an inward sigh, he made up his mind.

"For the time being, Riri stays here." He added. "Where there's someone who can use a weapon to protect her and the young ones if need be. This area is fortified and it's unlikely anyone will attack here – it should be perfectly safe."

"It will destroy your reputation." Riri seemed to have recovered her wits somewhat now, for she got unsteadily to her feet, meeting Takeshi's gaze. "Prostitutes are never denied entrance to the living quarters of soldiers in this District, Takeshi-dono – that's why I knew that I'd be able to come here. You do realise what that means, though? That they'll find out if you shield me. That even though you have a wife, you have a prostitute living here also."

"Takeshi is right, though." Chihiro said matter-of-factly. "You're not safe in the village. That's why you came here. I won't turn you away and nor will Takeshi."

"But…"

"You won't work as a prostitute from under my roof, however." Takeshi said firmly. "People here know that my wife goes into the town and villages and that she has acquaintances there. I have no idea how many of my comrades are known to you and I really don't want to know – that's their business, not mine. But I also know that Chi has been teaching you skills and while you're here, you should take advantage of that fact. You want to raise these children and give them a firm footing for the future, don't you? Therefore while you're here, it will be an opportunity for you to practice your studies."

"If I didn't work, Takeshi-dono, none of us would eat." Riri said pragmatically. "And while I appreciate your kindness, I don't like to be beholden to others for my food and my drink. Or for the children's. I wouldn't be able to repay you…and…"

"You stay here, and you do as you're told." Chihiro had opened her mouth to speak, but before she could manage to utter a word, Takeshi was once more before her, slipping between the two girls and dropping his gaze to meet Riri's defiant one. "You came here in search of help. You won't refuse that help. If you care for those two children, you'll accept what's offered to you and the terms that go along with it. Also, if you care for Chihiro, you'll do so, too. If you want to ruin the reputation she and I have, then I'll look very dimly on your character as a whole – but most of all, I know how concerned Chi has been about you, and if you throw that concern back at her with a foolish show of pride, I will not tolerate it. You'll do as you're told and stay here for the sake of your children and the sake of my wife. And if you want to help with things such as chores to placate yourself, feel free to do so. But you will _not_ act as a prostitute from or in my home. And you will _not_ try and pretend you can cope on your own, when clearly tonight means you can't."

"Takeshi!" Chihiro's eyes were wide as saucers, and Riri bristled, shaking her head.

"Nobody has spoken to me like that before." She said flatly, and Takeshi took her gently by the shoulders, giving her a little shake.

"To preserve your life, I've spoken like that." He said frankly. "And if it makes you angry at me, then it does. I've been asked to protect you by someone I love dearly, and I won't break that promise. Therefore I'll do what I need to do to get you to see sense. You understand that too, don't you? That Chi cares about you, and because you're her friend, I care too. We aren't going to let anyone come and kill you. But you have to play your part in things as well."

Riri stared at him for a moment, then she sighed, sinking back down onto the ground. Slowly she nodded, and Takeshi saw a faint flicker of relief stir in her clever eyes.

"I understand." She said softly. "I'm simply used to fighting for myself. But you're right. This time…it's beyond me. Thank you, Takeshi-dono. I…and the children…accept your terms."

"Then for tonight, we should find you a place to sleep." Chihiro cast her husband a quizzical look, but said no more, moving to scoop Shizuka up in her arms. The young girl had cried herself out, and was starting to drowse off, so she put up no complaint as she was lifted onto Chihiro's shoulder. "And in the morning, we'll discuss things more clearly. Because here you can be safe, Riri. And I know Takeshi will do his best to find out who attacked you and make sure that it can't possibly happen again."

* * *

"Kinnya-sama? There is a messenger here from the main house."

Kinnya glanced up from his book, casting his manservant a look of surprise as he took in the consternation in Keiichi's clever eyes. It was mid-morning, now, and as had become his habit, the Kuchiki hermit had secluded himself in his study, huddled far enough from the window that the bright rays did not trouble him unduly, but yet in a position that gave him light enough by which to read. Keiichi had probably known exactly where to come, he reflected, as he lowered the book and closed it. And yet, somehow Kinnya knew that his companion had taken his time, not wanting to disturb his master unless there was no other option.

Clearly there was not, but Keiichi did not seem too pleased at all about that state of affairs.

"A messenger?" He asked softly, tilting his head slightly on one side as he tried to read the man's emotions more clearly. "I didn't hear a horse arrive."

"He arrived some time previously." Keiichi looked apologetic, and Kinnya knew that his suspicion had been right.

"And you hoped to put him off seeing me, and so told him I was at bed or rest?" He asked lightly. Keiichi inclined his head slightly, and Kinnya smiled.

"I trust that means you feel this is an issue that might cause me some trouble, if I were to actively involve myself in it?"

"Yes, Kinnya-sama. I'm afraid so." Keiichi sighed, closing the door of the study and leaning up against it. "But the man has been sent by Seiren-dono and is most insistent that he speaks to you face to face, no matter your state of undress. Those were his words, sir – he had a coarse way of speaking over me as though he felt his authority trampled mine – and yours - in all respects. I confess I disliked it – so sought to confound him a little by delaying my speaking to you."

"That's very like you." Kinnya chuckled softly, setting the book aside and reaching for his cane. "People mistake you easily for a quiet man growing in years."

"It's true." Keiichi acknowledged with a faint smile. "They see the grey tail of old man's hair and the peppered brows against wizened skin and they believe me to be a doddering fool past my prime."

Kinnya nodded.

"A doddering fool who waits on a hermit who's lost all reason or interest in life." He agreed. "A sad pair we make, shut away at the fringe of the District, barely moving from one day to the next."

"Ah, but only idiots judge on appearances, my Lord," Keiichi said wisely, "and most do not remember the days when you were the only person who could face down Senaya-sama in a battle of wills or wits and not be cast aside by his ruthless blade."

"Senaya-nii never forgave me for that." Kinnya admitted. "He never liked knowing that if we clashed swords, no matter how much he trained, he could not be sure of beating me. But as you say, the ignorant judge, the wise observe. Those who consider you doddering and old have no idea what kind of a servant you have been to this Clan or to me over the years. Still, that is what young people are often like these days. In a hurry to do everything, and full of their own importance."

He pursed his lips reflectively.

"From Seiren-dono, you said? I see. My nephew's son may be a polite and reasonable young man, but it seems that the same can't be said for his retinue. Very well, Keiichi. I will delay no longer and I will come and speak to the interloper myself."

"I am not sure you should, Kinnya-sama." Keiichi looked troubled. "The truth is – he did not want to tell me what the matter related to, saying his message was simply to be conveyed to the Lord of the Coastal Regions, not one of his menials. Again, his term. But I pried it from him nonetheless – I told him unless I knew the urgency, I would not consent to having you disturbed."

"One of my menials." Kinnya's lips pressed together in faint amusement. "Oh dear. They really have slighted your pride this morning, haven't they? I'm sorry for them – and for you, that being at my side requires you to put up with such insolent behaviour."

"I'm somewhat used to it." Keiichi admitted. "But no – Kinnya-sama, in all seriousness, the matter concerns one of Guren-sama's nephews. Not the young _bocchama _who came here the other day, but another – the whelp from Senaya-sama's daughter. Shirogane-sama."

"Shirogane." Kinnya's eyes became near slits as he considered. "Yes, I recall the name. Perhaps I met that grandchild of Senaya-nii when he was born, or perhaps I did not – my memory of such things is somewhat hazy. But I do recall…that fragile wraith Masane somehow managing to deliver a sturdy baby. He is the oldest of Senaya-niisama's grandchildren, unless I miss my guess?"

"He is, sir. Yes." Keiichi's eyes darkened. "Older than Ryuu-sama, yet born through the female line. However…"

"I can guess, then, at what this message might be." Kinnya's expression became thoughtful. "Seiren has seen the opportunity to move in his son's favour, but Shirogane is there, blighting his path with his superior age. I recall now – Shirogane is Guren's shinigami, isn't he? When Guren was last here, he mentioned it – that he'd left the squad in Shirogane's safe keeping. Even if his claim is inadequate, Seiren's paranoid ambition is enough to make any favour on Guren's part seem a threat to Ryuu. Probably he sees the potential loopholes in Shirogane's birthline, even if Guren hasn't seen them himself yet for grief over Ribari. Let me guess, Keiichi. Somehow my nephew has fixed on removing Shirogane from the equation – and has sent men to tell us to support him or be found in contempt of the main house?"

"You are sharp of wits this morning, Kinnya-sama." Keiichi's expression relaxed somewhat despite himself. "Though I believe it's more than that. It seems there has already been an altercation and the impudent ingrate who's turned up this morning means to demand you to release retainers to join in the search for the boy Shirogane-dono. He seems to have disappeared."

"So he's slipped Seiren's noose and fled, leaving the rooster crowing outside of the coop." Kinnya murmured softly, humour dancing in his grey eyes. "Well, I must admit this generation of Kuchiki intrigue me more and more, Keiichi. First Ryuu with his absolute assessment of the Clan's hierarchy of power. And now this Shirogane…yes, I see now. Ryuu is reluctant to take the Clan, and therefore Shirogane truly must appear as a threat to Seiren in persuading his son to accept the inevitable."

He made a few shuffling steps towards the door, then paused.

"I will meet with this man." He said softly. "I trust he is waiting in the solar downstairs and I will not have him further into my home than need be. But I want you to go and ready what men you can – have them saddle horses and be ready to ride once the messenger leaves."

"Kinnya-sama?" Keiichi stared, and Kinnya's eyes became mischievous, immediately belying his age and making him look much more the dashing young Clansman who had once been second in command to the Head of the Kuchiki Clan.

"Something bothers you?" He asked lightly, and Keiichi frowned.

"I can't imagine why you would want to follow such summary orders. That's all."

"I don't believe I said that, did I?" Kinnya feigned surprise, and Keiichi's eyes narrowed.

"Then…?"

"Seiren has doubtless already searched the territories surrounding the main house, and has now begun to extend his search further afield." Kinnya said calmly. "Perhaps that's an indication that this boy – with his spiritual abilities – has managed to fox the military skill of my nephew's own retainers. However he must know that I have shinigami among my military staff. Guren insisted on it when he realised I wasn't going to undertake shinigami duties in this area myself – that even if they only carried low level swords, they must be here to protect the citizens in this area. Probably Seiren wants to utilise that fact…since Shirogane would be a fool indeed if he didn't use his shinigami training to conceal himself."

"Still, why would you deploy them?" Keiichi asked curiously. "You aren't bound to follow orders that didn't come from Guren-sama directly."

"I know. Like I said, I've no intention of following Seiren's commands." Kinnya shook his head. "What do you take me for? My brain may have softened a little of late with the news about Raiko's son, but I haven't lost my wits completely. This is my domain, and my men follow my orders here. But don't you think it might be wiser to have this area searched by our people, rather than thugs from the main house who might not be averse to involving innocent bystanders in their search?"

"I see." Keiichi's face cleared. "You think Seiren-dono's men will cause trouble on your land?"

"I think they will follow their orders, but I remember Seiren doesn't always pay great attention to the peasant class when issuing commands." Kinnya's expression darkened for a moment. "I haven't forgotten even now the things that he'd say to Raiko when he and Guren were only five year olds about her low born mother and her common blood. I think therefore it's wise to keep a close eye on what his men do in my land."

Keiichi's eyes took on an understanding gleam.

"Because you now know that the family of your grandson live under your control," He murmured, "and it wouldn't do for harm to come to them, not if you intend on making overtures to him as his grandfather."

"Am I so transparent?" Kinnya looked surprised, and despite himself, Keiichi offered a rueful smile.

"No." He admitted. "But I have known you a very long time, my Lord. And also…that you cared very greatly for Raiko-jousama, too. Since the _bocchama_'s visit, I've seen a change in you, without doubt – which is why I was so surprised that you might go along with Seiren-dono's commands."

"Well, don't mistake me." Kinnya said comfortably. "I don't intend on aiding or abetting this young runaway. I have no knowledge of the particulars nor any real interest in them, either. But I also don't mean to let Seiren's team have their way in this province. Unless I have an order from Guren to stop and hold this Shirogane, I will not do so. And my men will be told that Seiren's soldiers can search – but they do not have the right to take a prisoner on my land. I will expect them to be vigilant about that."

"Would the boy come this way anyway?" Keiichi looked doubtful. "Surely his options of flight are limited in this direction? There's the coast, and Rukongai, and the Shiba in Five are not necessarily going to look the other way if he tries to infiltrate their land. Better to go to Seven where there are no active Shinigami in power, I would have thought."

"Yes. I imagine that's what Guren and Seiren will think, too." Kinnya rubbed his chin pensively. "Which also adds further question to the reasons why they've come here. If not for the shinigami in my retinue, they must have already searched as far as the Seventh border. And they must not have found him. Which might suggest…"

"Shirogane-dono _is_ coming this way." Keiichi looked troubled. "We don't want to be embroiled in a political incident, Kinnya-sama, do we?"

"We do not." Kinnya agreed firmly. "Hence we'll watch, wait, and see what happens. Shirogane is not my prey, nor is he my responsibility. I'll have my people uphold the rules of this region, and that's all. Do you understand, Keiichi, what it is I have asked you to do when you deploy them?"

"Yes, sir. I understand completely." Keiichi nodded his head, bowing in acknowledgement of the command. "In the meantime, Seiren-dono's representative is impatiently awaiting your presence downstairs."

"I will make my way…slowly…to see him." Kinnya said frankly. "Perhaps he will have become bored waiting on an old, crippled man and will leave before I get there."

There was once more mischief in his eyes, and Keiichi laughed.

"Looking like that, nobody could believe you old." He said reproachfully. "You will have to be careful, else you might find yourself recalled to the main house to serve at court."

"No. Those days are long past." Kinnya's expression became sober again and he shook his head. "Politics are outside of my remit and I seek a quiet, eventless life now. I will tell Seiren's man that too, Keiichi – that I have no interest in anything except to have them leave me alone."

"I wonder if that's really true." Keiichi pulled back the door, pausing to send his master an astute look. "It sounds very much to me like you're enjoying this flicker of action, Kinnya-sama – and the chance to annoy Lord Seiren, even from a distance. Ryuu-sama's news has somehow woken you from your slumbers in some respects. That being so, I wonder how distant you really intend on staying from the heart of the Kuchiki Clan."

Kinnya did not reply for a moment, stepping past his companion and into the hall beyond. Then he turned back, meeting Keiichi's gaze with serious grey eyes.

"My brother gave his life to bring stability and unity to this family." He said softly. "Whether I agreed or disagreed with his methods or his views, I understood what he wanted to do and did what I could to help him achieve it. I have had no place in Guren's stable Kuchiki government – an old relic like me could simply be a cause for dissent as old becomes new. But…you are right in one regard. I made promises and I will keep those promises. What Ryuu spoke to me of, and now this…suggests that Clan unity may be hanging by a thread. And Senaya-nii, up there in his moon castle…I don't suppose he'd forgive me for turning my back on what we worked so hard to accomplish all those years ago. I don't want to return to the old days. I have no interest in political intrigue or the shadow games my brother was so fond of. But I promised him when he died that I would watch over the family from my distant hiding place and make sure his gamble succeeded. I've not needed to do anything until now, nor have I wanted to. But even without learning of my grandson's existence – it's always been my intention to keep that promise."

"I see." Keiichi looked thoughtful. "Then there's nothing more for me to say. I'll carry out your orders, Kinnya-sama. Forgive me for delaying you so long."

With that he bowed sharply and withdrew down the corridor, and Kinnya watched him go, his grip tightening on his walnut cane.

_You've been loyal to me through everything, Keiichi, and I know you'll continue no matter what happens._

Slowly he turned, making his way reluctantly and cautiously down the winding stairs to where Seiren's retainer was waiting.

_I hope that this settles down. But I did promise you, Nii-sama. Even if you couldn't see it for yourself, I would do my best to plant seeds of alliance between your two rebellious sons. I will try and make sure that promise remains strong. Much as I dislike Seiren's manner and always have – I see promise in his son. It looks as though I won't be able to avoid the Kuchiki for too much longer. Just when I discovered my grandson's existence, too…but it can't be helped. I've been dictated to by your whims for most of my life, Senaya-niisama. I may be wrong but I rather suspect…even from the grave I'm about to be once more at your beck and call._

_

* * *

_

"Well, I suppose that means our business here is done."

Masaki leant up against the outer wall of the small, humble shelter, folding his arms pensively across his chest as he watched his companion greedily devouring the last of the rice cakes that he had purchased from a market stall first thing that morning. The night had been a long one, for neither one of them had slept for a moment, yet there was no time to sit back and rest. They would have to leave District Eight and quickly – or risk being caught up in another military investigation.

_Tokutarou seems to throw his soldiers out to investigate the least thing. Such a conscientious lord, paying such attention to his subjects._

Masaki sighed, averting his eyes from the other's haphazard gulping down of food and instead fixing his gaze on the clouds that drifted overhead.

_That means that of all places District Eight would be a bad place to try and spark rebellion. Well, I knew that already. It was tried before, and it failed. That was a time before Tokutarou was established – but his rival was destroyed even though he had the backing of the Endou Clan. Of course, assassinating him would be easier than it would be with most Lords but…even if I was to do that…I don't think I'd find any particular benefit in his death._

His mind flitted back to another time, a snow-dusted field where he had briefly watched two young teenagers face one another, and the bevy of emotions and sensations that had followed.

_His brother is a more troublesome prospect, should he become Head of the Clan even as an interim leader. As a whelp, when I saw him that once, he proved far tougher to kill than I had thought. Something about his actions…suggest to me that he might not be very easy to manipulate, either. And he is now of age – no longer an immature child, and doubtless in possession of a zanpakutou, too. Unlike the Kuchiki, which are sent into flight on the least thing…I don't think I would have much fun with the Kyouraku._

His lip curled slightly as he considered.

_So for now we'll leave Eight. Our objective is achieved. The real owner of that pendant was found, and last night, we eliminated her. There is now nobody to claim anything against the stories Nanaki is weaving in District Six – and so there's no reason to stay in such a dangerous land. The Kyouraku are especially keen on hunting people like us down. So we won't outstay our welcome. Just in case anyone recognises me from my time here before – I think it's imperative that we now go._

A faint buzz across his wits told him that his companion had finished his meal, sitting back on his heels as if a dog waiting for his next command. Though it had been easier to keep a hand on his behaviour since it had been just the two of them, Masaki still felt frustrated by this imperfect experiment.

_Who would have thought that to properly manipulate a person's will, their original will must be intact? I had never realised the value of an individual's own knowledge and skill before – an empty vessel is simply a repository for my magic, but it means that I must instruct him in every last thing._

He sighed, bending to tap the boy on the shoulder. Two golden eyes were raised to his, innocent and empty in the early morning light, and he stifled the urge to slap his companion firmly about the cheeks.

_You wouldn't understand if I did. Pain is a forgotten concept to you. Even if you feel it, you don't know how to process it. And I would take no pleasure at all in hitting you knowing you wouldn't react to my blows._

"We're going." He said out loud, and as if he had understood, the boy got slowly to his feet. He made no attempt to brush the rice crumbs from his peasant's clothing, and as he stood there, simple and pathetic awaiting his next orders, Masaki debating killing him there and then.

Somehow he quelled the urge.

_Nanaki is right. Being in his company is incredibly irritating. But for now, I must put up with it. Even imperfect, he has a purpose. And even like this, I can use him to further our plans. If he has to die – and sooner or later, he will – it may as well be in my service. _

Aloud he added,

"We're going to get Nanaki, now. She should be waiting for us, and when we get back to Six, I'll make sure you know your part in retrieving her."

The golden eyed boy did not respond, but Masaki paid him no attention. Instead he pulled a _tantou_ blade from his belt, scribing it against the air as a dark hole opened up in the landscape before them.

_Seireitei are so obliging, setting up so many Senkaimon for my convenience._

A wry smile touched his lips, and he loosened a pouch at his belt, opening it and releasing faint wisps of spiritual energy into the surrounding ether. Cupping his hand around those fragments, he watched as they formed into a delicate ebony butterfly that flapped and fluttered dazedly around them before making a bee-line for the darkness.

_I still haven't quite got that right, either. _

As they stepped into the gateway, Masaki watched the butterfly's uneven process through the tunnel before them. The wings were already fragmenting, he observed critically, proving that although he had succeeded in capturing enough spirit power from the atmosphere, he had not yet found a way to preserve the creature's form for long periods.

_But I'll keep working on it. It's not always convenient to kill someone to open a gateway – so for now, even if it's not perfect, this will do. We aren't travelling far this time – just from Eight to Six. _

He sighed, glancing behind him to make sure his dark skinned companion was following.

_I seem to be dealing with a lot of imperfection, recently. Oh well. I suppose we all have our challenges to face. It wouldn't be as much fun, I don't suppose, if everything went smoothly right away. Besides, the biggest parts of our plan are so far taking shape. The Kuchiki are on the verge of falling apart…a few more pushes in the right direction, and the first of the mighty Clans of Seireitei will finally meet their fate!_


	29. Naoko Interferes

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Naoko Interferes**

"Ukitake-kun, would it be all right to speak to you, just for a moment?"

As Juushirou fastened the lock on the door of the nest, he was accosted by a female voice and he turned, surprise and consternation flooding his features as he took in Naoko waiting at the end of the hall.

It was already late in the morning, and most of his classmates had gone on ahead to their morning Zanjutsu Theory seminar in preparation for the Senior assessments that would begin later on that day. After his antics in the storm and against Akira, Juushirou had not been to class or the library for the previous few days – and as a result he had stopped up late the night before, hastily revising notes by the light of his Kidou lamp and losing track of time. For that reason he was already running late, and now Naoko's sudden appearance had taken him off guard. They would both be late for their morning session if they weren't careful – and with Juushirou's resolve to succeed at his position of Anideshi, he was determined to do nothing more to make Genryuusai cross.

"It's almost time for class, Shikibu-san." He said now. "I'm afraid I overslept a little this morning and I'm behind myself – so I've only just got ready. Is it very urgent, what you want to say? Because I don't want to miss this class. I've missed enough already."

"It's Zanjutsu Theory. You're already good at that." Naoko said dismissively. "But if you like, we can walk and talk as we go. I don't mean to detain you for a very long time – I just think that, after giving it consideration…I ought to talk to you. When I saw you hadn't left yet, it seemed like a good time."

"I suppose that wouldn't hurt." Juushirou said cautiously. "If we talk and walk, then that should be all right."

"Good." Naoko's face cleared, and she fell into step with him, easily keeping pace as they made brisk progress towards the main stairs.

"It's unusual for you to want to speak to me like this." After a few moments of silence, it was Juushirou who spoke, casting his companion a quizzical glance. "Is this an Anideshi matter, Shikibu-san? Or something else?"

"No, it's not really Anideshi's." Naoko looked thoughtful. "And I'm thinking how best to address it. It's potentially a sensitive issue – that's why I wanted to speak to you alone."

"Shikibu-san…"

"You must be aware that Mitsuki and I aren't really speaking to each other at the moment?"

"Mm. Yes. Shunsui said…something about it." Juushirou was uneasy at this sudden shift in the conversation. "But I don't know what it was about, and I'm certainly not going to get involved. So if you wanted me to speak to Mitsuki about something for you…"

"No. No, nothing like that." Naoko dismissed this with a flick of her fingers. "I'm sorry if I gave you that impression – it's not that at all. Although it does concern Mitsuki, I wasn't going to drag you into the middle of a girls' disagreement."

"But it does concern Mitsuki?" Juushirou was startled. "In what way, exactly?"

"Mm." Naoko's expression became troubled. "I know you're fond of her, so I hope I'm not out of place saying the things I'm going to say. It's just that a lot of things have happened…and well, Mitsuki is…not always the quickest to see the implications of those things until it's far too late."

"Implications?" Juushirou was completely lost now. "I'm sorry, Shikibu-san. I don't know what you're talking about."

"I assumed Mitsuki had spoken to you about things at the Kuchiki estate?" Naoko seemed surprised, and Juushirou shook his head.

"Not a lot." He admitted. "Neither she nor Ryuu have. Well, it's not my business. Not anyone's, really. And I think they wanted to leave it behind them. So…no."

"Ah. Then that explains it." Naoko nodded, as if she had just confirmed something to herself. "Look, Ukitake-kun, the thing is that even though we've clashed horns lately, I still consider Mitsuki my friend. I know…I know that at the moment she's angry, and I understand why she is. She has reason to be – because when someone flings truth at you and you're not ready for it, well…"

She shrugged.

"I picked a bad time." She admitted. "But I was only trying to look out for her. And now I've calmed down, I'm still concerned for her well being. You know that some terrible things happened in District Six besides the murder – Sora said something about Mitsuki drenched in blood and trying to save servants from some unknown enemy, and even though Sora's given to exaggerating, I don't think…well, I think that was the truth. She's been under such a lot of strain, and now…it's starting to take its toll on her."

"Take its toll?" Juushirou echoed, looking bemused. Naoko nodded.

"The Unohana have a lot of healers, so I understand more than she thinks." She said quietly. "You know too, though, don't you? About Mitsuki's senses and how she picks up on the least thing. She's very susceptible to outside mood – and if I'm honest, I think what's happened at home has thoroughly upset her. There were people she couldn't save – and for the first time she had the eyes of the Clan on her."

"I don't quite understand what any of this has to do with you talking to me, though." Juushirou frowned. "And we're almost at class, so if you wanted to say something particularly, Shikibu-san…"

"I did." Naoko nodded. "And if you say it like that, well, then I'll just try and be direct and hope you'll forgive me if I've been too blunt."

"All right. I'll promise not to be offended." Juushirou offered her a grin. "What is it that's bothering you – if you're worried about Mitsuki and the strain, is it that you think while she's mad at you, some of the rest of us can keep a better eye on her than you can? Because you should just talk it out with her, if you feel like that. I'm sure deep down Mitsuki knows you care about her."

"Mm. Yes and no, but mostly no." Naoko pursed her lips, then lowered her voice.

"I am aware that Mitsuki harbours affection for you." She said softly, and despite himself, Juushirou's cheeks reddened at her words. "And that you feel similarly fond of her. I know that you've not pursued it, and that you're too sensible a person to do so, given your differences in class level – but even so, I know the emotions are there."

Juushirou did not reply, and Naoko continued.

"But the Kuchiki are currently in a bad state. Their heir is dead, and everything else is unstable. More to the point, though, Mitsuki was drawn to the centre of that Clan and acknowledged by Guren-sama because of her saving Nagoya-senpai's life. She's no longer on the fringes of her family – what she does will be far more closely watched from now on by many, many people."

"More closely…?"

"I know your family live in District Six." Naoko continued gravely. "And I know Mitsuki would not want any harm to befall any of them. Or you, for that matter. But I do remember that…your own bloodline, far from being purely District, has a significant Kuchiki scandal somewhere in its history. And I don't know whether the central Clan are aware of such connections, but…given Mitsuki's position now, and your own…"

She trailed off, and Juushirou stared at her, a stricken expression in his eyes.

"But we're only friends!" He protested, and Naoko nodded.

"I know how Clans work." She said frankly. "Especially when they're rattled. They look for weaknesses and do their best to close ranks. This year we graduate, Ukitake-kun. And whilst the rest of us have Clan to sponsor us into future roles, you alone do not. If you aren't careful now, you might find all your work is for nothing. You understand what I'm saying, don't you? That if you cross any Clan, you'll be in a poor state but…to cross the Kuchiki Clan…or have you forgotten which family it is that granted you permission to hold a sword in the first place?"

Colour drained from Juushirou's features.

"I don't intend on making an enemy of any Kuchiki." He managed at length. "Mitsuki and Ryuu are my friends – even if I'm fond of Mitsuki, we both understand the limitations. That's all there is, Shikibu-san. I know you're acting out of concern for both of us – but really, you needn't. We both know already where we stand."

"I'm glad." Naoko seemed relieved. "In that case, it won't be a problem…if things work out the way I think they might."

"Work out the way…?"

"Mitsuki is adamant she's going to follow Retsu-sama and be a healer in Fourth, without any help from her Clan." Naoko sighed heavily. "But I don't know if her Clan will really let her go. Even trained like this, now she's proven her worth to her family, they might try to keep her. Her father has never been overly fond of the idea of her vocation, and I don't know…if Mitsuki can really fight against it, no matter how strongly she believes she can. She has a lot of ideals, but in reality she's always been protected and she's never had to strike out on her own like she would need to in order to overcome those things. On top of that, there will be people in Fourth squad who she will have to compete with at a disadvantage. I'm not certain Guren-sama would sanction one of his kinswomen being subjected to anything like that. The Kuchiki take pride very seriously indeed."

"Mitsuki believes in this vocation, though. It's what she wants to do." Juushirou recovered himself. "Surely that's enough?"

"That's your District naivety." Naoko shook her head. "I wasn't talking about what Mitsuki _wanted_. Only what the Clans around her will decide for her when she graduates the Academy. We'll see whether she can claw a path for herself – but now Guren-sama has seen her, I suspect he'll want to keep her close to home and utilise her skills for his own purposes. Realistically, I don't think Mitsuki, even with all her idealism, is a match for Guren-sama and his government. _And_ from the little I gleaned before we had our unfortunate disagreement…Mitsuki seems to have been pushed a lot into the company of Nagoya-senpai. Conveniently, he's a man of equivalent birth rank and suitable age and pedigree to whom she could make a very stable and successful match."

Juushirou stopped dead, reeling as if struck by his own sword, and Naoko eyed him keenly.

"Ah. You didn't know that, then." She murmured. "Mitsuki's spent a lot of time in Nagoya-senpai's company of late…that she's become fond of him even though they never spoke before, and that there are those who believe there's a potential future in their marrying? If Teitou-dono has sense, he'll work to secure that arrangement before Mitsuki finishes here and is able to protest. Girls are seldom listened to as much as boys in that Clan, and so if Nagoya-senpai was agreeable, she might find it a _fait accompli_ before she even returned home. With the family unstable, such a match would help bring greater security and many people would be glad to have Mitsuki nearby. Now she's come out before her family as a Healer, I doubt they will want to lose her."

"You think they'll make her marry against her will?" Juushirou's eyes clouded, and Naoko laughed, patting him almost condescendingly on the arm.

"You really don't understand Clan." She said gently. "That's how most marriages are in noble families. But if you want my opinion, Ukitake-kun, I don't think that Mitsuki would find it against her tastes to marry Nagoya-senpai. By her own testimony, she likes him a good deal and they are now close. But…given the understanding you two already have…I'm surprised she didn't already talk to you about him. Perhaps she's fonder of him than I thought – too fond to know how to share it."

At that point they reached the classroom, and as the bell chimed out through the halls, Juushirou pushed the door open, stepping inside and somehow locating his seat. His mind was whirling after Naoko's revelations, and as he sank down behind his desk, he caught Mitsuki's eye by accident across the room. She offered him a faint smile, and something in her clouded grey eyes put Juushirou suddenly on his guard. With difficulty he managed to return the smile, but as Genryuusai came to take his place before them, he found himself feeling hollow inside.

_Mitsuki and Shikibu-san aren't speaking at the moment, so it's possible that Shikibu-san simply misunderstood._

As the old man began to review the main topics for the afternoon paper, Juushirou tapped his finger absently against the wood of the desk, struggling to pay attention to what was being taught.

_But also, Shikibu-san does know more about Clans. And even if it wasn't Mitsuki's will to marry someone else…the family might make her. That I know can happen. I've heard enough about the Kuchiki to believe that it could, even if Mitsuki didn't want it. Mitsuki did save Nagoya-senpai's life, which was a good thing. No wonder they'd become friends afterwards. But…oh, I don't know._

He rubbed his temples.

_For now, I won't think about it. I have no proof, and I want to talk it out with someone else. If not Mitsuki herself, then Shunsui – see if I can make sense of what's going on. Also…maybe I'll ask Ryuu about Nagoya-senpai. About how he is – see if I can find out whether what Shikibu-san said was true about him and Mitsuki becoming closer. I can't think that she'd not tell me anything important, but because I've been ill, I suppose we haven't had much time to talk. And maybe she just didn't think it was important. I'm not going to let myself get upset about something until I know what the situation is._

A faint, rueful smile touched his lips.

_Besides, I really don't have a right to be upset. Even if Mitsuki did become engaged to someone else, someone in her Clan, someone of her birthline – what right do I have to begrudge her it? I've told her enough times that she shouldn't tie up her whole future by saying she wasn't going to marry and that she was in love with me. I have too much to do and so does she - not just here, but out in the world beyond this school. We can't take our connection any further and we'd probably be stupid to try, so if she did marry someone else, I should be happy for her. If she did…if she did…_

A lump rose in his throat, but he fought it back.

_If it did, I'd accept it. If she wanted it, I'd accept it. Because we are just friends. And that's what friends do. They support each other and move forward to achieve their goals.  
_

"Ukitake?" Genryuusai's voice cut through his words at that moment and he flushed red, scrambling to his feet as he realised all eyes were on him.

"Sorry, Sensei." He babbled, knowing that at the back of the room Akira's eyes were boring deep into his spine as if willing him to make a further fool of himself.

"I imagine you didn't hear my question?" Genryuusai asked gently, and sheepishly Juushirou shook his head.

"I didn't. I'm sorry, Sir. I suppose I wasn't…really following what you were saying."

"Then I'd ask you to try and follow more closely from this point on. The exam this afternoon won't make allowances for daydreaming, even for those convalescing from fever."

Genryuusai indicated for him to sit down, and Juushirou did so, his cheeks still blazing red.

_After I'd made up my mind not to be a bother to anyone any more this year, too. It's one thing on top of another - I just deal with one insecurity when someone throws another one in my face. But it's not fever that's bothering me and it's not _haibyou_ making me feel messed up like this. Shikibu-san might not have meant to upset me – and what she said might be complete fantasy. It's stupid for me to take any of it to heart, but I can't help but do it. I'll have to try to get to the bottom of it, and work out for myself what is and isn't true, otherwise I'm going to spend all my time thinking about it. I'd rather at least know for sure what the situation is - then I know what I'm facing and I can accept it properly and move on. If I don't do that, it'll just distract me and I'll never graduate at all!_

_

* * *

_

It felt as though he had already been travelling for weeks.

Shirogane sank down beside the flowing river, relaxing his barriers as he bent to cup his hands in the clear, flowing water. He could see the darting tails of fish and the glint of sunlight against their scales deep below the water, and absently he wondered what chance he might have to catch a couple for food. He had undergone rigorous training for such things as a boy, both before and after his arrival at the Academy, but he had never been in a serious situation where survival skills had been needed and as a result he had eaten very little since leaving the main house, worrying instead about covering his tracks.

Now, though, he was a good way from the central Kuchiki estate, and from the lack of pursuers on his tail, he had surmised that Seiren and the others had already guessed his intended destination. They probably knew that he would head for District One – if they believed him to be plotting against Ryuu's life, then he would have to at some point broach Yamamoto land and try and reach his target directly. And if they did not believe him capable of that level of treason – well, Guren would know that the only person of any influence outside of the Kuchiki who Shirogane might call on for help was his old teacher, Genryuusai.

The quickest route to District One was through Districts Seven and Eight, and Shirogane knew the whereabouts of two or three newly built Senkaimon that led from his family's land to one of these two destinations. But he knew just as well that if he used his_ zanpakutou_ to unseal these doorways, his movements would be traceable, and so he had refrained from activating even one of the spiritual doors, instead preferring to stick to the land. It would make his journey all the more difficult that way, for Seiren's soldiers would be able to pursue him on foot and on horseback. Finally he had decided not to make for the Endou territory, and instead had begun to work his way towards the other side of District Six – moving ever closer to the divide with District Five.

_I didn't realise how big District Six would be on foot, but I am almost at the coast, thank goodness. In another day I may be out of Kuchiki jurisdiction completely, if I have a little luck. _

After splashing his face liberally with the gleaming water from the river, Shirogane cupped his hands beneath the flow once more, drinking thirstily and without restraint as he replenished his depleted reserves. If things had been normal, he would never have thought of drinking mere river water, preferring to wait until he could find a more suitable natural spring or other Clan inspected supply. But now he was out of other options, and so he drank, the bitter coldness of the water refreshing to his dry throat.

_This river is clear enough to see through, and fish live here, so the chances are the water is all right. Ribari-sama, I can almost hear you laughing at me, for sinking to such depths and imitating the common people in the villages that we used to see when out on patrol. Neither of us understood their actions, but now I see that they weren't being foolish. I didn't know that river water could taste so good, but when you're thirsty…I suppose water tastes its best then._

As he sat back on the damp grass, he once more turned his thoughts to the problem of food.

_I can camp near here tonight – I'm sure there's heavy enough cover for me to try and sleep at least for a little while. If not here, then the forests up ahead are supposed to be very thick and they run all down one side of the land towards the Shiba border. Since they'll probably be looking for me on the other side of the District, I should be all right for at least a day before they realise what I intend to do. And by that point I'll be well ahead of them…at least, so I hope. Even if they do realise what I've done and start sending men this side of the District, they probably won't expect me to take the gambles I've decided on. They'll move for the borderlands first and foremost – they won't think that it's the sea I'm making for. Only a madman would think to escape from the coves when good solid pathways exist to all other routes._

He clasped Ginkyoujiki's hilt loosely, pulling it from its sheath and gazing at its sharp, proud blade with a rueful smile.

_I have never used my zanpakutou for something so mundane as catching fish before, either. I wonder what Sensei would say to me now, if he knew that I was drawing my weapon to fight and that my target were harmless river fish who just happened to cross my path. I suppose I should be grateful, though, that I have some limited experience of such operations. Camping in the second year seemed a bind at the time, but now I think I can use what we learnt then to survive on my own now. Kidou fires, gutting fish and collecting water. Who would ever have guessed that even I would one day need those skills._

He sighed, then directed his weapon's shining tip towards the sun-speckled surface of the river water, his gaze searching beneath the surface once more for any sign of the fish he had seen earlier. He would have to be completely still so as not to give them any advance warning, for the clearness of the water allowed the swift creatures to dart and dash away from any unexpected shadows falling across the surface. His weapon was both swift and efficient, though, and as he murmured the release command, a bevy of small silver petals shot like shrapnel through the water, sending wild ripples scattering in all directions as the fragments of Ginkyoujiki's blade penetrated deep below the surface.

The force of his _zanpakutou_'s signature attack was enough to send most of the fish hastily fleeing for the safety of the river reeds that lined each bank, but not all of them were a match for Ginkyoujiki's speed, and as the silver petals made contact with their bodies, the force of the impact drove two of the unfortunate creatures out of the water, leaving them bloody and helplessly flapping on the bank.

Reforming his sword, Shirogane stood over them for a moment, watching their gills open and shut as the fish struggled for breath. Then he brought the weapon swiftly down, decapitating both in an instant and ending their distress.

_A quick death is the warrior's way, even when hunting for food. _

Carefully Shirogane set about gutting and preparing the fish, his techniques crude but well remembered from his Academy days. A flicker of Kidou energy began a small, controlled fire in a patch of dry grass not far from the river bank, and carefully he cooked his prize, the flavoured smoke only enhancing his appetite and reminding him that he had truly not given a thought to food since he had fled his home.

He made short work of his meal, wiping the fish blood and scales from his _zanpakutou_ and sending it a silent apology before returning it to its scabbard. Ginkyoujiki hummed faintly in response, its disapproval resonating through his master's mind, but Shirogane knew that his weapon understood.

_This is a matter of must, and therefore it had to be done. Thank goodness for a sword with such easy comprehension. It would not do for me to lose my one remaining ally over the need to gut a fish._

As he kicked apart the remains of his fire, trying to conceal proof of his having been here, he heard a rustle from the undergrowth and he froze, his fingers once more around Ginkyoujiki's hilt as he tried to work out what had made the noise. A flock of birds broke through into the sunlight and he drew breath sharply, berating himself for being so easily put on edge. The birds shrieked and flapped their way towards the clouds, clearly just as put out by his presence as he had been by theirs, and as he watched them, Shirogane found himself envying their ability to spread wings and soar beyond the District boundaries.

The next moment all thought of the birds was gone from his mind, as he felt the prick of a sword up against his back and he tensed, realising that it had not been his presence but the approach of another that had frightened the flock into flight.

"Release your sword hilt, Shirogane-dono. You will go no further today."

The man's voice was soft and respectful, but Shirogane felt the blade dig a little deeper against his spine, as if conveying an unspoken threat. Gathering his wits hurriedly he stole a glance out of the corner of his eye, trying to work out whether or not he could take his attacker off guard, but he soon realised that the man was not alone, for another retainer stepped out of the woodland, his weapon similarly drawn.

Ginkyoujiki was still sheathed, and as quick as he was, Shirogane was fairly sure he could not draw the weapon before the man behind him would be able to sever through his spinal column. They were not shinigami, simply retainers, but as the second man stepped more clearly into his line of sight, Shirogane recognised the soldier's badge and cursed himself for having let his guard down.

Out loud he said,

"Seiren-dono is being very attentive, if he sent you all the way here to find me."

"Our orders are to locate and bring you back to the main estate alive." The soldier said evenly, his own weapon rising towards Shirogane's throat. "But we can kill you, if you resist our arrest. Seiren-dono wanted us to be thorough – therefore men have been dispatched to _every_ corner of District Six."

"There is nowhere to hide." The second man, whose weapon was still nestling uncomfortably against Shirogane's vertebra put in. "To avoid causing further distress to the local people, we don't intend on letting you escape a second time. Even injured or maimed, we _will _bring you back to face Guren-sama's judgement."

"Guren-sama has nothing to do with this." Shirogane protested, and the man before him smiled, a strange, unpleasant smile.

"On the contrary, _Guren-sama_ has instructed that we are to bring you back to answer significant questions about your recent activity." He said quietly, putting his hand in his pocket and pulling out a folded sheet of paper. "Read it for yourself, if you don't believe me. This is our brief. It bears the Clan leader's seal."

Numbly Shirogane took it, skimming down the columns of formal kanji. It was written in Shibata's hand, but the soldier was right – at the bottom, alongside Seiren's seal was that of Guren himself. He bit his lip, his fingers trembling slightly as he handed it back.

_So Guren-sama believes this fantasy as well? Is he now my enemy too – am I real traitor in District Six even in his eyes?_

"Since you hurt our comrades back at the main house, nobody is taking any chances with you now." The soldier retrieved the parchment, pulling two narrow silver items from his _obi_ and fastening them around Shirogane's wrists before the young nobleman could gather his wits. As they clicked closed around his skin, Shirogane felt a sudden sense of fatigue wash over him, his arms and legs becoming heavier and more difficult to move as his _reiryoku_ was sealed away. Ginkyoujiki's comforting presence had also been forced far from his senses, and inwardly he cursed once more.

_So it is true. Someone attuned to fighting with spirit power is weaker than an average person if they should lose that power. My body is used to running on reiryoku. Without it - how much slower will I prove to be?_

"There'll be no repeat performance – not with your Kidou, nor with your _zanpakutou_." The soldier continued, as if reading his companion's thoughts. There was an unpleasant smile on his face, and despite the man's calm demeanour, Shirogane could see deep dislike burning in the other's eyes.

"Those bands will seal any spirit power still flowing through you – so I suggest you come quietly, and avoid more fuss."

Shirogane gazed around him hastily, looking for any angle of escape, but that sword dug into his back again.

"I wouldn't try that." The voice was now close to his ear, and Shirogane could feel the other man's hot breath against his skin. "Some of our comrades have stopped at the coastal manor and shinigami from Kinnya-sama's estate will soon be dispatched to hunt you down as well as our men. Even if you gave us the slip, with your spirit power sealed you won't be able to do the same with them. It will slow you down - you've realised that already, haven't you? That with your _reiryoku_ sealed, you're no better than we are...perhaps considerably at a disadvantage. Your pathways are all closed now. There isn't anywhere else for you to run."

_Kinnya-sama? Wait...this is his land?_

Shirogane faltered for a moment, then his shoulders slumped, and he dropped his arms to his side, lowering his gaze to the ground as he thought furiously about what to do.

_If Kinnya-sama bothers to dispatch anyone it will be a first – but it's true that I can't rely on any Kuchiki sympathy if even Guren-sama has endorsed this order. And of all the places to be found - this area has both a standing military unit and a shinigami unit to protect the local people hereabouts. I was in more danger coming to the coast than I realised...Seiren-dono has out-thought me. Anyone who sees the document that ingrate carries will know that to shield me is treason and therefore death by the blade. Nobody would risk that. There is nobody in District Six who can even hope to stand against Guren-sama if he was to release the wrath of his zanpakutou and if he is angry…as he must be…_

He forced those thoughts away, focusing instead on his predicament.

_But there are only two of them. Even if my power is sealed, it isn't impossible for me to elude them if I can get them to lower their guard enough. If I can. Those cuffs are stifling my reiryoku, and making me feel lethargic. But they aren't chained together, and I can still move. Because I fought with Ginkyoujiki at the main estate, they assume I can only fight with him released. So I'll let them believe that a little while. With my body like this, I'll need the element of surprise to stand any chance against them at all, but It's worth a try. Also, they clearly don't like me. Because I slashed up their comrades? Probably. I suppose I can't blame them for that, though. I'd be the same if it was one of Sixth..._

Ribari's face flitted unbidden across his thoughts at that moment, and Shirogane faltered, forcing his mind away from his young _deshi_.

_There was nothing on that parchment that said I could be killed - but those eyes struck me as the eyes of someone who'd be happy to take the risk and then claim self-defence if I put up too much of a fight. I'll just have to cooperate with them a while. Until they feel I'm their prisoner, and then…somehow…I'll escape._

Out loud he said,

"If Guren-sama wants to see me, I have no reason to flee from you. I wanted an audience with him anyway – I was just not granted it, because of Seiren-dono's actions against me."

"You'd be better of holding your tongue about Seiren-dono when stood before his men." The second man warned him, but the blade was gone from his back, and Shirogane found he could once more breathe more easily. "But if that's how you feel, then there's no need for further conflict. We'll take you to the Coastal manor and send word to Guren-sama – he can decide your fate."

Shirogane inclined his head in acceptance, all the time formulating a plan in his mind.

_So I was right. They're not meant to kill me, even if they'd secretly like to. For all their threats, their orders are to bring me before the Clan leader. Guren-sama wants to hear what I have to say - unfortunately it's too late for me to be able to say it. When Seiren-dono has gone this far...and with Guren-sama's seal alongside his own - going back would be a mistake. Possibly a fatal one. Seiren-dono might be going by the book at the moment, but the truth is he wants me dead - and if I let myself be taken back, somehow he'll make it happen. He's probably told his men to kill me if I resist arrest - which is why I mustn't do that unless the right opportunity presents._

"Only a fool tries to fight when he's outnumbered and at a severe physical disadvantage." He said out loud, fixing his captors with an even, unhurried smile. "Providing you can promise me an audience with Guren-sama, I will go wherever you lead me."

* * *

"You have one hour."

Kazoe settled himself more comfortably behind the invigilator's desk at the front of the seminar room, gesturing with his familiar cane towards the students and the folded sheets of writing paper that lay on each desk. On the board behind him, scribed in chalk in his familiar, fastidious characters were the two questions for the afternoon's Zanjutsu Theory exam, as set by their Headmaster, and as Ryuu ran his gaze over each of them a second time, he groaned inwardly, tapping the dry end of his brush absently against the seamed wood.

All around him, the other students had already begun writing, and with a rueful glance back at the board, Ryuu swiped his brush against the ink stone, reaching for the first sheet of blank paper.

_All the reading I have done, yet still such a badly worded question. Or maybe it is well worded – and I simply do not understand fully what it is asking of me._

After writing his name and the date, he paused, chewing on the wood tip of his expensive brush as he considered how to answer the first of the two demanding essay questions. As a young boy, he had been scolded perpetually for this bad habit, and once, after he had managed to chew so hard he got splinters in his lips, he had even been threatened with the cane if he did not desist. These days he had largely given it up, but that afternoon, as he found himself struggling to draw together a decent answer, it was all too easy to slip back into old habits.

_I have missed only a few weeks of classes, and I have not done the research for the written assignments the others have, but surely a few weeks is no comparison to four years of careful study up to this point? They cannot have covered so many things in my absence that mean I cannot find something to say about this subject! Zanjutsu Theory is half Ouyoudou and half Sakusen in its construction – both subjects I have no trouble excelling in on a normal basis. Yet for the life of me I cannot see it. How to put into decent lexis something that will pass muster with Genryuusai-sensei as a Senior's work._

He stole a glance to the left, where Mitsuki, head bent and dark hair trailing over the edge of the desk, seemed to be having better luck. On her far side, he could see Shunsui lolling in his usual fashion all over his desk, lazily scribing characters as if he had all the time in the world. There was something calm and unhurried in his manner, and Ryuu gritted his teeth, unconsciously grinding the brush between his jaws as he reflected that probably whatever his classmate was writing in his hopelessly haphazard kanji, it would almost certainly net him a high mark.

Across to his right was Juushirou, and Ryuu was surprised to see that the District boy had also barely begun to write, staring off into space a little as though his mind was a mile from the exam in front of him. As Ryuu tried to work this out, he caught the boy's eye, and Juushirou offered him a faintly sheepish smile. It was no more than that, but Ryuu felt a little comforted by that glance.

_Perhaps I'm not the only one confused by the choice of rhetoric. Although I'm sure Sensei set these questions to challenge us – somehow written in Kazoe's style, they seem all the more complicated._

He let out a sigh, taking the brush from his mouth and eying the chew marks that now adorned the end with a resigned air.

There were probably only fifty five minutes left now. He would just have to do his best.

'_The fundamental ethics of blade science indicate that there are several key ways in which to best motivate and activate a sleeping sword into differing levels of reiryoku usage.'_

He wrote carefully, filling the paper with small, identically sized and spaced kanji and kana characters.

'_A zanpakutou is a living entity, and therefore should not be considered entirely as a simple form of weapon. However, there is no denying that the scientific principles underpinning a zanpakutou in a conflict situation are much the same as those relating to simple asauchi or other types of sword. In some instances, it is possible and even preferable to fight with a zanpakutou blade sealed rather than released.'_

He glanced at the brush tip, resisted the urge to put it back between his teeth, then added,

'_In a situation involving young children or those who are vulnerable to sudden blasts of spiritual energy, caution must be used when releasing a sword to shikai level.'_

His mind flitted to Juushirou's escapade with Tsunemori.

'_However in these instances it may be better to pursue combat with a more basic weapon, since using a zanpakutou at a restricted level may hamper a shinigami's ability to fight effectively. In most situations, a battle involving a zanpakutou would be conducted against other like spiritual opposition, such as the Hollow. When facing a Hollow, the strength and threat posed by the creature must be taken fully into account before engaging in full combat. There is no sense in using a full release Shikai on a weak opponent, but there may also be danger in releasing too soon or too slowly against a more obstinate target'._

A knock on the door of the classroom broke his train of thought and he glanced up, his brows creasing in annoyance as he saw one of the younger students sidle into the room, her eyes wide as she observed her seniors huddled so seriously and silently over their desks.

"This is an examination." Kazoe spoke quietly, but his words were pointed. "If you bring a message for me, surely it could have waited?"

The young girl swallowed hard, then scuttled over to him, bending her head low as she whispered the words almost into his ear. Ryuu, his attention firmly on Kazoe now, saw the Kidou master's expression become first one of consternation, then one of annoyance, and finally of resignation. At length he nodded, dismissing the youngster, who took the opportunity to flee to a safer location.

Slowly and reluctantly he got to his feet.

"Kuchiki Ryuu, Edogawa Mitsuki. Set down your brushes." He said, in a tone that told Ryuu something of considerable importance had occurred. He did so, knowing that every member of the class had now paused in their writing to stare at the front of the room.

"I do not like this, but you are both to go to Genryuusai-sensei's office immediately." Kazoe spoke softly, moving to collect both students' incomplete papers. "Since this is his exam, and he has sent for you, I can do nothing about it. If he tells you to return here, you must – if not, you are dismissed and may not re-enter until the exam has ended. Understand?"

Ryuu and Mitsuki exchanged looks, but there was no time for asking questions, and as Kazoe took the barely written sheet from Ryuu's desk, he got to his feet, moving towards the door. Neither one spoke until they reached the hallway, but once the divide had closed behind them, Mitsuki turned a frightened gaze to meet his troubled one.

"Something at home." She whispered, and slowly Ryuu nodded.

"It must be." He agreed pensively. "I won't pretend I'm not glad to be called from that exam, but if the circumstances are severe enough for Sensei to alert us during his own examination…"

"Yes." Mitsuki chewed down on her lip. "Yes, I thought so too. What do you suppose it is, Ryuu-kun? We've been back here only days. What could have happened?"

"If we move quickly, we'll find out." Ryuu said grimly. "Come on."

"I suppose we've both failed Zanjutsu now." Mitsuki said resignedly as they hurried through the quiet hallways towards the Principal's office. "It's a pity. I was hoping to get a good mark, since even if my sword techniques aren't combative, I can still understand how Yuyuugo works. I didn't think being absent would count against me in this subject – and now this happens instead."

"You seemed to be writing more fluidly than I was." Ryuu remarked. "I couldn't make head nor tail of what was being asked. But we shouldn't discuss it. Just in case Sensei tells us to re-enter the exam. It would be cheating, if we talked about it – that would not be fair on the rest."

"True." Mitsuki agreed. "All right. I won't say any more."

At that juncture they reached the office, and Ryuu rapped smartly on the door, waiting for the familiar voice to call them in. Genryuusai did so, and from the tone of his voice, the young Kuchiki greatly suspected he had not summoned them on his own choice.

Sure enough, on entering the chamber, he could see that the headmaster was not alone, and that by the desk stood a messenger clad in the green and cream retinue of the Kuchiki Clan.

His heart sank into his sandals.

_From home then, with haste._

"Ryuu. Mitsuki. Thank you for coming quickly." Genryuusai gestured for them to come into the room proper, and Mitsuki carefully closed the door behind them. "I'm sorry to have disturbed your exam this afternoon, but we will address that matter later."

"Something's happened at home, hasn't it?" Mitsuki's voice was anxious, and at her words the messenger bowed his head towards her, raising it to meet her gaze solemnly.

"Edogawa-hime, Ryuu-sama, I have been sent with all urgency by Lord Seiren to convey a message to you both in person, as well as to Genryuusai-sama. My instructions are to deliver it in full and await a response – hence I asked to see you at once, if it was not too great an inconvenience."

"I suppose Father's orders are difficult to override or resist in the current crisis." Ryuu said quietly. "Well? What is this message?"

"Yes, sir." The messenger bowed again, his action suddenly striking Ryuu as ridiculously over-deferential, then, "I have been instructed to inform you both that there is grave suspicion lodged at present against Nagoya Shirogane-dono, son of Masane-hime and your own blood cousin. Evidence has surfaced of a nature strong enough to arrest him under suspicion of conspiracy against yourself, Ryuu-sama, and perhaps even against the late Lord Ribari."

"_What?_" Mitsuki paled, and Ryuu's eyes narrowed.

_I knew it. I knew that Senpai would get too close to things if we left him behind…and now…_

Out loud he said,

"Well? And what measures have been taken?"

"An attempt to arrest Lord Shirogane was made, but he attacked the officers and fled into the woodland." The messenger reported gravely. "His whereabouts are currently unknown, but it is believed he may head for this location. If his designs really are on…on your safety, Ryuu-sama, then Seiren-sama wants it known with the ultimate urgency in order that you can be fully protected."

"Your master does not believe that my Academy is a safe location?" Genryuusai interjected at this moment, and the messenger sent him a troubled look.

"I meant no offence, Genryuusai-sama, and nor does Lord Seiren." He said hurriedly. "But those are the words I must convey, and now I…have conveyed them."

"Indeed you have." Genryuusai's expression was unreadable, and Ryuu sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I understand the message." He said at length, meeting the messenger's gaze with a level one of his own. "I will be sure to keep on my guard. However, you may tell my Father that I have absolute faith in Genryuusai-sensei's ability to protect us as students, and I do not feel I am in harm's way. Besides, it seems likely that Shirogane will be apprehended before he makes it this far. There are several District barriers between Sixth and First."

"Yes, sir." The messenger saluted sharply. "I will return and relay your words in full. Thank you for your time."

And with that he was gone, the door of the study sliding shut behind him.

A moment of silence followed, then Genryuusai sighed, stroking his beard.

"Your father appears very busy at the moment, Ryuu." He said lightly, and Ryuu grimaced, shaking his head.

"I apologise for his actions, Sensei." He said quietly. "For the implied slight that you might not be able to protect me, and the inconvenience his messenger has caused. Mitsuki and I will expect to forfeit our Zanjutsu grades as a result of this incident."

Mitsuki nodded her head, her face pale and her eyes anxious, and Genryuusai pursed his lips.

"No. This was not your fault any more than it was mine." He said evenly. "You cannot return to your exam, of course – but I will not cast off your grades simply on the grounds of one overprotective Kuchiki lord. I will set you each an essay title instead – you may come to me for it before breakfast tomorrow, and may have the week to complete it. I will grade the pair of you on that, and you will not lose your marks."

"Thank you, sir." Mitsuki looked faintly relieved, though Ryuu knew her thoughts were still much on the missing Shirogane. "I had hoped…we'd escaped from home at last. But it seems…we haven't."

"Have either one of you heard from Shirogane in the few days since you came back?" Genryuusai asked, and both shook their heads.

"When we left, he had no plans to abscond the manor." Ryuu said heavily. "And he didn't believe himself in particular danger. But…Sensei…there are many things at work at home that none of us fully know how to interpret. What I am sure of, though, is that Shirogane-senpai poses neither Mitsuki nor I any particular threat. He and my father have clashed badly since my cousin's death, but that is all it is. A feud over ambition and bloodline – but…Shirogane-senpai does not mean me harm."

"I agree with Ryuu." Mitsuki nodded her head fervently. "I can read Senpai's state of mind more easily than some people can, especially since I used my healing powers to save him. He's still suffering badly from the shock and grief of Ribari-sama's death and it's made him impatient – perhaps incautious – in the things he sometimes says and does. But plot against Ryuu? I don't believe him capable of that. Seiren-dono has the wrong idea."

"Do you think Shirogane will come here?" Genryuusai's eyes were slits, and Ryuu shrugged helplessly.

"Not if he had any sense." He said acerbically. "Since everyone will be watching the border of Seventh like a hawk for him to try to cross. But it will be difficult for him to lie low in Sixth."

"He might go to Fourth." Mitsuki suggested. "Because Meroka-senpai lives there now, since her marriage. She and Shirogane-senpai were close as children."

"But Meroka-senpai's father is Futsuki-dono, who is right at the heart of Guren-sama's court." Ryuu reminded her. "So I don't think that would be a place for him to go, either."

"This is no concern of mine, I realise." Genryuusai said softly. "But you are both my students, and Shirogane was one in previous years. I do not wish to see any of you come to harm. If you say Shirogane is not guilty of a crime, I am inclined to believe you. But listen, Ryuu. Listen, Mitsuki. Your family are very proud and you must be very cautious in how you react to this latest drama. If Shirogane comes here, it would be a bad thing indeed for him to be connected to either one of you. Do you understand? You must not let your compassion or sympathy make you act recklessly."

"We understand, Senpai." Ryuu said gravely. "Again, we're sorry for causing so much trouble."

"You both are not trouble at all." Genryuusai assured him. "On the contrary, there is far more trouble for you both to face than for me. I am simply an old school teacher. I do not have a Clan to subdue or to lead."

He gestured to the door.

"You may go. You can't return to your exam, of course, but a few minutes to walk in the grounds may help calm your spirits. The weather is pleasant today – summer is on its way."

The two students bowed their heads, withdrawing from the study and closing the door behind them. Neither one of them spoke to begin with, as if by some mutual consent they had both agreed not to until they had reached the security of the Senior study. Though Genryuusai had encouraged them to go outside, with everyone else in an exam, the study would be empty, and as Mitsuki sank down by the window, Ryuu leant up against the door, taking a deep breath into his lungs.

"He's an idiot."

It was Mitsuki who broke the silence, and Ryuu could see the apprehension on her features.

"Acting recklessly, fighting with Seiren-dono's men…fleeing into the night. Even Guren-sama can't ignore that. If Senpai is caught he's in real trouble. He's an idiot. He'll get himself killed."

"Father would not mind if that happened." Ryuu said darkly. "I'm sure there's a manhunt the size of the night sky going on in District Six at the moment."

"From the message, Seiren-dono really does seem to believe that Shirogane-senpai did something he shouldn't." Mitsuki buried her head in her hands. "That he's plotting against you, too."

"Mm. I know. But Father is fixated with my future at the moment, so probably isn't seeing things straight." Ryuu responded. "Providing his motives are clean and innocent, and not based on something more sinister."

"Ryuu, I don't think Seiren-dono is any more guilty in Ribari-sama's death than I do Senpai."

"I know. And in some ways it makes no sense to me either for him to be involved. But there are nagging things that…mean I can't separate it completely in my mind." Ryuu groaned. "I was so glad to be back here, Mitsuki. Away from all of that at least for a while. But here it is again. Dragging us back."

"We will never escape that, will we?" Mitsuki murmured, her gaze suddenly clouding. "Being Kuchiki. No matter what we do…where we go. We can't ever escape it."

There was a note of wistfulness in her voice, and Ryuu sighed.

"No, but we can overcome it and not let it destroy us." He said pragmatically. "I am resolved, Mitsuki, and so must you be. Not to be broken by Kuchiki politics."

"Do you think he'll manage to escape?" Mitsuki twisted her fingers together, and Ryuu shrugged.

"Whatever I said to Sensei, I think it more than likely he will come here. And I don't suppose Genryuusai-sensei was at all fooled by my saying otherwise." He owned. "But if he does come to this District, Mitsuki – what Sensei said is right."

"Sensei didn't tell us not to help him. Or to report it, if we spoke with him." Mitsuki's eyes narrowed. "Did you notice that? He didn't say that at all. In fact, it was like the opposite was true. That if we did see him…speak to him…we were _not_ to report it. We were to keep it a secret…and help him without drawing attention to it?"

"I heard it that way, too." Relief flickered across Ryuu's features. "Very well. If that's what Sensei wants from us, we should be good Senior students and obey."

"It would be difficult for Genryuusai-sensei to go openly against Guren-sama." Mitsuki observed pensively. "Even given who Sensei is, it would be hard in a matter like this. But he said he didn't want any of us to come to harm. So I think…he hopes that somehow _we'll _be able to help Senpai. If he comes here. And if he does…then…we must, Ryuu. Somehow. Until we can find a way to clear his name."

"We're jumping the gun, though." Ryuu pointed out. "He isn't here. He may not even manage to escape District Six. I will do what I can if he is captured – as heir presumptive, I will see what I can do to clear his name. But the only way to really resolve it is to find out who really did kill Ribari-sama. _And_ why and how they're still targeting our family now. Because they must be. If you believe Father innocent, and we both believe Senpai is, where has the suspicion come from? What evidence did that messenger mean?"

"Someone manipulating from the shadows." Mitsuki shivered. "Someone who knows far too much and is always one step ahead. I have a bad feeling about this."

"I also." Ryuu nodded. "I would sooner be sitting that exam, Mitsuki, even if all I wrote was complete nonsense."

"What will we tell the others?"

"The truth, with emphasis on the fact we're not to get involved." Ryuu said firmly. "_Especially _Ukitake. For him in particular…Mitsuki, no matter how fond of him you are or how comforting talking to him is – we _must not_ do anything that might jeopardise him or his family in all of this."

"I've already resolved not to talk to him about more than I must." Mitsuki looked indignant. "Give me some credit for that at least. I wouldn't do anything to hurt Juushirou, and you should know that!"

"I do." Ryuu managed a faint smile. "And I'm not trying to make you cross with me. I understand you and Shikibu already exchanged blows – I don't wish to be next."

"Oh. Naoko." Mitsuki pulled a graphic face. "Well, that wasn't just about Juushirou. I mean, part of it was. But the other part…was about other things."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Ironically, Naoko thinks I should be marrying Shirogane-senpai." She added. "That it would solve my problems of Clan inclusion and give me a safe option – safer than Juushirou, you understand – for a life partner. Now Shirogane-senpai is apparently a traitor to the Clan, I wonder if she'd change her mind."

"Shikibu suggested that?" Ryuu was startled, then, "I suppose I can see why she would. It is not an unwise suggestion, if taken coldly and rationally."

"I'm not cold or rational about things like feelings, or my future." Mitsuki admitted. "And I can't see it that way. Besides, it's all academic now, isn't it? Senpai's in trouble, so it's far from a safe option."

"But you still intend to help him?"

"If I can." Mitsuki nodded. "But I don't want to discuss that with Juushirou, either. He might get the wrong idea, especially if Naoko started saying silly things – and she could, because she pokes her nose in like that. Or worse, being that Shirogane-senpai was Juushirou's _shishou_, he might decide he's honour bound to help."

She smiled.

"I'm only in love with Juushirou. But I care what happens to Senpai." She said simply. "And my instincts are always to help. So I'll help."

"I'd like to be able to decide so easily on what I should do." Ryuu confessed. "But my position is somewhat more complicated."

"The others will be back soon, so we should drop this topic." Mitsuki suggested. "And try, if we can, to forget what's going on at home. Senpai kept saying he was capable of protecting himself – and he does have a zanpakutou that's of a good level of power. If he can, I know he'll fight hard to get to us here, Ryuu. We're the only allies he has he can count on – I'm sure he knows that, no matter how solitary he likes to be. I'm certain he's going to come here – I believe in his power to manage it, and that when he does, we'll know more about what's at stake."


	30. Silver Blade, Golden Shadow

**Chapter Twenty Nine: Silver Blade, Golden Shadow**

The walk through the forest towards the local Kuchiki manor was a longer one that Shirogane had first realised. Flanked by cream and emerald clad retainers on either side, he mused ruefully that it felt as though they were walking forever - that the trees they had plunged into were a never ending row of trees on trees with no visible exit or entrance. This was the forestland he had planned to spend the night in, and looking at it as they moved, he realised that it would indeed have been a good place - for in places the trunks were planted so closely together it was difficult for the three men to slip through. On one occasion they had had to go through single file, and although Shirogane had been roughly grabbed by the arm and pulled through the gap, he had made a careful note of this for future reference.

He had not given his companions any indication that he still planned to escape. On the contrary, he had kept his head down and his thoughts to himself, following without a murmur of complaint although his body, unused to so much exercise without being able to draw on his _reiryoku_ resources, was already beginning to ache and protest at the effort. Twice, and then three times they squeezed through narrow spaces, and each time Shirogane obeyed his companion's instructions to the letter, wanting to throw them off their guard as much as possible.

He would have only the briefest of opportunities to pull away from them and flee into the woodland, and he was already at a disadvantages, for he did not know this area at all well and he might as easily deliver himself to Kinnya's door as manage to turn the other way and head for the coast. But one thing had struck him at the very least, and as they had walked, he had pondered greatly on its significance.

The soldiers had come to find him on foot.

Doubtless, he reflected, as he narrowly avoided tripping over a tree root, Seiren's men had come to the area on horseback. Given the head start Shirogane had had, they would have had no choice but to saddle up and ride through the countryside to make up time. Probably they had only just arrived in these parts - yet they had decided to conduct their search on foot.

_That means they're not the main part of Seiren-dono's retinue, I suppose._

Shirogane furrowed his brow, focusing on this fact carefully.

_I imagine they - and the horses - are at the manor. Kinnya-sama's manor. Which implies...what? That some people were sent to try and sweet talk the old hermit into supporting the hunt for me? Kinnya-sama famously doesn't get involved in anything these days, so doubtless Seiren-dono would have expected his men to be delayed during his process. Precious time in which I might escape. So..._

His eyes narrowed.

_Seiren-dono is more tactically intelligent than I realised. He sent the main part of his force to the manor on horseback, whilst slipping a few dismounted soldiers into the forests unseen in order to try and smoke me out in the meantime. He hasn't been counting on Kinnya-sama's men taking his side - even the shinigami. He hasn't needed to. I let my guard down and didn't realise even this far out, my actions would be traceable. I'm underestimating my enemy, and it's brought trouble on my head. If I'd known this was Kinnya-sama's land, I would have realised already that there'd be no chance of help here. The hermit never leaves his house. And he'd have no reason to stop Seiren-dono's search - if just to get rid of people from the main house. _

He stole a sidelong glance at his companions, both serious and expressionless as they concentrated on navigating through the heavy undergrowth.

_Do they know where we're going? Do they have horses tethered somewhere, waiting to hurry me away to the main house? How far has this been planned? I can't delay my escape much longer - I can't risk being properly taken prisoner if Seiren-dono is really thinking on that level. If he wants me that much, he must be serious about eliminating me. That means I have to be serious too, even if there is danger._

As they reached another difficult stretch of woodland, Shirogane took his chance, sticking his foot deliberately into a thick patch of scrub and tumbling over, bringing one of his captors over with him and down onto the ground. The man landed heavily, and Shirogane cast him a covert glance, noticing with satisfaction that he appeared motionless.

_Out cold. Good. One down, then._

"What are you doing?" The other man was on him in a second, grabbing at his kimono in an attempt to haul him up, and Shirogane slid his fingers around Ginkyoujiki's hilt, bringing the silver blade swiftly and without hesitation from its dark sheath and slicing it through the air between them. The soldier cursed, springing back and drawing his own weapon, and as the cold steel of the basic katana clashed against Ginkyoujiki's fine silver veneer, Shirogane felt a sudden sense of hollowness run through him.

Normally, in a fight like this, his adrenalin would merge with the spirit of his sword, and there would be a soft humming at the edge of his senses as the magnetic _zanpakutou _primed itself to do battle. But this time there was nothing. It was as though he was fighting with an _asauchi_ blade - Ginkyoujiki might be speaking, but with the cuffs at his wrists, Shirogane could not hear him.

"You still think you can escape us?" The soldier demanded. "Even with your spirit power shut away? Your movements are slow and I can counter them - that sword is heavy and dead without your_ reiryoku, _isn't it?"

Shirogane's eyes narrowed.

"I can wield this sword, even half dead." He said softly. "Ginkyoujiki will always answer my command and fight for me, whether I can speak to him or not."

"Shinigami and their swords." The soldier snorted, neatly parrying Shirogane's next swing with his own weapon. "The truth is you rely far too much on what the sword knows and not enough on your own body. Seiren-dono's said that - that a shinigami is never a soldier, because of his reliance on that power. You're slow, Shirogane-dono. This kind of movement wouldn't have hurt my comrades, now would it? I can disarm you - and will - so you should surrender now and give up your sword. If not..."

"If not?"

"If not, you will get hurt." The soldier drove his sword forward, and Shirogane cursed, only just managing to swing his body out of the way of the weapon's thrust. As he recovered his balance, there was a sudden sound from his left and he swung around, only catching the briefest glimpse of a glint of light dancing across a blade before the second soldier's _katana_ made contact with his body.

As the blade slashed through the fabric of his dusty kimono, Shirogane could not prevent himself from crying out, the cold metal slicing through his flesh and into the tissue beneath. So focused on his confrontation with the first man, he had assumed that the downed soldier had been removed from the battle and so had dismissed him, but now he knew his mistake. Without his spiritual wits, he had overlooked the other man's movements, and had been taken completely by surprise.

Desperately he slid Ginkyoujiki's blade between his torso and the second retainer's weapon, pushing his assailant away from his body with as much force as he could muster. He took a step or two back, his gaze flitting from one soldier to the other. He felt the hard trunk of a tree come up against his spine, and he realised that fleeing this place would be next to impossible now. Though they had fallen into a small clearing of grass and flowers, the trees that encircled it seemed exactly alike, and Shirogane could not tell which path they had taken in. Which way was the coast? Which way was Kinnya's manor? As pain throbbed through his body, Shirogane found it impossible to focus his thoughts, and panic flitted through him. Blood trickled from the wound, running slick and unchecked through the torn fabric and Shirogane fixed his gaze on the red-stained tip of his enemy's weapon.

_A moment more and that sword would have gone right through me to the other side. Foolish, Shirogane! Because you couldn't sense him, you forgot that he was there. But you can't sense anything like this. They outthought you, and took the element of surprise from you. And not only that._

He glanced down at his _zanpakutou_'s blade, noticing the faint scuffing against the normally polished metal.

_ It's much harder than I thought, fighting with Ginkyoujiki sealed. There was a time I was good with an asauchi, but I've become complacent about my sword skills. Though it's more than that. I've always had reiryoku in abundance. I've always used that instinctively to help me fight...just as any shinigami would. But right now I'm not any kind of shinigami, and it means I have nothing to answer these soldiers with. These men train with their blades to compensate for their lack of spirit power. One of them might prove an adversary for me. Two may yet overpower me. Has my gamble gone too far?_

"You should have just come quietly, Shirogane-dono." The first soldier lowered his blade, but Shirogane knew that in a split second he could raise it again and drive it forward with ruthless precision and force. "We weren't going to hurt you, so long as you cooperated - simply take you back to the manor and hand you over to those who want to speak to you. You've made it worse for yourself - first you attack our comrades with your_ zanpakutou_, and now you want to do the same to us."

It seems you really can't fight smoothly if your _reiryoku_ is cut off, though." The man with the blooded sword shook his weapon clean with an impatient glance. "You couldn't notice my attack because you had no senses to tell you I was there. I've heard that before - that those who have spiritual power are helpless without it. They rely on it for everything, and prove quite dull without it. Sometimes they can't even stand, being so used to it driving them forwards. You seem more sluggish a swordsman than I thought you'd be - but if you hand over Ginkyoujiki now, we'll escort you quietly and someone can tend to that wound before it becomes septic. Seiren-dono would prefer to have you alive - even if we have scores to settle with you for our comrades."

"If I let you hand me over to Seiren-dono, he will have me tried and convicted for treason and murder, and I'm not guilty of either." Shirogane said flatly, tightening his hold on his sword. "My only choice is to fight you and escape from you if I want to have a chance to clear my name. If even Guren-sama has been persuaded to this slander, I have no choice but to act on my own to prove my innocence. I don't want to meet blades with you both, either. Nor did I want to hurt your comrades back at the main house. But if you won't let me go, my only options are to fight and die, or fight and escape."

"If you are innocent, you have nothing to fear from Kuchiki justice." The retainer spoke firmly. "Your words and evidence will be heard and you will be free. Why fight, if you are innocent? Only a guilty man runs away."

"Only a hunted one does." Shirogane corrected, swinging Ginkyoujiki down towards his companions once more. His body felt tired and heavy, once more unprepared for such swift movement without the spiritual energy that made up a large part of his constitution, and the soldier who had stabbed him neatly parried his blow, turning his weapon around in a heartbeat and thrusting the pommel firmly against Shirogane's solar plexus. Despite himself, Shirogane gasped, pain richocheting through his slashed body at the force behind the blow. He stumbled back onto the ground, his grip on Ginkyoujiki loosening, and as the weapon fell onto the grass, one of the retainers bent to pick it up.

Shirogane knew that if only he had been able to hear it, his proud _zanpakutou_ would be protesting furiously about falling into such powerless hands.

"This is the last chance." The other man said quietly, levelling his weapon at Shirogane's exposed throat. "Agree to come with us, or I will have no choice but to do you serious harm."

"Dare you kill me?" Shirogane challenged. "You just said yourself that Seiren-dono wants me brought back alive. I may be under suspicion, but those suspicions are far from proven. You've spoken to me as though talking to a lowborn wretch your equal or inferior, but I am still the grandson of Senaya-sama and the son of lady Masane. Even under captivity a Clansman should be treated with respect. I doubt you will kill me - I doubt you would dare."

"For the wounds inflicted on my comrades in arms?" The man arched an eyebrow. "You would have killed them. Do you think I would be merciful with you, given you were seeking our death just moments before?"

"I sought escape, not to kill. On both occasions." Shirogane spat back. "But I should expect no better from that man's retinue - is this how Seiren-dono instructs you to treat me, a proper born son of the Kuchiki house?"

"Traitors are not awarded special status." The retainer's eyes became hard. "Not even if they come from good Kuchiki blood. I have already warned you about speaking ill against Seiren-dono in our presence - your disrespect to your Lord Uncle is also treason."

"Treason is against Guren-sama. Not the shadow who seeks to manipulate his decisions for him!" Shirogane shot back.

"You are nothing but a prisoner at present, Shirogane-dono." The retainer said calmly, and Shirogane saw the unpleasant glitter in his eyes once more. "You have no right to complain. There is evidence at the main house - evidence enough for even Guren-sama, who favours you, to call you to answer before him. The writs for arrest are already drawn up, the Kuchiki court in readiness to pass judgement over you when you are brought back. But if you are not brought back...if you resist and continue to flee..."

He paused, pushing the weapon against the flesh of Shirogane's neck.

"You've always spoken down to men of the guard," He said lightly, "and released your weapon on them as though you didn't care what damage you did. But now the tables are turned and you are in our power. Seiren-dono understands what it is to be a real soldier, and treats us with equanimity and care. He commands great loyalty from his men - do you know why that is?"

"Because he pays you to do his dirty work for him, I imagine." Shirogane muttered, and the retainer's eyes darkened.

"When he was young, Seiren-dono trained with men like us." He said softly. "My father. Other soldiers. He worked with soldiers of common birth, to establish himself as a swordsman when he could not fight as a shinigami. He learnt the skills you fail to learn - how to be a real soldier, as opposed to one who relies on a sword to give him his orders. We follow him because of his honour and his determination. And because he gives orders that make sense to us. A Clansman who assaults a woman is not a man but a coward. Such a man should be led through the main house in chains. Shibata-dono said that, and when we heard it, we agreed. Our orders are to bring you back alive, but there are a lot of levels of pain and degradation between alive and dead. Now you've given us the opportunity to fight with you, Shirogane-dono - we'll reply in kind. To attack you in self defence is a forgivable action - given the way you sliced up our friends a few days ago."

He raised his weapon, and despite himself Shirogane flinched, half expecting to feel the sharp pain of metal burrowing through his body once more.

The next instant, however, there was a tremendous flare of light that lit up the whole copse, and the man holding the sword suddenly toppled forward, his upper body charred and blackened and his expression one of complete surprise.

His companion started back, dropping Ginkyoujiki and raising his sword as he gazed around him for any sign of the perpetrator. Shirogane took the opportunity to scramble into a sitting position, stretching out a hand to retrieve the weapon, but he could not quite make his trembling fingers reach the sword's fine hilt and at length he gave up, half-scared himself at the unexpected blast of energy that had suddenly robbed his tormentor of his life.

It had been Kidou.

Shirogane's eyes narrowed as he processed this fact.

There was a shinigami nearby, and with his powers sealed, he could not sense or read their reiatsu. Yet he had recognised the golden spell all the same.

_Oukasen. _

Shirogane could almost hear Kazoe's voice in his head as he had lectured to them so many years earlier on the three Fire spells and their relevant uses.

_**"Sanjuu ichi - Shakkahou. Sanjuu ni - Oukasen. Sanjuu san - Soukatsui. Of the three, Oukasen is the most difficult to fire with perfect accuracy. Most shinigami favour Soukatsui or Shakkahou, because they are so much easier to control. However, a pure flare of Oukasen energy is perhaps more beautiful than the other two combined - and ruthlessly vicious if used to its full potential."**_

That blast had undoubtedly been crafted by someone with the ability to fire at that high level.

But were they friend or were they foe? The lines had been blurred so much in Shirogane's mind now that he no longer knew what was what.

"Come out! Come out and show yourself!" The second guardsman was beside himself, half dancing around his dead friend, half staring around him in apprehension and fear. He had all but forgotten Shirogane, but before the young nobleman could work out how to move to somewhere safer, there was the sound of hoofbeats against the soft earth and then the swish of a tail as a man riding a dark brown horse broke through the forest and into the clearing.

He was an old man, with hunched shoulders and a straggling tail of grey hair hanging loose and limp down his back. His brows were grizzled and his face lined, yet his eyes glittered like those of someone far younger, and Shirogane was struck by the colours and emblem that this newcomer wore.

The surviving soldier was clearly just as surprised, for his eyes opened wide in dismay and astonishment, his mouth dropping open in disbelief.

"K...Keiichi-dono?" He whispered, and Shirogane searched his memory in vain for an identity to fit that name.

There was a long silence, and all thought of escape forgotten, Shirogane's gaze flitted from the old man to the scared youngster still wielding his sword desperately as if to ward off a second blast.

Had this old man fired that Kidou?

Shirogane glanced ruefully at the silver bands that encircled his wrists. Without his spiritual awareness, he would probably never know.

The silence threatened to become terminal, and then the old retainer spoke.

"This land is peaceful." he said quietly. "For the sake of the people hereabouts, spilling blood will not be tolerated."

"Our orders came from Seiren-dono." The guard seemed to find some courage at this, puffing his chest out as he faced the mounted enigma. "We have instruction to take Shirogane-dono and bring him back to the main house. Men were dispatched to the manor here to explain our presence. You had no right to kill my comrade. He was just doing his job."

"He was acting in a way contrary to the continued peace and unity of this region of District Six." Keiichi's tone had not changed, but Shirogane saw something cold in his eyes and he knew that this man, old though he now was, had most likely spent most of his life with a weapon in his hand.

"In order to capture the wanted fugitive, Seiren-dono..."

"Seiren-dono is not Lord here." Keiichi seemed unphased. "The Lord of this area is a man who chooses to live in peace. He does not like blood spilt on his grass."

He raised a worn hand, gesturing in Shirogane's direction.

"Your prisoner is hurt and bleeding. My Lord may have given his permission for you to enter this land, but only in order to search. Not in order to maim, hurt or kill. In this your companion was in breach of the law."

"If you stand in his way, Seiren-dono will take action against you and your master." The young man threatened, and a frightening smile came over the old man's face.

"Then let him." He said simply. "I am sure that we will look forward to such a time."

He tugged on the reins of the horse, as if making to leave, but as he did so, the young soldier lifted his sword arm, launching his weapon with some force at Keiichi's upper body as if to stab him right through the chest and topple him from his horse.

What happened next, Shirogane was not quite sure, but the speed with which Keiichi pulled both himself and his steed out of the weapon's trajectory once more told the dazed shinigami that this was no ancient noble retainer living out his days in quiet obscurity somewhere at the distant coast. The next moment, though, a second flash of light filled the copse, this time _Shakkahou_, and Shirogane's heart skipped a beat as he registered the blood redness of the sudden surge of flame. He had fired many blasts of this spell himself, but he had never seen one so dense and resolute, every spiritual particle focused on meeting and destroying its eventual target.

The second soldier was engulfed before he could move, falling in ashes to the forest floor and Keiichi sighed, reining in his startled horse and patting it gently on the neck.

"A little much, perhaps, for one day." He murmured, just loud enough for his companion to hear him, and as his gaze rested on the wounded fugitive, Shirogane realised with a jolt that he was now the only one left alive.

"Did you...just...Kidou?" He managed, and Keiichi smiled, a distant, unconnected smile as he shook his head.

"I'm just a old man on a horse. I can't fire Kidou." He said evenly, riding his steed towards where Shirogane was huddled up against a tree. "I suppose you're Shirogane-dono, Masane-sama's son. I see it in your eyes."

"Mother?" Shirogane stared. "You knew my mother? But..."

"I am an old man. I have met many people." Keiichi said dismissively. "A lot of people are looking for you, so I hear."

"Two of whom are now dead." Shirogane's gaze flitted to the charred corpses of the two men, and Keiichi nodded.

"So it seems." He agreed, quite unconcerned by the whole situation, and Shirogane felt suddenly on his guard.

"What about you?" He challenged. "Those colours are Kuchiki colours - you're a retainer for the Clan, just as they are. Are you going to take me as your prisoner, now, instead?"

"No. I don't think I'll do that." Keiichi shook his head thoughtfully. "My Lord would not approve if he was pulled into sudden and unexpected chaos. This land is peaceful. The people here live quietly. All these soldiers are unwelcome in such a place - you've brought them here, and so I felt it my duty to ask you to stop doing so."

"I didn't ask them to come after me." Shirogane said sullenly. "I didn't do anything wrong in the first place. Seiren-dono set it up to get rid of me because he sees me as a threat to his son's future. That's all."

"Ryuu-sama?" Keiichi looked surprised, and Shirogane nodded.

"Yes. Ryuu. My cousin. One of the few people with any sanity left in this crazy family farce."

"You should not speak so freely before strangers." Keiichi clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Loose lips can condemn you in front of the wrong people."

He smiled.

"Not everyone is afraid of Seiren-dono's disfavour, however." he added lightly. "This part of District Six is a place where he can never take control. He knows it - no matter how many orders he sends, there is nobody here who must obey his commands. The Lord here prefers to be left alone - and so I have come here to ask you to leave this land as soon as you can. We will not try to stop you."

He gestured towards the trees at Shirogane's rear, as if indicating a path of escape.

"It would be better for you and for all the people here if you were to leave District Six completely. Do you understand?"

"You want the soldiers to leave, so you want me to leave." Shirogane's eyes narrowed. "But you don't care about handing me over to Seiren-dono, so you're not going to try and take me prisoner?"

"Something like that." Keiichi's eyes twinkled. "You seem smart, and you quickly understand. Do we have a deal, then? There are only so many days our soldiers can control the invasion from the main house. If you were to leave this area quickly, there may not be any further unnecessary sacrifices. But my Lord is not bound to protect you. He might not choose to spare your life again. This time he intended for us to talk like this, so I could make known to you his views. But the next time..."

He shrugged, and Shirogane got unsteadily to his feet.

"I understand." He said softly. "I'm heading out of this land anyway. I intend to cross into a foreign District and leave Six behind me until I can prove my innocence. I won't ask for help, or involve you or your people in my problems any further. I never asked for you to save me, and nor will I again."

"Wait a moment." As he turned to go, Keiichi drew his animal closer, pulling a razor sharp _katana_ from the sheath at his side. Shirogane started, and the old man smiled, flicking a finger towards the young man's wrists.

"Hold out your hands." He said softly, and as if compelled to do so by the expression in the old soldier's eye, Shirogane did not resist. Slowly he did so, and Keiichi lifted his weapon, slashing neatly through the spirit bands that had stifled Shirogane's _reiryoku_. One strike at each sliced them cleanly through, and Shirogane shook his arms slightly, watching with a mixture of amazement and bewilderment as both cuffs fell harmlessly onto the forest floor. He raised his gaze to Keiichi blankly, and the old man nodded.

"It is harder to conceal yourself without your magic." He explained softly. "You will more likely be caught, which will no doubt cause more fuss and trouble for the people here. You have your _reiryoku_ back, and even if if flows madly for a moment or two, you should go now. I do not want to see the path you take."

Shirogane stared at him for a moment. Then, as his spiritual magic flooded once more through his body, he hastily muttered the words to a _Kyokkou_ spell, turning on his heel and fleeing into the forestland beyond.

The wound across his body stung more and more with every movement, fresh blood spilling from it as he ran, but he was free. Despite the growing pain that radiated through his torso and into his chest, Shirogane revelled briefly in the sensation of escape - allowing his spirit power to run unchecked through his body once again.

_His Lord? That badge was definitely not Seiren-dono's, nor Guren-sama's. And so..._

As he ran, he pictured the emblem once more in his mind, trying to work out where he had seen such a distinctive yet unfamiliar badge before.

And then, in a moment, he knew.

_Kinnya-sama. Lord of the Coastal Regions. The hermit Kuchiki. That man wore _his _badge...no, more than that. He came on his master's orders, to give me a message. Leave the land and take my pursuers with me. But...he could easily have killed all three of us. And if he objects so much to bloodshed, why kill Seiren-dono's men? Surely he'll have to answer for that. That retainer didn't seem afraid, though, at that threat. He almost seemed...to relish it. But Kinnya-sama is a hermit. So...what?_

Shirogane frowned.

_Perhaps Lord Kinnya doesn't like Seiren-dono very much either. If so, that's worked in my favour, for now, but I don't intend on falling on the mercy of his men again. Who fired those spells - I don't know, and I don't suppose I ever will. I only saw one man - the man on the horse that that soldier called Keiichi. When my reiryoku flooded back through me, it was all I could do to manage a spell and escape. I didn't have a chance to work out spiritual footprints. But...that second time...I don't think it was him. It was as though there was someone else with him...someone I could not see. Kinnya-sama has shinigami among his retinue. Perhaps that's why._

He clutched a hand to his injured body, wincing and glancing at the blood still gushing freely from the wound.

_This is a bad slash, though. Deep and through significant blood vessels. Perhaps worse, if it's grazed against a lung. It will slow me down a good deal if I'm not careful. I need to find a safe place to treat it. But..._

Keiichi's words flickered through his thoughts.

_**"My Lord is not bound to protect you. He might not choose to spare your life again. This time he intended for us to talk like this, so I could make known to you his views. But the next time..."**_

He frowned.

_I should not linger here more than I have to. Wounded or not, I must make it to the coves tonight, otherwise the next blast of demon fire I encounter may be coming for me._

_

* * *

_

"Well, my Lord?"

As Shirogane disappeared through the trees, Keiichi sheathed his sword, turning and watching as the _Kyokkou_ spell hazed and faded, revealing his cloaked and hooded companion sheltered beneath the trees on his own dark coloured steed. Slowly the other lowered the black fabric from his head, turning to survey the scene with a soft tut-tut.

"Blood and death in my territory." He said regretfully. "I had hoped that Seiren's men would respect my wishes to avoid violence. Now there are two corpses and a bleeding youth fleeing for his life. Keiichi, is it my imagination or has the Clan become ever more reckless in the last several years?"

"With all respect, sir, I believe this Clan has always been a little reckless," Keiichi observed wryly, "and yourself among them. How long has it been since you used Kidou? You tell me your body is weak and feeble and incapable of doing anything of worth, yet you've been lying to me. Those spells were just as they were in the past - you won't fool me again with your pretence of frailty."

"On the contrary, I haven't pretended." Kinnya looked ruefully at his hands. "Perhaps I reacted more instinctively than I should. I don't intend to protect Shirogane, or ally myself to him when I don't know why he was driven to flee the Clan. However..."

"However?" Keiichi looked quizzical.

"I do not intend on acting as Seiren's pawn." Kinnya spoke quietly. "I never have intended that. I may support his son, and because of it, he feels he can now use me and my land and men as he sees fit. But I have no intention of letting him dictate to me what happens in land bequeathed me by my father."

"Seiren-dono is presumptuous, and his men too." Keiichi looked thoughtful. "Still, are you sure you acted wisely today, my Lord? After so long in the shadows - this is tantamount to war. You told me you intend to protect the Clan unity your brother believed in - but like this...?"

"If Seiren was to find out two of his men died on my land, I would have difficult questions to answer." Kinnya agreed, absently spreading his fingers out towards the two corpses, and Keiichi watched as both glimmered for a moment, then dispersed into tiny fragments of spirit dust. "I'll destroy the evidence, and hope for the best. You know I would not have killed either if they hadn't been threatening life - but this is the violent age we seem to be living in. I don't know what it is, Keiichi, but since Ryuu's visit and then all of this, I've become ever more certain that nobody else in the Clan must be allowed to die just yet. In fact, I'm certain that we just witnessed is tied in to the things that young boy was so afraid of when he came to my manor."

"Just yet?" As his companion turned his steed, Keiichi brought his own level, casting his master a confused look. "I thought you wanted to keep out of things. Kinnya-sama, you realise..."

"As you know, I have another, deeper duty to uphold." Kinnya responded with a sigh. "This family's unity is the oath I swore to my brother, and I believe in keeping it if I can. Ribari may have been murdered by a Kuchiki, but I'm not so sure. I don't think that this was at all the way it seems. When Ryuu came to see me, the seeds of doubt began to be planted in my mind. And now, with all this...they're beginning to grow. Now I have seen Shirogane for myself, I do not believe him capable of orchestrating something like this."

"A boy who gets caught by soldiers, cuffed by them and almost killed? No indeed." Keiichi sighed. "He has not inherited your brother's ingenuity, has he?"

"Well, he is very young. Not much older than Ryuu, despite being a Vice Captain already." Kinnya shrugged. "But you mistake me. I was speaking not of his ability so much as his sense of pride - whether he could devise such a scheme, he did not strike me as one who puts his stock in betrayal to move himself ahead. Shirogane is young yet, and young people need time to grow into experienced older Clansmen. I think you expect too much of him too soon, Keiichi. He hasn't lived long enough to have learnt everything yet. Besides, a grandson can't aways be like a grandfather. Or like a mother, for that matter."

"Like a mother?"

"Senaya-nii always said that Masane was the only one of his children he found difficult to fool," Kinnya said reflectively, "yet she fooled most everyone into believing her weak and feeble. True, she was frail, but she was adept at getting her way and she slipped her only son into Guren's notice in just the way I would have expected Senaya-nii to act with one of his own children. More, that son may have questionable rank, but is recognised as Second Degree nonetheless. Senaya-nii manipulated the family tree to suit his own ends - manipulated those outside it to bring the Clan together, and created an entirely false perception to hand on to the next generation. Even his sons, who knew him and adored him, did not realise that side of him. But Masane did. Masane who did not speak out of turn, and who spent much of her time closeted away with illness, knew every thought that turned through her father's head. Even when he died...Masane knew the truth. Nobody told her, but she knew and she took that truth to her grave. That was how she was."

"I see."

"And that boy is her son."

"A shame, then, that he lacks more of her guile." Keiichi chuckled.

"Well, as I said, he _is_ young. Also, he is headstrong." Kinnya mused. "Arrogant too, I imagine, to assume he could fight two armed men without a shred of spiritual power to fall back on. But arrogance isn't a reason to see someone killed, even if he does have much still to learn about himself and the world in which he lives. There's something else to this, too. You heard it, didn't you? The way he spoke to those soldiers before you interfered. The indignant behaviour of a wronged Clansman."

"I did." Keiichi acknowledged. "But even so..."

"_If you won't let me go, my only options are to fight and die, or fight and escape_." Kinnya quoted softly. "Those were the boy's words, with defiant fire in his eyes. And it occurred to me then that simply watching from the shadows this time would not be enough. When he visited, Ryuu raised...things that should have remained buried. What if Shirogane too has surmised something of this past? Proud young men who are accused of things they did not do normally stand their ground and defend themselves before their Clan leaders, confident in what they know and believe. But what if Shirogane doesn't have that confidence? What if there's something in this that bothers him - something that, like with Ryuu, has driven him to extremes? Ryuu was sensible. He came to me and spoke to me cryptically but in terms we both understood. I don't think Shirogane is the same kind of man - but Keiichi, from how he spoke to those soldiers, Shirogane is a boy of ideals and convictions that he will follow regardless of what the kin around him think or say. Even if that kin is the Clan leader, Guren himself. I have to say it struck me for a brief moment - that young as he is, perhaps this son of Masane's is as close as the Clan has to a Senaya-nii at the present time."

"God help the Kuchiki if that's the case." Keiichi murmured, and Kinnya laughed.

"Yes, my brother did create an inordinate amount of work for everyone else," He agreed reflectively, "but he also did everything in his power to make this Clan stable and great, even at the cost of his own life. He always followed his own path and his own conviction, regardless of the chaos it left me to fix in his wake. And more...there was something in Ryuu that I recognise in myself - a desire to be detached from the intrigue, even when caught in the midst of it. Perhaps it's foolish of me, Keiichi, but I think Senaya-nii would want to keep Shirogane alive. If he was here to push me about the way he always used to with his games, I'm sure that's what he'd say. Besides, while Shirogane is alive, his actions attract attention away from Ryuu. I think Senaya-nii would accept Ryuu's blood right to be considered the true heir to the family. Perhaps he would even have favoured Ryuu over Ribari given the unique circumstances, and therefore to protect that heir..."

"Shirogane-dono's actions provide a diversion?" Keiichi questioned.

"Keeping Shirogane alive and feeding that idealism makes him so." Kinnya smiled. "If Seiren's troops are hunting him down, they are not at the main house, causing trouble there. Senaya-nii loved Seiren dearly, but he would be the first to admit that his position in this Clan should be to shadow Guren, not give orders to supersede him. Shirogane is Guren's Vice Captain. I think that speaks for itself. Guren does not hate Shirogane, and has not ordered his death. Therefore...for now, Shirogane should live. Probably the future of this family...is him and Ryuu, working together. Both have seen something that their superiors have not. The Clan's stability rests with the two of them - providing both are allowed to live. Ribari's death is a loss to Guren, of course. But to the Clan...I'm not so sure. Not while those two still exist."

"And so Seiren-dono's retainers are dispensible." Keiichi pursed his lips. "I've never doubted your ability to read people before, Kinnya-sama, and so I won't doubt it now. You see Shirogane-dono as support for Ryuu-sama, not as his enemy - and when you say it, you are persuasive. Certainly the boy did not sound as though he considered himself Ryuu-sama's opposition when he spoke to me just now. But you should be careful. You sound like a strategist once more planning for war. This is no longer Senaya-sama's era, and you are no longer at the heart of court. Things - perhaps people - change."

"That's why I don't intend on going to the Kuchiki court or taking any further action." Kinnya shook his head. "If I've vexed Seiren and saved a kinsman's life, that is enough for me for now. I am returning to the manor, and I will not think of this any longer. Intrigue tires me and makes me remember why I retreated here in the first instance. Enough blood and tears, Keiichi. Let us go back home and leave the children to play their own games from hereon in."

"If only I believed you meant that." Keiichi sighed, but obediently brought his beast up to a canter to match the other man's. "But I suppose we'll see just how much control Senaya-sama has from his 'castle on the moon!'"

* * *

"I suppose it could have been much worse."

Ryuu cast a resigned glance up at the list of grades pinned firmly to the Senior noticeboard, letting out a sigh of defeat. That morning results from the Senior exams had been posted on the study wall, and although the Kuchiki boy knew that his and Mitsuki's Zanjutsu grades had not yet been added to the mix, in the end it had hardly mattered.

"Coming back so late, I couldn't expect to hold on to my normal rank. But despite that fact...I cannot say this ranking gives me any pleasure to read."

"You're being too hard on yourself." Juushirou cast his friend a smile. "You and Mitsuki didn't attend any of the early lectures and even from notes, you only had a few days to revise things. Plus you got hauled out of that exam...so..."

"Yes, I know." Ryuu's gaze flitted back to the board. "Oh well. I shall simply have to prepare better next time."

"If you come to it, I didn't do as well as I could have done, either." Juushirou admitted, resting a reassuring hand on Ryuu's arm. "It's all right. None of us are quite where we expected to be this time out. It's a new class and a new set of grades."

"Yamamoto managed to beat Ukitake." Kai set down the letter from home that he had been reading, casting the white haired boy a sympathetic smile. "You just about won at swords, but it looks like he's still not going to be easily pushed down, doesn't it?"

"Mm." Juushirou's brows knitted together and he nodded, turning his gaze back to the board. "In those respects, I still have work to do, too. As Anideshi, I ought to be able to rank as highly as possible. And whilst I've never beaten Shunsui...this is...different."

"I don't know how I feel about that arrogant Yamamoto whelp slipping in between us either." Shunsui agreed, gathering together the _shougi_ pieces and placing them carefully back in the box. "But don't take it to heart, Juu. You said it yourself. It's a different class. And a lot's happened. You missed some days before the exams too."

"No...it's not that." Juushirou grimaced. "I wasn't concentrating in my Sakusen exams. Zanjutsu especially. And it had an overall knock on effect."

He frowned, reading down the list once more.

"Shunsui, top. Yamamoto-kun, second. Me third. Souryou-kun fourth. Kai-kun fifth. Hirata sixth..."

"Ouyoudou always holds Hirata back." Kai interjected. "His Kidou and Hohou grades are better than mine, but he can't match up with swords, not even in Zanjutsu. I need to keep an eye on him, though, and up my game some, else he'll be overtaking me before long."

"Michihashi-kun seventh. Sora eighth. Mitsuki ninth. Ryuu tenth. Amai-san and Shikibu-san tied in eleventh. Enishi...was only a half mark below them."

Juushirou completed his reading, letting out his breath in a sigh. "Sora finished lower than she usually does too, though there's a gap between her and Mitsuki, and she's only about six marks down on Michihashi-kun. Also, Enishi would have been higher if he wasn't still struggling with Kidou. His other grades aren't that bad, but Kidou is a borderline pass."

"Well, he and Hirata have trotted off to go over a few principles this morning, so that might yet improve." Shunsui pointed out. "And he's fine with his position. He only cares about passing this year - he's said that to me already. So he isn't going to bother about ranking last."

"I've never beaten Ryuu in a class ranking before." Mitsuki murmured. "But you and I do have Zanjutsu essay grades still to come. You might yet overtake me."

"Maybe. But even with those marks added, I cannot overtake anyone else." Ryuu groaned. "It is all right. I concede. This exam period was a bad one, and I will improve by the time the next one comes around. Truthfully, I was not concentrating at all on any of my examinations and I did not know enough to get a better mark. I will change that for the next time."

"Competition is tighter, now, though." Kai said thoughtfully. "Souryou and Michihashi aren't pushovers, and obviously there are reasons why Yamamoto was top of his year last year."

"He wasn't happy, when he saw this list." Shunsui's eyes twinkled. "He said something about beating you, Juu - but he cast me the most awful glower you could ever imagine when he saw I'd pipped him by three marks overall. I swear, if looks had been lethal, I would have been laid out on the floor by the time you people got here."

"He's not a very good loser, is he?" Mitsuki observed, and Ryuu snorted, shaking his head.

"He's lost to Ukitake in swords - albeit by fluke luck more than skill - and now Kyouraku in academia." He said ruefully. "I can imagine his current mood is less than companionable."

"Well, I didn't do it on purpose and I told him so." Shunsui shrugged his shoulders.

Kai laughed.

"How did he take that?" He wondered. "I bet it didn't go down too well."

"Not really." Shunsui agreed cheerfully. "But Souryou thought it was funny. I rather like him, you know. Even if he and Yamamoto are best buddies, I think Souryou's not the kind to be easily dragged into a fight."

"He reminds me a bit of you, actually." Juushirou said thoughtfully. "He's quite laid back about things in general. And you're right. I like him too. He's straight-forward - you can believe what he says."

"That comes of being Sora's kinsman, probably." Mitsuki suggested, but Juushirou shook his head.

"Kamaki Azusa is also Sora's kinsman, and the way he treated the kid Tsukabishi is unforgivable." He said grimly. "You can't put it down to that, Mitsuki."

"Well, he's serving his time in confinement, and I'm sure Sensei railed through him and his friends too." Kai reflected. "That'll be lesson learned - he won't do it again."

"Where is Sora, anyway?" Shunsui glanced around him. "I haven't seen her since breakfast - Mitsuki, you room with her. Usually she's the first to come devour rank lists. Why isn't she here?"

"She and Naoko are doing something else." There was a faint edge to Mitsuki's voice, and Juushirou frowned, coming to sit down beside her.

"You and Shikibu-san haven't made up your argument yet?" He asked gently, and Mitsuki sighed, shaking her head.

"No. And I'm not going to put Sora in the middle of it, so I said it was all right and she should go help Naoko." She said heavily. "It's to do with the 2nd year camping trip. Apparently Amai-san woke up with a bad headache this morning, and Naoko needed someone to stand in. Sora offered...then got all flustered about it when she remembered we weren't speaking. So I told her to go. And I'm all on my own as a result."

"All on your own, except for us." Shunsui shot her a wry smile. "You really know how to make people feel valued, Mitsuki-chan."

"I didn't mean it like that." Mitsuki coloured. "Just...maybe I'm being possessive. But...I suppose I missed Sora a lot, when we were at home."

"You and Ryuu have both have been a little off-colour since you came back." Shunsui pursed his lips. "I know you can't talk much about the Clan, but..."

"And we probably should not, still." Ryuu met Juushirou's gaze gravely. "You know that the messenger that hauled us out of the exam came from Father, and that things are still chaotic at home. Without putting too fine a point on it...I don't believe we should be divulging too many details of things beyond our control."

"But if you bottle everything up, your grades will only be one of the things that suffer." Juushirou pointed out. "And you're both worried about something. Since that messenger came the other day...you've both been...bothered."

"Yes..." Ryuu chewed on his lip, then, "Father's messenger brought news of our cousin and senpai that...shall we say...concerned us both greatly."

"Cousin and senpai?" Kai's ears pricked up. "Nagoya, you mean?"

"Yes." Mitsuki glanced at her hands, and despite himself Juushirou stiffened, taking in the sudden change in her body language. "The details aren't clear, but...it seems he's in some trouble at home."

"Trouble of what nature?" Shunsui's eyes narrowed.

"Hard to say." Ryuu admitted. "Perhaps for knowing too much, or for not knowing enough. Apparently my father seeks to put him under arrest. Senpai has escaped his attentions - for now. But...the messenger brought a warning. That Shirogane-senpai had disappeared from the main house, and we were to consider him dangerous."

"Which is stupid." Mitsuki muttered. "Because Senpai didn't do anything to Ribari-sama, or to anyone else. Seiren-dono is being unreasonable, that's all."

"Mitsuki." Shunsui's eyes opened wide with surprise, and Juushirou bit his lip, taking in the genuine concern in his classmate's expression. "You're on Nagoya's side now?"

"In this...maybe." Mitsuki pinkened, nodding her head. "I mean...he really hasn't done anything wrong, Kyouraku-kun. He's just...Ryuu's father doesn't like him, and there's been misunderstandings. Seiren-dono's overreacted. That's all."

"But if there was a messenger here, someone thinks Nagoya will come to District One?" Kai asked quietly. Ryuu shrugged.

"It's highly unlikely, because border patrols will almost certainly stop him if Father does not. But we were told that if that happens we were not to get involved." He replied evenly. "And I am only telling you of this for that reason. Nobody should get involved. Senpai will have to take care of himself. Getting involved in Kuchiki business is a bad idea and would not be easily forgiven."

"Seiren-dono has some level of influence, huh." Shunsui's eyes became slits, and Ryuu sighed, nodding.

"He's Guren-sama's right hand man." He agreed wearily. "And someone who one should not think of crossing as blatantly as Senpai has."

"So if he comes here, you guys are going to just ignore it?" Kai asked.

"What else can we do? Orders are orders." Ryuu said simply, but Juushirou saw Mitsuki flinch slightly and suddenly he had the feeling that she intended on doing the exact opposite, no matter how great the danger. "You especially, Shihouin. Believe me, anything you did to interfere in my family would be taken in entirely the wrong vein."

"Nothing new about that." Kai shrugged. "Your Clan leader hates us. It's not a secret."

"It's a little more than that now, Shihouin-kun." Mitsuki raised her gaze, a troubled look in her eyes. "I've said nothing, and nor has Ryuu-kun. But...if you were to do anything...you really must not. Just in case. Because we don't know...what might happen."

"What are you talking about?" Kai was immediately on his guard. "Wait...are you saying that because a Kuchiki was assassinated, you suspect my family of being involved?"

"It's not a suspicion." Ryuu said flatly. "There are those who would place the Shihouin at the scene of the crime."

"_What?_" Kai's eyes almost fell out of his head, and Shunsui tut-tutted under his breath.

"That's a little paranoid." He chided. "Even for the Kuchiki, even given the past. I don't think Midori-sama's at all interested in killing Kuchiki heirs, nor in past grievances."

"Yet I have heard it myself." Ryuu responded quietly, and Juushirou knew his friend was deadly serious. "An eyewitness account that claims Ribari-sama saw the silhouette of a Shihouin before he died."

Kai's brows knitted together.

"Meaning..?" He asked softly. "That you genuinely think my Clan were responsible for your cousin's death?"

"There are those who say it's so."

"I see." Kai bristled. "I'd thought we had a rough level of understanding between us this year, Kuchiki, but obviously not. I can tell you right now, whatever those witnesses saw, the Shihouin haven't any involvement in Ribari-sama's murder. None at all. All right? Neesama has no interest in the Kuchiki in any regard, and certainly no reason to start slaughtering its members. The idea is stupid - why would we risk our standing to do something so foolhardy?"

"I have not said that _I _suspect you or your sister of anything. Nor have I said that I consider the Shihouin culpable." Ryuu shot back. "Just that this is what I have heard said...by one who was also struck ill when Ribari-sama died. In fact, by Shirogane-senpai himself."

"That's what you meant, then." Shunsui murmured. "That he knew too much about something?"

"Perhaps." Ryuu agreed wearily. "Shihouin, you are quick to jump to the defensive, but I already told you that Mitsuki and I have not said anything to our Clan about it. Nor has Shirogane-senpai. We all believe something else is at work. But it is hard...to completely disperse those accounts all the same."

"Could Ribari-sama have seen wrongly?" Juushirou wondered, and Ryuu nodded.

"More than possibly." He said heavily. "Mitsuki said she thought the poison had a hallucinogenic edge to it, and they were disorientated. Some of them spoke very strangely before they came back to their wits and only Senpai remembers anything at all. In that circumstance, there is every likelihood that Ribari-sama hallucinated such a figure."

"Oh. Hrm." Kai pursed his lips. "In that case, they have no grounds to make those kinds of accusations, do they?"

"There are...some." Mitsuki put in softly. "There was a random attack on some of the grooms of the stables, and all of them were killed. Before he died, one of them spoke to me of a gold eyed demon striking them down. But he was incoherent and he didn't survive - so I didn't say anything about it except to Ryuu."

"A gold eyed demon." Kai looked troubled. "But...does that have to mean a Shihouin? It's still...very...vague."

"Extremely." Ryuu agreed. "But...the kind of reports that would feed Kuchiki hysteria. Senaya-sama was a much beloved and revered Clan head. If people thought history was repeating, there would be a huge outcry. Although I am sure such a hypothesis would steady the trouble the family is currently undergoing...we did not have evidence enough to make such a report."

"So you'd like us to become a neat scapegoat for your family's domestic trouble?" Kai wrinkled up his nose. "Nice. Thanks."

"Again, _I have not expressed that this is my belief_." Ryuu said stiffly. "I do wish you would listen, rather than jumping to immediate conclusions. If I thought that the Shihouin were plotting against my family, do you think I would tolerate sharing a chamber with you like I am?"

"That is something else." Kai's eyes narrowed. "Given all of this, why haven't you asked to change rooms? A simple matter of personal dislike Sensei probably wouldn't listen to - it's fairly certain he did it on purpose knowing that we don't get along in order to make us learn something or other. But with this political situation...I wouldn't have thought you or your family would want the risk of sharing a room with an assassin. But you haven't even raised one complaint."

"I do not find your company pleasant." Ryuu said bluntly. "But I do not consider you an assassin. I do not believe my throat will be slit in my sleep if I happen to share a chamber with you for a few months together. And besides, I thought such a situation might prove opportune. I had intended to speak of this to you in private - but I don't suppose anyone outside of this room will leak the words spoken within, and it may be better to have more points of view."

"That's almost a compliment." Shunsui spoke up at that moment, finally fastening the ribbon properly around the box of _shougi_ pieces. "There. Got it. That Ryuu trusts us enough with Clan secret stuff to let us eavesdrop on something like this."

"More likely he wanted objective witnesses to the discussion." Kai snorted, shaking his head. "Though he's probably right. What do you think, Kyouraku? Does any of this make sense to you?"

"None of it." Shunsui said cheerfully. "But at least four years at school together has taught Ryuu that you're not about to kill him. I'd call that social progress."

"No...Kai-kun has a point." Juushirou said thoughtfully. "Ryuu-kun might have wanted to change rooms and we expected him to complain about it when he came back - but he hasn't, nor has he spoken to Sensei about changing. In fact, it's the other way. It's as though he's gone out of his way not to create a reason to change his room. Almost as if...he was making some kind of a point."

"You have realised, then?" Ryuu grimaced. "Perhaps you are right, Ukitake. Truthfully...yes, perhaps you are right."

"What, so you're saying that Kuchiki _wants_ to room with me now?" Kai looked flummoxed, and Juushirou shrugged.

"It's one way of saying that he doesn't believe the Shihouin are guilty." He said quietly. "Isn't it?"

"I suppose so." Kai pursed his lips. "So...you really don't think we're involved in all of this, then, Kuchiki?"

"I don't know." Ryuu said simply. "But I am quite sure that...you individually are not. And for the time being, whilst we are students here, none of us are so tied to our Clans that we have no choice but to draw lines and react to outside events."

"That's quite a turnaround in opinion, even for you, Ryuu-kun." Shunsui put in casually. "Are you sure there isn't another reason you feel that way?"

"Kyouraku?" Ryuu turned, startled, and Shunsui grinned.

"You said there were others who might have wanted Ribari-sama dead." He said lightly. "I would say that, if you're so sure that the Shihouin are not guilty...you have a better idea of who is. And it is someone within the Kuchiki, meaning that you have no reason to suspect Kai-kun's Clan. Not even if your kinsfolk do."

Ryuu's expression became one of consternation, and Juushirou frowned, noting the sudden clouding of the other boy's grey eyes.

"Shunsui's right, isn't he?" He murmured. "Ryuu, you do know something about this?"

"I know nothing about anything." Ryuu said flatly. "And that is the absolute truth. You should know that I am not one who tells lies easily. I have spoken entirely truthfully and I do not appreciate the implication of it being otherwise. I do not suspect the Shihouin-ke ordered the assassination of my cousin. You are reading more into it than there is."

"But with the death of Ribari-sama, the two candidates left to be heir to the Kuchiki were you and Nagoya, aren't they?" Shunsui was not at all put out by Ryuu's sudden defensive ire. "Which might explain why your Pa's suddenly so keen to get rid of Nagoya, but it doesn't exclude you from the bigger picture. As a second degree Clansman, Ryuu, there must be things you've seen or heard that other people might not have. If nobody else heard about these Shihouin, then surely there are other things..."

"Shirogane-senpai is _not_ eligible to inherit the Clan." Mitsuki said softly, and Juushirou had the distinct impression that she was trying to divert the conversation, her gaze flitting towards Ryuu as she spoke. "His claim comes through the female line, and so Seiren-dono cannot view him as a threat to Ryuu. Their conflict is a misunderstanding. Nothing else. That's why so much of the pressure is falling on Ryuu. Seiren-dono knows that it's the best chance he has for his son to be named as successor."

"Mitsuki." Ryuu glanced at her, and Mitsuki reddened.

"I'm sorry." She murmured. "But you know it's true. He hasn't made a secret of it. Seiren-dono was fond of Ribari-sama and you know that he was upset when the boy died. But _since_ Ribari-sama's death...he's begun to act decisively in your favour. Shirogane-senpai probably kept crossing him - and so...this happened. And the messenger was dispatched to tell us we should now consider Senpai our enemy. Which is ridiculous, but the only explanation."

"Yes. Perhaps." Ryuu rubbed his temples. "Though I can't understand Guren-sama going along with such an idea. He is fond of Shirogane-senpai. More so than anyone else."

"Which brings us back to the Kuchiki themselves." Shunsui reflected. "Ryuu, don't take this amiss. I'm not accusing you of lying - none of us are. But if you're so certain that a Clan you hate are innocent...the only solution is that you suspect someone else more than you do them. And that person must have done something to create especial suspicion in your mind, if it's overcome your natural prejudice."

"You should not try to understand a Clan that has absolutely no connection to you or your own, Kyouraku." Ryuu said coldly, getting to his feet. "And if you are simply going to cast such aspersions, then I will go to the library and begin on the Kidou report that we are supposed to be compiling."

"There." Shunsui folded his arms across the chest. "That face. Don't you think so, Juu? Kai? That's not the usual kind of face we see from Ryuu when talking about the Kuchiki. Something's up, and it isn't just Nagoya's disappearance into the blue yonder."

"It looks like you just upset him to me." Juushirou murmured. "Ryuu-kun, sit down. Nobody's meaning to jump to conclusions, and we're not accusing you of lying. We'll change the subject, so don't walk out. You're right. This really isn't our business."

"Ukitake..." Ryuu started, staring at his friend, and Juushirou saw a faintly ashamed look enter the grey eyes. Slowly he sank down onto the floor once more, and the conversation lapsed as an uneasy silence fell over the group.

At length, Kai sighed.

"The truth is, I jumped to the defence of my kin just as easily." He said softly. "Because they're my kin, and I have pride in my bloodline, just as Kuchiki does. And this has happened before. When Guren-sama's father died...the blame fell on us then, too."

"It does seem to be a repeat of that occurrence." Ryuu nodded his head slightly. "Though in that instance, I was led to believe...the Shihouin did have some involvement."

"I wasn't alive to know, and I don't really care because anyone who was involved is dead now." Kai said acerbically. "It's history and we all know far too well what digging up ancient history does to a Clan. It's very possible that there was a connection. I won't deny it. But that Shihouin and this one are not the same. Still, because there's an apparent precedent, blaming us might stick. And...because there's a precedent..."

He shook his head.

"Neesama isn't like other leaders of the Shihouin before her." He said at length. "She's said several times that she wants to use the Shihouin skills more positively and she's begun to put particular effort into a squad who use those stealth abilities for the greater good of Soul Society. When I graduate, it'll be my job to take charge of those secret operatives and sort out their place in Seireitei, so I know more about this than most of you do. Those are the people - the skills - that were once used simply for assassinations and other shadow acts. But Neesama's dream is to legitimise them and make them a force to support and work with the Gotei. And that's what she's done. Not a single one of those people who she is now training would dare defy her, nor can I imagine them wanting to. Midori-neesama doesn't want the Shihouin to be known for covert killing any longer. And so that era...that mindset...little by little is fading away. You might say it started to die when Uncle was put to death...but it's continued to crumble and change since that point. Before we came back here, I was training largely with those people...and I'm quite sure, Kuchiki. There aren't any members of Midori-nee's forces who would carry out such an act."

"Rehabilitating a Clan reputation is a big job." Shunsui remarked. "But if anyone can do it, I imagine it's Midori-sama."

"_Nobody_ here suspects the Shihouin-ke's involvement, Kai-kun." Juushirou said softly. "You don't need to worry...if you say that, we believe you."

"If the heir to the Clan can't be trusted, who can?" Shunsui supplemented lazily. "It's all right, Kai. Juu's right. We believe you."

"Mm." Kai pursed his lips, this time looking directly at Ryuu. "Good, because what I'm about to say I don't even really understand. It may have nothing to do with this. Probably it doesn't. Honestly, I'd dismissed and forgotten it as irrelevant till now, because it seemed so ridiculous to think it could be important in any regard. I can't see how it could be even remotely connected to this. But...I don't want to be accused of having hidden something that later turned out to be significant. If I want people to trust the Shihouin, then I have to prove there's nothing for us to hide. And it will come out anyway...so I might as well be the one to say it."

"What do you mean?" Ryuu shot him a confused glance, and Kai bit his lip.

"Nagoya's not the only one missing in action." He said softly. "Tomoyuki has also disappeared."

"Tomo...yuki?" Ryuu's brows knitted together, and Juushirou frowned.

"Onoe-kun." He realised. "That's who you mean, isn't it, Kai-kun? Onoe-kun is Tomoyuki. Your cousin - Aitori's nephew who tried to kill you when we were first years."

"Yes." Kai nodded soberly. "That's who I mean."

"Onoe, huh." Shunsui's eyes narrowed. "But wasn't he comatose? Four years and not a peep out of him - where could he have wandered off to? Did he wake up or something...?"

"No. He hasn't stirred once." Kai shook his head. "And even if he did, he'd have no memory of anything that happened before. The chances are that, given so long unconscious, he wouldn't even know his own name. His spirit power is non-existant now thanks to the Eiminyaku and Unohana-sensei said quite clearly when Neesama took him home that if he did awaken, he would be a shadow of who he had been before. His guilt and innocence would be completely washed from his mind - along with most everything else."

"Yet such a person has managed to disappear?" Ryuu's brows knitted together. "On his own? Without a trace?"

"At first, Neesama thought that Tomoyuki's father had finally snapped and had enough and had done something with him." Kai said quietly. "He and his wife...have never really agreed on how to deal with what happened. His mother cried a lot and clung to him - his father disowned him and even threatened to sever his life by his own hands because of the shame he'd brought on the Clan. Midori-neesama told him such an action wouldn't be forgiven, so so far he's not done anything. But...with him vanishing so unexpectedly, the question was asked. And that was...our initial thought."

"But...?" Shunsui looked quizzical, and Kai nodded.

"Onoe's father had an alibi for the night Tomoyuki disappeared." He said heavily. "He was in the company of my brother and two other Shihouin lords within the manor, going over some settlements of land and other details. Since Yanagi-nii was there, Midori-nee had no alternative but to believe him innocent. And the truth is, had he really intended to destroy his son's life, he would have defied Neesama sooner. He'd have had far more opportunity to act when Midori-nee was at Council meetings or helping in District Seven or doing anything else that might have taken her attention away. So...probably it had nothing to do with him. When asked he said that he had long since considered his son dead and no longer his concern - and I believed his words."

"Then where did he go?" Juushirou murmured. "And how?"

"It's still a mystery." Kai responded. "And it probably has no bearing on the Kuchiki at all, since Tomoyuki would not only have lost his spiritual skills but all memory of his stealth training and anything to do with the assassin laws he learnt when following Aitori's lead. He'd be a literal blank slate - confused and lost - which suggests most likely he woke up, didn't know where or who he was and wandered away somehow without the guards seeing him. But although there have been searches, he's not been found. And that's all."

"Such a person seems an unlikely assassin." Ryuu said thoughtfully. "But I am glad you told me. As you said, it probably bears no connection to our family at all - I do not believe that one so damaged as that could slip into Kuchiki land unseen and undetected and could possibly conspire to kill an important member of my family without being apprehended - let alone bringing down most of Sixth Squad. But to have concealed it might have caused suspicions and misunderstandings further on."

"Yes." Kai agreed. "And I've no desire for the Shihouin-ke to be raided again because Guren-sama's got it into his head that we've taken his son from him in the same way we allegedly took his father. So as we have nothing to hide, I'm not hiding it."

"Guren-sama's father was also my Grandfather." Ryuu said quietly. "And his death was quite a pivotal one for the Clan at the time, since there was an amount of unrest and dissent among senior members of my family then. And now, with the succession of the Clan once more blurry, I fear such a thing will occur again."

He sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I am going to the library, in the hopes I can use study to clear my thoughts." He admitted. "From those grades, I obviously need to spend some time with my books. I will speak to you all later on, I have no doubt."

With that he was gone, and Juushirou let out his breath in a rush.

"Ryuu really has got a lot on his shoulders, hasn't he?" Shunsui observed, and Kai grimaced.

"Probably there's stuff he didn't tell us then, just as you thought." He replied wryly. "But you can't pry it out of him - there's just no doing it. Whatever he thinks or suspects about all of this, he's not talking about it."

"But there's no hiding the fact that Ryuu is a potential blood candidate for the Clan inheritance now." Juushirou said, his expression troubled. "And Ryuu...you can tell one thing from how he's reacted so far. He really doesn't want anything to do with it."

"But if Nagoya's really not important in the Clan, why has Ryuu's Pa gone so nuts about locking him up?" Shunsui wondered. "If the boy has no claim, it seems a drastic thing to do. Mitsuki-chan, are you sure that nobody in the Kuchiki sees Nagoya as competition for Ryuu? He's a Vice Captain and a favourite of Guren, isn't he?"

"You underestimate Clan tradition, though."Mitsuki said quietly, shaking her head. "Shirogane-senpai's father was only fourth degree. He was only allowed to marry Masane-dono by special permission given him by Guren-sama himself. Shirogane-senpai's bloodline isn't considered equal to Ryuu's in most respects. He's clever, capable and Guren-sama's favourite. But tradition still speaks in cases such as these. Most of the time degree is determined by the father's bloodline. Senpai's status as second degree was a favour to Masane-dono. In most people's eyes, without Guren-sama's good opinion, he might be considered lower rank even than me."

"Even so, though, for the stability of the Clan?" Shunsui asked. "If Ryuu is so opposed to the idea, wouldn't Guren-sama be able to make an exception in the circumstances?"

"This is the Kuchiki." Mitsuki said simply. "Things don't work that way. Seiren-dono knows that his son is the only heir, and so does Ryuu. That's all."

"I wonder about that." Juushirou's mind flitted back to Genryuusai's words from before term had begun.

_"Him alone. Not his children, Juushirou."_

He sighed.

"I get the feeling this isn't about Ryuu's opinion or about Nagoya-senpai's, either. Nor is it about their track records or their abilities. Ryuu's never looked quite so bothered before - I can't help but think there's something more to it that we don't know yet."

"Ryuu knows that no matter what he says, most probably it will fall on him and he can't escape it." Mitsuki sighed. "But...he really doesn't want it. Not at all. And I think that's bothering him more than anything else. He'd like to find out who killed Ribari-sama. But most...he wants to stay in the shadows of the Clan and out of Seiren-dono's manipulation."

"Ryuu's father is ambitious..." Shunsui pursed his lips. "And he can't inherit for himself, can he? So Ryuu is it. Poor Ryuu. If he hates the idea that much, it's going to be a hard path."

"But for now, the Clan is still in flux." Mitsuki sighed. "And I'm worried about Senpai. I'm worried that he's okay."

Juushirou glanced at her, taking in the genuine emotion in her grey eyes, and despite himself his heart clenched in his throat.

_Was Shikibu-san...right?_

"Juu?" Shunsui cast him a quizzical glance, and he shook his head, offering his friend a faint smile.

"I was just reminding myself why I'm glad not to be Clan." He said ruefully. "It carries so many burdens."

"It does." Kai said grimly. "I would have mentioned Tomoyuki before, if I'd thought it relevant...but..."

"Onoe-kun was broken." Mitsuki shook her head. "I saved his life, but only really his body survived."

"So it probably is unconnected." Juushirou reflected. Shunsui frowned, his eyes becoming slits as he considered.

"Coincidences aren't usually as coincidental as they appear." He murmured. "I may be wrong, but I have a feeling that what you've said today is something we're going to return to again, Kai-kun. Also, what Ryuu said. I don't know what, but it seems as though something big is beginning to move. And...we just haven't seen what it is yet. But whatever it is...we should watch out for it. Because...I don't think that, if someone like Ribari-sama can be killed, it would be a problem for other people to die, too."

"Meaning?" Juushirou shot him a questioning look.

"That Ryuu and Mitsuki are right." Shunsui said grimly. "This is bad. And we keep out of it. Especially you."

"Why me?" Juushirou was taken aback, and Shunsui's eyes darkened.

"Because you're the one who's best at getting into stupid and dangerous situations." He said simply. "And this is one I don't think you should get into. If the Kuchiki are killing each other, that's one thing. But if something outside the Kuchiki is taking them on...then it's definitely something you shouldn't be getting involved in. None of us should. It has a bad air about it - I just have the feeling it's going to get much worse before it gets better."

* * *

"Yasuhiro-dono, may I please speak to you for a moment?"

In the busy stable yard of the Kyouraku estate, a voice cut through the bustle, and Yasuhiro turned, a frown crossing his features as he registered the tentative expression in the young soldier's eyes. He nodded, handing his horse's reins almost automatically to one of the stablehands on duty, who bowed, scurrying away to rub the beast down after a long day out on patrol.

As Tokutarou's right hand man and most trusted servant since the Lord's childhood, Yasuhiro had soon settled into life in District Eight when his master had made the move from Five several years ago. Many of the young soldiers now under his command had been trained by him in one way or another, and so he knew without asking them that he commanded a good deal of their loyalty and obedience. Although he could be strict and demanding, there was a mutual respect between him and his subordinate military officers, and Yasuhiro was proud of what he had achieved in the time he had been resident here.

District Eight's military mentality had lapsed quite a lot with the previous two incumbents, but Tokutarou was a different kind of master, true to his samurai roots and a man Yasuhiro understood - a soldier, not a spiritual warrior with a down to earth manner. Yasuhiro prided himself on every one of his young charges being a skilled and capable swordsman ready to die in a heartbeat to defend his Lord's land. Yet that afternoon, there was a look he had not seen before in Takeshi's troubled eyes, and he frowned, taking his companion by the arm and leading him across the yard to one side.

"What is it?" He asked quietly. "You look like a man lacking sleep."

"I suppose I haven't had a lot, lately." Takeshi ran his fingers through his thick dark hair, inclining his head in acknowledgement. "I'm sorry, sir. I just...I wanted to ask you something. It's...a bit of a strange question, but...but the other day...well..."

He faltered, as if trying to work out how to form the words, and Yasuhiro's lips thinned as he absorbed the tension in the young man's frame. He had trained Takeshi since the other was a boy of only thirteen or fourteen, sent from his family's farm to make a life for himself in Tokutarou's service. In that time Yasuhiro had come to know the soldier's manner and demeanour as well as if Takeshi had been his kin - and this hesitant, somewhat withdrawn countenance was one he had not seen in the boy before.

_Almost as though he doesn't know how to ask the question. Or he is working out what question to ask whilst concealing the true heart of the problem._

"Well?" As the silence threatened to drag on, Yasuhiro raised an eyebrow. "You and I both have many other things to attend to - and your wife will doubtless want to see you this evening, since you're not scheduled for late night guard duty. If you have nothing to say, Takeshi, then I'll dismiss you and we can both go about our tasks."

"No, please sir...please not yet." Takeshi looked anxious, and again Yasuhiro was struck by the unfamiliar expression on the young man's face. "I just...I think it might be...an impertinent question, sir. That's all. Not something that's really...well...the business of a soldier like me."

"But you want to ask it anyway?" Yasuhiro's curiosity was piqued. "Very well. For this once I'll overlook anything impertinent. What is it that's troubling you?"

"I just...I wondered if...Lord Tokutarou was...entertaining any Shihouin-ke guests at the present time?"

"Shihouin?" Despite himself, Yasuhiro was taken aback. "Takeshi, what do you mean? Why would that matter...why would you need to know something like that?"

"I'm sorry." Takeshi lowered his gaze. "It's very hard...it's sort of a...personal matter. And...well...I..."

"A personal matter?" Yasuhiro was foxed. "You'll forgive me for not understanding at all what you mean. But to the best of my knowledge, there are currently no Shihouin visiting the Lord nor any due to come in the forseeable future."

"I see." Takeshi recovered his composure a little, offering his commander a faint smile. "It's just...my wife thought she saw somebody in Teika-chou but...if you say not, then she must have been mistaken. I'm sorry to have taken your time, Yasuhiro-dono."

"In Teika-chou?" Yasuhiro's expression became thoughtful. "It's no secret that trade relations with District Two have increased in recent years. But no, Takeshi, your wife must have been quite mistaken. Though I can't see why that would concern you anyhow."

"I'm sorry, sir." Takeshi bowed his head. "For troubling you with such trivial things."

"That is all you wanted to ask me?" Yasuhiro asked, and Takeshi nodded.

"Yes sir. Thank you sir."

"Very well. You are dismissed, then." Yasuhiro gestured towards the main barracks and Takeshi saluted hastily, before turning on his heel and heading swiftly across the cobbles to join the other soldiers inside.

Yasuhiro watched him go, a troubled look on his face.

_Subtlety hasn't ever been your forte, though you're strong and you work hard. There's something else behind this awkward question of yours - but what, I wonder?_

"Yasuhiro-dono, is something wrong?"

The voice of another soldier broke through his musings and he turned, offering the other man a thoughtful glance.

"Your family live close by to Takeshi's, don't they?" He asked softly, and the soldier looked startled, nodding his head.

"Yes, sir. Why? Is something amiss?"

"I don't know." Yasuhiro admitted, his gaze flitting back towards the main barracks. "I hoped you might tell me. He seems unusually out of sorts today - quite unlike himself, and it bothers me."

"I see." The soldier bit his lip, glancing around him and then lowering his voice.

"There is a rumour, sir." He said softly. "But...I don't know how true it is. My wife's been occupied with the baby, and you know I've been working a lot, so...well, it's just something I've heard. But maybe it's true."

"A rumour?" Yasuhiro's eyes narrowed. "I see. Would you tell me this rumour, please? It may be nothing, but I don't like it when something other than Tokutarou-sama's safety and instructions are preoccupying my men. If something is wrong, I want to get to the bottom of it as soon as I can."

"Well, as I said, sir, I don't know if it's true." The soldier shrugged helplessly. "But some of the men are saying that there's trouble at home where Takeshi's concerned. A couple of them are certain they saw a prostitute going into his house...and the lad on gate duty said he's certain he let one of the town prostitutes into the complex that same night."

He reddened slightly, then,

"Tisn't uncommon for those who ain't married to take up with a courtesan and mostly folk look the other way." He added. "But Takeshi's married, and his wife's young and pretty t'boot. There doesn't seem to be any reason unless they're having problems of a marital sort."

"Marital trouble?" Yasuhiro rubbed his chin ruefully. "That is decidedly not my forte, unfortunately. But you believe there to be some truth in this tale?"

"I don't know." The soldier admitted. "I only know the bits I've heard. It doesn't seem very much like Takeshi. But his wife's been in and out of the local towns and villages a lot lately. I don't know on what errand, but...I'm sure I saw her asking around after one of the prostitutes, and well, just this morning Takeshi asked me if I'd seen any Shihouin when out on town patrol. I thought it an odd question...unless...his wife's taken up with some foreign visitor of late and he's trying to hunt the man down."

"I see." Yasuhiro digested this information carefully. "All right. I understand now. Thank you - please don't discuss this matter any more. It's not good for morale and if Takeshi's problems are indeed of that nature...it seems better that I keep an eye on things and make sure he doesn't act out of line. I've seen it before, in men in that situation, so it won't hurt to be careful."

"Yes sir." The soldier saluted, withdrawing to tend to his own horse, and Yasuhiro leant up against the wall of the stable, running the conversation over in his mind.

_You were certainly tense and unlike yourself. And definitely hiding something. This story is disturbing - whilst I have no issue with my men entertaining prostitutes on their own time, if it's a bigger, more complex situation then I don't see what to do about it. However, I can't just let it lie. I've seen it before - good men broken by jealousy turning their blades on the person they feel has humiliated them. Their wives, the other parties..._

His gaze drifted towards the barracks, where changed and groomed, Takeshi was now emerging. There was still tension in his frame, Yasuhiro decided, and the young man did not even look towards his commander, clearly deep in thought as he made his way towards the gate that led towards the soldiers' housing.

Inwardly, Yasuhiro made up his mind. Casting a glance around the yard to make sure everyone had obeyed his orders to the letter, he gave a series of swift instructions to the most senior of his men present and then turned back towards the house, making his way purposefully through the halls towards Tokutarou's study.

_If it were any other man...but this man is different. His status is the same as the others, but Takeshi...is different._

He rapped on the door of the Lord's chamber, waiting to hear his master's voice call him in. Tokutarou was alone, and going over a list of property tax reports, but at his entrance he set his brush down, casting his manservant a tired smile.

"I trust today's patrol went well? Nothing amiss?" He asked, and Yasuhiro nodded.

"Everything in much the way it should be." He agreed. "Now that the last of the refugees have left your late Uncle's manor, there has been some talk of rebuilding the land and constructing more healthy settlements there. You know that only about half of the refugees have returned to District Seven - and the population in Eighth has risen as a result. Babies are still being born - and fortunately, deaths in this region are not high."

"It's something that I'm looking over." Tokutarou nodded. "The warden of that manor sent me some paperwork to review, I just haven't reached it yet. Tax reports are due...and tomorrow I have to meet with the representatives from across the District and hear what they've been doing with our revenue."

"I'm sorry." Yasuhiro bowed his head apologetically. "I've sought to disturb you with a trivial matter when you are busy."

"A break is always welcome." Tokutarou assured him. "What's wrong, Yasuhiro? You look troubled."

"I confess I am, somewhat." Yasuhiro sighed. "My Lord, it concerns one of my men - Inazaka Takeshi."

"Takeshi?" Tokutarou's brows knitted together in confusion. "You can't tell me that he's become insubordinate because I won't believe you."

"No, but something is troubling him." Yasuhiro frowned. "Recently he has been a little distracted, although it hasn't really affected his work. Then out of the blue today he asked me some strange questions...and from one of his comrades I've gleaned that there may be serious problems in his married life. I realise this is my problem as a commander to resolve and not yours - but I also know that Takeshi is known to you by name and so is his wife...because of Shunsui-sama's friendship with Ukitake Juushirou-dono."

"Yes." Tokutarou became grave. "Chihiro-dono was a guest of this manor for some months when Juushirou convalesced here after he took that bad injury - in fact, that was when she and Takeshi first became acquainted, if I'm remembering correctly. Though I don't choose to favour particular men among my retinue, it's been impossible for me not to be aware of them because of the reasons you've said. Chihiro-dono comes here from time to time too - Rae-hime likes her company, and she seems popular about the manor. She has good manners, despite her level of birth - and since Takeshi has such a good record of service, I was considering assigning him over to Shunsui when my idiot brother graduates the Academy. He'll need someone he can call on, even if he's going to take up the _haori _and Captain in District Eight."

"For that very reason, I suspect, Shunsui-sama will need someone." Yasuhiro said dryly. "But then you understand why I have brought this to you. The stories are unsubstantiated ones at best, but Takeshi did ask me whether or not any Shihouin were currently in District Eight."

"Shihouin?" Tokutarou looked startled.

"Yes. And he was uncomfortable about raising the subject, as though there was something he did not want me to know."

"And his comrade told you that this was a marital issue?" Tokutarou asked softly. Yasuhiro shrugged.

"I am not married, and so I don't really understand." He said honestly. "But there seems to be a rumour among the men in the barracks that a prostitute visited Takeshi's house recently. And that Chihiro-dono has spent a good deal of time in the town - possibly meeting with this unknown Shihouin."

"But Shihouin are Clansfolk...surely..."

"Yes. But Chihiro-dono has connections to such Clansfolk through her brother's friendships and education." Yasuhiro pointed out.

"That is true." Tokutarou acknowledged.

"It troubles me." Yasuhiro sighed. "I have not forgotten the last time one of my men had such a controversial marriage breakdown - or the tragic consequences of that fact. That man was a good man too - and so..."

"The incident you're referring to was more than a year ago now," Tokutarou frowned, "but you're right. A good soldier with a good record who lost his wits and slashed his wife and her lover to pieces before turning the blade on himself. None of us saw it coming. And...though I can't imagine Takeshi being that kind of soldier...Shunsui would not forgive me if anything befell Juushirou's sister. Regardless of any blame or guilt in the equation. Still, though, Takeshi and Chihiro-dono seem to be a close couple."

He looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded his head.

"Being that the situation is so complicated, I will speak to Takeshi myself." He decided at length. "Providing the matter doesn't go to extremes, I don't intend on interfering in the private lives of my retainers, but what you've said is enough for me to at least see him face to face. I don't want another tragedy like the last one, and a soldier's life is a heavy one when all is said and done."

"Thank you, sir." Yasuhiro looked relieved. "Rumours and whispers upset barrack morale, and so if you wouldn't mind..."

"No. In the circumstances, it seems proper for me to handle it." Tokutarou reflected. "Especially if he's a man I'm considering for my brother's guard - I'll assess what the situation is for myself and try and get to the bottom of things before they spiral out of hand."

* * *

_**Author's Note**_

_We have the return of Tokutarou this chapter! _

_A lot of people have asked questions about the gold eyed assassin and also about Onoe Tomoyuki. This chapter opens up the answer to a few of those questions that might not have been clear up to this point. A little bit of useful information sharing between Clansfolk here :)_

_For anyone who hasn't guessed, the silver and gold in the title are Shirogane and Kinnya ;) I suppose it's fully out of the bag now that Kinnya's not quite the quiet, sweet old hermit that he's maybe seemed up to this point. Though he chooses a remote life now, he was once at the heart of the Kuchiki court and the right hand man of the previous Clan leader. There's one other bit of data about Kinnya that even young Kuchiki aren't readily aware of - possibly data which some members of the Council of Elders also do not know.  
_

_Also, in case anyone is confused, Senaya is absolutely dead and so isn't actively manipulating anyone. As referenced in an earlier chapter, Senaya believed when he died that he was going to take over the moon and dictate from the night sky. Therefore Keiichi and Kinnya like to joke about his moon castle - his 'Tsukijiro'._

_**Finally, I feel I should offer my thanks to the folks still reading, reviewing and supporting this story and Meifu as a whole.** I've been crazy busy lately, especially with work and study, and so I've had less time to write Meifu...but people's support is keeping me going towards finishing the writing of this story before Christmas. Your support and reviews always make this Vraie happy, so thank you and let's keep it going!  
_


	31. Shinkei's Discovery

**Chapter Thirty: Shinkei's Discovery**

"You sent for me, my Lord?"

Takeshi stood before the desk in Tokutarou's study, apprehension clear in his dark eyes. He was the picture of a perfect soldier, Tokutarou reflected, setting his brush down and scrutinising the young man's appearance carefully for signs of strain. His uniform was neat and tidy, the badge of his unit and Tokutarou's own gleaming on the breast, and at his waist hung the empty scabbard which usually housed his sword, polished and clean as if like new.

It was against Kyouraku law for any retainer below Yasuhiro to bear arms in the private quarters of the lord, so here too Takeshi was obedient and accurate to the letter. But in spite of his flawless outward appearance, Tokutarou could see almost at once that Yasuhiro's concerns had had some foundation. Neat and proper the man might be, but there was disarray and confusion in his eyes, and the stiff way in which he stood before his master told more of inner tension than it did of a soldier standing to attention.

"You may be at ease, Takeshi." Tokutarou pursed his lips, taking in the young features and the anxiety that festered deep in the depths of his companion's gaze. "You probably realise that I've sent for you for a reason – but you aren't in any particular trouble."

"Sir?" Takeshi's stance did not alter, his expression becoming wary, and Tokutarou sighed.

"Yasuhiro came to me and expressed some concerns about your situation." He said gently. "It's not my habit to interfere with men of my retinue – that's something I leave almost entirely in his hands. But Yasuhiro is concerned that these are things of a…delicate nature. And your own circumstances mean you are a little…different from your fellows in some regards."

Takeshi did not respond, and Tokutarou rested his hands on the desk, continuing slowly.

"There are, apparently, some tales in the barracks that your fellows seem unsettled by." He said quietly. "There is no way to beat around the bush, so I'll simply ask you straight out. Are there problems in your married life, Takeshi?"

"Problems in my…married…life?" Takeshi started, staring at his master in bewilderment. "No sir. No problems at all that I know of. Chihiro and I are quite fine."

"I see." Tokutarou's eyes narrowed. "Then I'll be even more plain about Yasuhiro's concerns, shall I? Some of your fellow soldiers have reported to him the presence of a certain known prostitute within the vicinity of your property in recent days."

Takeshi visibly stiffened, and it was Tokutarou's turn to be surprised by this apparent support for his retainer's suspicions.

"So you do know something about that, at least?" He asked gently.

Takeshi's cheeks flushed red, and he shook his head.

"Has someone said I've been taking up with a courtesan, Tokutarou-sama? Because things like that are slander and I'd take a sword to anyone who suggested it! Chihiro and I don't have that kind of problem…and with all respect, sir, I have my pride as a husband and a man too! I made my vows to one woman and I don't intend on straying – so whatever rumours have been spread about, there's no truth in them at all!"

Tokutarou tilted his head on one side, absorbing this reaction carefully. There was righteous indignation in Takeshi's expression now, and Tokutarou was sure that had he had possession of his sword, and had his companion been one of equal rank, the weapon would have been drawn. But there was still something unsettled in the young soldier's dark eyes, and it bothered Tokutarou more than he liked to admit.

"I know it's not my business to intervene in such personal things." He admitted at length. "And I'm sorry for the fact that I've become involved. You've probably guessed the reason why I have – that anything which concerns Chihiro-dono might have other repercussions with other people. That being the case…"

"I haven't done anything to disrespect my wife, sir." Takeshi said flatly. "And I have no intention of doing so. Even if she wasn't the sister of Shunsui-sama's good friend, I would feel that way. I love my wife a good deal – and I wouldn't hurt her for the world."

"Then something else is concerning you." Tokutarou said reflectively. "Some other reason why you asked Yasuhiro-dono about the presence of Shihouin in District Eight, and why this prostitute was lurking around your property in recent days?"

Takeshi was silent for a moment, and Tokutarou's lips thinned.

"I will not discipline you for infidelity or lapses in judgement in your personal life." He said quietly. "But if you lie to me, Takeshi, that will be considered in a different light. Whether you see this as my business or not, I have asked you a question. I would like you to answer it. The Shihouin are valued allies and trade partners of the Kyouraku Clan. Therefore whatever your reason for involving them – I would like to know."

Takeshi bit his lip, and Tokutarou saw a flicker of consternation in the dark eyes. There was another long pause, and then, at length, the soldier sighed.

"I cannot," He said honestly. "be as frank as you wish me to be, Tokutarou-sama. I am sorry for it, but I cannot. I have given my word and I must not break it. Somebody's life may be in jeopardy if I do."

"And this somebody…is one even my position could not protect?"

"On the contrary, sir, I think the opposite to be true."

"The opposite?" Tokutarou's eyes widened. "That my protection would somehow put this person in danger?"

"I think it might help to make her a target, sir." Takeshi admitted. "By bringing her into the spotlight and making people aware of her existence all the more. Perhaps…even more than that."

"And by her, I presume you are talking about this prostitute that Yasuhiro's men have seen in recent days?" Tokutarou did not miss a beat, and Takeshi faltered, staring at his Lord in stricken silence. Tokutarou nodded.

"Then tell me what you can tell me." He said calmly. "And I will not ask the things that you cannot."

Takeshi groaned, running his fingers through his thick dark hair in clear agitation.

"A prostitute was murdered recently." He said at length. "At least, she disappeared. Her house was burnt from the inside, and she…disappeared. It seems improbable that she's still alive, though not impossible. The other night, another prostitute's house was invaded and she was attacked. That prostitute knew the one that vanished very well. She is also a friend and student of my wife's – Chihiro has been teaching her to letter and to sew, and that is the connection between my family and the girl the soldiers saw. She is the guardian of two young children – and so she came to us in hopes of sanctuary, knowing that a soldier's home would be harder for an assailant to breach."

"And you agreed to this?"

"For the sake of my wife's friendship – and the safety of the young ones – yes sir. I did."

"I see." Tokutarou tapped his fingers absently on the desk. "So this is a local matter? A development in an investigation related to town law and order?"

"Yes sir. It is." There was honesty in Takeshi's expression, and Tokutarou nodded, clicking his tongue against his teeth.

"It seems you've gone a little beyond the call of duty in taking this prostitute in." He reflected. "But I understand your circumstances now you have explained them clearly. Also why you don't want to bring such a person to my notice. As well as having a negative impact on your family's situation, if the Clan was to offer shelter in such an instance…it might make the situation far worse."

He grinned ruefully.

"I don't consider myself a proud man in that respect – I prefer to think I'm quite a realistic individual most of the time." He added. "But shielding a prostitute when I have a wife and young son to protect…might draw unwanted attention from some of my kin."

"Yes sir." Takeshi pursed his lips. "The…the courtesan in question said likewise. That she didn't want…to draw unnecessary attention. If not for the children, I'm sure she wouldn't have even come to us."

"And the Shihouin? How does that connect to all of this?"

"I don't really know myself." Takeshi admitted. "But Riri…I mean, the courtesan – she said that the person who attacked her was dressed all in black. All she saw was his eyes – and they were gold. I didn't…we weren't trying to make accusations against members of the Shihouin Clan!" He added hastily, as Tokutarou's brows knitted together in consternation. "But we could not think…what other people have golden eyes."

"The Shihouin, bar none." Tokutarou murmured. "As far as I'm aware, Takeshi, only people with some strain of Shihouin blood are ever born with golden eyes. It's a distinctive Clan feature and one the noble family in District Two are very proud of. But you say this attack happened at night?"

"Yes sir."

"And in the dim light, I suppose a mistake could have been made?"

"It could, sir. That was one reason for my asking Yasuhiro-dono."

"And of course, even if the attacker had gold eyes, they could be simply someone with some level of distant Shihouin blood, not a pure-blooded Clansman anyway." Tokutarou sighed. "On the one hand, any citizen of District Eight in distress should have justice. But on the other…I can't imagine what benefit attacking prostitutes would have to a member of a foreign Clan."

He raised his gaze, meeting Takeshi's with an equally preoccupied look.

"There are things you haven't told me, by your own admission." He murmured. "I wonder if those things would make my feelings on the subject different. There is a reason this prostitute was attacked, I'm sure. There are probably hundreds of courtesans working in this area – yet only two have been attacked. Two with a connection to one another. There is something else, Takeshi, isn't there?"

Takeshi frowned.

"I gave my word." He whispered. "I cannot break it, even to…even if you…"

"Your wife values this friendship that strongly?" Tokutarou was surprised, and Takeshi nodded.

"She does, sir. I'm sorry. I understand if you discipline me – but I can't say more than I already have. I was hoping not to draw attention to the matter at all – but I'm not particularly good at subtlety in these situations."

Despite himself, Tokutarou grinned, shaking his head.

"I like when a man has his own convictions, and when one keeps his word." He acknowledged. "Frustrated as I am by your answer, I won't punish you for that. I'm relieved that Yasuhiro's fears are unfounded – but your words have concerned me nonetheless. For that reason, I will tell you this. To my knowledge there are currently no Shihouin in District Eight. Though some are due to cross borders for the spring trading, none have yet done so. There should not be anyone who fits the description of this courtesan's assailant. And so if you find any further information on that matter – I would like to be informed."

"Yes, sir." Takeshi bowed his head, and Tokutarou flicked his hand towards the study door.

"Then you're dismissed." He said quietly, seeing the relief in the young man's eyes as he made his salute and fled the chamber. As the door slid shut behind him, Tokutarou rested his chin on his hands, considering everything he had just heard.

_I believe Takeshi told me the truth, but not all of it. There was obviously something he thought I wouldn't like to hear in the information he kept back, and I think that's as much why he did it as his loyalty to his wife. I can tell Yasuhiro that there's nothing to worry about in Takeshi's marital situation, though – he was willing to risk my disciplining him in order to keep his promise. But that said…the matter is more sinister overall._

He sighed, getting slowly to his feet.

_The disappearance or death of a local prostitute is not a matter for my direct involvement. If I became involved – Takeshi is right – it would raise questions with the Clan about my connection to such people and even now Rae has birthed a son, there are still a few kinsfolk who would prefer to take my Shiba blood out of the Clan equation. Besides, unpleasant as it is, there are retainers more than able to take care of solving those kinds of crimes._

He pushed back the door, leaning absently against the frame as he considered Takeshi's expression once more.

_I just have a bad feeling about this one. Some violent things have happened in that town recently. Little things that should be beneath my notice, but they bother me. And also the reports some men brought to Yasuhiro – about a man from this Clan being seen briefly in the area. Who this man is I don't know. But the name 'Masaki' that Yasuhiro brought to me means nothing. There is no Masaki anywhere in the Kyouraku family tree – but two or three of Yasuhiro's men brought back reports from the town that said he carried a Clan badge and gave that as his name. A stranger with good manners, well bred…and who appeared and disappeared like dust on the wind._

His eyes became slits.

_Come to think of it, though, _Takeshi_ didn't bring such a report. Takeshi who is shielding a prostitute in order to protect her. Takeshi was part of that unit who investigated in the town recently. But he did not mention any names – or Clan badges – to me. Is that what he was hiding? This crime has a connection to my family somehow?_

"Something is bothering you."

A soft voice from the hallway made him jump and he spun round, meeting his wife's amused gaze with a sheepish one of his own.

"I thought I sensed your restless spirit about to go roaming round the halls." She teased lightly, reaching out to pat him on the arm. "You have that look in your eye, you know. The one that says you've got a bone between your teeth and you intend to chew it to splinters if you can."

"You make me sound like a hunting hound more than a Clan lord." Tokutarou protested, and Rae laughed, shaking her head.

"No, but I've been here long enough to know that expression." She said evenly. "Something's got under your skin and you won't rest till you've resolved it."

"Maybe." Tokutarou admitted, slumping back against the wall with a heavy sigh. "It's nothing, really. Specks of evidence in a case that's far beneath the Clan leader's notice. It's something my men are handling and will probably resolve without needing me to do anything – and I have plenty that I need to do without worrying about things like that."

"So?" Rae looked quizzical. "What's the problem, then?"

"I just spoke to Takeshi – the young soldier who married Juushirou's sister." Tokutarou rubbed his temples. "And the amount of things he didn't tell me about his investigation put me a little on my guard. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but…"

"You just said your men can take care of it." Rae chided. "And you should let them. Takeshi's a sensible boy not to drag all the District's mundane scandals across your line of sight. I know you'd rather investigate intrigue than follow up fiscal treaties, but the both need to be done. Let your soldiers do their jobs, Tokutarou. You can have faith in them to report to you if they need to – but if you trust them, then let them do what they're trained to do. They're good men – Takeshi among them. Trust their judgement a little."

"You're probably right." Tokutarou agreed ruefully. "As you usually are. All right. I'll trust in them a little longer. It still bothers me, Rae…but even if I wanted to, I don't have the time to start poking into things like that myself. I'll follow your advice and let it lie – at least, for now."

"Good." Rae's eyes twinkled. "Then if you're leaving your study for a while, you can come with me and spend a few minutes with your son. I'm sure he'd appreciate it – and it doesn't hurt for you to take a break now and then."

"You planned that, didn't you?" Tokutarou eyed his wife in resignation. "You saw me away from my desk and took the opportunity to pounce. I realise I've been very busy since Shunsui went back to the Academy, but…"

"You _are _always busier when Shunsui-kun goes back to the Academy." Rae linked her arm in his, leading him purposefully down the hallway towards the suite of rooms that acted as baby Haru's nursery complex. "I think you miss his company more than he knows, sometimes. If I was a jealous wife, Tokutarou, I'd be cross that you shut yourself away like this when it's just you and me. It's a good thing I'm not, isn't it?"

"I don't neglect you, or Haru!" Tokutarou was indignant, and Rae laughed.

"No, you don't." She said comfortably. "Which you're proving right now by spending time with him and I as a good Father and husband should."

"You know, sometimes I can see how you and Shunsui are first cousins." Tokutarou said with a wry smile. "That piece of manipulation was just his style."

"Maybe I've learnt a few tricks from my brother in law." Rae was unrepentant. "Still, you understand better than anyone that a Father's bond with his son is important, so you know I'm right. Let paperwork and the Clan alone for a little while. Haru will be happy to see you, and you need some time to unwind."

Tokutarou turned to glance back towards his office, then he sighed, nodding his head.

"You win." He agreed. "For a little while at least, I'll come and play."

* * *

The forest was dense here.

Shirogane stumbled blindly through the haphazard trunks and branches, pausing occasionally to rest his heavy body's weight against the sturdy plants as he struggled to keep bringing breath into his ragged lungs. He had no idea now where he was, only that he had fled as far as he could, and now he no longer had the strength in his body to maintain the _Kyokkou_ barrier around him.

A sharp breeze whipped between the broad wooden sentinels, and as Shirogane dropped to his knees to take a moment's rest, he realised that he had reached the edge of the forestland - that a bare few feet from where he had stopped, the ground too gave way to a sheer drop below.

Slowly and painfully he dragged himself forwards, resting his hand against the uneven earth as his tired eyes took in the surrounding area.

From here he could see the sea. He could see the paths he had been seeking and could trace the way to escape even though he could no longer force his body to double back and correct his chosen path. He could even see the border that divided District Six from Rukongai, and through the mists, the roof of the Kuchiki castle where the local lord kept himself to himself. Shirogane's mind flitted back to the encounter with the mounted retainer - why had the man let him escape?

_He wore Kinnya-sama's emblem and colours, and he saw that I was the captive of two men of Kuchiki retinue. He even knew my name. By rights he should have taken me under arrest. But he didn't. Did he kill those retainers? No. I don't think so. It didn't seem like it was him. But something did, and he...just sat there and let them. To make the land peaceful...to stop bloodshed...but two men were killed without a moment's thought or hesitation. To save my life? But if that was so...when I was injured, why did he not reach out to help me? I really don't understand.  
_  
His chest spasmed at that moment, and he coughed, spitting up blood between ragged, painful gasps. Panic threated to rule him, yet he gathered his wits, forcing his body to calm down. He closed his eyes, steadying his thoughts, then cast his gaze down at the slash of blood-soaked, torn fabric that hung loosely across his wounded midriff.

The injury was a bad one. He could not keep running on it.

_It isn't just a loss of blood. I thought perhaps they had spared me the worst, but it seems I was wrong. That blade missed my gut...but it nicked my right lung. I thought it might have done, but then in the forest it didn't seem quite so severe. Perhaps just a graze...nothing more. The rush of spirit power back through me when Keiichi-dono loosened my cuffs, followed by my Kyokkou spell...I've made it worse, most probably. I've rent the hole open further and created a bad wound. Little by little my lungs are filling with fluid, and sooner or later, I won't be able to breathe even as much as I am now. I certainly can no longer run._

He glanced at the pooled blood already congealing on the grass, and a bitter smile touched his features as he dashed his sleeve against his lips, examining the faint crimson smudge that now stained the already grimy fabric.

_To think I mocked you, Ukitake, each time you choked during our training sessions. To think I derided you when you stood up and continued to face me, blood trailing on your lips. I had no idea that it caused so much pain to cough up part of yourself each time your lungs refused to work. And yet time and time again you dragged yourself upright and stared at me with annoying determination in those bastard eyes. I didn't know then the effort you put into standing up each time. I called you weak. I suppose I knew when you raised your sword that Sensei had been right to focus his attention on you. But I didn't realise any of this. I didn't understand you at all._

He sank back against the ground, shuffling his heavy body up against the reassuring trunk of a nearby tree.

_I'm tired, but if I sleep, I won't wake up. I don't know if I can keep breathing even if I stay conscious, but at least if I'm alert, I can try. I don't intend to crawl into a ditch to die...but I never really bothered learning healing kidou. Mitsuki, your skills saved my life. Am I going to lose it so easily, simply because I don't have the abilities you do?_

A rueful light glittered in his tired grey eyes.  
_  
Mitsuki has been far too much in my thoughts lately, and now Ukitake too. What is wrong with me? I must be dizzy and delirious from blood-loss to suddenly become so sentimental about people who have touched my life so briefly._

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a stunted, oddly formed tree, and for a moment he fixed his gaze on it, taking in the ugly, knobbled scars that told of a battle for life fought and won despite the hardships.

_Even the trees here have more will to live than I seem able to muster. This is pitiful, Shirogane. To train as a shinigami, to fight and work and learn the skills demanded of me, yet to learn nothing about survival in the face of death. Is that the sum total of a Clansman's will? Is that what makes me different from Ukitake and those like him - he never gives up, but I'm falling at the first hurdle?_

He drew a hesitant, painful breath into his lungs, fighting against the urge to cough again. He had taken in less air this time than before, he knew, and fear once more trickled through him. At the back of his mind he could feel Ginkyoujiki's concerned buzzing, but he did not even have the strength or concentration to hear his _zanpakutou_'s words or respond to the weapon's apprehension.

_I learned the skills to fight and have always fought with pride and confidence, but I have never considered how feeble that talent is until now. I can wield a sword, but when I no longer have the strength to use it, what do I fight with? I want to live, yet even so I can feel my lungs filling up with blood every time I breathe. Is it not enough just to want to live? Is that why Ribari-sama could not be saved? Even as shinigami, can none of us escape death?_

He rested his head back against the tree, knowing that his breathing was becoming shallower and more laboured by the minute. It may only have been a graze before, but his flight had undoubtedly made matters worse, and even without looking he could tell that the blood was still streaming from the open wound. He had probably left a trail of red scattered across the landscape, he mused absently. If Seiren had sent a lot of men to seek him out, he would not hide from the soldiers here for long. But even though he understood this fact, he knew that his legs had become heavy as lead and he could no longer move. The soldiers would probably come, and undoubtedly they would find him. But whether he would be alive or dead when they reached him he could not tell.

_Is that why that old man let me go? He didn't want to aid Seiren-dono, but he didn't intend on aiding me. Did he let me escape knowing I would die anyway, whether or not he became involved?_

He closed his eyes.

_Seiren-dono will be pleased. He will no longer have to concern himself with his wilful, dangerous nephew. Ryuu was right. Mitsuki was right. There was danger here. And I...fool that I am...I did not see it. I thought that if I went to District One, I could escape it. But I can't even leave District Six without being cut down by basic soldiers who lack spiritual training. Careless arrogance. Careless judgement. Careless..._

He struggled to pull air into his lungs, a gasping, half-stifled breath of desperation that ended in a violent bout of coughing. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth and down his chin, dripping slowly and ponderously onto the ground beside him, and he let out an involuntary whimper of pain. The world was becoming dark and hazy, and in the darkness he thought he saw Ribari's silhouette, as though the young man was waiting for him.

_Ribari-sama. Have you come to fetch me? To take me to the world beyond - the world I don't believe exists?_

The shadow's lips moved faintly, but Shirogane could not make out the words. Though he tried to lift his hand, he no longer had the energy, and he slumped back against the tree with a faint sigh, surrendering himself to his fate. Soon the fluid in his lungs would drown him, and then the pain and confusion would stop. Soon it would be over...soon...

With that Ribari's image faded, and Shirogane's vision became black. For a moment he drifted in nothingness, vaguely aware of Ginkyoujiki struggling to penetrate the cocoon of resignation he had cloaked around himself. Then even Ginkyoujiki's presence seemed to disappear, and Shirogane lost his fight, slipping deeper and deeper into the darkness beyond.

* * *

"Kamikura-sensei really was cross with you this morning, wasn't he?"

As the two young boys walked through the heavy forest, the older of the pair frowned, pausing to pick up a stray branch from the floor.

"He wasn't very happy," He admitted with a sigh, "but he could have been crosser. I did manage to finish the assignment, just about. It wasn't my fault that it got tea on it, or that half of the characters got all blurred together."

"I suppose not." The younger boy snorted appreciatively. "At this rate, Shinkei-nii, I'm gonna be going way ahead of you in studies. Sensei said that I can write most kanji almost as well as Juu-nii could when he was fourteen - and I'm not fourteen for another two weeks yet. Even though you're a year older than me, I'm gonna overtake you soon!"

"Yeah, that's what you think." Shinkei reached across to give his companion a playful shove. "Shut up, Rouhei. You might be able to draw a few squiggles in a straight line, but you're still younger than me in aaaaalll respects. Who is it that, when they go out on errands by themselves, almost always manages to get lost and winds up having to be rescued? That's why nobody'll let you take the forest paths on your own. You're still a kid. Squiggles aren't that important. Knowing how to get about is."

"Hrmph." Rouhei folded his arms indignantly across his chest. "Anika says I'm much more helpful than you are, so there. I don't break half as many things as you do. And you know, if you keep clambering in and out of windows, one day you're going to get stuck. You're almost as tall as Hiro-nii and Sanji-nii already - you're not going to fit for much longer."

"I like that!" Shinkei protested, jabbing his brother's midriff with his broken branch. "I'm not as chubby as you are, and you'd be surprised what nooks and crannies I can get into still! I'm not going to get wedged in anywhere anytime soon - you're just jealous because you've never been able to follow me."

"I don't have to follow you any more." Rouhei tossed his head indignantly. "I'm almost fourteen now. I'm not a kid. And even if I was, you wouldn't need to look after me. You're only a year older than me, so stop acting like it's more!"

"If you don't need me looking after you, why is it me walking into the forest to gather firewood with you?" Shinkei's eyes gleamed mischievously. "Is it because I can scale trees quicker than you? Or because you're afraid to get lost out here in the dark again? You never know - next time a wolf might come and eat you. _Grawr_!"

He pounced at his companion, and despite himself Rouhei let out a yelp, scrambling away from Shinkei's hands.

"_Stop_ it!" He exclaimed. "I don't like this forest, but I could come here on my own. Tisn't anything to do with you either way. Just, this is where Father got hurt, isn't it? By the Hollow monster that attacked Juu-nii. So I don't like coming here because of that. Can you say it's any different for you?"

"I suppose not." Shinkei relented, shaking his head. "But it was a long time ago, Rouhei. Not a single one of those critters has been seen round these parts in a very long time. Father was unlucky, but that's all."

"Hiro-nii said the monster came looking for Juu-nii," Rouhei's expression became uncharacteristically serious, "because he's not like the rest of us. And since he went away to the Academy place, no Hollows have come here. Do you think...is that true?"

"Are you saying that Father's death was Juu-nii's fault?" Shinkei was angry, and Rouhei shook his head hurriedly.

"No! Of course not, that's not what I meant!" He exclaimed. "Don't glare at me, Shinkei-nii! I know that Father died because of the Hollow, not because of Juu-nii. It's just...well..."

"Well?"

"This is Juu-nii's last year at that Academy place." Rouhei said softly, kicking his feet absently against the dust and grass of the forest floor. "But...if it's true that he's different...a lot different...maybe he won't...come home after."

"Won't...?" Despite himself, Shinkei looked taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Hiro-nii will be head of the family when he has his birthday, won't he?" Rouhei murmured. "But Juu-nii is the oldest. It should be...only he's gone to train. And...when he's done...he's not going to come back, is he? Things aren't going to be like...they were before. Because...Juu-nii is different from the rest of us."

"That's always been the case, though." Shinkei made some experimental swings with his stick against the branches of a couple of trees, shrugging his shoulders. "Juu-nii's always been different, whether because he's sick or whether because of this. I think...probably you're right, Rou-kun. But...even if you are...I don't think he'll forget us. He'll still come back sometimes, like he does now. Because...well...he's still Juu-nii."

"I know." Rouhei sighed heavily. "I just wish...Shin-nii, if Tousama had never died, maybe Juu-nii would never have been different. And...maybe...he would never have gone away at all."

"Mm." Shinkei frowned, but did not answer, and for a while the two boys walked in silence.

As they reached the edge of the pathway, however, the older one paused, reaching out to put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Don't say things like that around Miyabi." He said gruffly. "You know how much she clings to Juu-nii - especially since Father's death. If she thought he wasn't going to come live with us again, she'd cry. And we...we're some of the oldest, now. With Juu-nii gone and Chi-nee married, you and I are third and fourth oldest left. So don't say stuff like this to the kids, all right? You'll only upset them."

"I wasn't going to." Rouhei looked indignant. "S'why I waited and talked to you now. I wanted to know what you thought about it. That's all."

"I think Juu-nii's going to do stuff we'll never really understand." Shinkei rubbed his chin pensively. "Maybe Shiki-chan will, too. But don't look so gloomy over it. Things that can't be helped just can't, right? There's no sense making a fuss."

"Mm." Rouhei nodded slowly, and Shinkei cast him a keen glance, taking in the uncertain expression in his dark eyes. Despite the fact they were only a year apart, and in academic matters, Rouhei had the most skill, their relationship had always been this way, with Rouhei looking to Shinkei for advice and guidance. They had got into many scrapes together as a result, for Shinkei was given to mischief in a way that even his older brother Hiroyuki had not been, but despite it all they had somehow managed to scramble through and survive. Since they had been small, the two boys had spent much time together, and a strong bond had formed between them. As much as they might tease, Shinkei knew that Rouhei rarely confided his thoughts in anyone else.

_But he often thinks things through more deeply than I do, and he's probably right, when it comes to Juu-nii._

Shinkei swung the branch once more against the trunk of a tree, before tossing it aside and turning to his companion.

"Shall we take a detour and walk up to Father's tree for a while? Anika won't mind if we're a little late, and I don't really want to see Sensei again any time soon, so if we take a little longer it won't matter."

"All right." Rouhei's expression cleared, and Shinkei knew he'd made the right call. "Let's do that. When Juu-nii's away, probably Father gets lonely anyway. So if Juu-nii does go permanently...well...we'll have to make sure that Father knows we haven't forgotten."

_There he goes again.  
_  
Shinkei shot his companion a fond smile as they crossed the worn trackways to the path that led up to the precipice and the stunted, odd tree that Juushirou had denoted 'Father's Tree' following the man's death several years before. Though Hidenobu had died of his wounds at home, somehow that place had become a significant memorial for the whole family, and so when any of them wanted to spend time with their Father's spirit, it was the tree and not the family mausoleum that they visited.

_Maybe Rouhei's going to be more like Juu-nii than any of us, thinking and looking at things like that. I don't know. But I'm sure that Hiro-nii and Sanji-nii wouldn't have thought of something like that._

Out loud he said.

"I'll race you up to the ledge. I bet I can still beat you, considering how tubby you're getting!"

"I'm not fat!" Rouhei rose immediately to the bait, indignation in his dark hazel eyes, and Shinkei laughed.

"Looks like too many of Anika's rice dishes to me." He teased.

"I told you, I'm not fat! I can beat you!" Rouhei put his hands on his hips. "You'll see...I'll get there first!"

"If you don't get lost." Shinkei returned neatly. "But all right then. Prove it. We'll race. First one to Father's tree is the winner. Go!"

Before his brother could respond he was gone into the trees, skipping expertly over stones and dead tree roots as he took the familiar short cuts through the woodland to the edge of the Ukitake family's land. Having grown up here, and with a natural ability for navigation, he knew every single one of the pathways without needing to even look at a map, and it was not long before he broke through into the clearing where his Father's memorial tree grew.

Rouhei, despite his words, was still crashing around through the trees some distance behind, and an amused smile touched Shinkei's lips as he heard his brother's stampeding.

_He can't catch me, even if he wanted to. Sorry, Rou-kun. You might be better at squiggles, but I'm still better at this._

He took a step or two towards the bent young sapling, then paused, as out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of something cream and green against the natural woodland colours.

As he turned, he realised that it was not an object at all, but a person, slumped against the trunk of one of the broader trees. It did not take the world-wise Shinkei long to realise that the stranger was wounded, for his kimono was thick with blood, and his skin was as pale as the moon. His eyes were closed, and for a moment Shinkei thought that the individual was dead.

"You cheated! You took a short cut!" At that moment, Rouhei burst through the trees, red in the face and panting for breath. "You always do that, Shin-nii! I swear, if you played fair..."

"Shut up." Shinkei cut across him, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him back. "Look."

Rouhei's gaze flitted to the base of the big tree, any indignant words fading from his lips as he registered the presence of the stranger. His eyes became huge, and he stared up at Shinkei in horror.

"Did...a Hollow come here?" He whispered, and Shinkei shrugged.

"Don't know." He said abruptly. "But there's...a lot of blood, isn't there?"

"Is he...dead?" Rouhei took a tentative step forward, his own face pale, and Shinkei sighed, holding up his hands to prevent the youngster from coming any closer.

"If you're going to be funny about a little blood, you stay there. I'll check." He said brusquely. "He's sure pale...but the blood looks quite fresh, like it's been bleeding a short time. So..."

He paused, kneeling cautiously at the man's side and reaching out a tentative finger to brush it against the pale neck. As he did so, he was sure he heard the faintest of rasping breaths, no more than the most shallow gasp and his eyes narrowed as he felt the feeble pulse still throbbing in the man's neck.

"He's alive." He said softly. "But he won't be for long if we don't do anything."

"Shiki-chan!" Rouhei's eyes opened wide, and Shinkei nodded.

"Can you run still?" He asked. "And can you find your way back home without getting lost? I don't want to leave him alone, because I don't think...he's doing too good, and someone should be here."

"We could try and carry him?" Rouhei suggested, but Shinkei shook his head.

"Neither one of us would manage it. He's at least as old as Juu-nii, I think, and he'd be heavy." He said grimly. "Besides, moving him would mean more bleeding. It's stopped because he's not moving, but I think...he's bled a lot so far. Run home, Rouhei, and get...get Kamikura-sensei. And Shiki-chan. Her too. Go quickly! He'll die if we don't help him soon - he's really not breathing very well at all."

Rouhei nodded his head, turning on his heel and disappearing back into the woodland. Shinkei sighed, settling himself more comfortably at the unconscious stranger's side and casting his gaze around him pensively.

_Blood all over the place. Maybe it was a Hollow._

His eyes narrowed as he took in the faint trail of blood that had trickled from the corner of the stranger's mouth, drying against his chin.

_Like Juu-nii. But no. This isn't like that. He's got blood everywhere. He's hurt. Not sick. And whatever hurt him...has it gone? Is it still here? I can't do whatever it is Juu-nii does when it comes to finding those monster things. But if one of those came here..._

He shivered, pushing the thought aside.

_Maybe I jinxed things by saying they haven't come here for a long time. _

He put his hand gently against his companion's chest, feeling the rhythm of the heart. It was somewhat erratic, and Shinkei knew that though the man was still breathing, the amount of air he was bringing into his lungs was insubstantial.

"And so you fainted." He said out loud. "Which means that you're quite badly hurt. Shiki-chan will be able to help you, though. I'm sure she can, so hang on a while, okay?"

Shinkei frowned, taking in for the first time the man's attire.

_Clan?_

His eyes narrowed as he digested this thought.

"Are you a shinigami? Like Juu-nii?" He wondered absently to himself. "Did you come from the manor, then? Did you fight with one of those creatures and kill it, but got hurt? I wonder."

His gaze shifted to the man's waist, and his lips thinned as he recognised the unmistakeable hilt of a unique sword cased in an expensive carved sheath. With one eye on his patient in case of any reaction, Shinkei slipped his fingers into the man's _obi_, loosening the scabbard and pulling it free from its fastenings. Setting it down across his lap, he examined it carefully.

_Juu-nii's has his name engraved on the scabbard. Shunsui-nii had it made for him, and he said that all Clansfolk have their names on their scabbards. He said it was a mark of identity, to have their names on their sword sheaths. So if that's the case..._

He turned the sheath over, resisting the urge to pull the weapon from its resting place as he searched for any sign of identification.

At last he found it, silver characters against the wood, and he frowned, half-wishing he had bothered to study his kanji as diligently as his younger brother.

_I can't read it fully. I don't know what those two characters say, although I'm pretty sure they don't say 'Kuchiki'. But that one says Gin. I'm quite sure. I'm certain that's the kanji for silver._

He set the weapon down, resting his hands in his lap.

_So probably...you are a Clansman. And a shinigami. And that's your zanpakutou. Something major took you down. I wonder if it's safe to watch over you...maybe it would've been better to go back with Rouhei. But..._

He sighed, rubbing his temples.

J_uu-nii would say that we should help you. I don't need Rouhei's perception to know that. So..._

"Shinkei-nii! Shinkei-nii!" At that moment Shikiki's voice broke through his thoughts and he glanced up, surprise in his expression as he saw the young girl, Sanjirou and an exhausted Rouhei in tow.

"Sanji-nii and...Shiki-chan...were walking...up to...Father's tree." Rouhei gasped out, dropping to his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. "Sanji-nii...is strong...so...I thought..."

That was as much as he managed, but Shinkei nodded, gesturing to the fallen shinigami.

"He's hurt and quite bad, I think." He said grimly. "I don't know what hurt him, but I don't think he should stay here. I thought Shiki-chan might be able to help him."

"Trust you to stumble into something." Sanjirou sighed, adjusting his spectacles in resignation as the small girl hurried forwards to examine the blood-stained Clansman. "But you're right. We can't just leave someone here half-dead."

"He's Clan." Shinkei picked up the sword, getting to his feet as Shikiki scrambled down beside the unfortunate warrior. "His clothes are all expensive and silky, even though they're dusty and covered in blood. And this...is like Juu-nii's. But I can't read what's written on the sheath, so I don't know who he is or where he came from."

"His colours are Kuchiki." Sanjirou frowned, reaching out to take the scabbard. "But Juu-nii is the one who knows about Clan, much more than we do."

He glanced at the scabbard, and his eyes narrowed behind his glasses.

"Really, Shin-kun, if you can't read this level of kanji yet..." He said despairingly.

"Just tell me what it says." Shinkei grimaced. "I can tell that last one is 'Gin', but otherwise..."

"You're wrong." Sanjirou's expression became grave, and he tossed the sword back towards his brother, Shinkei catching it deftly in his right hand. "It is the kanji for silver, true enough. But I don't think that's what it says."

"So..?" Shinkei looked bewildered, and Sanjirou sighed.

"I'm fairly sure that the name on that sheath is read as Shirogane." He said softly. "The other two characters say Nagoya. Nagoya Shirogane."

"Wait a minute!" Rouhei's head shot up and he stared at his older brothers in dismay. "Isn't that the name of...the person who...?"

"Juu-nii's sword _shishou_." Sanjirou nodded, his gaze flitting back to the still form beneath the tree. "Yes."

"So this guy...is Juu-nii's teacher? A senpai?" Shinkei swallowed hard. "So what's he doing here? Like this? Miles from home?"

"I don't know." Sanjirou said grimly. "But if Shikiki can stabilise him, we should try and take him back to the house. Probably it's something we shouldn't get involved in - almost certainly it's none of our business. But..."

"If he's Juu-nii's_ shishou_, we have to help him." Rouhei said soberly. "Because Juu-nii said...raising his sword saved his life. Because of it..._haibyou_ won't kill him. So we have to...don't we?"

"Juu-nii would want us to." Sanjirou nodded gravely. "Shiki-chan, what do you think?"

"He's very poorly." Shikiki raised her aqua gaze, meeting Sanjirou's with a troubled look. "His lungs are all full of blood and stuff and I think he's had a sword put right through them. But I...I can fix it. I think."

She sat back with a sigh.

"He can breathe a little bit more now." She added. "It will take a bit of time, but I think I can mend his lung properly. My magic should be able to do that."

She placed a chubby finger against his cheek.

"Juu-nii's told me about Nagoya-senpai, too." She added sadly. "I think we should help him, even if it's dangerous. If Juu-nii hadn't raised his sword, he and I would never have met. So I want...I want to help him, Sanji-nii. It will be all right, won't it?"

"We're going to help him." Sanjirou confirmed, and despite himself, relief crashed over Shinkei's body.

"If you say so, Hiro-nii won't argue, and nor will Okaasama." He observed. "Better you tell them than me, since they'll think it's just another of my wild whims."

"It is, somewhat. You found him." Sanjirou pointed out. "But we can't just leave him here now you have. Even if he wasn't someone connected to Juu-nii - leaving a hurt person to die would be wrong. We'll have to try and help him. Father would expect it of us."

"Yeah." Rouhei's gaze drifted to the broken tree, and Shinkei followed his glance, knowing what his younger brother was thinking.

_You believe Tousama brought us here, don't you, to find and help this Nagoya Shirogane guy?_

"He's lost a lot of blood, so I don't think he'll wake up for a while." Shikiki said with a frown. "But I don't think he'll die, now, if you carry him, Sanji-nii. Shinkei-nii can help, if he's heavy. I can't put the blood back, so he'll have to do that on his own. But I have...repaired his lung enough for him to breathe better. It should be all right to move him. And I'll finish...when we're at home. I'll mend it all properly, and then he should be all right."

"All right." Sanjirou got down beside the wounded man, and Shinkei stepped forward to help lift the dead weight up into his brother's arms. Despite his studious appearance, at eighteen Sanjirou was as tall and almost as strong as the elder Hiroyuki, and so once he had Shirogane tightly clasped in his arms, he offered Shinkei a smile.

"You bring the young ones back," He said softly, "through the short cuts you know and tell Okaasama what's happened. All right? Tell her to have a bed ready, and to get Anika to boil water to clean the blood up with. Hiro-nii won't object, when he understands."

"Got it." Shinkei nodded, reaching out to grasp Rouhei's wrist in one hand and Shikiki's blood-spattered paw in the other. "Heard that, you two? Follow me. We're going to be the advance rescue mission, and make sure everything's ready for when Sanji-nii brings our foundling home!"

* * *

_**Author's Note**__  
So I thought that people might want to see some more of the Ukitake-chibis! Well, they're not really chibis any more, but I thought folk might like to see them anyway. Sadly I haven't got to finishing that first year omake at Juu's house, and so the true joy of Shinkei's climbing in and out of windows instead of using stairs and doors has not been shared with the world outside of my LJ at this point . However, even though they've not all appeared in the stories so far, all of the seven siblings have distinct personalities in my mind and I wanted to bring as many of them in - even for a cameo - as possible before the end!_

_That said, this element of the plot has a greater significance than simply bringing the Ukitake family into the story. I'll explain that at a later point though. Now it would spoil too much._

_**Also, in note to an anon-reviewer from last chapter re terminology (I apologise for not being able to PM this):**_

_To say something "**baldly**" means to say it plainly, without adornment – stating things clearly and as they are.  
__ Dictionary definition: "__**baldly**__: plainly, without tactful circumlocution".__  
(That sounds like something Ryuu would say and coincidentally is the way in which he generally speaks). The more common meaning of '**bald**' relates to hair loss, but in contrast '**baldly**' normally refers to a style of speaking._

_To say something "**boldly**" means to state it with a certain amount of confidence._

_The two terms aren't interchangeable and should not be read as such.  
_

_Regarding **unfazed/unphased** – you're quite right. I'm afraid that's a lazy habit picked up from my childhood and my 1980/90s __UK__ education. I know it's not right, but there's something deep inside me that rejects z for s and f for ph. xD. There are many English words which in American change s into z or ph into f,so this is kind of a false friend that's easy to overlook. ;)_


	32. District Healer

**Chapter Thirty One: District Healer**

It was a bright, sunshiny day, and the first flowers had begun to spread their colourful blooms across the green and brown of the District One scenery. Spring was beginning its slow progress into summer, and before the month was out Juushirou knew that the whole of the school grounds would be alive with delicate blues, pinks and yellows, each bloom straining to reach the rays of the sun and attract the bees and other insects that were unique to this area of Soul Society.

Time was moving at speed, just as it always did. But this would be the last summer that they would spend in this place, and despite himself, Juushirou felt a little bittersweet as he reached up to brush the petals of a nearby wisteria plant's hanging blossom.

Between the burdens his role had placed on him and the tension in District Six, he had not had much time to just sit back and enjoy himself so far.

_I suppose I should have expected that. Sensei made me Anideshi to put me through my paces and that means there isn't any time to relax. On a morning like this it would be nice to play hooky for a few hours and just relax, though. The weather is getting warmer. Before I know it we'll have reached summer break, then we'll be moving to Autumn and Winter and…time will really be short. What lies ahead of us…I really don't know. _

_He smiled to himself wryly._

_I'm determined to face it, but I'm also a little afraid of it. I suppose that goes for all of us, though, being that it's Senior year. I wish I'd paid closer attention to what the past Seniors did – I guess we took a lot for granted before we started this year. It's hard to shake the feeling that we're not ready for whatever's next. Still, I want to make sure my judgement doesn't fall out of sync a second time, so I've no choice but to keep working as hard as I can to get things done right.._

He ducked beneath the wisteria, finding a shady spot to settle beneath the spreading purple and green and sitting back against the trunk of a nearby willow tree as he allowed the tension to seep out of him. He had no classes until later that afternoon, and though there were two projects lying unfinished on his desk inside the Nest, Juushirou knew that in his current frame of mind he could not concentrate on them. There were too many things flooding through his thoughts, each one competing for individual attention.

_Rather than worrying about what I can't change, I ought to make time this week to check on Tsukabishi and see how he's coming along. I know he's spoken to Sensei now and that he's having extra coaching to help him read and write with more confidence, but I did promise I'd offer him a hand too. I haven't had a moment spare with exams and then with Ryuu and Mitsuki coming back. Kamaki and Kobayashi won't be out of confinement for another few days, but I want them to know that Tsukabishi's under Senior protection and that we're not going to let them fall into the same habits again. _

_Then there's gate duty…I have that this evening, and I still have to find a way to get through an hour and a half of tutoring reluctant second years on Kidou with Yamamoto-kun glaring at me the whole time through. It hurts to admit that Shunsui and Ryuu were right and that sparring him seems to have made the situation worse – the only reason we haven't clashed directly since then is that I'm not letting him have the chance to provoke me. That's easier said than done, though, when he's spouting some stuck up theory to the juniors that's quite clearly beyond them. Ah, and that reminds me - I want to ask Kazoe-sensei if I can borrow his book on advanced Bakudou, and do some private research on a couple of spells that came up in yesterday's reading material. They looked interesting, and though I'm sure he won't let me fire them, I don't suppose he'd mind if I read up on them while I've the opportunity to do so. When I leave here, I won't have the same access to Clan archives of books and texts to burrow through, so I'll have to find as much as I can out before I leave. _

He rubbed his temples.

_If I'm honest, though, facing up to being Anideshi and my duties in that area is a whole lot easier than tackling the business with Mitsuki. I don't really know…what to do about that, and I haven't found a good way of bringing it up since they had the memo about Nagoya-senpai's disappearance. In normal circumstances I'd just have asked but…I feel strange about this. I have no claim on Mitsuki's affections, even if she did have a particular fondness for Nagoya-senpai. If Shikibu-san was right, it wouldn't really make a difference. But with him being missing…_

He groaned.

_I don't like how this is making me feel. It's stupid for me to be jealous of someone I respect, especially since Mitsuki and I are only friends. Shunsui and the rest are always teasing me and I always fight against it. But…I think I am jealous. Certainly I was rattled enough to daydream through my Zanjutsu Theory and Advanced Sakusen papers, despite all my resolve to push on forward. Heaven only knows what I wrote as an answer for that first essay question – I can't remember a word of it since I'm sure I wasn't thinking about swords all that much. _

"Juushirou-kun?"

He had not heard her approach, but and at the sound of her voice he started, glancing up guiltily to see the object of his thoughts, clear concern reflected in her soft grey eyes. His cheeks reddened, and he thanked his lucky stars that her spiritual abilities did not spread to the reading of other people's minds.

"Mitsuki." He managed, offering her a faint smile. "I'm sorry. I was miles away. I didn't hear you coming."

"Or sense me, by the looks." Mitsuki frowned, dropping down on the grass beside him and smoothing her red _hakama_ down beneath her fingers. "But I'm glad that I found you. I've been hoping that we'd get a chance to talk…since Ryuu and I came back here, it's been nothing but chaos from start to finish."

"I didn't help that by haring off to rescue a First year the first night you came back." Juushirou pointed out ruefully, and Mitsuki smiled.

"True." She admitted. "But you're much better now than you were that night, and you did the right thing in helping him. I'm not worried about your health at the moment, Juushirou…it's something else. You seem…I don't know quite how to put it, and maybe I'm just acting on overdrive a little with everything back home. But you seem out of sorts. Stressed out by something. Or maybe…more than one thing."

"Am I that transparent?" Juushirou asked, and Mitsuki looked sheepish.

"To me? Yes." She confessed. "Whether I want to or not, or even if it's invading your privacy, I can't help it. When you're not right…it bothers me. And though you're not sick at the moment…you don't seem like yourself."

"I wonder who I am, then." Juushirou leant back against the tree, closing his eyes briefly as a cool breeze blew gently through the trees, teasing at stray wisps of his lank white hair. "Whoever it is, I wouldn't mind splitting my workload with them. I haven't really had a time to stop still since term began."

"Being Anideshi is a lot of pressure, isn't it?" Mitsuki eyed him pensively. "I thought it would be, when I heard. You believe in yourself less than other people believe in you. And I know you're taking it seriously…so the business with the First year is probably still preying on your mind."

"I haven't had a chance to find out how he's doing recently." Juushirou turned to send her a helpless glance. "Too much work. I dropped my rank by one this time out, and though it's not as though I was really demoted, I don't like that I did. I could have done much better than I managed on my Zanjutsu and Sakusen papers. That cost me second place. I want to do my best to prove that I'm up to being Anideshi, so I've been working hard in all areas, but it still wasn't quite enough and I feel a little bit like I let myself down somewhere."

"In translation, you don't like that Yamamoto-kun outranked you." Mitsuki said softly, and Juushirou grimaced.

"That too." He admitted sheepishly. "As usual, you can see right through me. I've promised myself not to let him rile me, but there's still a little bit of latent Kuchiki pride stirring inside of me every time I speak to him. I can't explain it – but it's as though he laid down the challenge when term started. I didn't mean to take it up – but now…I can't turn my back on it. I won't clash swords with him again – that'd be irresponsible for someone who's been trusted with the duty I have been. But when it comes to rank, I can't help but feel competitive."

"I doubt Sensei would mind academic competition." Mitsuki observed. "He'd want both of you to work hard, so he's probably quite happy about you sparring Yamamoto-kun through study."

"Yes, and I'm really doing my best to leave it there, but a lot of what he does bothers me." Juushirou sighed. "At least those two Fifth year idiots have been dealt with, so I hope I – no, more, I hope Tsukabishi – won't have to deal with them again. Since term began there's been a lot of negativity floating about and as Anideshi I'm meant to soak it up. But even if that's true, I'm not a sponge. I can't just do that all the time – sometimes I'd like to let rip and I can't."

Mitsuki giggled.

"No, you're not a sponge." She agreed playfully. "And so far as I can see, you're doing just fine. You helped Tsukabishi-kun, didn't you? And resolved his situation?"

"With Enishi's help." Juushirou said honestly. "I'd like to think that I'd have done it on my own, but it mightn't have got to the point it did as quickly without his intervention."

"But that's all right." Mitsuki said sensibly. "You don't _have_ to do everything yourself. A Captain doesn't do every job in a shinigami squad, you know. He delegates to those around him. Houjou-kun is part of your 'squad' this year – we all are, if you like. Delegating to us isn't you failing. It's sharing the responsibility like a good leader should. Besides, this is just between us, but I think Houjou-kun took a lot of satisfaction from being involved with that business."

"Satisfaction?" Juushirou looked surprised, and Mitsuki nodded.

"Houjou-kun is straight down the line, honest and loyal." She said simply. "But he has insecurities too, just like everyone else. He's always struggling with Kidou, and he's used to being bottom when it comes to everyone's grades. Just because he accepts it doesn't mean he has no pride or that he wishes he could do better. Since he resolved Tsukabishi-kun's problem with the Fifth years, though, he seems to have a little more self-belief in himself as a Senior. I think he's acknowledged himself as belonging with the rest of us – rather than just assuming it was kindness on Genryuusai-sensei's part."

"Enishi was feeling like that?" Juushirou was floored, and Mitsuki shrugged.

"He would never say it." She said sensibly. "He's not the type who brings other people down with his problems, and he accepts things as they are. But yes. I think…now Houjou-kun feels like he's properly a Senior. If you'd taken the whole of Tsukabishi-kun's situation onto your own shoulders, it wouldn't have given him that opportunity, would it?"

"I didn't think of it that way. Maybe you should have been Anideshi, if you can reason it all out like that." Juushirou shot her a sidelong glance. "But I suppose you're right. Everyone has their own skills and those skills should all be used – that's what you mean, isn't it?"

"Yes." Mitsuki agreed. "Pooling resources, I think that's the term. That's what Shinigami squads do. You have the talent to lead, Juushirou-kun – that's your strength. You have weaknesses too – you know what those are, and you shouldn't run away from them. Other people can help support you in covering those weaknesses. Retsu-sama says that we don't learn from our strong points but from our weak ones – and it's something I've often thought about since I gave up sword training and focused on healing."

She shrugged.

"I can't fight the way you can." She said honestly. "But I don't think I'd be useless to you if we were facing a Hollow in the field. What I can't do in combat I can make up for in other things – that's how I rationalise myself as a shinigami."

"You make a lot of sense." Juushirou agreed. "And because you do, I'll tell you something. I have had doubts since term began in my ability to be Anideshi. Whenever I feel like that, though, I'm trying to fight against it. I'm learning Anideshi isn't something you are when you begin – it's something you become with experience and probably by making screw ups along the way. But my pride wants me to be perfect right away – so perhaps that's a weakness I have that I never really considered before."

"You always doubt yourself more than anyone else doubts you." Mitsuki looked pensive. "You're perfectly suited for your rank, Juushirou – you're a born leader and you always have been. But you're probably not wrong either – that pride is a weakness as well as a strength. If you can look at Anideshi as a learning curve, then I guess it's all right. You do seem very determined lately – I suppose that's part of why."

"At the start of term, Sensei had me speaking to the parents of a District child – yesterday he had another visitor of that kind, and he asked me to come and speak to them as well." Juushirou's lips thinned. "Because I'm District, I'm bridging the gap and Sensei thinks it's good for me, to see what kind of an impact my being where I am is having on other people from my section of society. To begin with I thought that was a good thing…but Mitsuki…I really don't know. The more time goes on, the less sure I am that I'm ready to be an example to anyone else. I'm still learning so much myself – and I don't know my limits or my failings as well as maybe I ought to."

"You took on Yamamoto-kun's sword challenge because you wanted to prove yourself, then?" Mitsuki asked astutely, and Juushirou looked ashamed.

"I suppose I did. No, I know I did." He agreed sadly. "That's how my mind has been. Half of me is determined and looking forward and resolved not to let anyone down, especially not Sensei. Then there's the other half – the me who's frustrated, wary and a little…paranoid? I'm trying all the time to push myself and be the best Anideshi I can. Even doing that, though, there are still people who dislike me and who don't have faith in what I can do. In a squad situation that would create disruption – but I don't really know what the way of resolving that problem is."

"Mm." Mitsuki pursed her lips, then, "So don't."

"Huh?" Juushirou stared, and Mitsuki smiled.

"This is a very big world." She said sensibly. "And it's impossible for everyone in it to like everyone else. If you try and make them, you'll lose sight of the values you have. You know what you believe is right, and so stick to that. Those who are your friends are your friends. That won't change. But sometimes leaders have to be unpopular too. It's how it is."

"In'you have more or less told me the same." Juushirou acknowledged. "And I agree – with both them and with you. I'm trying not to let it get to me, but it's also hard to put that into practice. Fighting Clan prejudice is one thing, but it's amazingly discouraging when someone dislikes you because of who you are, not simply based on class boundaries."

He smiled sheepishly.

"Perhaps I've got complacent about things like that."

"No, it isn't nice to be disliked." Mitsuki reflected. "But it also can't be helped. You don't need Yamamoto-kun's approval to be Anideshi, or anything else. He didn't make the decisions, and you've nothing you need to prove to him. Unless it's in terms of studies, you really shouldn't compete with him. It's only going to get you both into trouble later on if you do."

"Probably." Juushirou agreed. "And I am doing my best."

He gazed at his hands.

"Hahaue's Kuchiki blood runs through me a little too strongly sometimes." He added self-effacingly. "Especially knowing now how strong that blood is – I suppose there's a lot more Kuchiki in me than I ever realised growing up."

"Most likely it's come out because of being around people like Ryuu and I." Mitsuki frowned. "You've absorbed a little bit of Clan from us – perhaps that's a bad thing."

"I don't know. Hahaue is part of who I am, so I don't really mind." Juushirou reflected. "Mitsuki, I'm sorry. I'm pouring all this stuff on you, but you've probably got plenty on your own plate at the moment, haven't you?"

"Yeah…maybe." Mitsuki ran her fingers through her thick dark hair with a sigh. "But to be honest, I'd rather talk to you than think about all of that. There are things I can do or say – I hope – to make you more at ease and therefore I don't mind trying. But there are other things I can't reach out to so easily. I'm worried, Juushirou. Really, truly worried, especially about Senpai. And much as I'm trying not to dwell on it – I can't help it."

At the clouded expression in her grey eyes, Juushirou felt his heart clench, and he frowned, forcing the feeling away.

"You and Shikibu-san haven't made up your argument either, have you?" He asked, and Mitsuki visibly tensed, shaking her head.

"I don't think we're going to." She said dismissively. "It's all right. You needn't worry too much about that."

"Mitsuki." Juushirou's eyes widened at the sudden change in his companion's demeanour, and Mitsuki shrugged.

"I have some of that same Kuchiki pride, too." She said matter-of-factly. "Naoko doesn't understand all the things I thought she did – mostly, I don't think she understands the first thing about me or what I want for the future. So…it's really a rift that's been waiting to happen for a while, I suppose. She protected me a lot when I needed protecting. But these last few weeks…I don't need that any more. I've realised with everything at home that…I don't need anything like that from anyone, least of all from someone who doesn't understand my point of view."

"It's not my intention to get involved." Juushirou pursed his lips. "But I think Shikibu-san is probably just worried about you."

"Like I said, I don't need her to be." Mitsuki's eyes darkened. "If you don't want to be involved, Juushirou – don't be. Really, it's fine. I'm fine. It's nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"But…"

"I don't need you to protect me either. You know that, right?" Mitsuki cut across him, and Juushirou flinched, reeling back in dismay at the challenge in her usually gentle gaze.

"Of course I know that." He managed at length. "I wasn't trying to…I was just…"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Mitsuki sighed, burying her head in her hands. "It's nothing to do with you – I shouldn't take it out on anyone else. Some awful things happened back home, Juushirou. Really awful ones. And Naoko doesn't understand…the impact that that has had on me. Guren-sama acknowledged me – he needed me – and I did what I could. But it still wasn't really enough. I have so far to go and I know that I've got a lot of work still in front of me. Graduating the Academy is only going to be the beginning. Even with Retsu-sama's training…there's a lot I still can't do."

"The other day you mentioned people being killed." Juushirou said gravely, and Mitsuki nodded.

"When the groom died, I couldn't do anything except sit and watch him die. And with Ribari-sama too, I arrived too late to try and make a difference." She agreed sadly. "Those things still bother me, even if they were beyond my control."

"You saved Nagoya-senpai though, didn't you?" Juushirou didn't know why he asked the question, but somehow the words slipped out, and Mitsuki's eyes softened.

"Yes. Senpai…Senpai I did save." She agreed pensively. "He was so vulnerable, Juushirou. You wouldn't have known him at all. Whatever that drug was, it was potent and it hurt all of them, but Senpai most of all. Even when I managed to steady his heart rate, I couldn't leave him on his own. He was crying out and frightened because of the drug and what it did to him and…and he needed me. It's hard to explain it to someone who doesn't have healer's wits, but I couldn't leave his side and I really didn't want to. As a healer…I wanted to save him. So afterwards, I couldn't be scared of him any more. And he didn't push me away anymore, either. So now…when he's in so much danger again…it worries me. Nobody knows what's happened to him since he left the main house, but things shouldn't be the way they are. He's been through enough – it's just not fair."

Juushirou's heart lurched at the emotion in his companion's voice, but still he shied away from voicing his concerns, the memory of those challenging grey eyes still fresh in his mind.

"I'm concerned about Nagoya-senpai too." He said, feeling more than a little bit like he was lying, and then hating himself all the more for such disloyalty to his former _shishou_. "It might even be the best thing if Seiren-dono found him, rather than him roaming the wilds on his own."

"He's a shinigami. Hollows won't kill him." Mitsuki shook her head. "And he's a strong fighter – you know that. It's not that so much that bothers me. It's more that…Juushirou, you haven't met Ryuu's father. Really, if you had, you'd understand why being caught would be a bad thing."

"Is Seiren-dono such a terrible person, then?" Juushirou was startled, and Mitsuki sighed.

"He's not terrible. He's human, I suppose." She said at length. "He's grieving for his nephew and frightened for his son. Ryuu is his pride and joy – even though Ryuu obviously has little emotional connection to his parents, they have always focused every attention on giving him the kind of upbringing befitting a future Clan leader. I don't think even Ryuu understands how much his father dotes on him – and it's not all a matter of Clan ambition. Seiren-dono's always been very jealous of the attention Guren-sama foisted on Shirogane-senpai, and now it's coming to a head. What exactly sparked this latest crisis, I don't know. But before Ribari-sama was born, Ryuu was assumed unofficially to be the next Clan heir. That situation has returned, but now Ryuu and Shirogane-senpai are no longer infants. Both are grown men with _zanpakutou_ raised and Seiren-dono probably thinks that Guren-sama's fondness for Shirogane-senpai threatens those plans."

"But in reality would it be such a bad thing if Nagoya-senpai inherited? Even if Seiren-dono is keen, Ryuu doesn't seem to want it at all." Juushirou frowned.

"Kuchiki tradition is very strict. I doubt Guren-sama has even thought of Senpai as a potential heir, no matter how fond he is." Mitsuki shook her head. "Besides, Seiren-dono is…the kind of man who forms fixed opinions and sticks to them religiously. He can be stubborn to the point of unreasonable, especially if he feels Ryuu's standing is at risk. He probably doesn't know how his son feels about all of this – I doubt he's bothered to ask."

"But arresting his own nephew, when that nephew hasn't got a claim…?"

"Mm. I know. Something must have happened." Mitsuki looked frustrated. "With Ryuu and I going away, somehow…someone took advantage."

She spread her hands.

"But I shouldn't be getting you involved. I promised Ryuu I wouldn't, and I don't intend to." She added guiltily. "Just you're easy to talk to, and you know Shirogane-senpai, too. You know he isn't the kind of person to plot treason against his Clan – you know how much the Kuchiki means to him, right?"

"Yes. I know." Juushirou inclined his head, unable to keep the faint edge out of his words and Mitsuki frowned.

"Juushirou?" She asked softly, reaching out to rest her hand on his. "What is it? Something prickled at your aura then, when I asked you that. Did I say something to upset you?"

"No…nothing." Juushirou hastily gathered his wits, shooting her a faint smile. "I'm sorry. I told you – my mind is full of several things at the moment."

_Including you and your relationship with Nagoya-senpai._

"Hrm." Mitsuki's brows knitted together, then, "Juushirou, has Naoko said anything funny to you at all these last few days?"

"Shikibu-san?" Juushirou blinked at this new mode of attack, and Mitsuki nodded.

"Yes. Because there's something in your aura and it's bothering me."

"Nothing in particular." Juushirou shook his head. "Why? What kind of thing did you mean?"

"I guess it doesn't matter." Mitsuki still looked troubled, but she shrugged. "If she hasn't, then fine. Just she…I can't always predict what she might do. So if she does, don't pay it any attention, all right? You can ask me anything – talk to me about anything – so if something is on your mind, please…bring it straight to me."

_Do you have feelings beyond friendship for Nagoya-senpai, now?_

She had given him the perfect opening, but try as he might, Juushirou could not form the words to ask the question. Instead he forced another smile, allowing the moment to slip by.

"I'll keep it in mind." He agreed vaguely. "But Shikibu-san and I don't often talk, so…probably it won't happen at all."

"Probably that's true." Mitsuki looked relieved. "Okay. Then forget I raised it. It's not important at all."

She got to her feet, holding out her hand to him and Juushirou stared at her for a moment, confused by her gesture.

"Since there's just the two of us, I thought we could take a walk and clear our heads together." Mitsuki explained, and Juushirou grinned, clasping her hand in his and hauling himself upright. "It seems like we both could use it, and we haven't had much chance to see each other since we came back. Even if we are just friends, it seems a shame that we don't get many opportunities like this now you're Anideshi."

"Agreed." Juushirou nodded, taking faint comfort from those words. "All right. I don't see why not, since we've nothing scheduled on our timetable till later and I've about written as much on my reports as I can for now."

"Then it's settled." Mitsuki's eyes twinkled. "We might not get so many chances when we graduate to spend time like this – so we ought to make the most of it while we can."

"Not…when we graduate?" Despite himself, Juushirou felt the faint cover of comfort fading at these casual words. "But in Seireitei…aren't you going to…join a squad?"

"I'm not sure what's going to happen, yet." Mitsuki admitted. "Guren-sama may drag me back to District Six for a while, or other things might come into play. I intend to be a healer but…who knows where that will lead me."

"Well, I live in District Six, too." Juushirou reminded her. "Though I suppose Guren-sama might not approve of that."

"I don't suppose Guren-sama will approve of most of the things I've been thinking of late." Mitsuki murmured, and Juushirou's brows knitted together.

"Mitsuki?"

"Nothing." Mitsuki shook her head, raising a sheepish smile to his concerned expression. "For now, it's a long way off, so forget it. It's a nice day today and peaceful too. Lets make the most of it while we both still can."

* * *

Something warm was surrounding him.

From deep within the murky darkness, Shirogane felt the faintest tendrils of spiritual energy brush against his senses. Raw as his wits currently were, even the lightest of sensations sent shock waves through his system, and he struggled against it, fear instinctively ruling his body as he sought to pull away from it.

Yet the warmth continued to envelop him, spreading across his body in a soft, even glow of energy.

Trapped within his own form, Shirogane tried to open his mouth to speak, but his vocal chords would not respond, and no matter how he fought, he could not move even an inch. Terrified now, he strained his every nerve in an attempt to break free of whatever it was that had him held fast, but it was no use. A spasm of pain wrenched through him, and he felt his body jerk and twist into a fit of coughing, but even though he was aware of those movements, they somehow seemed detached from him completely. Something warm and wet trickled down his chin, but it did not seem like his chin, nor did he realise that he had coughed up blood once more. Instead he felt like a trapped spectator, locked away in darkness while something beyond his control happened all around him.

It hurt, and when the warm energy brushed against him, it hurt all the more, but although he wanted to move, he found that he could not. His body reacted to stimuli he could not control - as though his mind had become severed from the rest of him, and he was no longer able to act for himself.

As panic ripped through him, he thought he heard a voice, soft but distinctive from somewhere beyond his line of sight.

_Don't fight me. Silly. You'll never get well if you fight me._

The voice was young and unfamiliar, a reproachful edge to her words, but Shirogane did not have the energy to process these sensations properly. Instead he gave up his struggle, allowing himself to sink back into the comforting oblivion of sleep.

The next time awareness returned to him, he was no longer locked away in darkness and silence. All around him there were the low buzz of voices, each one distinctive yet Shirogane could not make out any individual words. Unlike the girl's voice which had spoken to him so firmly and directly, these seemed to be just beyond his reach. The warm energy that had held him before had also dissipated, and as the voices became louder, he gradually realised that it had only been inside his mind. Whereas before he had been a prisoner, now he found that control of his body had been returned to him, and so he fought through the waves of blackness to the surface, taking desperate breaths into his lungs like a swimmer who had very nearly come to drown.

_Drown? Was I drowning...?_

He forced his heavy fingers to move, struggling to open his eyes, and at his feeble movements, he heard an exclamation, then a small, chubby hand slipped into his, wrapping itself around his fingers as though to help bring him out of his stupor. The touch was warm, and glittered faintly with the energy Shirogane had felt before, but this time it felt comforting, not frightening, and there was something soothing in knowing he was not alone.

Slowly and with some difficulty he opened his eyes, blinking as the world blurred and swam before his sight.

"He's awake!"

Now Shirogane could understand the words, the excited cry of a child. Though, as he fought to bring the world into focus, he knew that it was the same voice. The young girl who had spoken to him so firmly when he had been drowning in the black was now the child clutching his hand, and he fixed his gaze on her, trying to work out who she was and why she might be staring down at him with eager aqua eyes.

She was an unremarkable child, stocky and plump with distinctive, if not attractive features and a tousled mop of curly hair that was pulled back by a ragged ribbon into a tail down her back. Her clothing was faded and rough, and there were the unmistakeable reddish brown stains of blood spattered across it. But it was her eyes that Shirogane was most struck by. The youngster was probably no older than ten or eleven at most, yet the eyes that met his held the understanding and concern of one much older. It was the eyes of one who had seen right through him, and who had understood his pain.

For a moment he was reminded of Mitsuki, and the way she had looked at him after Ribari's death. Then the thought was gone as the girl tightened her grip on his fingers, letting out a squeal of triumph.

"I did it! He woke up! Shinkei-nii! Sanji-nii! He's awake!"

The sudden, shrill yell pierced through Shirogane's aching head and he flinched, trying to pull his fingers free of the child's touch. Where was he? What was going on? His brain, sluggish and confused struggled to put the pieces of memory back together. What had happened?

"So he is."

A tall, bespectacled young man of about eighteen suddenly appeared behind the youngster, seriousness in his gaze, and Shirogane was immediately put on his guard. Whilst the child's presence had not been threatening in the least, this youth was well built and tall, probably more than capable of doing harm if he so wished. Again he racked his brain for any idea of where he was or what had happened, but the recollections were scattered and made no clear sense.

What was wrong with him?

Slowly he moistened his lips, opening his mouth to speak.

"Where...?"

That was all he managed, but at the faint word, the tall youth dropped down at his side, offering him a grave smile.

"Rest easy a while longer." He said quietly. "You're not in danger here. Your wounds have been healed, but you shouldn't probably move yet."

The voice was gentle and reassuring, and Shirogane eyed him uncertainly. Consciousness was returning to him moment by moment, and a sudden flash of fear stabbed through him as he realised that his_ zanpakutou_ was nowhere nearby. Ignoring the boy's instructions, he struggled to bring himself into a sitting position, but his vision blurred and swam before his gaze and he fell backwards, unable to support his body.

"Silly." The young girl tut-tutted, casting her companion a resigned look. "I told you, didn't I? Rich people are always silly. They never listen when you want to help, and they always do things they shouldn't."

Something about the criticism in her tones jarred against Shirogane's pride, and he cast her a glance.

"Who are you?" He demanded, fighting to assert himself in the conversation. "Why am I here? What..."

"My brother found you collapsed in the forest, and so we brought you to our house." It was the boy with spectacles who answered. "Shikiki healed your injuries, but you lost a lot of blood. You're not fit enough to get up yet, Nagoya-dono. You should just lie still."

_Nagoya-dono?_

At the sound of his name, clarity stabbed through Shirogane as sharply as the blade that had pierced his lung, and he stared at the youth in dismay.

Yes, he had been in the forest. He had been running...running from Seiren's guards, but they had caught him. He had tried to escape, but had been wounded. And then, from the forest, those blasts of Kidou that had set him free. Now he remembered. Now he knew. But these people...

"How do you know my name?" He whispered, and the boy smiled.

"We may be peasants in your eyes, but we do read." He said simply, reaching across to scoop something up from its place leaning up against the chamber wall. At the sight of it, Shirogane's eyes widened and he tried to reach his heavy fist towards it.

"Ginkyoujiki." He breathed, and the youth shrugged, setting it back down out of his reach.

"I don't know much about those things, but I know that it's normal to put a name on the sheath." He said matter-of-factly. "No, I don't think it's something you should have right at the moment. Shikiki might have closed up the hole in your chest, but you're still not very strong. I do know that if you don't have good control, using one of those things is dangerous."

"That belongs to me!"

"Yes, it does." The boy nodded. "But I already told you, there's no danger here. You don't need to fight. You should take me at my word and rest. You're still white as a sheet...and you look as though you need it."

At this brusque appraisal of his condition, Shirogane found himself struck speechless, and the young girl grinned, settling herself down against the makeshift bed.

"Sanji-nii, you go and see if Anika has something for Nagoya-dono to eat." She suggested. "I'll stay here with him. It'll be all right."

"On your own?" Sanjirou cast her a quizzical look, and Shikiki nodded.

"I'll be fine." She agreed. "He can't move enough to hurt me. Not yet. It's fine."

"Well, all right." Sanjirou looked doubtful, but he nodded, getting to his feet. "But if you need me, yell. Hiro-nii isn't back yet from the Kira estate, and even though Okaasama hasn't objected to any of this, nobody's going to put you at risk."

"I know. It's all right." Shikiki said calmly. "But he'll need to eat something if he's going to get better. Won't he?"

"I suppose so." Sanjirou acknowledged. "Okay. I'm going."

With a backward glance he left the chamber, and Shirogane heard the soft sound of a door sliding shut behind him.

"You aren't going to hurt me, are you?" Shikiki turned a questioning glance on her patient, who stared at her in blank confusion, and at his expression she giggled, reaching over to take his hand in hers again.

"Of course you're not." She said brightly. "You're a friend of Juu-nii's, so you wouldn't. Even if you are a silly rich shinigami who wants to get up and move before he's fully healed. You're not a bad person, are you?"

"Juu-nii?" The insult in Shikiki's words was lost on the patient as Shirogane's dazed mind instead latched onto the name. Shikiki nodded.

"You do know him, don't you?" She asked quizzically. "I'm sure you do. Juu-nii's talked about you. And you are...Nagoya-dono, aren't you? Nagoya Shirogane-dono? Sanji-kun said that that's what's written on your sword scabbard, so..."

"Mm." Shirogane swallowed hard. "But I don't...what...who..."

"Then you're Juu-nii's senpai." Shikiki seemed pleased. "He's told me about you. You trained him, and because of you, Juu-nii has Sougyo no Kotowari."

"Sougyo no..." Shirogane's eyes flickered with surprise. "Wait..._Juu_-nii? You...one of...this is..._Ukitake'_s home?"

"Yes!" Shikiki clasped her hands together, squashing Shirogane's pale fingers between her own stubby ones in her excitement. "That's right! So you remember now what happened in the forest? You were all collapsed and covered in blood. Someone put a sword through your chest, but I mended it all now so you should be able to breathe. It doesn't hurt, does it? It shouldn't, but...I'm not perfect at using my magic yet, so..."

"Hurt...?" Shirogane frowned. His free arm felt like lead, but somehow he manoeuvred it clumsily across to push the rough blanket back from his body. Tentatively he put his fingers to the place where the sword gash had been, but though he slid his hand beneath the folds of the basic night robe he now found himself clothed in, try as he might he could no longer find a wound. His gaze flitted to Shikiki in disbelief, and she grinned.

"I healed it." She repeated. "So now you can breathe."

"Healed it?" Shirogane recovered his wits, staring at her in confusion. "You made it disappear. How did you? Even Mitsuki...even healers can't do something like that, yet you...?"

"I have special magic, I s'pose." Shikiki shrugged dismissively. "I've always had it. I don't really know why, but I can do stuff like that. I unbreak things and make them go back how they were before."

She sighed.

"I could only fix your chest." She added regretfully. "I'm sorry. I wanted to help you bring your blood back too - but I'm not strong enough yet to do a whole person and well, you lost quite a lot of blood. I could only do what I did...but you're still quite pale, so I guess Sanji-nii is right and you should just rest here a while longer."

Shirogane was silent for a moment, digesting this with some difficulty.  
_  
I'm alive. I'm in District Six still, at the home of that confounded District boy I tutored. This kid...is one of his sisters, I suppose. And that other one, a brother. They brought me back here and healed me...but why? What do they have to gain? I'm sure Seiren-dono will be offering a reward...and..._

His gaze flitted around the room, taking in the peeling paintwork and the faded drapes that fluttered at the windows.

_This room is small and worn out. Ukitake's family don't have much money. Handing me over to Seiren-dono would be in their interests. Is that what they intend? But...but..._

He took a deep breath into his lungs, relishing the sensation of drawing air into his chest once more.

_I never thought breathing would be such a good feeling or that I'd take it for granted. I came so close...to death. I really thought that I wouldn't fight through this time, but somehow I have._

Out loud he said,

"Why did you help me? Surely if you saw me hurt, you knew...something bad had happened?"

"Mm." Shikiki nodded her head. "You got attacked. Shinkei-nii thought it was a Hollow, but I knew it was a sword. Someone had a fight with you."

She sighed, a suddenly weary, world-wise air in her manner.

"Rich people seem to like doing that," she said regretfully, "fighting and slashing holes in each other for no real reason. I don't know why...but I know they do."

"Rich people...?" Shirogane blinked, and Shikiki grinned.

"You're a Kuchiki." She said frankly. "Sanji-nii said so. That means you must be rich. _And_ you have a _zanpakutou_, so you must like fighting. So I'm right, I think. You'll use your sword and fight about stuff - and that's why you got hurt."

She shrugged.

"Sometimes it's stupid to fight when you can just talk about things instead." She added thoughtfully, and despite himself Shirogane felt faintly ashamed. "But I suppose that's hard to understand when you're rich. When you have lots of things, it's easy for people to try and take them away."

Shirogane stared at her, and the child dimpled back.

"Anyway, we helped you because you were hurt." She said frankly. "And because you were Juu-nii's sh..sh..._shoushou_?"

In spite of his situation, a faint, droll smile touched Shirogane's lips.

"_Shishou_." He corrected softly. "A _shoushou_ is a military commander and general - and believe me, I'm far from that."

"Oh. Oh well." Shikiki seemed unconcerned. "I don't really care much about stuff like that, so I didn't know."

She let go of his hand, patting him gently on the knuckles.

"I'm Shikiki, by the way." She added. "Can I call you Shirogane? I think it's a pretty name, but Sanji-nii said you'd be angry if we called you that, and Shinkei-nii said that a member of the Kuchiki-ke might cut off someone's head for something disrespec'ful. So I thought I'd ask you, and then you wouldn't be cross."

Once again Shirogane was floored. In his whole life he had never encountered a young girl like this - one of low birth who was unafraid of his status and who spoke to him eagerly as an equal, even when they had been born so many social grades apart. With his traditional Kuchiki upbringing, it would be so easy for him to scorn her and revile her for her lack of etiquette. Yet Shirogane didn't feel scornful, nor did he want to push the girl away. Strangely he found something in her eagerness that reassured him. Disorientated and weary though he was, someone had reached out to help him instead of trying to cause him harm.

Seiren had sent men after him, and from all angles he had been hunted almost to the brink of death by people he had considered allies and kin. But there was nothing accusatory or persecuting in this child's expression. On the contrary, though she was both young and socially inferior, he saw only kindness and concern for his well being in her aqua eyes.

They were strangers, but Shirogane was now in her debt. And although there was no physical resemblance, Shirogane found himself remembering his District _deshi_ and the straightforward manner in which he had separated right from wrong.

Was that interfering, protective instinct a District trait? Or was it unique to Ukitake's people? Whichever it was, Shirogane was smart enough to know that it had been the difference between rescuing him and leaving him to die a lonely death.

Well, that, and the unexplained warm energy that had engulfed his body and taken away his pain. The child was District, like Juushirou - but Shirogane had somewhat assumed his _deshi_'s ability had coming from his latent Kuchiki blood. This mite was different though - there was nothing Clan in her bearing or appearance whatsoever, but Shirogane could not deny the fact that her aura hummed with some kind of spiritual energy.  
_  
This girl was the one who saved my life. With whatever power it is she has - I know it was her. I felt it...that warmth in her touch and it was her voice that spoke to me. A strange, ugly child - with no redeeming features to an outside observer. Yet this child...chose to give me life. Without my asking - without my knowing - she chose to save me. Was that naivety?_

He met Shikiki's anxious aqua eyes once more.

_No. Those eyes aren't naive. There's not innocence there. It's something else. Understanding, perhaps. I don't know much about Ukitake's family - if anything at all. But this one...has been through things in the past. I'm sure of it. Has she seen death? Closely enough that she'd save the life of a stranger who might easily kill her on another occasion?_

"Well?" Shikiki pressed. "Do you mind? I don't want to be rude, because everyone will be cross with me. But..."

"It's all right." Shirogane cut across her, offering her a faint, rueful smile. "I may be a Kuchiki, but right at the moment, I am not wanted by them. They would sooner see me dead, I think, and I am in no position to look down on you. Your magic saved my life, therefore you can call me as you choose. I have no right to hold onto my pride in circumstances such as these."

"Your family don't want you?" Shikiki's eyes softened, and in that moment Shirogane realised his young companion understood those feelings very well. "They abandoned you, Shirogane-nii?"

"Well...not quite." Shirogane was momentarily taken off guard by the affectionate 'nii' honorific, but he quickly regained his wits, shaking his head. "And to tell you about it would be to bring you into danger, so I can't. As it is...my being here might bring danger to your family."

"Danger?" Shikiki frowned. "From the people who hurt you?"

"Yes, or people like them."

"People looking to kill you?"

"I suppose so. Or at least take me prisoner. You didn't know about that?"

"No." Shikiki shook her head. "I just thought it was another rich person sword fight."

"Do you regret helping me now you know?"

"That people are after you?" Shikiki looked surprised, then she shook her head. "No. I don't. People shouldn't be dead, you see. Not if they can be alive. There have been people I couldn't save before, and I hated it. But I'm going to get stronger. And then I'll be able to heal whole people, instead of just bits."  
_  
You truly do sound like Mitsuki._

Shirogane reached out a shaky hand, brushing his finger lightly against the girl's cheek. The effort of holding his arm raised for too long proved too much for his weakened body, however, and he allowed it to drop back onto the faded blankets with a faint grimace. What had possessed him to reach out to her? He didn't know, but in that moment he had felt something connecting him to this strange District maid.

_Maybe that's why I'm finding myself relaxing in your company. You aren't the same kind of healer Mitsuki is, but you have that same aura of confidence in your ability to save life - and the same abhorrence for ending it. _

"What's your sword called?" Shikiki grinned at him, turning to glance at the sheathed weapon that rested once more against the chamber wall. "Juu-nii's is all silver and pretty, and when it's released it goes into two blades. It feels like storm and sea - but yours doesn't feel like that. It has a strange feeling - but I don't know what it is."

"Ginkyoujiki." Shirogane replied. "His power is magnetic - it's a very different blade from Ukitake's. And a much better trained one, I should hope, seeing as I've been studying _zanjutsu_ far longer than he has."

As he spoke he felt the faintest prickle of his _zanpakutou_'s presence against his wits. It was no more than that, for Ginkyoujiki had clearly understood how frail his master currently was, and therefore he made no attempt to slip his magnetic aura further into Shirogane's thoughts. The shinigami's gaze flitted to the sheathed weapon, understanding that his sword was standing guard over him, but would wait until he was ready for them to fight together once again.

Shirogane found that he was glad his sword was not the kind to ask too many awkward questions, for he knew he would not be able to explain how easily he had dropped his barriers to this District child.

"Mm. Well, you're Juu-nii's _shishou_, so that makes sense." Shikiki shrugged, oblivious to her companion's thoughts as she appeared once more the happy-go-lucky child. "Sanji-nii said you shouldn't have Gin…Ginkyoujiki even when you wake up, because he doesn't know if you're going to hurt us or not. Even though he said we had to help you, for Juu-nii's sake...he wasn't sure. He's always cautious about stuff, and Hiro-nii wasn't here to decide. But...you won't hurt us, will you, Shirogane-nii? You're Juu-nii's friend, and I know he wouldn't call anyone who hurt his family a friend."

"A friend, huh." Shirogane's mind flitted back to the last time he had seen his young _deshi_. "That isn't necessarily how I'd put it. But...even if you think Clan people are rich and stupid, Shikiki - we do have honour. I wouldn't hurt those who had offered me help and sanctuary, and nor will Ginkyoujiki. My life is in your debt. Why would I harm your lives in return?"

He stretched, stifling a yawn.

"Besides, even if I wished to, I could not release my sword like this." He murmured. "I am tired. Heavy and dizzy, too. I remember the wound did bleed a lot - so I suspect it will take a little time before I recover myself completely. Just when I'd regained my strength from the last time…I fall foul of violence yet again."

"You did lose a lot of blood." Shikiki looked troubled. "I tried to bring it back when I healed you, but I couldn't do it. I could only put back the blood that was in your lungs, because it wasn't s'posed to be there. I'm not strong enough yet to do more than that though - I'm sorry."

"I don't think you need apologise." Shirogane told her firmly. "Don't look like that. I remember what happened clearly now, and that I had about given myself up for dead. _You_ didn't give up on me - so even an imperfect heal is better than no heal at all."

He hesitated, then forced his heavy limb across the covers to pat her clumsily on the hand.

"I am grateful and did not mean to sound otherwise."

"I'm glad." Shikiki beamed. "And you know, you're really not as pale as you were before. I think it's because you're not bleeding any more, because I closed up the holes where the sword went in, too."

"I suppose so." Shirogane agreed. "But I do still feel quite weak. Too weak to sit up on my own – would you help me?"

"Oh. Of course." Shikiki nodded, helping to support the nobleman as he dragged his heavy body into a more vertical position, hurrying to support him with cushions. "There. How's that?"

"Better." Shirogane agreed "I just thought that, since this was Ukitake's home, I'd like to see a little more where I am."

"Nowhere as fancy as you're used to, I'd bet."

A fresh voice came from the doorway at that moment, and Shikiki was on her feet at once, hurrying to greet the newcomer.

"Hiro-nii! Did Sanji-nii tell you? And Shinkei-nii? We rescued him! He was hurt, but I used my magic and now he's woken up!"

"Mm. Sanji told me." Hiroyuki ruffled his fingers absently through the thick curly hair, meeting Shirogane's gaze with a grave one of his own. "Nagoya Shirogane-dono, is that it?"

"Yes." Shirogane was suddenly on his guard, noticing the tension in this stranger's body. "Why?"

"My name is Ukitake Hiroyuki, and this family is my responsibility since Father's passed on." Hiroyuki came into the room properly, standing at the foot of the makeshift bed and gazing down at Shirogane thoughtfully. " I've heard of you from Shiro-nii, and I know that's why the kids brought you back here. I've also heard soldiers wearing Kuchiki badges in the centre of the local town, proclaiming a reward for anyone who should have information leading to your arrest."

_I thought so._

Shirogane's lips thinned, taking in the stranger's demeanour carefully. From the way Sanjirou and Shikiki had referred to 'Hiro-nii', he had supposed this to be the head of the family, but he was struck by how young the man was. Hastily he tried to work out how old Juushirou would be now, realising that the white haired District boy that he had trained was probably the older of the two. Hadn't Hiroyuki referred just now to a 'Shiro-nii?'. With recollection of Juushirou's white hair, Shirogane understood that this was the missing member of the family. An older brother...which meant Hiroyuki could not be more than twenty at the most.

A pang struck through him as he acknowledged that the young man stood before him was probably of an age with the cousin who he had seen buried only a short time before.

_Ribari-sama was still very naive, though. I don't get that feeling from this one._

His eyes narrowed.

_This means Ukitake is not the heir to his family, even if he is the eldest son - as I think he must be. I was not aware that he had so many siblings though - how many more of them are going to come out of the woodwork, I wonder? District families do like to breed - if Clans bred at the same rate as District ones, the manors would be overflowing and there'd be a fight over territory at least once a week. Perhaps with so many siblings Ukitake has absolved himself of his duties in order to train as a shinigami. District are unusual in many respects, but I suppose that makes sense. Ukitake won't be here to watch over his family once Genryuusai-sensei inducts him into the Gotei system, and there's no existing arrangements for District shinigami to take care of their families while serving Seireitei.  
_  
"Well, I'm in no position to do anything if you intend on claiming that reward." He said quietly now, addressing the newcomer with a solemn expression on his face. "I am entirely in your hands at present - it seems you have the advantage."

"Reward?" Hiroyuki stared at him, then snorted, shaking his head, and Shirogane was startled and a little perturbed to see derision in the other's eyes. "You really have a low opinion of the District classes, don't you? You think we'd scrabble around and sell someone's life just for a few coins from the Clan that rules over us? Don't be stupid. Shikiki and company brought you back here because you were wounded, not so that we could sell you over to whoever's hunting you down."

"Then why are you looking at me in that manner?" Shirogane challenged, his gaze flitting to Ginkyoujiki, but Hiroyuki was too quick for him, bending down to pick the sword up.

"I want to know why they're looking for you." He said quietly, turning the weapon over in his hands. "I know who you are. I know you worked with Shiro-nii, and because of that people here want to help you. I don't mind that. It seems a fair trade-off to me. But...I'm head of this family, now Nii-sama's training to be a Shinigami. Keeping them safe rests with me, and I have to make sure that I can."

Shirogane's eyes narrowed.

"My being here puts them in danger." He murmured.

"That's what I want to find out." Hiroyuki said plainly. "This is Kuchiki land, but the Kuchiki who rule here are not invasive. The announcements in the local towns were that all outlying land will be searched by retainers from the local manor house as well as the main house. They're looking for you, but they didn't say why - and I want to know why. I want to know who we're sheltering before I decide whether sheltering you is worth the risk."

"Clan business is no business of yours."

"Perhaps not, but my family's lives are my business." Hiroyuki tossed the sword aside with a clatter, bending down to meet Shirogane's gaze at eye level, and despite the disparity in their spiritual potential, Shirogane felt faintly unnerved at the intensity in those hazel eyes. "I will not cast any of them aside to protect someone whose situation I know nothing about. I know you didn't choose to come here - my siblings brought you here, and that's fine in itself. But you understand, don't you? Right now you're obviously not fit enough to leave this place unaided. If I chose to throw you out, you would very quickly be captured."

"Hiro-nii!" Shikiki protested, tugging at the older boy's sleeve. "Shirogane-nii is Juu-nii's friend! You shouldn't shout at him!"

"He may have trained Shiro-nii, Shikiki." Hiroyuki said grimly. "But the fact is even men from the main Kuchiki house have come here to find him. Whatever happened - whatever he did - I want to know. I want to know if having him here is dangerous - and more, I want to know whether it's worth the gamble to shield him from the people outside."

Shirogane sighed.

"I do not intend to bring hell-fire down on the family of someone I once trained." He said quietly, pushing back the blanket and pushing his heavy legs one by one over the side of the old straw mattress, using the wall to pull himself to his feet. "I don't...want to..."

He faltered, a wave of dizziness crashing over him, and in spite of himself he felt fear once more surge through his body.

Could he not even stand up without aid? Was he so weak that he was truly helpless to anything that this family decided to do? Even...to what his Uncle decided to do?

"Shirogane-nii!" The moment the Clansman stumbled, Shikiki let out an exclamation, hurrying to grab his arm as he almost fell headlong, and pulling him forcibly back down onto the worn bedding. "Stop being stupid! Sit down! You're sick and you can't run around!"

Shirogane took a shaky breath of air into his lungs, aware that his whole body was trembling from the effort of his sudden movement, and he swallowed hard, staring at the young girl mutely as he tried to calm the panic that swirled inside of him.

"Are you all right?" Shikiki's hand on his arm was somehow soothing, and as he managed to focus his blurred gaze on it, he saw the faintest shimmer of pink around the ends of her fingers. The next moment it was gone, and Shirogane was left wondering if he had imagined it. He opened his mouth to speak, but words would not come, and Shikiki frowned, turning back to her brother.

"Hiro-nii, stop yelling at him! He's not well! You can see he's not going to hurt anyone when he can't even stand up!"

"That's all very well, but..."

"I want to help him!" Shikiki cut across him, obstinacy in her aqua eyes. "I want to help Shirogane-nii, because he helped Juu-nii!"

"Shikiki." Hiroyuki stared at the youngster at this sudden outburst, and Shirogane was just as stunned to see the tears glittering in the girl's eyes.

"Juu-nii raised his sword because of Shirogane-nii!" The young girl protested. "And if he hadn't done that, he would never have met me. When Kei-nii disappeared...I would've been...all alone...again. Juu-nii...brought me home. And I...I know he'd want us...to help Shirogane-nii! I don't believe he's a bad person! He said his family didn't want him any more - like Kei-nii didn't want me any more!"

"Your situation was a little different, Shiki-chan." Hiroyuki objected, but Shikiki shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks now.

"When I healed him, I felt it. He was frightened. Frightened even of me." She said stubbornly. "People who are abandoned aren't always bad people, Hiro-nii. Shirogane-nii doesn't have anyone to help him. 'Cept us. And we should. Because I don't think he did anything bad."

"If your family will be in jeopardy for shielding me, I will leave." Shirogane finally mustered his voice, casting Shikiki a glance. "Your brother is right. I must. Bringing you into my fight was never my intention."

"The guards won't search inside the homes so long as the local manor retinue are involved." Hiroyuki said quietly. "They believe very much in letting people live their own lives in peace, and nobody will stand for families being molested. But they will probably come to our land as well as others, and search that - and we won't be able to stop them. Sanji said there was a lot of blood around the site where they found you - and so they'll focus on this area all the more if they manage to pick up that trail. If they were to find you in our possession...I have six younger kids here to look after, plus my mother. You understand, don't you, what that means?"

"Yes," Shirogane said grimly, "and Seiren-dono probably won't hold his men back from invading peasant homes if he thinks he can find me that way."

"Peasant homes." Hiroyuki's eyes glittered, and Shirogane sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I meant no offence." he said wearily. "Truly I am too tired...too wholly tired...to fight any more. Do with me as you wish. I have nowhere I can run in this condition. I cannot make it even to the coves if I can barely stand."

"The coves..." Hiroyuki looked thoughtful. "So that's your intention? To leave District Six by boat?"

"Mm." Shirogane shrugged. "If I can do that, I'll be far from here, and well away from your family."

"Why are they hunting you, Nagoya-dono?" Hiroyuki asked quietly. "What did you do?"

Shirogane was silent for a moment, then he shook his head.

"I did nothing." He said at length. "Nothing at all. I have been framed. I have heard there to be evidence against me, but whatever evidence there is has been fabricated. I seek to leave Six, and find somewhere I can go to clear my name. I can't do it alone, but I have allies elsewhere who, I hope, can help me do that."

His gaze fell on the anxious Shikiki.

"Like she said, I have no family here to support me," he said flatly, "but I don't intend on relying on you or putting you in danger on my account."

Hiroyuki sighed, running his fingers through his thick dark hair.

"I believe you." He said at length. "I wish I didn't, but I do. Maybe it's because Shiro-nii's said things about you too - I don't know. But I think...you're telling me the truth. It's also true that at the moment you're obviously in no state to move. To throw you out would be as good as killing you - I'm not really all right with that. But listen. If we shelter you here...even if you are Clan, we are not your servants. Understand? I've no intention of pandering to spoiled whims under my own roof...especially not when the young ones might pick those habits up. And you're only here until you're well enough to get to the coves and leave this place. Is that clear?"

Shirogane raised his gaze, meeting Hiroyuki's troubled eyes with his own grey ones.

_This one cares as much about his family as Guren-sama cares for his. Even though they are District, they have the same bonds of loyalty I was raised to observe._

His eyes narrowed slightly.

_No. Perhaps this family's are stronger, because there is no treachery or ambition to tear them apart. I begin to understand, Ukitake, why you faced me as you did those years back. If this is the world from which you came - I can quite understand why you believe anything to be within your grasp._

He nodded.

"I understand and I accept." He said evenly. "For the time being, I am at your mercy and in your hands."

Hiroyuki sighed again, casting Shikiki a resigned look.

"I suppose this means you win, squirt." He said frankly, but there was no anger in his tone, and Shikiki beamed back at him in triumph. "All right. He's your patient, so you can nanny him. Anika will be far too busy to run around after a waif and stray, and I have a feeling he's going to be a demanding one. But...he seems to have taken a shine to you, so I suppose he's all yours."

"All right." Shikiki nodded her head. "I don't mind. I like Shirogane-nii too."

She cast Shirogane a smile, and taken off guard, Shirogane found himself returning it.

_If Yorune had lived, would we have been like these two? Would I have liked it, having a small sister trailing around after me?_

"Then that's settled." Hiroyuki pursed his lips. "Luck may be on your side, Nagoya-dono - there are storm clouds gathering and I think we'll have rain tonight. Aside from making a search harder, if it rains, a lot of your blood trail will be washed away. You can trust that nobody here will talk about this to anyone - so don't abuse our hospitality, all right? We might just be another peasant family to you, and way beneath your notice. But the people here mean something to me - and to other people, including your _deshi_. Remember that whenever you think about doing something reckless. We saved your life, but our lives are also now in your hands."

With that he was gone, and Shikiki sighed.

"Hiro-nii was very serious, then." She observed. "I guess he's worried about the soldiers."

"If they dispatch shinigami, someone will probably detect my reiatsu. I'm not sure if I can suppress it completely while I feel like this." Shirogane admitted. "He has good reason to worry, Shikiki. I'm putting everyone in danger being here."

_Yet they're still agreeing to shield me. They have no way of proving my story true...but still..._

"It will be all right." Shikiki beamed. "I have magic, and I can make a barrier if I need to. Nobody's going to attack you again, I promise."

She spread her chubby hands.

"I should wash the blood from these, and then help Anika make you something to eat." She added. "You will eat something, won't you? Even if it isn't rich people food?"

"The last meal I had was river fish that I caught with my sword and cooked with my Kidou fire." Shirogane said dryly. "I think you'll find I won't object to anything you put in front of me. These last few days I have lived more or less wild - strange as it may seem, having a roof over my head and a place to sleep is currently all I require to be content."

"You're not quite like most rich people." Shikiki reflected, and Shirogane shook his head.

"I'm exactly like most rich people," he corrected, "and finding that fact to be my weakness. But it's all right. I'm learning very quickly what happens when the favour falls."

"Your family really...don't want you?" Shikiki looked sympathetic, and despite himself, Shirogane reached out to squeeze her hand.

"I don't suppose I have ever really known if I wanted them, either." He murmured. "I have simply depended on their being there, and not understood properly the bonds I have and have not with others around me. But I'm learning, little by little."

He sighed.

"Someone I was very close to died a short time ago." He added gravely. "Since then, nothing has been right. For his sake, I must find out what happened to him. Even if it destroys me - or my family - I need to know. Ribari-sama was like my brother, and I've only come to understand that properly since he died. I wasn't able to protect him that night in the forest. So at the very least I have to find the truth, in whatever way I can."

* * *

There was a buzz of activity in the air as Masaki and his dark-clad companion stepped out of the dark forest, Masaki pulling the heavy hood of his thick black cloak over his pale brown hair as he gauged the situation. His companion stood stock still at his side, but as Masaki's gaze flitted to him, the boy lifted his hand, wordlessly mimicking his companion's movement almost exactly. His golden eyes glittered ominously from beneath the heavy folds, and Masaki sighed, realising that he probably looked more suspicious dressed that way than he would have walking bare-headed through the local towns.

Still, there wasn't time to worry about such things now.

_I wonder whether this sudden change in the atmosphere has any connection to the mission I gave Nanaki before we left._

Masaki pursed his lips, watching a group of guards flit between posts, one barking orders to his juniors as they hurried to carry out their duties. They seemed unconcerned by the few townsfolk who were trying to go about their business despite the interruptions, and once the military officers had gone, Masaki instructed his young companion to stay put in the shade of a nearby elm tree. The boy obeyed without a moment of hesitation, and Masaki cast him one last glance before leaving him to his own devices and crossing the market-place to speak to a fruit-seller who was packing up his wares for the day.

"I'm closing sales now." He said brusquely, as Masaki approached. "With all these soldiers about, most folk have gone home. I'd advise you do so too, sir – stories are that they're hunting someone dangerous."

_Someone dangerous?_

Masaki's eyes narrowed_. _He had heard those words before, and they had normally preceded a retreat or flight into hiding.

_Me, or someone else?_

Out loud he said,

"My companion and I have just returned back here after a long journey from District Seven."

He raised his cloak slightly to reveal the leather purse that hung from his belt, then,

"I have coin enough to pay you double for a few moment's inconvenience and a little fresh fruit to quench our travel thirst."

"Double?" The stall holder hesitated, then sighed, nodding his head. "Very well. There are good plums and peaches here imported from Eighth District that it'd be a shame to see go to waste."

_Imported or smuggled?_

Masaki picked up one of the peaches, eying it pensively. It was still fairly fresh, if a little bit on the old side, and he very much suspected it had not come from Eighth via legal channels. Though it was true that Eighth District's climate meant harvesting many different fruits was possible much earlier, it was rare for those to seep through the trade routes to low ranking street sellers before those fruit had been dried.

Still he nodded, scooping up another one and reaching in his purse for the coin.

"Also, what did you mean when you said someone dangerous?" He asked lightly, setting the money down on the table and watching the greedy vender gather it up in his hands before his customer could change his mind. "That's unusual, isn't it, for a District like this?"

"Very, hence all the guards." The trader shoved the coin into the folds of his grubby sash, nodding his head with a wise, world-weary air. "Been away a while, have you? One of the Clan was murdered about a month past – now they're hunting a kinsman of his on suspicion of some kind of dark conspiracy. Of course, they don't tell us the details. But some of the families round these parts have young'uns who work for the Kuchiki, so stories spread."

He lowered his voice, glancing warily at the few lingering soldiers, then,

"There are rumours, if you know what I mean."

"I see." Masaki's eyes became slits. "And if I was to delay you a little longer this fine night and offer another coin for your trouble, would you tell me these rumours? I'm a trader myself – in a different line of work to yours, however – and if this land is unsettled and dangerous I may find myself best positioned to move on. I deal in precious metals, you see – and I'm sure I don't want rogues ripping apart my wares."

"Of course not." A knowing smile touched the seller's face, and Masaki realised he had been right about the smuggling, for the man's reaction indicated he suspected Masaki of the same corner-cutting business façade. "Well, there's not much to tell, really. But for a fellow trader – I suppose so."

"Thank you." Masaki set a third coin down on the stand, watching as it immediately disappeared into the other's obi. "Then if you don't mind – as much as you know."

"Well, as I said, it's all rumour." The seller looked thoughtful, and Masaki watched with some amusement as a wasp settled on the uppermost of his unpacked plums.

_It seems that so long as you have your money, you don't really mind what happens to your fruit. A sensible attitude. I approve._

"Rumour is better than nothing." He said out loud. "Whatever you can tell me."

"One of the weavers' daughters is somewhat friendly with one of the young men on the Kuchiki guard, and she heard from him – allegedly, you understand – that the soldiers were being sent out on the orders of Lord Seiren. He has a fair bit of influence, so far as I can tell – not one of those fancy sword wielding types, you know, but a soldier and an important fellow…you've heard of him, I trust?"

"I believe so." Masaki nodded. "Go on."

"Anyhow, there was a whole kerfuffle. Soldiers cut down and so on, as I've heard." The seller lowered his voice yet again. "And the one they're chasing down now is the Lord Shirogane. Seiren-dono's nephew. What he did I don't know – don't ask me, those things aren't for the likes of us to debate on. But something serious, that's for sure. And retainers have been hunting these parts ever since."

"I see." Masaki pursed his lips.

_Well, Nanaki. This is doubtless your doing. In my absence you have achieved something remarkable. That means you're probably still with the Kuchiki – and they haven't worked out yet who you are or what your motives might be. Good girl. Your work is almost done, though – the next stage falls to my puppet to carry out. I doubt he'll be as effective as you've been – but beggars cannot always choose._

"I'm not familiar with Shirogane-dono." He said lightly now. "One of the young _bocchan_, perhaps?"

"Yes." The seller agreed. "In any case, nobody knows his current whereabouts. Just that he has a sword and is potentially dangerous – that kind of information gets this far. It's all I can tell you – but you might want to take precious wares someplace else, if there are desperate Clan folk lurking these parts."

_I don't quite see the connection between the two, but fortunately you're fool enough to find one._

Masaki smiled, bowing his head.

"I'll keep it in mind." He said warmly. "Thank you again for the information and the fruit. You're a good man and I hope that this doesn't disrupt your trade any further!"

With that he withdrew to where his companion was still waiting for him, his blank eyes absorbing everything and nothing from their surroundings. Had the tree he was sheltering under fallen down on top of him, Masaki knew the gold eyed boy would not have moved an inch, not even to save himself and he sighed, tossing one of the peaches in his direction.

A gloved hand came up automatically to catch it, and after a moment of hesitation, he began to eat.

"Yes. Eat." Masaki tapped him on the shoulder, indicating for the boy to follow him back towards the trees and shelter for the night. "Tomorrow you have work to do, and you will need all the energy you can get to fuel that pointless body of yours."

There was no reply, and Masaki had not expected one. Still, he reflected, things were moving forward. The true owner of Nanaki's pendant in District Eight had been silenced, and a rift the size of a river had opened up in the Kuchiki Clan. All it needed now was the finishing touch…

_The moment when the past returns to haunt the present._

Masaki glanced at his companion's vivid golden eyes.

_The day a Shihouin comes to kill a Kuchiki Lord._


	33. Target: Guren

**Chapter Thirty Two: Target:- Guren**

There was still no word on Shirogane.

Guren sighed, pushing the pile of papers that lay on his desk together absently into a haphazard pile before getting to his feet, crossing the floor of his study to the window. Outside he could see his twin brother, robed once more in the elegant emerald and cream of the family amid the soldiers who were all eager to report to him, but from the tension in Seiren's body language Guren did not need to hear a report to know that his oldest nephew had so far escaped all attempts to bring him home.

Perhaps it was for the best that way.

Guren leant up against the panel walls, watching idly as Seiren gave his men a fresh bunch of orders, waving his hands expressively as he put across his point.

He had always been that way, ever since they had been children.

A frown crossed Guren's brow as he remembered the many spats they had had as small boys, sometimes with wooden _bokutou_ and other times with fists and feet. There had been countless occasions where the two of them had lined up outside this very office, both studiously avoiding each other's gazes as they had waited to face their father's wrath for bringing the whole family into disrepute. Their arguments had been the talk of the whole Clan at one point – Guren winced slightly at the recollection, acknowledging as an adult now the things he had not realised when he had been a child. Then Seiren had been his enemy – his rival for his father's attention and mother's affection, and as Senaya's chosen son and heir he had always wanted to push his brother back into second place.

_Father never saw how well we could work together._

As Seiren made his way back inside the building, Guren reflected on the changes there had been in Kuchiki leadership since his father's assassination at the hands of the Shihouin Clan.

_We hated each other even then, but we hated those who had betrayed Otousama more, and that hatred bound us together. Brothers in arms we will never be, perhaps – but I have come to trust in and rely on him in ways I would never have done when we were young. I remember telling my nurses each time Seiren was sick that Father should not call the doctors and should just let him die. For a small boy to say such things must have horrified all of them – but I didn't understand what death was then. Now I do, and I regret that wish._

He closed his eyes, allowing memories to flood over him.

"_One day the Clan will be in your hands, Guren."_

The voice was deep and gentle, and Guren could still picture his father's dark grey eyes piercing through him as he stood before the desk, his face freshly bruised and his arm bandaged from his most recent fight with his twin.

You will learn then the reason that you were given a brother."

"I don't want a brother." Guren had answered sulkily, his seven year old features twisting into an ugly grimace. "I wanted to keep Raiko-nee. Why was Raiko-nee sent away? Seiren should be sent away. He can't do anything useful anyway – Raiko-nee should have been my sister. She can make spirit magic, just like I can. If she'd stayed, we could've played together always."

Senaya's expression had rarely given away his true feelings, but on that occasion, his father had sighed, resting both his hands on the young boy's shoulders and Guren remembered even now the warm weight of those fingers against his tiny frame.

"Raiko is not coming back." He had said simply. "You must forget her – for your own sake, for my sake, but for your Uncle's most of all. Raiko can no longer come here, and this Clan will need you all the more now she is gone."

"Why can't she?" Guren had not understood, quizzical eyes raised to his companion's. "Where has she gone? I'll go get her, Father – surely someone knows where she…"

"Your brother is Seiren." Guren had put his finger to Guren's lips at that moment, and despite himself the young boy had faltered, unsure of what he had wanted to say. "If you make an enemy of him now, my boy, you will live to regret it for the rest of your life. You will be Clan leader, but no Clan leader can ever rule alone."

"But…Father…you're Clan leader." Guren had been confused by this. "You rule alone. Why…"

"I rule this Clan, but your Uncle is always there in my shadow." Senaya had explained softly. "One day Seiren must be your shadow. God only knows that I didn't want things to be this way. You fight so much I wonder if I was wrong…but I have to believe that you will overcome that. One day I won't be here to talk to you like this. One day you'll have to make your own judgements and forge your own kind of Kuchiki Clan. For the sake of the family, Guren, you must accept your brother and he must accept you."

_Well, Father, I did that._

Guren opened his eyes.

_You would be proud of me. Proud of us both, perhaps. The way we rallied around after your death meant that things were dealt with quickly and concisely. It was a harsh baptism into understanding all the things you told me as I was growing up. But though that's been the case for this long, I still…feel distance between Seiren and I. For the sake of the Clan we work together – for that end we probably always will. I trust him, but as friends? I wonder. I sometimes wish I knew what it had been like for you, Otousama – when you and Kinnya-ojisama were leading this Clan._

His gaze drifted back to the mess of papers on his desk, and with a sigh he returned to them, reluctantly beginning to flick through them as he tried to separate them out into their relevant piles.

_This also isn't like me. I have much to do, and the busier I am, the less Ribari preys on my mind. Though it isn't Ribari I'm thinking of this morning, but Shirogane. My son is dead and beyond my reach – but my nephew…I wish I understood what exactly was going on here. Something is at work – something out of my hands and I can't quite put my finger on what. Shirogane's behaviour since the night my son died may have been erratic…but…haven't we all been, those of us who were close to Ribari? Isn't grief reason enough for acting out of character? If Seiren manages to bring him back alive, I will have many questions for him. But I can't believe Shirogane would betray me. Shirogane is Masane's son – Masane who always used to plead with Seiren and I to speak to one another instead of just through her. I can't believe it. I won't believe it. There must be another explanation for all of this._

A piece of paper fluttered from the desk to the floor and Guren bent to pick it up, realising it was the letter that Seiren's men had found among Shirogane's papers. Slowly he unfolded it, reading not the words but the style of character as he tried yet again to work out whether it could have been penned by his nephew.

_If he were here, I would stand him before me and command him to write – but he is not, and I cannot._

With a sigh Guren dropped it down onto his desk.

_And that scrap of paper – from Father's nikki? Such an insignificant little piece – more as though it was there for the point of being there than to convey any kind of message. To strengthen…something. Like what?_

He turned towards the shelves, running his fingers along the spine of the books until he reached the old, battered tome that had once been his father's diary. It had been read many times and Guren knew most of its contents by heart, but this time he found himself not looking for what was written there but instead, for signs of things that were not – of places where pages might have been removed, or simply fallen out due to age.

_Seiren was uncomfortable with talking about the nikki. I wonder why. It's not as though there's even much mention of him inside it – or of me, except when Father wanted to strut about things like our betrothal ceremonies. I…wait._

Guren's brows knitted together and he flipped back the pages, bringing the book closer to his line of sight and scrutinising the paper carefully. Where the leaves had been stitched together, there was just the faintest of rough edges, and as he used his fingers to pry the spine apart just a little, he realised with a jolt that it was the remains of a sheet – not removed through age or wear but carefully cut from the book with the sharp end of a knife.

_Something…removed…from Father's nikki._

Guren turned back the page, skimming his gaze over the last paragraph of the one before. It was an account of a legal meeting, he realised – a day of debate and negotiation over various Clan policies.

_It's not obvious that something's missing. I don't know why someone would remove a random description of a court meeting when we keep minutes in the archives. But if that was taken out of this book, other things might have been too. When Father died? Because Father died? Was this also the work of his assassins? _

A sudden breeze whipped through the chamber and Guren started, setting the book down as he turned towards the window. He had not unfastened it, but in the moments he had been focusing his attention on the _nikki_, someone else had – and now a dark shape huddled on the windowsill, hooded and robed all in black. The figure's features were concealed by the dark fabric, but at Guren's movement he snapped his head up, and the stunned Clan leader found himself staring into a pair of empty golden eyes.

For a moment fear paralysed him, as memories of his father's death flooded through his body. Then, as the figure launched himself silently from his perch, Guren hurriedly gathered his scattered wits, pulling his sword from its sheath and swinging it up just in time to parry a blow from a black-bladed dagger.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Guren threw the assailant off, and like a cat he landed on the ground, though there was something clumsy and unsettled in his gait as he steadied himself for his next attack. There was no word spoken, nor any sign of emotion in the gold eyes as the black clad apparition struck forward again, knife raised as if to slice through Guren's neck and shoulder in one sweeping movement. Though Guren was tall and strongly built, the assassin's resolute attacking style took him off guard, and he found himself taking a step back, parrying each slash and stab of the dagger with his zanpakutou's sharp blade.

"I asked you a question!" He exclaimed. "Who are you and what are you doing in my study?"

There was still no reply, and Guren was chilled by the blank stare that greeted his questions. Yet as the haze of fear and recollection began to fade, the Clan leader realised that whoever this attacker was, his method was forthright and direct but not particularly sophisticated. Berating himself for being reminded so easily of Senaya's Shihouin assassination, Guren steadied his wits, bringing his _zanpakutou _up in a diagonal sweep that knocked the weapon from the boy's hands, sending it careening across the polished floor. It came to a halt with a thud against the sliding door, but the assassin did not seem particularly perturbed by the loss of his weapon. Instead he reached out his hands, launching himself bodily at Guren with fingers clawed, groping for the older man's neck or throat with a dark determination the Kuchiki found hard to quantify.

"_Bakudou no Ichi. Sai."_ He muttered, flinging his hand out to stop the golden eyed boy in his tracks, and as the attacker's arms and legs pinioned back behind his body, he fell to the ground with a thump.

_He bore a weapon and he meant to hurt me. But such a feeble attacker stands no chance against one of the few in Seireitei who hold Bankai._

Guren knelt down at the boy's side, a slither of golden energy snaking out from his fingertips to confine his prisoner even more firmly.

_Bound with Hainawa, stopped dead with Sai. Basic spells with little force behind them…why was I scared? Father's death was a long time ago – does it still haunt me so badly, or is it simply the sight of one with the will to kill so soon after losing my only son?_

Reaching a white gloved hand across to loosen the hood and fabric around the assailant's face, he carefully pushed the fabric back, his brows knitting in consternation as he took in the features of the person who had attacked him.

Golden eyes stared back at him, but it was the distinctively dark skin and the thickly bound violet hair that most struck Guren's imagination.

_A Shihouin. Make no mistake about it. Have I doubted the girl's testimony needlessly? Maybe Seiren was right to believe her. Here is the Shihouin who killed the stable folk. And here he is trying to end my life. Only I am not a stable hand. And he cannot kill me._

His eyes narrowed.

_Did one like this kill my son?_

Out loud he said,

"If you value your life, speak. Tell me who you are working for, and why."

The youth – and yes he was a youth, Guren realised with a jolt, probably no older than Ryuu if that – simply stared back at him, not making any attempt to speak. His eyes still showed no sign of emotion – neither fear nor anger, and somehow this unnerved the Clan leader.

_As though you're here but you're not here. I've not seen that before. It's as though I've bound a corpse – but a corpse who is alive. _

"Guren-sama!" At that moment there was a pounding at the door, and Guren got to his feet, moving to unfasten and open the divide. Beyond stood soldiers, anxious, eager expressions on their faces, and Guren found that he was glad to see them.

"Guren-sama, someone has infiltrated the grounds!" One soldier reported. "Who and what their purpose is unknown. Therefore…"

"I can answer your questions. You have arrived rather late." Guren could not keep the edge from his voice as he stood back, revealing the Kidou-sealed youngster for the first time. "Who he is will have to wait. For the time being you may consider him someone who sought to end my life. Possibly…more than just mine."

"Guren-sama…"The guards exchanged looks of horror, and Guren reached out a hand to tap the nearest on the head.

"You. Go find Futsuki-dono and report this occurrence to him. Tell him he's needed at once to the prison to interrogate a captive of mine. And you." He tapped a second, "Make a report to Lord Seiren that my life has been threatened – although I am unharmed. Tell my brother to make sure that with his other enquiries general protection of this manor isn't bypassed – just in case there are others we haven't yet found. The rest of you – take this miscreant and lock him in the cells. You may report to Lord Futsuki when you do - I will come myself to deal with the matter presently."

"Yes sir." Like frightened rabbits the soldiers hurried to obey their leader's orders, and Guren sank back against the wall, the tension seeping out of him as he realised he had once more regained control. His hands were still shaking somewhat beneath the heavy folds of his Clan robes, but he folded his arms so that his men could not see it, watching instead as the would-be assassin was borne away.

_He was too weak to kill me. The enemy we've fought so far has been too strong or smart to capture. I wonder if that's important. I'll see what Futsuki thinks._

His brow creased in consternation.

_And perhaps for now, I won't involve Seiren too greatly. He'll see this as further proof against Shirogane. I don't want to see it that way – so for the time being, I'll handle it myself. No harm was done. I wasn't killed, and we now have a lead we did not have before. Assassins rarely speak before their captors – but if he's bound, it's unlikely he can take his own life before I have a chance to persuade him to talk. Even though he looked at me so blankly – there must be something I can get out of him. _

He bent to pick up the assassin's discarded dagger, turning it over in his hands. It was plain in its design, black from blade to hilt, and Guren could quickly see it was not a typical Shihouin weapon. On the contrary, it bore similar hallmarks to the knives that had been retrieved from the body of the groom and Guren realised that this was proof at least of a connection between this attack and that.

Had the stable attack been a test run, to see how vulnerable the Kuchiki defences were to outside attack?

_Whatever the truth, there's no mistaking one thing. That boy is a blood Shihouin, his features give him away in every respect. He isn't some illegitimate descendant or half-blood dissident. He's a son of the Clan._

Slowly he slid the weapon into the folds of his _obi_ out of sight.

_Weapons made in a District that the Shihouin currently have strong trade links with – not Clan weapons, therefore no connection to the Kyouraku, as such – but still, obtaining such a thing would not be difficult now there is such an alliance. Well, my return to the Council is coming up, and the Shadow Cat is conveniently the current chair. I shall have to raise the matter with her…and see how she responds._

_

* * *

_

There had been quite a show put on in the main house that day.

Nanaki paused at the edge of the manor building, watching with a mixture of curiosity and fascination as the green and cream clad retainers hurried in every direction, some shouting orders and others hastening to obey them. An attack on the head of the Clan was a big event, she supposed – though the flurry of activity also made her feel somewhat scornful towards their efforts.

_One man over the lives of other men. There it is again, those layers of importance in people's lives. Guren-sama is supposed to be a good Clan leader. If that's the case, he won't be so easy to kill, I'm sure. Still they run around like headless chickens in panic that some evil will befall him. Idiots, all of them. As if someone like that boy could lay a blade against a practicing shinigami._

She sighed, sinking back against the wall to catch her breath. It had been easier than she had thought to escape from the guarded chamber, for once word had spread about an attack on Guren's life, the manor's military personnel had all abandoned any less important posts in order to secure the grounds more completely. She had therefore been able to move around almost without being noticed, and it had been at that point that she had realised the advantage her time working as a maid for the family had given her.

She not only knew the layout of the family home, but where to acquire a serving girl's uniform and, once dressed that way, any of the house's menial staff who had seen her had simply greeted her and thanked her for her hard work. She had once more become invisible to the retinue now intent on saving their Lord's life, and with her hair whipped back behind her head and a cleaning cloth clasped in her hands nobody had even blinked when she had slipped into Guren's office to reclaim the Kyouraku pendant taken from her care.

_I don't know if he still has use for that, but probably he'd just send me back for it if I didn't bring it away with me. After he's gone to so much trouble to create a diversion so that I can escape…that would only create more problems._

She glanced down at her hands, opening her fingers to gaze at the Clan pendant.

_I suppose the girl who really owned this is dead now. I didn't even know her name – I suppose that's for the best. _

She shrugged, looping the necklace once more around her throat and sliding the pendant beneath the folds of the maid's uniform.

_What's done is done. And now they will have to investigate the Shihouin connection. They'll believe what I told them and if they think I've been taken by other assassins, so be it. My job here is completed. Now all that's left is a very special rendezvous. _

Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

_One without some irritating gold eyed monster lurking in the shadows playing unwanted chaperone. I don't mind if the Kuchiki kill him. He's more than half dead anyway. _

As the courtyard began to clear, she smoothed down her skirts, making her way carefully towards the rear gate. There was only one man on duty here, and as Nanaki approached, he hailed her with a wave and a warm greeting.

"Can't let you out of here, Nana-chan. Captain's orders. Nobody's to leave."

"But…my brother…" Nanaki faltered, injecting a tragic, harried expression into her young features. "With all of this…he's left alone. You know that he needs me to be there. If I'm not, he'll get scared with all of the commotion and…"

"Ah, I suppose it can't hurt." The old retainer patted her gently on the arm. "Nobody will care about one serving maid less, I'm sure. Go on – I'll pretend I didn't see you. They're hunting men with swords in the manor – I doubt you're high on their list of suspects."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Nanaki's heart leapt and she grasped the man's hand eagerly. "I won't forget this – thank you for understanding!"

"Well, and a bright smile from a young'un like you is enough reward." The old man said gently, stepping aside. "Quickly now. Captain said he'd be back in a few minutes and you don't want him to see you."

"No. I don't." Nanaki nodded. "Thank you again…I owe you!"

With that she was gone, haring down the tracks and pathways towards the village where they had made their base.

_I hope he hasn't decided to go somewhere else. It's a dangerous place, so close to the manor, but now…_

She sighed, crossing the village threshold and pausing to glance around her.

_The chaos hasn't got here yet. They haven't started searching the local area for likely suspects, so maybe I'm still in time. But if the house is deserted…I don't know what to do. I don't know where he would have gone – I can't predict his movements that easily, not even as his wife._

"Were you looking for me?" A soft voice broke through her thoughts and she swung around, eyes lighting up with relief as she met his amused muddy ones.

"I was." She said proudly. "I have a report to make – I've done everything you told me to do, and more."

"I've been hearing about it. I'm proud of you." His hand on her shoulder made a buzz of warmth flare up inside Nanaki's heart, and he smiled. "But we can't spend too much time here. The bait's been laid in a trap and they've probably taken it – but you are known to them now, and so we need to move on. For a little while…we'll have to go back to where we were before."

"So long as I'm with you, I don't mind." Nanaki assured him. "The guards at the manor are crazy over Guren-sama being attacked. While that's going on, we can go wherever you want."

"He did his job right then, this time?" Masaki's eyes narrowed, and Nanaki shrugged.

"If you mean, did he botch the assassination, I guess so." She said dismissively. "But we've discarded him now, haven't we? We don't need him any more."

"Mm. I'm still thinking about that." Masaki admitted. "But for now, yes. We'll go. If he dies in the meantime, it won't be the biggest loss. He can't betray us because he can't even say his own name, let alone either of ours. If he even had the capacity to retain that information."

"Which he doesn't." Nanaki said darkly. "I'm glad he's not here right now. I want to spend time with you – and we don't do that since you brought him back from District Two."

"No…we haven't had much alone time for a while." Masaki agreed regretfully. "All right. But I will still need you to do one more thing here before we give up on this part of the plan completely."

"One thing?" Nanaki looked surprised.

"I think it might be as well to contact Lord Seiren and emphasise to him your fear of being killed." Masaki smiled. "By letter or in person…one way or another. Make him think your disappearance was a flight of fear. For now it would be troublesome if he suspected you – since your testimony is paramount in his suspicion of Shirogane-dono and I'd like to preserve that paranoia a little longer. Do you think that he'd buy that?"

"He's the kind of man who's soft when it comes to protecting a helpless _hime_." Nanaki's eyes became thoughtful. "Yes, I think he would. If you want me to, I'll do that. I'd better do it in person, though – he'd recognise Nanaki's handwriting as the same as his letters otherwise."

"I thought of that." Masaki's smile widened and he slipped his fingers into the folds of his cloak, pulling out a folded sheet of paper and handing it to her. "And I wrote a brief few lines in preparation. I had hoped you'd be willing to take the gamble and arrange a meeting with him, so I took precautions just in case."

"Mm." Nanaki unfolded the sheet, glancing at the few short lines, then nodding her head. She refolded it, handing it back to him.

"All right." She agreed evenly. "It's just to talk, and so I'll do it. I don't know if Seiren is useful or not, but I'll play along since you want me to. If you can get this message to him, I'll meet with him – so long as he does as you've asked and comes alone."

"Yes, agreed." Masaki said thoughtfully. "Guards would not be helpful. I'll keep an eye on you from the shadows, though. You won't be without defence."

He brushed his fingers against the tip of the _tantou_ knife that rested lazily between the folds of his _obi_.

"We'll be ready to fight back if there's trouble. All I need you to do is play the scared exile on the run, and you do that so beautifully."

"I've had plenty of practice." Nanaki sighed. "But I don't really mind. So long as I get to spend a little time with you first, I'll do whatever you say."

* * *

"And he's been just like that ever since your men brought him down here."

Futsuki rested his hand against the steel bars of the cell door, turning to meet his brother's troubled look with a frustrated one of his own. "Exactly like that – exactly as you see him. He hasn't tried to move at all – nor said a word to anyone."

"I see."

Guren's lips thinned, and for a moment he was silent. Though he seemed calm enough, Futsuki knew his half-brother well enough to detect the anger and indignation swirling just beneath the surface, and he sighed, returning his attention to the captive.

The boy was probably about the same age as Ryuu or Shirogane, Futsuki decided, and his attire, all in black had been put together from common fabric, not the expensive silks and cloths favoured by most noble families. His physique was exactly what one would expect from a young and capable assassin – he had good muscle tone and the lithe build of someone used to stealth work from an early age. Fighting back against the guards who had held him should have been second nature, but despite that fact he had not made any move to free himself from their hold. On the contrary, he had allowed himself to be taken with such docility that even when the cell door had accidentally swung free of its catch, the captive had made not attempt to escape.

His skin, his eyes and the thick violet hair that now hung loose around his shoulders all indicated that this boy was Shihouin, but there was something unnerving in the young man's vacant gaze. The body, the clothing, the weaponry all suggested a killer with years of special training. But there was an empty heedlessness to those amber eyes that was entirely at odds with everything else.

He did not seem frightened by his surroundings, nor did he seem curious. Though his gaze shifted occasionally from the walls of the cell to the men that had gathered outside it, there was little in the eyes to suggest any understanding of what was going on. It was as though the body had kept on moving but the soul had long since departed.

Futsuki pursed his lips.

"To be honest, if it wasn't for the fact he attacked you directly and you're the witness…I'd find it hard to believe he did anything at all."

"Smoke and mirrors." Guren murmured, moving to the edge of the cage and gazing down at the hunched, grimy figure. "He has the eyes of a corpse, Futsuki. Don't you see it too? There's nothing in that gaze."

"Yes." Futsuki agreed grimly. "I had that same thought. As though the set has been perfectly dressed, but that really is all it is. As you said it – smoke and mirrors."

"I've not seen quite that expression before." Guren responded. "But it leads me to wonder whether…"

"I've already sent for a physician to take blood from him and test for all the most common known poisons." Futsuki nodded, understanding his companion's concerns. "Unless the Shihouin have developed something for mind control, though, I don't think that we'll get a result."

"The Shihouin are good with poisons." Guren said darkly. "And let's not forget my son died from poison. Not to mention…the events leading up to that death."

"True." Futsuki acknowledged. "One of which was a poison Retsu-sama of the Unohana didn't know."

"Yes." Guren's eyes became stormy. "I wonder if we asked the Shadow Cat the same question whether we'd get the same reply."

"Hrm." Futsuki's eyes narrowed. "In all my years working for the security of the Clan, and in all the times I've sent agents to keep tabs on the Shihouin, I've never gotten the feeling they were very much involved in science. Till Kamuki-sama's indiscretion with the _reidoku_ – but that was at the behest of Shouichi-dono's Endou and with the help of other scientific experts. I don't believe the Shihouin themselves are good at developing new chemicals. They simply use the ones others have put together before them."

"Meaning Ribari wasn't killed by Shihouin poison?" Guren demanded. "When we have something like this put in front of us?"

"You're thinking of Senaya-sama." Futsuki said lightly. "But the truth is, we don't know. If someone put the poison in the hands of the Shihouin, maybe they used it and killed your Lord son. But we have no evidence of that. There has been no report of Shihouin the night Ribari-sama died. This case and the stable yard – perhaps we can connect them. But Ribari-sama's death…remains a mystery."

"Surely it must be connected?" Guren exclaimed, and Futsuki could see that anger and frustration bubbling once more beneath the surface. "Why else would all of this be happening – what kind of coincidence sees six people dead and an attempt on my life in a short period? Not to mention…not to mention…"

He faltered, but Futsuki knew the rest of the sentence left unspoken.

"Not to mention Shirogane being driven from his home under suspicion of treason." He said softly. Guren sighed, nodding his head.

"Yes."

"You're not convinced of his guilt, are you?"

"No. But I believe Seiren must have a chance to prove his case. And that all the angles must be investigated fully." Guren responded. "I just hope he's found soon, before he gets himself hurt or into greater trouble."

"I also." Futsuki acknowledged. "But for the time being, we have to focus on the matters right in front of us. Including this Shihouin boy. Regarding your question about poison - his vital signs all seem steady and normal. He let us touch him and loosen his clothing to check for hidden knives without even a murmur, so I was able to make sure of his pulse and breathing at the same time. His hands aren't waxy and there's no sign of tremors or sweats – his eyes are blank but clear of anything suggesting intoxication, and he has good colour in his gums and eyelids. He doesn't seem particularly stressed by the experience, either, since his heart is keeping a steady, even beat. We haven't had to chain or restrain him – he's not in any mood to get free."

"But if I was to step inside that cage, probably he'd try to kill me again, wouldn't he?" Guren said softly. "While my guard was down. Because that's his order. If he's not drugged, that means this must be another skill of that Clan, surely? The rigid training of a Shihouin killer normally means they will endure whatever they need to in order to get the job done, and sacrifice their life as if it were nothing at all. Since I'm not yet dead, he's probably still in the middle of carrying out his duty. And so he'll do what he can to take us off guard."

"I had thought of that." Futsuki agreed. "But the truth is, I'm not sure. I can't speak for his mental function and I don't know if this is some sophisticated act on his part or what it is. But if he was able to attack you with as much intent as you reported – and then sit quiet as a mouse while guards are all around him…if it is an act, it has a level of sophistication far outreaching anything I've ever encountered in all my years working in your name. I've interrogated many people, and I've seen a lot of attempts at deception and trickery. But if that's what this is…Guren, it has me beaten. I can't explain it at all."

"Me either, I think." Guren rubbed his temples. "I realise that one like this _could_ have killed my son, even using an unknown poison to knock my shinigami out beforehand. Perhaps even this one _did_ do something like that that night. Yet it feels somehow wrong. I was attacked by a Shihouin boy today, Futsuki. There's no doubt about what we have confined here in this cell. But…even though I know that…it's all wrong."

Futsuki was silent for a moment, then,

"Do you think this was the Shihouin that girl saw slaughter his way through the stable yard?"

"Yes." Guren nodded, sliding his hand into his _obi _and producing the black-bladed sword. Futsuki's eyes darkened and he took it in his hands, turning it over as he examined it for a manufacturer's mark.

"This was his weapon? I wondered what had become of it when he was brought down here unarmed."

"That was what he wielded at me." Guren confirmed. "But he didn't seem too worried when I knocked it out of his grip. Bare hands were just as good, judging by the way he went for my throat."

"I see." Futsuki squinted more closely at the hilt of the knife, then, "But this is from…"

"District Eight. Just as those other knives were. From the same forge, I believe – but not of Clan quality." Guren said quietly. "And there's something else, too. It didn't really mean anything to me at the time and I discarded it but now I find myself remembering with startling clarity. Mitsuki said that she didn't sense any reiatsu from the one who killed those men in the stable yard, did she?"

"That's right." Futsuki started, staring at his brother in surprise.

"But Mitsuki is sensitive. She knew that people of low spiritual calibre were being murdered and quickly enough to get on scene not long after the perpetrator left it." Guren said softly. "She didn't sense the _killer's_ presence, only the presence of their victims. _We _might not sense a Shihouin who's skilled at concealing reiatsu – but I've heard that healers have an extra awareness for things like that. When I thought about it, it frightened me a little bit. Because without a doubt, when this one appeared to me today, I felt nothing before he appeared. Despite his Clan blood, this boy…"

He paused, turning back to the cage.

"He has no spiritual aura at all."

"I thought that too." Futsuki admitted. "My awareness isn't as good as yours is by a long way, but even I can tell that he's not normal. I don't believe a chemical exists to suppress natural reiatsu to a base level – but this is a Clan child. He should have at least some. To have none is…as though he were taken from the heart of Rukongai's spiritless dead."

"Precisely." Guren agreed. "It's just like that. Like one of those _plus_ souls we shinigami send there from the Real World…certainly not the kind of soul who you'd expect turn up in a spirit-enriched Seireitei."

"This whole business makes no sense." Futsuki muttered. "From Ribari-sama's death, to the stables, to Shirogane's flight and now this. I don't know what we're dealing with, but it worries me that it's a lot more widespread than just a Kuchiki matter."

"Mm." Guren nodded his head slowly. "And I intend on taking it before the Council when I return there in a few days. More specifically, I intend to ask the Shadow Cat about this black-clad killer and see whether she claims him. Maybe she does or doesn't know about this poison, but this is her kinsman either way. I had believed Midori-dono to be different from the Shihouin heads of previous years, but perhaps I was wrong to feel that way. I'm fairly sure he's pure-blooded Shihouin, which suggests someone with power deployed him."

"Someone with power." Futsuki reflected. "But not necessarily a Shihouin."

"I see." Guren's eyes narrowed. "You don't think it's as simple as that, then?"

"Not for a moment." Futsuki shook his head. "For the reason that it's too obvious, too contrived. I don't know who this boy is or who sent him to attack you. But I do think it's more complicated than a Shihouin assassin's plot. Senaya-sama died because of Shihouin assassins, didn't he? I remember the chaos as clearly as I'm sure you do. Therefore the enemy most obvious to a Kuchiki is a Shihouin. For a Clan of stealth experts, too, the Shadow Clan has a history of being scapegoated. Kamuki-sama's affair was one instance of it. He was undoubtedly used and his Clan exploited for the benefit of the Endou – we just didn't realise the full scale of the matter till later on."

"That's true." Guren acknowledged. "If that evidence had come to light, Kamuki-dono might not have been put to death. At least, he might have followed his brother's example and survived under house arrest. Having a reputation as killers in the night means that they're vulnerable to others playing on that reputation."

"And so are Clans like ours who have a recent history of involvement with that family's dark side."

"You believe someone gave us what they thought we'd be looking for?" Guren's expression became grave. "I'm not sure. It could be a double-bluff – acting in plain sight – I don't know. A pure-blooded Shihouin assassin normally only works for the Head of the Clan and nobody else. Their pride is such that they'll only spill blood in the name of the Shihouin, often to the detriment of their own lives. Those are the values drummed into them from infancy – there's no way a Clan Shihouin would take orders from anyone else."

"Such as Shirogane?" Futsuki asked, and Guren flinched, shrugging his shoulders.

"Blaming the Shihouin would be more palatable than blaming a kinsman." He acknowledged ruefully. "Particularly one of whom I am so fond. Seiren's witness is now corroborated. We have a Shihouin with weaponry matching the Shihouin she saw killing in the stable yard. Therefore the rest of her story is something we can't so easily dismiss. I will need to speak to her directly – have her identify this boy, if I can, and then question her more closely on her encounter with my errant nephew."

"Oh yes. Nanaki-hime." Futsuki's brows drew together. "That's another thing."

"Another thing?"

"She's no longer in the chamber you assigned for her. When the guards hurried to follow your orders, she disappeared."

"Kidnapped?" Guren demanded. "Or escaped?"

"I don't know." Futsuki grimaced. "Either one is possible. This gold-eyed demon boy might have been sent as a decoy for her to be taken or for her to slip our care. I can't read her motives – and I've found it hard to get any kind of information on her family."

"The crest she carried is a Kyouraku crest." Guren reflected. "And it does connect to the highest level of that family. She has inside knowledge of that Clan's civil unrest – and she is certainly better educated than most serving maids. But she doesn't look particularly Kyouraku, does she? Not that there is a typical appearance in District Eight's Clan but…they rarely ever have eyes as blue as that."

"Vivid blue." Futsuki agreed. "Yes. I agree. However it's not impossible. I haven't managed to confirm or dispute what she told us about her heritage. Sadehira-dono did die in the civil dispute and she does seem to know a lot about that matter – more than someone with a disconnected interest, I'd say. It's more likely information she's received either through her own involvement or from those immediately around her. In both cases, it helps support her claim. Also…whilst it's an unconfirmed rumour and speculation, I_ have_ heard it said before that Matsuhara-sama killed his first wife not long before he gave up using his sword completely. The circumstances I don't know – but a girl of that age would surely only know about such a thing if it was linked to her in some way. When Matsuhara died, she couldn't have been more than a babe in arms – three or four at the most."

His gaze flitted back to the prisoner.

"I don't know if he's listening to us. If he is, he's not reacting." He said softly. "But we should take this conversation to your study, just in case."

"Yes. Probably." Guren nodded. "I had hoped to get something out of the boy – but it doesn't look like that's possible."

"I believe he may be mute." Futsuki responded. "Even those who pretend not to be able to speak are hard pressed not to give some sound when dropped or shoved around the way he was. We manhandled him quite roughly when we searched him for other weapons – but he didn't make a sound. He doesn't have any obvious injuries to his throat from outside – so it's possible he was born without the ability for speech."

"Making him the perfect attacker, since he can't betray his comrades." Guren knelt down before the steel bars, putting his hands against the metal and staring at the prisoner with a heavy sigh. "Our time is wasted here. Keep a twenty four hour guard on him, Futsuki – make sure he's never left to himself and observe discreetly the way in which he behaves. Any slip in this behaviour, I want to know about it. And also what the physicians find when they examine him. They have my permission to do whatever tests they like so long as they do not kill him."

"You don't intend to kill him?" Futsuki was surprised. Guren shrugged.

"If he was the one who killed my son, I will kill him." He agreed flatly. "But at the moment he's our only lead. If he's useful to someone, they will come to get him. They've been several steps ahead so far, and so I'm sure sending him here like this had a purpose, too. I'd like to see if we can find out what it is."

"I see. Very well." Futsuki nodded, turning to gesture to one of the soldiers who had stood respectfully out of earshot whilst the two men had been discussing their captive. At once the soldier bowed, hurrying forward, and Futsuki explained his orders in low tones. The man saluted, then disappeared to find reinforcements, and Guren sighed.

"I feel better now I am in control of the situation again." He admitted sheepishly. "I wonder what that says about me. Kinnya-ojisama used to say that you can't control everything in this life – Father used to say that control was simply sleight of hand. I never discovered which of them was right – but I never like a situation that's out of my control."

"You and Seiren both have that in common." Futsuki reflected, and Guren smiled ruefully.

"We do." He agreed. "It's one reason why we didn't get along so well as boys."

He sighed again, rubbing his brow.

"One other thing, Futsuki. I want to keep Seiren as much out of this as I can, since I know he'll only point fingers at Shirogane even more. For now, I don't need to deal with that – not before I go to the Council and demand answers. But I would like to know what became of Nanaki-hime. I will ask Tokutarou about her too, I think – so keep your enquiries going. We'll see if the two sets of information tally at the end."

"Do you suspect the Kyouraku, now, too?" Futsuki was alarmed, but Guren shook his head.

"I want their cooperation, since the weapons came from that land." He said simply. "I won't be making accusations of any kind, don't worry. It is most likely that whoever is behind these attacks has been using District Eight in some respect to gather supplies – but that doesn't mean the Clan there know about it. I will just…bring it to their attention by asking whether their Lord has a cousin by the name of Nanaki."

"I see." Futsuki's face cleared. "I'm sorry. After this many years, I should trust your judgement more easily, shouldn't I?"

"Well, doubting and worrying is a big brother's duty, isn't it?" Guren rested his hand briefly on Futsuki's shoulder. "Thank you, Futsuki. With you at least I can be honest about my fears and my feelings. I understand a little better why my Father kept you around Seiren and I as we grew up. His faith in you was justified – even as his step-son, you haven't let him down."

"I have a debt I choose to repay." Futsuki's eyes became sombre. "For his kindness and acceptance and yours as well. Don't worry, Guren. I'll keep investigating and I'll find out what I can. Hopefully by the time Seiren brings Shirogane home, I'll have a good amount of evidence to plead his case."

Guren looked surprised for a moment, then he let out a low chuckle.

"You do have a tendency to see right through to my deepest motives." He murmured. "Very well. I won't hide them. If Shirogane is guilty, I won't forgive him. But whilst there's room for doubt, I will believe in him. I lost Ribari, but Masane entrusted Shirogane to me and he is like my son as well. I will believe in that son and pray he doesn't let me down."


	34. In District Hands

**Chapter Thirty Three: In District Hands**

"Are you sure that those herbs are the right ones?"

Miyabi, seventh child and second daughter of the Ukitake family glanced at the motley pile of leaves and stems gathered on the ground before her with a doubtful look on her face. "You seemed to be pulling stuff up all over the place, Shiki-chan. It won't be good if you make Nagoya-dono more sick. Then we'd have to call a real doctor, and then..."

"We can't do that." Shikiki shook her head, carefully beginning to separate the plants into two unique piles. It was two days on, and the two young girls of the Ukitake-ke had risen early, Shikiki wanting to collect healing plants from the grounds outside the family's old, rambling home and Miyabi going along more out of curiosity than anything else. Since Shikiki had come to live with the Ukitake, Miyabi had become her firm friend, for there was only a year or so between the two girl's ages, and consequently these days it was unusual to find of them without the other close behind. Though Shikiki knew Miyabi did not understand the healing instinct or spiritual aura that had drawn her to help Shirogane, she was glad of the other girl's help and company, and so for the past half an hour they had been picking sprigs of various plants in near silence - Shikiki knowing exactly what she was pulling, and Miyabi staring between the leaves and blossoms with a confused look on her young face.

"Besides, it's all right." Shikiki continued now, seeing that bewildered expression enter her friend's face once more. "In the village where I lived, Dai-nii would make remedies like this when his children were sick. He was really good at it, and I watched him lots of times. Sometimes he let me help."

She grinned, though there was a faint glitter of sadness in her eyes.

"It's nice to use things he taught me." She added pensively. "Because even though he died, it means he's still a little bit here with me. And besides, all I'm making is something to help Shirogane-nii feel less dizzy. He lost a lot of blood, and just sleeping isn't going to fix that."

"I suppose." Miyabi knelt to help her companion. "All right. Then I'll help. Are you going to crush these or dry them?"

"Those are for drying." Shikiki pushed one pile to the side, gathering the rest up in her hands. "These I'm going to crush. Anika said I could use the pestel if I was careful...and I won't drop it, if you hold the bowl still."

"I can do that." Miyabi agreed, getting the plaster bowl down from the shelf and setting it down on the floor between them. "Shikiki...why does it matter to you so much about Nagoya-dono getting well? He's not part of our family. He's Juu-nii's friend, but...you started calling him Shirogane-nii, like he lives here now. And he doesn't. You know that, right? He's only been here two days. When he's well he'll go, and we'll not see him again."

"I know." Shikiki paused in her filling of the bowl, a sober look in her aqua eyes. "But it's not the same for me as it is for you. Shirogane-nii said his family didn't want him. I know...what that's like. Kei-nii didn't come back for me, either. He just...wherever he went, he didn't want me. If Juu-nii hadn't brought me back here..."

She shrugged, putting the rest of the herbs into the bowl and picking up the pestel between chubby, green flecked fingers.

"This is my family, now." She added. "And I like that it is. Everyone is kind to me and I belong. I know nobody will send me away, or anything like that. But...Shirogane-nii is on his own. And even though he's rich and silly and a shinigami too - I feel bad for him. Not all rich shinigami people are bad people. Don't you think it's horrible, that it was someone from his family who made him get hurt like he was? Wouldn't you hate it, if Hiro-nii or Shinkei-nii suddenly told someone to come stab you and leave you for dead?"

"I suppose I would." Miyabi looked taken aback. "But it wouldn't ever happen. Not in this family."

"I know." Shikiki offered her a smile, but her eyes were serious. "But it can happen in other families. In other places. And Shirogane-nii is all lonely at the moment. And hurt. And ill. And I don't think he's very used to any of that. So...if I call him Shirogane-nii, maybe he'll be less on his own. Because I was found by people, too - I s'pose I understand more what it's like."

"Probably." Miyabi pursed her lips. "You don't talk about those things a lot though, Shiki-chan."

"That's because they're not nice. And I'm happy here, so they don't matter." Shikiki said frankly. "But seeing Shirogane-nii, and hearing what he said...made me remember a little what it felt like, when I knew Kei-nii wasn't coming back for me."

"Juu-nii said Keitarou was a bad person and that he hurt other people. He hurt Juu-nii, too." Miyabi said bluntly. "So it's a good thing he didn't, and you know that. You belong with us now anyway. It all ended better."

"It did," Shikiki set the pestel aside, "for me. But it might not end up better for Shirogane-nii, because it hasn't ended at all yet. So if we can at least help him get better...I want to do that."

She grinned.

"Can you get a mug from the cupboard and fill it with hot water from the bowl on the stove? Anika boiled it earlier, but she doesn't like me touching it because I can't reach as well as you. Then I can put the herbs in, and Shirogane-nii can drink it."

"Okay." Miyabi got to her feet, hurrying to do as she was bidden, and Shikiki glanced down at her green mush with a pensive look on her face.

_Dai-nii was always neater at doing that bit, but I'm pretty sure it will help. They're all good herbs for making people feel better, and Shirogane-nii is still a lot pale. I know that losing blood makes you go pale, but I hoped he'd be better if I stopped the bleeding._

"Here you are." Miyabi returned at that moment, pushing the mug towards her companion, and carefully Shikiki transferred the contents of the plaster bowl to the mug, stirring it carefully with the end of the pestel.

"Anika will be cross if she sees you doing that." Miyabi looked amused, picking up the empty bowl and taking the pestel from her companion. "I'll wash those up for you later, but I'll come with you to Nagoya-dono now. Even if you think it's all right, well, a girl shouldn't be on her own with a strange man in a bedroom. Chi-nee told me so."

"Really?" Shikiki was startled. "I never heard that before. Nobody ever bothered about me being in Juu-nii's room when he was sick."

"But that's Juu-nii. He's your family now, and not a stranger." Miyabi said knowingly. "Nagoya-dono is from outside, so it's best this way."

She shrugged, slipping her fingers into her companion's stubby ones.

"We'll go together." She said firmly. "And I'll help."

When they pushed open the door of the small chamber, Shikiki quickly saw that her patient was fast asleep and she cast Miyabi a glance to tell her to keep her voice down, tiptoeing carefully across the room and setting the medicine down on the small unit beside the bed. During the rest of the year, this chamber belonged to Juushirou, though in his absence it had been given over to caring for Shirogane, for in many respects it was perfectly located and set up to double as a sick room. Shikiki supposed that her brother would not mind the comandeering of his bedroom, not given that it was his _shishou_ who was in need.

"He's really very pretty, isn't he." Miyabi murmured, moving to stand at the other side of the bed. "I heard that Kuchiki people were pretty, but this is the first time I really saw one up close."

"I suppose so." Shikiki shrugged. "I hadn't really looked."

"That's because you're not twelve yet." Miyabi said with conviction. "But he is, Shikiki. And a little like Juu-nii. Don't you think?"

"You think everything revolves around Juu-nii." Shikiki teased, and Miyabi put her hands on her hips, glaring at her companion indignantly.

"I do not!" She hissed. "Okaasama said that Juu-nii was part Kuchiki, that's all. Didn't you know that?"

"Doesn't matter to me." Shikiki turned her attention back to the medicine. "He's still too pale right now."

"But he is sleeping peacefully." Miyabi reported. "Really, Shiki-chan, come round here and look. He's so pretty - like a marble doll asleep on Juu-nii's pillow."

Shikiki sighed, but obediently came to join her companion, glancing at the oblivious Clansman with a more experienced healer's gaze.

He was sleeping peacefully, she acknowledged, and though there was still a chalky whiteness to his complexion, his colour was less grey than it had been even the day before. Though she was not as fanciful as Miyabi in her imaginings, Shikiki had to admit that with his dark curly hair loose from its usual ties and scattered against the white of the bedcovers Shirogane did look a little like one of the dolls that the younger Ukitake girl kept neatly displayed on the shelf in the chamber they shared. Despite herself a faint smile came to Shikiki's lips at the association. Unlike her companion, she knew the ruthlessness that Clan people often possessed – but though she was sure that a fit, armed Shirogane might prove a dangerous proposition, right now he seemed vulnerable and fragile, a rescued stray exhausted from his adventures in the wild.

His colour was improving, however little. Anika's cooking and a comfortable place to rest had doubtless helped in that respect, for Shirogane had admitted to Shikiki the previous evening that he had not had much time to grab sleep since his desperate flight from the Kuchiki manor. Although the other Ukitake children still kept a respectful, wary distance from the sickroom and its unexpected occupant, Shikiki alone was unfazed by Shirogane's presence. She had seen Clan before, had experienced their violence and elitism, and had survived it – and so although Shirogane carried the same kind of sword as the men who had killed both her guardian Daisuke and her own family, she was not afraid. Perhaps because of that, whilst Shirogane had held himself a little aloof with the others where possible, he had not been so with Shikiki.  
_  
Clan people have all those silly rules about manners and stuff, so he's always polite to Hiro-nii and Anika and Okaasama, but I'm glad he lets me call him Shirogane-nii. If he can sleep like he has nothing on his mind, then he'll get well quicker. Dai-nii used to say that a good night's sleep could cure most things. So I'm glad he's able to sleep like that._

"Are you going to wake him?" Miyabi asked, and Shikiki sighed.

"The medicine will go cold if I don't." She said regretfully. "I suppose so. You're right though. He is sleeping very deeply."

She reached across to shake the Clansman gently awake, but something prickled faintly across her senses and she paused, drawing her hand back.  
_  
You don't want me to wake you up just yet, do you, Shirogane-nii?_

"Shiki-chan?" Miyabi cast her a curious look, and Shikiki shrugged.

"He's still so tired. I can tell by brushing against his aura." She said quietly.

"Still?" Miyabi looked blank. "He's been sleeping almost all the time since Shinkei-nii and Rouhei-nii found him – he's still tired now? All he's done in two days is pick at Anika's cooking and sleep…surely he should be wide awake by now?"

"But when you lose blood, it makes you tired." Shikiki said wisely. "Because your body's having to work hard to make more. And it isn't something I can fix so...for now we'll let him sleep. This is a safe place, so he can do that without worrying about people coming to find him. Hiro-nii said last night that the soldiers have been out searching all round the area, but that they're not allowed to come into people's homes so they won't ever know he's here. The medicine will work if it's cold as well as if it's warm - so...for now let's let him rest some more, okay?"

"If you say so. In that case, lets ask Okaasama if we can run down to the beach and watch the tide come in." Miyabi suggested. "It should be all right so long as we don't stray from the paths, and Kamikura-sensei's busy lecturing Shinkei-nii about his kanji at the moment. He won't want us till this afternoon I don't s'pect."

"We could." Shikiki brightened. "That's a good idea. And we can look for shells - I want to find a pink one like the one you dug up last summer."

"It's early for good shells, and the tide will be covering most of the sand." Miyabi pointed out. "But all right. We can do that too."

Shikiki turned to glance once more at the sleeping Shirogane, picking up a faint fluctuation in his sleeping aura. Then she nodded.

"Okay." She said at length. "Let's go."

* * *

"You know, you're starting to predict my movements with increasing accuracy."

Shunsui lowered his sword, casting his companion a warm grin. "You're a quick learner, Kaoru-chan - and you listen well. If you carry on like that, you'll have this _asauchi_ out of my hand before you know it."

"Mm, I don't think so." Kaoru gazed at her own weapon, letting out a little sigh. "I mean, Senpai is only going easy on me. I can tell that. And..."

"Well, of course." Shunsui looked surprised. "If I didn't, you'd probably get hurt - and that would spoil your pretty face as well as get me into a lot of trouble. But I'm not going so easy on you that I'm walking all over you. I meant what I said. Your skills are sharper than they were - you've really listened to what I said about your right side."

"I suppose so." Kaoru pursed her lips. "But even so...I don't know."

"Something bothering you?" Shunsui sheathed his katana, moving to rest his hands on the young girl's shoulders. She raised pensive eyes to his and he smiled ruefully, reminding himself for the hundredth time that Genryuusai had assigned him to work with her because of the temptation and that it would not do to give in to it, no matter how plaintive her expression.

_But it is a waste. A perfectly pretty ojouchan who doesn't completely hate me and I can't do anything about it. Damn that crafty old man. Damn him. With all the tension here of late, even teasing Naoko isn't as much fun as it was...even a Senior needs a distraction from stress now and again!_

"I don't know." Kaoru repeated now, oblivious to her companion's inner thoughts. "Just...Senpai, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course. That's why I'm here." Shunsui nodded his head. "Providing it's a sword related question and not one about the facts of life. Sensei wouldn't approve of us having that kind of conversation and I have no idea where it might lead if you carry on looking at me that way."

"Senpai!" Kaoru flushed red, but Shunsui knew from the grin on her face that she had been complimented rather than offended by his teasing remark. "But it isn't entirely about swords. I just wondered about the boy that I found in the Senior hallway. I mean, what happened with that? Nobody said anything, and...I think I've seen him in the halls from time to time since. But when I tried to talk to him, he scuttled away from me. So..."

She trailed off,and Shunsui shook his head.

"What you did that night was the right thing." He said gently. "But it's all in hand now. You needn't worry. It was a misunderstanding...that's all."

"I wondered if someone was maybe bullying him." Kaoru admitted earnestly. "When I thought about it, that's what it seemed like. He was so scared. But you made me promise not to tell anyone so I didn't. And then..."

"You've been bullied in the past, then, Kaoru-chan?" Shunsui asked keenly, and Kaoru shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, we used to have a hard time at home because my brother kept getting into one trouble or another. People didn't want to play with me much when I was small because of his reputation." She said pragmatically. "But I'm all right - I don't really get upset that easily. Just...sometimes Clan students don't like it when District students are clever, do they? When I got promoted for this year, people I thought were friends of mine stopped speaking to me. And I realised that perhaps there is a bigger divide between Clan and District than I thought. I didn't know if that young boy was District too, but...I know that Anideshi is...and..."

"I see. You've been doing a lot of thinking all around, then." Shunsui said lightly. Kaoru nodded.

"Was it bad for me to do that?" She asked hesitantly. Shunsui paused, then shook his head.

"Whether you look at the realities in this world or not, they're still there." He said thoughtfully. "That's a lesson I've learnt over the past few years, so I don't mind sharing it with you. You're not doing anything wrong by achieving things as a District student, Kaoru-chan. Only the world is still catching up with the changes. Clans have long traditions that are hard to break. Even mine does, you know - although I'd like to say I'm quite progressive with the way I look at things."

"Mm." Kaoru nodded, her dark tail of hair bobbing as she did so. "And since we've been training, I've seen that too. I thought maybe Sensei chose you to be my _shishou_ not just because you were left handed but because you were that kind of Clan person."

She pinkened again.

"I'm glad he did." She added self-consciously. "You've already helped me a lot. But...I'm wasting Senpai's time now by talking about silly stuff. I'm always doing that, because I talk too much and then I get carried away...so...I'm sorry. I just wanted to know if that kid was all right."

"It's all all right." Shunsui assured her with a wry grin. "And now it's said, we'll get back to work. A few minutes break never hurt anyone, so don't worry. I'd rather be spending time swinging swords with you than writing up Kazoe's latest assignment, though of course both have to be done if I'm going to pass this year."

"I suppose so." Kaoru dimpled. "I have a lot of work too, catching up the things I don't know yet from missing Third year. But I like training like this. I don't know if I'm getting closer to my sword being raised, but...I feel like I'm learning a lot of things in the process."

"The science of it is hazy, even to me, because we're all different." Shunsui reflected, dropping his hands from her shoulders and taking a step back, his fingers once more reaching for the sword at his waist. "But what I'm doing is really...I suppose...training your body to be ready to receive your sword. Training your endurance, your skill, your understanding. When I was training for mine, I realised that - most of the spiritual work has to happen inside of you. When your sword is ready to come out fully, it will."

"I do hear it speak sometimes." Kaoru admitted. "But it's annoying and won't tell me its name."

She sighed.

"So I'll keep working." She decided. "And hope that it tells me soon."

"That's all you can do." Shunsui agreed. "Even if it seems like a long path, to me your _reiryoku _seems to be evening out. I push you more and more but your _reiryoku_ scatters less now when I do than it did before."

"Does that mean you'll use your _zanpakutou_ soon?" Kaoru brightened, and Shunsui faltered, chewing on his lip.

"Now hang on..."

"I want to see it. Please." Kaoru begged. "One of my friends said your sword was unusual, but I want to know how and why and...Senpai, when I saw Anideshi's sword, I thought it was beautiful. But then I wondered about _your_ sword. Because you're the top student in the Senior class, aren't you? Which means you're top student in the whole school and...I want to see the kind of sword someone like that has. Please will you show me? I want to see."

"Kaoru-chan." Shunsui stared at her for a moment, then he let out a low chuckle, nodding his head. "I see. All right then. I suppose when you put it like that, I can't refuse. Perhaps it will help you if you see it - but I'm not going to train with it against you yet. It's too soon for you and too dangerous. My _zanpakutou_'s release isn't really designed for basic training."

"What is it, then?" Kaoru cast him a curious look as they walked across the training ground, Shunsui scooping up the _daishou_ blades he had propped up to one side at the edge of the training arena. Though up until the Tsukabishi incident he had left his swords in his chamber when training Kaoru, of late he had decided it was safer and better to keep Katen Kyoukotsu with him, and so he sat down against the fence, indicating for his companion to follow suit.

"You'll learn all the fancy stuff about swords in Zanjutsu Theory, since you've begun that this year, haven't you?" He remarked, crossing his legs and laying the two sheathed weapons across his knees. "Though I don't know what rumours your friends have heard, they are right. Katen Kyoukotsu is unusual among _zanpakutou_. I would say it's one of a kind but..."

He tapped the sheaths.

"As you can see, it's two."

"Two?" Kaoru's eyes widened, and she stared at him in disbelief. "You mean...they're _both_ your_ zanpakutou_?"

"Yes." Shunsui nodded, enjoying the look of incredulation that crossed her young features. "It's the one and only _zanpakutou_ to date ever recorded in Soul Society that seals itself into two blades insead of one. When I release my swords, they change to almost the same size and shape - but in sleeping form, they look like this."

"Is that why you won't use it to train with me?" As Shunsui carefully drew the _wakizashi_ from its scabbard, Kaoru looked thoughtful. "Because two against one would be too much for me to deal with?"

"If I wanted, I could use either blade to spar you." Shunsui shrugged. "Seibara and Amaki are very different as sealed weapons but I'm not bad with swords and I'm quite flexible. Honestly I just thought to start with it would be easier that way. I wouldn't use both on you, Kaoru-chan. That would be unfair. You don't have your weapon to release level yet."

"I can feel it." Kaoru held out her hand, hovering it not far from the _wakizashi_ blade. "Like it's humming. Like Anideshi's. But it has a different feeling. Did you call it...something else?"

"Well, my sword is Katen Kyoukotsu. That's its release name." Shunsui grinned, sliding the weapon back into its sheath. "But because I have two blades, I also have two spirits. And they're both cheeky and have minds of their own. Since they generally have charge of one blade each, I suppose at times I think of the swords as Amaki and Seibara. That might sound strange...perhaps it is strange..but explaining a _zanpakutou _generally slips into strangeness at one point or another."

"I see." Kaoru absorbed this, then, "But you won't release them to show me, will you? Because you think they're dangerous?"

"They are dangerous. All _zanpakutou_ are - I told you that before." Shunsui said gently.

"But why is yours?" Kaoru pressed. "I want to know more about it...that is...if you don't mind." She added hastily, her cheeks once more turning pink. "I'm asking Senpai all kinds of questions, but if you don't want to...just..."

She trailed off, and Shunsui chuckled, patting her on the head.

"Katen Kyoukotsu has a playful nature. It likes to play games." He said softly. "And it hasn't taught even me all the rules to those games yet. They aren't games that should be played against someone like you, either, because they might hurt you. I can fight with my swords as sealed swords and I'm quite good at it. As you get further on, if you like, I'll use Amaki and Seibara one at a time and you can practice against different types of blades and techniques. But my shikai...the more I learn about it, the more I realise it isn't designed to help anyone else bring their skills on. And I don't want to patronise you, Kaoru - but more than that, I don't want to hurt you."

"I see." Kaoru sighed, then got to her feet, using the fence to haul herself upright. "Then in that case I suppose there's nothing else to do but keep trying. Just...make me a promise, Senpai. Please? When I have my own _zanpakutou_, will you show me Katen Kyoukotsu's real form? I understand if you don't want to use it to fight against me. If it would be bad then...that's fine. But...I'd like it if you would. And if I had a _zanpakutou_ too then...it wouldn't be so bad, would it?"

She shrugged.

"I know that releasing a sword means a lot of _reiryoku_, and I've realised you're really strong that way even without you using your_ zanpakutou_." She added. "But if I had a sword released too...I think it wouldn't be so bad."

"All right. I suppose that I can agree to that." Shunsui nodded, standing up and propping his _daishou_ swords up against the fence once more. "I have good reiatsu control and if we weren't sparring, I'd be sure they didn't harm you. To be honest, they don't like being spectators very much. Amaki has been railing at me for the past few minutes about getting into the action, and I'm having to tell him to shut up and sit it out this time around."

Kaoru giggled.

"They really do that?" She asked, and Shunsui grimaced.

"Mine, yes." He admitted. "I'm quite lazy by nature, so they consider it their job to nag me and prod me till I comply."

_**If we didn't, Shunsui, where would you be now?**_

The voice broke sharply across his senses, and he sighed, his gaze darting back towards the sheathed _wakizashi_.

_Amaki might be harsh on me, but you ask the worst questions, Seibara. Pipe down, will you? I have plenty to do without your interference._

_**I know. **_

Seibara's voice was soft but unrepentant.

_**I just don't want you to think that because you're training this one now, our work is done. You know it isn't. You told this girl you thought we were dangerous - but you really have no idea what that means yet.**_

_And that's why I'm not releasing you in front of Kaoru. Give me credit for sense - I know when your reiatsu is changing and I'm not going to play your kind of games with a younger student. _

Shunsui's brows twitched in irritation.

_Ever since I started training Kaoru, you've both been whining - first enough that I could ignore you and now full on like this. _

_**Why do you suppose that old sensei of yours pushed you to train? You don't do any work on your own, so it's the only way.**_

_Fine, I get it. Now shut up already. Whatever you and Amaki want to teach me, it can keep. For now, I'm not going to put Kaoru in any danger by releasing you or experimenting with what you can do. We do these things at my pace now, not yours. No matter how much you complain._

_**I suppose that's just part of us accepting your right to wield us.**_

Seibara sighed.

_**All right. But Shunsui, don't play around with asauchi for too long. The games you don't know the rules to are still far too many...and you will need them when you graduate. Maybe even before, if you really want to protect the things and the world that is important to you.**_

"Senpai?" Kaoru's concerned look brought him back to the present and he smiled, running his fingers through his thick brown hair.

"I'm being nagged by them even now." He said ruefully. "Sorry. Picking them up made them decide they wanted a say in your training - and mine. That's another reason I'm not happy using them while training you - I'm doing this to help bring you on, not to hone my own sword skills."

_Those can wait until we're alone. If I've learnt one thing since the first time Seibara manifested in my hand, it's that Katen Kyoukotsu's games aren't something to be taken lightly. Not by me or by anyone else._

Aloud he added,

"We'll run through one more time. See whether you can pick up more quickly when I'm attacking your right. It's improving but you still leave openings."

"All right." Kaoru nodded, grasping her own _asauchi_ tightly in her left hand. "I'm ready, Senpai."

"You seem to be making good progress."

As the spar came to an end, a fresh voice drifted across the training ground and Shunsui grinned, sheathing his _asauchi_ and turning to greet his friend.

"You're honoured, Kaoru-chan." He said playfully. "Anideshi came to watch you train."

"Oh, enough with that." Juushirou was impatient, even as Kaoru's cheeks flushed red at the comment. "I didn't come to make your _deshi_ feel self-conscious, so don't tease her."

He cast Kaoru a smile.

"You do move quickly, though. And you have good skills." He added. "I suppose I can see how you managed to rescue Sougyo, when you move as fast as that."

"I'm glad I could help, Senpai." Kaoru offered a self-conscious smile. "But Kyouraku-senpai is a good _shishou_. He's taught me loads of stuff already. So I guess it's thanks to him, if I'm getting better."

"Ah, you know all the right lines too." Shunsui reached across to ruffle the girl's hair absently. "It's such a shame. Oh well."

"A shame?" Kaoru looked non-plussed, and Shunsui grinned.

"You'll be late for your class." He said softly. "So we'll call it done for today. I'll see you again in two days time - if you have any problems that come up in the meantime, just send me a message, all right?"

"All right." Kaoru nodded,bowing her head towards him. "Thank you for my class, Senpai. I'll see you again then."

With that she was gone across the training grounds, and Shunsui sighed, leaning up against the fence.

"Such a waste." He murmured, and Juushirou reached out to prod him playfully on the arm.

"Did I disturb something?" He teased lightly. "I almost felt like I stepped into a forbidden ambience then, the way she went so red."

"Oh, I'm not doing anything like that to her, don't worry." Shunsui shot Juushirou a rueful look. "Yama-jii would have my hide. That's why it's a waste. She's very pretty, she listens to me and even says nice things about me, too. But I won't mess with her. It wouldn't be fair. She's far too innocent and she doesn't have very good defences to protect her from predators."

"I suppose it's a good thing you're not being predatorial, then." Juushirou reflected, and Shunsui cast him a keen glance.

"You sound envious. I'm not sure what of, but there was definitely that note in your voice just then." He observed, and Juushirou grimaced.

"I'm a little envious that you get to train someone." He admitted. "If that's what you mean. I suppose I've caused Sensei far too much trouble so far to have the same responsibility - or maybe he thinks my health isn't stable enough to do it...or I don't know. But he hasn't given me that instruction yet. And watching you with Nagasata-san made me realise that I'd like to do it."

"I'm sure you'll get your chance." Shunsui tapped his friend on the shoulder. "You've had plenty on your plate, but I'm certain that Yama-jii doesn't think you're irresponsible. Or if he does, you've been irresponsible since we started, and it didn't stop him making you Anideshi. So he obviously likes it."

"Yes...maybe." Juushirou's eyes clouded slightly, and Shunsui frowned.

"Juu, why did you really come out to meet me?" He asked softly. "You don't usually and it isn't as though we have anything scheduled now, even if the lower classes do. There's something on your mind - what's up?"

"Ah, all kinds of things." Juushirou shook his head as if to clear it. "Most of which are muddled up and confused at the moment, so I can't even explain them to myself. But you are right - I did come here to speak to you. I didn't intend to interrupt your training session, but since you were finishing..."

"It's fine. I've time now." Shunsui nodded, bending to retrieve his_ zanpakutou_ swords and sliding them into his _obi_, removing the _asauchi_ and replacing it on the rack. "And we're alone, so what's up? This is far enough from the school - nobody will hear us if it's something private."

He cast Katen Kyoukotsu a rueful grin, then,

"Well, other than these two." He amended. "But you have Sougyo with you, so Seibara and Amaki can amuse themselves playing nicely with In'you while we chat about grown up stuff. I'm sure they won't tell anyone your secrets, so hurry up and unburden yourself, okay? I don't like when you look like that, but obviously it's not something you want everyone to overhear."

"I suppose it is." Juushirou grimaced. "But you'll probably laugh at me. Or tease me. Or both. I don't know. Just...hear me out, will you? And try not to do those two things until I've finished. Because it's bothering me."

"All right." Shunsui's brown eyes became sober. "It's a challenge, but I'll try. If you look at me like that, Juu-kun, I have to take it seriously."

"Mm." Juushirou faltered, and for a moment there was silence. Then, "It has to do with Mitsuki."

"Mitsuki-chan?" Shunsui's eyes narrowed. "Did you two fight?"

"No. No we haven't." Juushirou held up his hands hurriedly. "It isn't like that. I just...well...you know Shikibu-san and Mitsuki aren't speaking at the moment, right?"

"Yes, but I would've thought you'd keep several miles out of that." Shunsui remarked pointedly, and Juushirou nodded.

"I have. I will. I am." He agreed. "It's not for me to interfere in and Mitsuki more or less told me she didn't intend on letting anyone. But...I think the reason they fought may have something to do with me. And with...Nagoya-senpai, too."

"You...and...Nagoya-senpai." Shunsui repeated slowly. "That's an interesting combination. All right, I'll bite. In what way?"

"Shikibu-san came and spoke to me, the morning of our Zanjutsu assessment." As they began to walk slowly back towards the school, Juushirou fell into step with his friend. "She said...some things about Mitsuki and that Mitsuki and Nagoya-senpai had got...quite close...over the break. Especially...with...what happened in District Six."

He reddened, and Shunsui cast him a searching glance.

"Naoko-chan told you that Mitsuki was in love with Nagoya now?" He asked sharply. "And you believed her? How many levels of idiot are you, Juu? Mitsuki's in love with you. Any fool can see that."

"Mitsuki and I...have to be just friends." Juushirou said sadly. "So even though I know she...where I'm concerned, I know you're right. But...Nagoya-senpai is different. Shikibu-san seemed to think there was a good possibility the Kuchiki might try and manoeuvre a match behind Mitsuki's back - leaving it a done deal when she graduated to keep her close to home."

"Hrm." Shunsui rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "All right. I suppose on that level she has a point. The Kuchiki might - especially given their current messed up state. But even if that's true, not only is Nagoya now an exile, Naoko's ignoring the fact Mitsuki has a very strong will of her own under all that healing kindness. I don't see her being forced into anything she didn't want. Even if it meant leaving the Clan."

"That's something else though." Juushirou chewed on his lip. "I know I have no right to say anything about it, so I haven't - because we're friends, and I can't really give her anything other than that no matter how long we know each other for. Also, Nagoya-senpai was my _shishou_. I like him. I respect him. He taught me all the things you're teaching Nagasata-san now."

"I hope I'm doing it in a more supportive manner." Shunsui muttered. "I don't know as I like being compared with him, even in something like that."

"Well, the point is...Mitsuki is worried about Nagoya-senpai." Juushirou hesitated, then, "We spoke about it...and the way she talked...I could tell that they'd built up a bond. She's really worried about him. And I don't know...maybe right now it's not...something permanent. But it...could be."

"Nagoya's in no better place than you to claim Mitsuki's heart, being that his Clan want him for treason." Shunsui said bluntly. "In fact, you're probably a better bet than him at the present time. And besides, Juu...listen to me. You can say it all you want and we tease you - but your feelings for Mitsuki are not friendship. You can pretend they are - both of you - but you will get hurt sooner or later if you keep pretending. I know because I've been there - Saku and I went there and it wasn't a nice road. You have plenty of things going for you and if you want Mitsuki, you should fight for her. Because I'm pretty sure she hasn't changed how she feels towards you even a little. But you can't hang on to it forever. You can't wait for the world to change forever."

"I rely on the goodwill of Sixth District's Clan for everything, though, beyond this point. My right to be a shinigami, even." Juushirou glanced at his hands. "What I don't know is...what matters more to me. Mitsuki...or...protecting the people I care about."

"I don't think it's that kind of a decision." Shunsui said gently. "You see things always in large print - black and white, disaster or celebration. But there are a lot of grey shades in there too. You also have Genryuusai-sensei on your side. He took on his Clan for you this time over your releasing Sougyo when you did. He's taken a lot of risks and gambles to make you a shinigami. He isn't going to let the Kuchiki change that, you know. They may be the more powerful Clan, but Yama-jii is much the senior Shinigami to Guren-sama and his coterie."

"Maybe. Maybe that's true." Juushirou murmured. "But I...I don't know. Mitsuki said...something like...she might not be in Seireitei after graduation. Or...I'm not sure. But...I'm afraid, Shunsui. I hate it, but I am. That this year will be the last time Mitsuki and I are able to be together and see each other. That when we graduate...everything will change. Whether we want it or not."

"It will change. It has to." Shunsui said pragmatically. "But I think you're underestimating that girl, Juu. And I think you'll lose her more likely by underestimating her. But anyhow. For the time being one thing I am sure of. Whatever you do with the information, Mitsuki right now is in love with you. And though you don't like us talking about it, you're in love with her. That hasn't changed. So don't fret about it. There's no way Nagoya would overtake you in her affections, even if she did save his life."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Juushirou's brows knitted together. "I suppose it's bothering me too that it was Shikibu-san who raised it with me. Not Mitsuki. You know...that if there was nothing to it..."

"More likely Mitsuki knows what we all know - that the Kuchiki are dangerous enemies and you should not cross them." Shunsui said softly. "She wants to make sure you don't get involved and hurt - she's protecting you this time, and she's right. They aren't Shihouin or Endou. They're different. This is a Clan with absolute ruthlessness in pursuit of honour - on a completely different level from Seimaru and his companions. And more, they have the power to back it up. Guren-sama is one of the most powerful shinigami in Soul Society, and someone just murdered his son. He's not someone you want to make more angry."

He sighed, linking his arm in his friend's.

"Come on. We'll go into town and I'll treat you to fruit from the market as we walk." He suggested. "Because I don't want Mitsuki to see you being pathetic, and right now that's how you look. She'd hug you and pet you, most probably, but you don't want her to think of you as a lost puppy dog missing it's master."

"Shunsui." Despite himself, Juushirou smiled, and Shunsui laughed.

"That's more like it." He said with a grin. "Well? Any excuse to skip research work, that's my motto for this year. I've done my Senior duty for the day with Kaoru-chan - so I deserve a break just as much as you!"

* * *

_He was running through the forest, breath coming in rasping, shallow gasps as he stumbled through the thick undergrowth. Behind him, the sound of pounding footsteps told him that his pursuers were still on his tail, and try as he might he could not put space between them._

_In fact, they were gaining on him._

_Fear coursed though his blood as he struggled forwards, his chest burning fit to explode as his demand for oxygen outstripped his ability to drag air into his lungs. Pain resonated through to his heavy limbs, but he could not stop. To stop was to die. He could not stop._

_As he reached a clearing, he gazed frantically around him, looking for fresh cover into which he could plunge his exhausted body and hide, but before he could even slow his pace green and cream clad retainers emerged from the trees, each holding a sword and each advancing on him with purpose and resolve. The guards were faceless, each one the exact same as his fellows, and Shirogane faltered, disorientated and frightened by their sudden appearance._

_From behind him he could tell that the forest pursuers had almost reached him, but his momentum had broken and he fell to his knees, his chest spasming in protest against his forced burst of energy. He coughed, blood trickling from his lips, and desperately he wiped the blood away, reaching to his waist for his sword as he realised he would have no choice but to fight._

_The silver glint of metal against his wrists reminded him that he was cuffed, however, and as his fingers faltered, there was the sound of hoofbeats, the shadow of a horse falling suddenly across the thin stream of sunlight that penetrated the copse._

_Slowly and fearfully Shirogane raised his gaze, only to be dazzled by the sudden and unexpected flares of blazing light - golden and crimson in colour as one by one the green and cream clad retainers exploded into flame and ash. Unable to believe his eyes, Shirogane blinked, struggling to bring the features of the rider into focus, and as he did so, his heart almost stopped in his chest._

_"Ribari-sama?"_

_"I've been looking for you, Shirogane." The face was Ribari's, but the voice was another - the voice of Seiren, his Uncle. "This time you won't escape the justice of the Kuchiki Clan."_

"Nagoya-dono?"

As the figure raised his hand towards the fallen shinigami, fresh Kidou energy glimmering against the fingertips, a fresh voice broke through the illusion, jerking Shirogane hurriedly back to his senses.

"Nagoya-dono, wake up. It's all right. There's no reason to be afraid here."

Realising now that he had been trapped in the claws of a nightmare, Shirogane clung to the voice, forcing Ribari's accusing face and the forest scene far from his awareness as he struggled to wake up. For a while he battled the darkness, and then at length he forced his eyes open, blinking against the sudden light and colour of the chamber as he tried to bring it into focus.

A woman stood at his bedside, one hand hovering just above his shoulder, and Shirogane realised that she had been about to shake him awake. Her dark eyes were soft and gentle, almost maternal and as awareness trickled back across his tired wits, Shirogane understood who she was.

He moistened his lips, relief coursing his senses.

It had been terrifying, and his fear had been real. But the images had not. They had been a dream...and he was safe. This was reality, and he found himself truly grateful for the simple, worn decor of the Ukitake home that suddenly seemed so welcoming and secure in comparison.

"Kaede-dono." He murmured, and the woman smiled, inclining her head slightly in acknowledgement of her identity.

"What was I...did I...say something?"

"You were sleeping, but I heard you murmur and came in to see if you needed help." Kaede sat down beside Shirogane's bed, casting him a gentle smile. "When I came in, you seemed distressed, so I thought I should wake you. You were tossing and turning in your sleep - are you in pain?"

"Pain?" Shirogane stared at her, momentarily taken off guard by the genuine kindness in the woman's eyes, and Kaede laughed, amusement touching her expression.

"I'm sorry." She said, bowing her head slightly. "I'd forgotten that the one I was speaking to is a lord of the Clan. It was an informal question, and perhaps you feel it went too far."

Shirogane sighed, pulling himself heavily into a sitting position. He shook his head.

"No." He said softly. "I am not anything at the moment, except a burden on your hospitality. My family have more or less discarded me. If not for your kin, I would be dead. I was just taken aback...you asked me that question as though you truly cared to know the answer. It surprised me."

"I do care to know." Kaede smoothed her skirts thoughtfully. "But I suppose that's the maternal instinct inside of me. You're not so very much older than my oldest - and I'm well used to the role of nurse and mother with so many children in my charge."

Her eyes softened once more.

"I'm sure it's not true that your family have discarded you." She added. "There are some blood ties that never break, no matter how much pressure is put upon them. Your mother and father must be worried about you, surely?"

"No...they are not." A hollow smile touched Shirogane's lips. "They are no longer here, either one of them."

"No longer here?"

"Both long since passed - Father when I was small, mother some years later." Shirogane agreed. "There really isn't anyone there to worry for me, Kaede-dono."

"I see." Kaede frowned.

"It's all right." Shirogane assured her. "I'm used to that...I don't want or need sympathy for it. Just...I'm angry. And frustrated. My Uncle is high-handed and his judgement has been awry in recent weeks. Now he clearly seeks to kill me...so what else should I think than I'm no longer welcome in this District?"

"Hiro-kun said you intended to leave by the coves." Kaede said pensively, and Shirogane nodded.

"I do, and as soon as possible." He agreed grimly.

"In the condition you are now, you'll put yourself in danger." Kaede said quietly. "My late husband used to keep a boat, and sometimes he would take it out...but it's not an easy passage beyond a certain point, and you'd need your wits about you to navigate to safe shore. You lost a good deal of blood, and even with Shikiki's help, you're not recovered yet. Please don't feel you're a burden on us. If you were to leave before you were fit, I'd worry about you far more than if you were here and we were having to hide you from the soldiers."

Shirogane was silent for a moment, digesting this. Then,

"Ukitake is not your blood son, is he, Kaede-dono?" He asked, and Kaede shook her head.

"That was perceptive of you." She agreed. "But I suppose if you've trained him, you've probably realised the disparity in our power levels. Hidenobu and I are average people. Not gifted. Juushirou is different. That difference comes from his mother - but I've raised him since he was one year old and to me he is as dear as if he was one of my own brood. More and more now we know he isn't the same as us - but it's never come between us and it never will."

Shirogane nodded.

"I thought that was the case." He admitted. "Kinsfolk of mine - friends of Ukitake's - bothered me to do some research and we discovered Raiko-dono's roots and history within the core of our Clan. When I saw that, I understood - where Ukitake's power had come from. But the young girl - Shikiki - I don't understand her at all."

"Shikiki's history is a mystery to all of us." Kaede replied. "Her real family were killed, and they had no connection to any Clan so far as I'm aware. But she is...truly special. Her healing abilities gave Juushirou back life when otherwise he would have died. Now she's done the same for you."

She reached out to touch Shirogane's arm.

"She is young but she wants to help." She said softly. "And we have come to love her here, because of that. She is just a child who wants to belong. I think...that's why she wanted to help you. Because you were cast out by those you held dear. Shikiki doesn't talk about it, but the man who was her guardian abandoned her when she chose to save Juushirou's life. Since then she's been with us - and this is her home now and forever. But it doesn't mean she's forgotten."

"I see." Shirogane became thoughtful. "It's strange but I thought I felt a faint connection to her at one point. Maybe because she healed me, maybe because we're both abandoned strays in one way or another. Or perhaps because she reminds me of someone else...who took good care of me the last time my life was in jeopardy."

"It sounds to me like you live a little recklessly, if people often have to save your life." Kaede observed, and Shirogane offered her a rueful smile.

"Until a few weeks ago, it had never happened. I had never so much as taken injury beyond odd scrapes and bruises." he said candidly. "Perhaps I thought I could not be injured...certainly I had great confidence in my skills to succeed. But my cousin was murdered and the rest of our squad laid out by some kind of noxious poison gas. That was the first time my life was in peril. This is the second. I wonder how long I can continue to ride my luck and carry on living."

"Your cousin? I see. Ribari-sama was someone close to you." Kaede observed softly, and Shirogane nodded.

"You know of it?"

"Genryuusai-sama mentioned it to Juushirou before he returned to the Academy, and we all discussed it then." Kaede agreed. "But to most people in this area, Kuchiki are names more than they are people. Even the local lord of the manor chooses not to leave his estate - though Kuchiki representatives are here and the land is peaceful, I'd wager there are very few folk here who've actually seen a central Clansman in the flesh."

"Until now." Shirogane pointed out dryly, and Kaede smiled.

"Yes. Until now." She agreed. "If my family aren't quite sure how to deal with you, I'm afraid that is the main reason why. Their only real experience of Clan is Shunsui-san when he's visited Juushirou - or when we've been to District Eight. He's not...the typical example, and so..."

"I have met Shunsui-dono, and I see your point." Shirogane nodded. "But I think it's rather more the other way about. That I'm not sure how to deal with your family more than you with me. There are many of you, and your bonds are tight. I know nothing about the Districts and have generally disdained its people. But now I'm among those people. I wouldn't say my views are changed - only that I hadn't understood the reasons why Ukitake chose to take up a sword and fight. Even though the prejudice is still strong against District shinigami in some areas - having met his family, I now know why it matters to him."

He smiled sheepishly.

"Also why he became so angry with me, when I taunted him on his bastard hazel eyes."

"Ah." Kaede's expression became knowing, and she nodded. "Juushirou's weak point, perhaps. He inherited those eyes from his father. You'll see my eyes are darker - and some of my children have my eyes, whilst some have Hidenobu's hazel. Juushirou mostly resembles his mother, but for those eyes which tie him to us as a family. And more, to his father. Juushirou is fond of everyone here. But his bond with his Father was especially strong. Hidenobu's death was a blow to all of us, but for him..."

She shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"Nobody can replace Hidenobu in Juushirou's heart. No matter how much we love him and how much he loves us." She said at length. "And Hidenobu lost his life against a Hollow - trying to protect Juushirou from its evil attentions. If that boy has a reason to fight, I know it's to protect all of us and to make sure that we don't become victims next. But deep down I think he knows that the one most at risk was always him - and that danger would only come here so long as he was always among us with his spirit power untrained and roaming free."

"My being here could effect the same thing. Shikiki's too." Shirogane pointed out, but Kaede shook her head.

"I don't think so." She said gravely. "When Genryuusai-sama came to see us the first time, he knew that Juushirou's spirit power was far stronger than his body and that without particular training it would always bring danger here. Since Juushirou began his studies, no Hollows have come near. Now he has control that he didn't have before. Control you also have, since you bear a spirit sword of your own. And Shikiki...though I don't really understand, I've been told her power is different in many respects."

"It is unlike anything I have ever seen or heard of before." Shirogane admitted. "But I owe it my life, and so I won't criticise it. Perhaps...if and when this whole business is over...I might finally try and learn some basic healing Kidou. Recently I've begun to see its value - and that my education as a shinigami probably isn't over yet."

"You trained Juushirou, though, didn't you?" Kaede asked gently, and Shirogane nodded.

"I did, though reluctantly." He replied. "I didn't want to train anyone, let alone a District boy. But he surprised me - I confess, by the time I finished, I was quite glad I'd undertaken the job. It proved somewhat interesting - and since becoming a Vice Captain, I've realised that really, despite his low roots, Ukitake was a good student. Although...I didn't think that one day taking on the role of his _shishou_ would ultimately help save my life."

"My family understand that Juushirou's life has always been tentative...something he's clung on to tenaciously since birth." Kaede said quietly. "Even then it cost Raiko-dono hers to seal the extraneous power away until he was old enough to manage it. _Haibyou_ is also a fatal illness and many Ukitake have died from it in the past. Death has always followed him and Hidenobu and I protected him as best we could, hoping we could stave it off. But the truth is that it hasn't been us who succeeded. Juushirou's life is as stable as it's ever been, now. His future more or less assured. Between your training him to hold his sword, Genryuusai-sama's careful guidance and Shikiki's special magic, I believe Juushirou won't die young now. He may always be sickly, but it's no longer a condition that might steal his life. And even as his stepmother, the gratitude I feel for that is inexpressable. I adopted him as one of my own the moment I first met him. To lose him would be the same as losing any one of my own children. Therefore we took Shikiki in, knowing she'd been part of the reason for his new strength. And my boys found and chose to rescue you...because they knew your part in it too."

Shirogane's eyes narrowed.

"This family seems to revolve around Ukitake a good deal." He murmured. "Yet he hasn't inherited it from his father, has he?"

"He passed that responsibility on to Hiroyuki and my daughter Chihiro when he chose to become a shinigami." Kaede shrugged. "Chihiro waived her right to the family when she left the District to marry, but I know she's happy so there are no regrets. Juushirou knows that as a shinigami, he can't always be here. He made his choices and we've all adjusted along with that."

She folded her hands in her lap.

"But Juushirou _is _special." She admitted. "He draws people together and to him without even realising it. Even as a baby, or a small child - that's been his greatest power. More than anything spiritual - Juushirou's gift is with people. That's why I'm sure he'll achieve what he's set out to do. It's very hard to stand in his way, when he's got it into his head to achieve something."

"Yes. So I've found." Shirogane said drolly. "But I confess, there is part of me that respects that fact. And more so now, meeting his family. Understanding what he wants to protect...until Ribari-sama died, maybe I didn't understand the things that were dear to me in quite such clarity as I do now. Or perhaps the things which were not dear to me? I'm not sure. Ribari-sama was someone I cared for and his death grieved me greatly. I suppose it's justice for him driving me not to give up now. I want to know what happened, because I couldn't save his life. It won't bring him back, so maybe it's futile. But it is all I can do. Shinigami are ironically quite helpless against death."

He paused, then,

"Except, perhaps, for Shikiki. She is still a child yet, but as an adult...perhaps she might prove a match for death."

"Genryuusai-sama was very excited by the potential she has." Kaede agreed. "As soon as she's old enough, she'll enrol at his Academy and be trained to use that skill properly. But Juushirou - and we also -wanted her to have a childhood first. Her power is not dangerous, and she has good control over it even if it is still maturing. So Genryuusai-sama agreed. She's now part of the Ukitake family - and one day will doubtless make us as proud of her as we are of Juushirou."

"The Gotei could do with many who possess such a skill. Even classical healers cannot reverse damage the way that girl can."

"From what I've heard, Shikiki's power is extremely rare." Kaede said with a sigh. "There used to be more of them, a long time ago - perhaps a whole race of them, I'm not really sure. But they were persecuted by suspicious people for witchcraft because of their unusual skills. And so now they are more or less extinct. Occasionally one surfaces, like Shikiki - but there's no guarantee even her children would possess such an ability."

"A shame." Shirogane's eyes darkened. "Though superstitions are rife even in modern Clans. I can quite understand it happening."

"Speaking of damage, that reminds me." Kaede slipped her hand into her _obi_, pulling out a crumpled, red-stained piece of parchment. "When we changed and washed you free of blood when you first came here, Sanji found this tucked into your sash. It's badly marked with blood and anything that was written on it seems to have blurred because of it - but I thought it might be important and so kept it anyway."

She held it out.

"If it's no use, we can get rid of it. We had to burn your other clothing because it was too torn and thick with blood to clean or mend - and it would be no trouble to burn that also."

Shirogane took the creased scrap of paper, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully as he remembered what it was.  
_  
That girl wrote her name on this paper. Kyouraku Nanaki - I remember it now. She wrote it and gave it to me, and I pushed it in here almost without thinking about it. Whether she is or isn't who she says she is, somehow she's key in this whole business. When she appeared, so did the evidence against me, and the crest she bore did not match the line of Kyouraku she claimed to be from. So this might be important._

_She wanted me to believe who she was and she wanted me to believe Seiren-dono was responsible for all these bad things happening. What if she did the same to him as she did to me - played on his suspicions and planted ideas of my guilt in his head? Perhaps we're both innocent but being used as puppets to cloak something more serious. These last two days I've had time to do nothing but think about everything over and over, and the more I ponder on it, the more I think that's right. That this Nanaki girl is the key. If I can figure that out...but..._

He squinted at the scrap again.

_ Kaede-dono is right. The blood has smeared the ink badly - even though I know what it says, I can barely make out the characters. To match this handwriting to anyone else would be difficult in this state. Perhaps it is no good as evidence._

He frowned.

"It is badly damaged." He admitted. "I can't read it at all any more."

"Then shall I get rid of it?" Kaede questioned. Shirogane was about to agree, then he paused, his lips thinning as he considered.

"Kaede-dono...Shikiki's magic...could it repair the damage done to this?"

"Shikiki's?" Kaede was clearly taken aback, and Shirogane nodded.

"Her power is to turn things back to how they were in a previous state, isn't it?" He agreed. "In that case, does it only work on people, or...can it work on things as well?"

"You know, I hadn't thought of it." Kaede smiled, her expression lighting up with comprehension. "But Shiki-chan's fixed a good many objects since she's been here. Perhaps she can use her skill to remove the blood and smudging."

She got to her feet.

"I'll ask her." She promised. "And I'll send her here when she's finished her day's classes and done her chores so that she can see it for herself. But in the meantime, Shirogane-dono, you should go back to sleep. Your body needs rest more than anything if it's going to replenish the blood it lost."

"Sleep is all very well, providing there are no dreams." Shirogane said ruefully. "I've slept a lot since I came here, and to begin with I was just exhausted from the injury and my time on the run. But now I've had ample time to replenish that and my rest isn't as deep as it was. I wasn't sleeping very well at home either before this all began – and things I thought I'd left behind me are creeping back. It makes it more difficult to relax."

Kaede smiled, reaching across to scoop up the mug that sat unnoticed on the shelf beside the bed.

"Shikiki told me before she and Miyabi went to the beach that she'd left some medicine for you to drink." She said gently, holding it out. "It might not taste very nice cold, she said, but it would help you get stronger."

She sniffed the solution, then,

"I think it might help you sleep more deeply, too." She admitted. "There are definitely herbs in here which have that kind of effect."

"I see." Shirogane's eyes narrowed and he took the vessel, gazing at the contents thoughtfully.

_That scent...I've smelt it before, in the potion Mitsuki insisted on me drinking when she wanted to make me sleep. So the little one knows that tactic too, does she? Still, I can't fault her for it. I do not want to have any more dreams just at the moment. Ribari-sama is dead and gone - and at present there's nothing I can do but try and rebuild my strength to move on._

Swiftly he downed the medicine, trying not to flinch at the bitter, sharp taste the mixed herbs left in his mouth. He handed the mug back to Kaede with a rueful smile.

"A kinswoman of mine also fed me similar herbs to make me rest after the incident with Ribari-sama." He explained. "I recognise the scent - I believe I will sleep better now."

"Good." Kaede smiled. "Then I'll also report to your self-appointed nurse that you've been a good patient and taken the medicine promptly."

"Very well." Shirogane inclined his head in agreement, faint amusement in his grey eyes despite himself. "Until Shikiki is able to come to see me, I will submit to her remedy and lose myself once more in sleep. Thank you, Kaede-dono. It may seem like nothing - but this piece of paper may be important in proving my innocence. If I can restore it back to pristine condition...I may have a lead on the people involved in my cousin's murder."

* * *

The sun had long since set when Seiren pulled his cloak firmly around his body, heading out into the dark forestland that surrounded the Kuchiki manor. Between the folds of his _obi_, the letter almost seemed to burn its way through to his skin, yet with the manor in such disarray, he had decided to take a gamble and head out into the night on his own.

He had been concerned about Nanaki as soon as he had realised she had left the safety of the Kuchiki manor and disappeared. Unlike Guren and Futsuki, who had seen this as suspicious, he had only remembered the pitiful, crying girl who had huddled before him begging for sanctuary, and he had genuinely feared that the assassins who had attacked his brother had also come to take another victim. The letter had therefore come as some relief - that Nanaki had seen the assassin and become frightened, and so had taken her chance to slip back into obscurity. She had asked to meet him alone, saying in the letter that she feared other people than just Shirogane may be involved in the conspiracy against Guren, and that Seiren was the only one in whom she had complete trust.

Therefore, even though he knew that such an errand might prove dangerous, Seiren had decided to go alone. He had not told either of his brothers his plans - instead he had left the command of the security forces to Shibata and had made his way quickly to the suggested meeting place as soon as dark had fallen.

As he reached the clearing, he thought he had arrived early, but then there was a rustle of tree branches and the sender of the letter emerged cautiously from the woodland beyond. She cast a glance around him, as if making sure that he had not brought manor security with him, but finding him alone, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Seiren-dono." She murmured, then bowed her head low before him. "I'm sorry. I must have both angered and frightened you with my actions - and now I am further inconveniencing you with my cowardice."

"You said in your letter that you believed other people within the Clan were acting against Guren-nii." Seiren said softly, and Nanaki nodded, raising her head.

"For an assassin to appear when Shirogane-dono is missing suggests he's still nearby, and I am frightened." She admitted. "Therefore I won't put your family in more danger by shielding me as well. I intend to leave District Six - perhaps through the trade paths, if I can cross the border. The Shiba scare me, but there is no other place I can go. District Seven is not safe for me...and if I conceal myself, maybe..."

"You intend to keep running?" Seiren asked, and Nanaki nodded again.

"While there are assassins, I must." She whispered. "If Shirogane-dono is still free...and then...the golden eyed demon..."

"That one is locked firmly in the bowels of the Kuchiki prison, well guarded and secure. Only my brothers or I would be able to let him free, and nobody else holds keys to the cells." Seiren said simply. "You need not fear him - he will likely be put to death once Guren-nii has finished his enquiries. And Shirogane..."

His brows knitted together.

"We will find Shirogane. You have my word. He won't be allowed to cause any more harm to anyone. I intend on stepping up the effort. There's been no sign he's crossed a border yet - and so he must still be in District Six. Someone is likely shielding him - maybe accomplices - but that won't continue for long under the pressure our military forces possess."

Nanaki sighed heavily.

"I'm grateful." She said soberly. "And I want to help, but I think I'll only make things worse. Maybe I already have - I don't know. I'm just so used to running...you're the first person who's actually listened and taken my side. I wish I could do something to repay that - but I don't know of anything that I can."

Seiren gazed down at the young, innocent features, and he sighed, slipping his fingers into his _obi_ and pulling out a small, square crest.

"Take this." He said quietly. "And leave Sixth. It will give you safe passage through any border as a trader - nobody will question you and you can begin again somewhere safe without the risk of persecution. If you keep travelling through Fifth, you can cross into Fourth which is a neutral District where the laws on violence are extremely strict. If you can get there, doubtless you'll be fine."

"But...why?" Nanaki took the trade crest carefully, her eyes becoming big.

"All you can do to help is to disappear and live." Seiren said frankly. "I don't want to see more young lives sacrificed to greed. And I don't know if I can keep protecting you, not now I have to protect my brother as well. So that's all I can give you - leave here and live."

Nanaki stared at him for a moment, then she smiled, clasping the crest to her chest with a nod.

"Thank you, Seiren-dono." She whispered. "I will never forget your kindness to me. Never."

With that she was gone through the trees, and Seiren sighed, rubbing his temples. Bringing the trade token had been a whim, but the expression in her bright blue eyes had cast aside his doubts.

_I can't protect her any longer, but perhaps that will at least keep her from falling into Shirogane's hands again. Meantime, I have to make sure my nephew is found before he manages to leave Sixth and get to One. Guren-nii said he'd speak to Misashi-dono at the Council about the Seventh border. That leaves it to me to step up the voracity of my search. I won't let him hold us to ransom like this. Sooner or later, I will track him down!_

_

* * *

_

"He's gone."

As Seiren disappeared back towards the manor, Nanaki poked her head out from around the tree trunk, lifting her hand to indicate for her companion to make himself visible once more. "Well? Did I do it as you wanted?"

"You were excellent." Masaki nodded, coming to rest his hand on her shoulder. "But Seiren-dono really is the gentleman, isn't he? Helping a damsel in such distress."

"He's not too bright when it comes to women." Nanaki snorted. "You'd think with four daughters he'd have a clue that we aren't helpless, but I suppose not. He didn't even bring a guard with him...he obviously thought I couldn't hurt him."

"Ironic." Masaki murmured, and Nanaki shrugged.

"Some men look at women like that." She said grimly. "As trinkets and room dressing, not people with brains. My family were among them, and I don't really like it. I've learnt that I'm not useless - it sort of annoys me that someone like that thinks I am."

"You're just too good at playing that part." Masaki held out his hand for the token, and Nanaki handed it to him with a grin. "But this is a bonus indeed. He still seems keen to hunt for Shirogane, so you aren't suspected. And we can work on the next part of our plan. Having such an easy way of crossing borders may prove useful."

"Maybe." Nanaki's expression became thoughtful. "But...what are we doing next? Letting Seiren-dono hunt down his nephew? Or...?"

"Our next target is in District One, but first I want to see how the Kuchiki handle having a Shihouin in their prison." Masaki said evenly. "The Council will meet soon. We'll wait till after that. When we find out what they mean to do - that's when we'll know how to act."


	35. Shirogane's Honour

**Chapter Thirty Four: Shirogane's Honour**

Something was definitely amiss.

Juushirou knitted his dark brows together, leaning back against the wall of the library as he carefully counted the stream of students that filed past him one at a time into the central chamber that housed most of the general reference volumes. Several reading tables filled the only space open enough for a teacher to hold a class at short notice, and Juushirou was reminded briefly of one occasion in his own first year when he and his classmates had been shepherded in here following the murder of one of the teaching staff.

The mood around the school was a similar one today, for before breakfast had been finished with that morning, Genryuusai had appeared before them, a look of consternation in his dark eyes. He had quickly announced that all classes for the day would be cancelled until further notice and that instead the day's lessons would comprise study periods in year groups under the guidance of the Seniors. As the school's students had stared at him in bewilderment, the old shinigami had gone on to assign the First, Second and Third years to various locations, naming three or four Seniors as supervisors for each group and subject area. The Fourth and Fifth years, he had said, were to be trusted to continue their studies on their own – a fact which had brought great excitement particularly from the Fourth year students, for whom this was the first time they had been given such free reign.

For Juushirou, along with Shunsui, Ryuu and Hirata, this sudden change in plans had meant the library and the dubious responsibility of shepherding the largest of the three year groups – the First years. Sora, Enishi, Kai and Akira had been sent to the gymnasium with the Third years whilst the Second years had been instructed to remain in the dining hall to help clear away the plates and dishes before getting down to camp preparation with Kanshi, Naoko and Aoi. Mitsuki and Suzuno, who had been due to attend a special session in the healing bay with Retsu that morning had been told that the Fourth Division leader had been called away unexpectedly, but that they were to continue with their reading without her, and so as the bell had rung through the ancient Clan manor house, there had been nothing to do but follow these bizarre and troubling commands.

_Cancelling the school timetable and calling a meeting of the staff implies something major has happened. Unohana-sensei being called away only adds to that – since she's a Clan leader and a senior healer, it may mean that someone has been hurt._

Juushirou cast his glance towards the tables where Shunsui, Ryuu and Hirata were somehow managing to gather the thirty five or so excited students around the four or five desks. They had been charged with chairing a Kidou theory research session, but Kazoe had not left them with any particular instructions, and that too made Juushirou wary and suspicious.

_Kazoe-sensei is not the kind of person to forget or be haphazard about anything. Therefore if he didn't prepare something in advance, it means there was no warning and he didn't have time. I wonder if a messenger came to the school first thing._

"All right, you horrible lot, settle down already." Shunsui dropped down at the end of one of the bigger tables, eying the whispering youngsters with amusement. "You think you've got a free class, I suppose – and that's fine…_if _you're willing to explain to Kazoe why none of you have done any reading or note-taking this session. We'lll leave it up to you to decide – but I know which way I'd be going."

"Senpai, why are we here like this?" Oomaeda Kaneyo, never one to be easily kept down raised his voice, casting Shunsui a quizzical look. "We don't usually have Kidou class in the library all togther like this – of course we're going to talk about it."

"Sensei gave the instruction, so all we can do is follow that." As the last person entered the library, Juushirou shut the door, coming to join the group with a sigh. "The truth is that we had the instruction at the same time you did – none of us know any more than any of you."

"Really?" Kaneyo looked surprised, and Juushirou nodded.

"So for the time being, if you have questions to ask, lets keep them on Kidou and not on other things?" He suggested lightly. "You can use any of the first year Kidou books and revise the stuff you've been doing in class if you want to – or alternatively we can discuss any of the things you're not sure about. You'll have your first summer assessments coming up in the not so distant future – so I wouldn't waste this time if I were you. Kazoe-sensei is strict on people who do that, and unless you pass those tests you won't be able to begin practical spells next semester."

"I guess that means we're studying then." Kaneyo cast a grimace at his immediate companions, who returned it in kind. "I don't want to be held back from learning to fire this stuff. Reading about it is fine, but I want to get out there and actually make it work."

"But reading the old books is so boring." A girl sighed. "I mean, I know what it's saying, but some of the language is so antiquated it makes it hard to keep focused on the important bits. Kazoe-sensei is good at explaining if we don't understand…but sometimes when he gives us extra reading…"

"And then there's the kanji." The boy who sat beside her put in, casting his gaze across at Tsunemori, who flushed red at the sudden attention. "Some of us…have more trouble with that than others."

"Tsukabishi'd be top of the class if he could spell." Kaneyo said bluntly, but there was no real malice in his words, and Juushirou hid a smile at the embarrassment that crossed Tsunemori's face.

"Oomaeda-kun." He murmured. "That's not…I mean…it's not…"

"Then how about we begin with some level of Kidou discussion?" Ryuu looked pensive. "If reading books does not suit, perhaps there are things we as senpai can give assistance in. Nobody else is using the library at this moment – and we are all fairly proficient in Kidou theory."

"I'm not sure I remember much about First year." Shunsui admitted casually, and Juushirou shot him a resigned look.

"Well, then you can study with them, if you like. We'll remind you." He bantered back. "You can submit a paper to Kazoe-sensei about what you've learnt today and I'm sure he'll be pleased with you."

"Kids, Anideshi is cruel." Shunsui adopted a wounded look, amid laughter from the junior students.

"And so he should be." Hirata spoke up at that moment, leaning up against one of the bookshelves and offering his roommate a faint smile. "You need to set a better example to the juniors, Shunsui-kun. They might find out that you're the top ranked student in our year, and they might get the wrong idea."

"You didn't need to tell them that." Shunsui sighed heavily. "But since you've given me away, Hirata, I guess I'll help out in Ryuu's discussion project too."

"In that case, anyone who wants to read quietly for themselves should go over to the tables on that side of the room." Juushirou suggested. "Anyone who doesn't, stay on this side of the room. We'll try and go over things with you in a way you can understand. I don't know how long we'll be here for – but if it looks like being a long time, I guess we'll change over part way through."

"Well, they listen to you well enough." As the First year students hastily went about rearranging themselves in the overcrowded library chamber, Shunsui moved to stand beside his friend, offering him a conspiratorial wink. "I suppose Tsukabishi's put a good word in for you – they all seem quite happy to follow your lead."

"If only all the years were like that." Juushirou returned wryly. "But Tsukabishi-kun doesn't seem to be so isolated now. I'm glad about that."

"That Oomaeda has plenty to say and I s'pect he speaks for most of his peer group at times." Shunsui nodded. "But if he's adopted Tsukabishi – and he seems to have – then the kid'll be fine. He's not a nasty one, just a loudmouth. And Tsukabishi probably won't hurt if some of that rubs off on him."

"Mm." Juushirou nodded his head. "Shunsui, what do you suppose this morning is about? All of a sudden, assigned like this – what do you think it means?"

"Something we're not supposed to hear, I guess." Shunsui's eyes darkened. "It bothers me that Unohana-sensei's not here either. Perhaps it relates to Nagoya – if he was heading this way, maybe someone found him."

"Maybe they did." Juushirou's gaze flitted to Ryuu, who was busy helping two diminuitive first year girls reach the books they wanted from the top shelf. "But we probably shouldn't say anything about it to Ryuu. It might not have anything to do with the Kuchiki."

"Although it almost certainly does, I agree." Shunsui inclined his head slightly. "We'll keep the subject on Kidou. He's probably smart enough to have worked out that something major is behind this – but right now we have an assignment, and we'll try and keep focused on that."

"You're becoming a little bit more responsible lately." Juushirou reflected, observing his friend with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Perhaps helping to train Nagasata-san has helped with that – what do you think?"

"I think you're grossly misjudging me, as usual." Shunsui grinned, but there was something clouded in his gaze. "I'm afraid I'm no less lazy or irresponsible than I used to be. Just…I remember when we were sent to the library like this when we were first years. And that was when Aitori was murdered. I have a bad feeling about things as they currently are. As though we're waiting for something none of us have seen coming – I can't put it any other way."

"What are you whispering so covertly about?" Hirata's question made Juushirou jump, and he turned, eying his friend sheepishly.

"This morning's changes in normal timetable and the reasons behind it." He admitted. "But we shouldn't be, so we won't any more. We can talk about it later on, when there aren't young ones around to overhear."

"Yes." Hirata nodded slowly. "Probably it's better if they don't think we're too bothered by whatever's happened. If we're not, they won't be."

"Then are you volunteering to lead the Kidou discussion?" Shunsui teased. Hirata's cheeks reddened slightly and he shook his head.

"Juushirou-kun is Anideshi. He should do that." He said firmly. "But I'll help, once it's begun."

"I suppose that's my cue." Juushirou cast his companions an amused smile, then made his way to join the group of First years, settling himself among them.

"Big brother's about to begin story-time." Shunsui's words were so faint he almost didn't catch them, but a wry smile twitched at his lips as he realised the truth in his friend's off-hand remark.

_I feel more or less comfortable dealing with the youngest classes. Maybe because they haven't had time to grow thorns yet...I don't know. But I feel less...hopeless at the moment than I have done. Talking to Shunsui did help - and I suppose I've done nothing very terrible since rescuing Tsukabishi. _

His gaze rested on the scrawny youth, and his smile widened.

_And he's becoming part of the group, even if as yet he hasn't much to say for himself. So what I did was silly, but it had good results. So I can move on from it and so can he. Good._

He caught Ryuu's gaze at that moment, and something in the shadows in those grey eyes made him pause for a moment, reminded once again of the reason for their being here. Shunsui's lightheartedness had helped to dispel some of the tension, but there was very little doubt in Juushirou's mind that something else had occurred around Seireitei's principle Clan.

And more than that, Ryuu knew it too.

_But I'm not going to say anything about that, now. Not before the kids. We'll do our job and Sensei will do his. That's how it ought to be - that's why the Seniors are here. Not to go off on wild whims but to help Sensei and the staff when we're needed, like this._

Out loud he said.

"You're studying _Shakkahou, Soukatsui_ and some of the basic Bakudou so far, aren't you?"

"We've gone over _Shakkahou_ a whole lot." Kaneyo seemed keen to put his oar in first, casting Tsunemori a grin, and Juushirou was surprised at the faint smile that was returned. "We spent a whole class on it yesterday, in fact."

"A whole class, huh?" Ryuu looked startled. "You must have been extremely interested in the technical workings of such a spell."

"No...it wasn't that." Another boy put in, also sending Tsunemori an amused glance. "It was just that everyone's heard how Anideshi fired it when he rescued Tsukabishi from the storm. And everyone wanted Tsukabishi to describe it, so in the end Kazoe-sensei decided he'd go through it with us till we knew the incantation backwards."

"And we do." A girl groaned. "Backwards, forwards, upside-down and inside-out."

"That's good though." Hirata assured them, even as Juushirou looked faintly embarrassed at the recollection of his heroic exploits. "It's a big part of your first assessment and the first flame spell you'll learn to use. Probably the first Hadou, in fact. If you know it that well, you'll find it easier to go to practical magic."

"I wish I'd seen it though." Kaneyo admitted. "Kazoe-sensei said it's a red flame, but Tsukabishi describes it as really vivid and bright, like a proper firework in the night sky."

"_Shakkahou_ is red." Juushirou recovered himself. "_Soukatsui_ is blue and _Oukasen_ is golden yellow. Those are the three flame spells and you'll study all of them in detail over the next few years. But I don't suppose it will be very long at all before you're all firing _Shakkahou_ with fair fluency. Even though it's a level three spell, it's one of the easiest to master right at the start. _Soukatsui_ and especially _Oukasen_ are less so - but you'll be doing _Shakkahou _of your own very soon indeed."

"How do you know, though, which spell you're firing?" The girl rested her chin in her hands, eying Juushirou curiously. "Because the spells are all fire spells, aren't they? And though I know _Shakkahou_'s incantation now, when I looked at _Soukatsui'_s it looked the same."

"And what if your spirit power isn't fire-based? Can you still use fire spells?" Kaneyo asked eagerly. "I know Sensei's s'posed to have the strongest fire sword, but Kazoe-sensei won't tell us what his sword is. He said we should find out for ourselves whether it mattered - but I can't work out how we should do that."

"He's trying to make you use your brain." Shunsui reached across to tap the boy's substantial forehead lightly with his index finger. "So use it. It'll rattle around in there and fall out of your ears if you don't. Brains shrink if you don't use them - did nobody ever tell you that?"

"I wonder, then, where yours has ended up." Ryuu's comment was not loud enough for the juniors to hear, but Juushirou smothered a smile at his Kuchiki friend's dry humoured remark. Shunsui merely offered him a wry grimace, turning his attention back to the students.

"Well?" He challenged. "What do you think? Juushirou's already sort of told you the answer to your question, Oomaeda. If you think it over, you'll realise what it is."

"That sounds like a riddle." Kaneyo rubbed his temples, and Tsunemori bit his lip, then slowly raised his hand.

"Tsukabishi?" Juushirou's gaze rested on the youngster, who flushed scarlet, but bravely nodded.

"J...Juushirou-senpai said that...we'd all learn _Shakkahou_ very soon. After we did our exams." He said softly. "So it can't matter, can it? Because none of us know what kind of spirit power we have, yet. But we can fire it anyhow. So it must...it must be different. Mustn't it?"

"It's true that if you have a fire sword, you're probably more in tune with fire kidou...I have storm elements to my _zanpakutou_ and spells like Byakurai come very naturally to me." Juushirou grinned. "But in essence, using Kidou is a separate skill from using your sword."

"I have heard of people within Clans who only use Kidou, and don't train with swords at all." Ryuu reflected, and one of the boys looked surprised.

"Really? You don't have to do all of them?" He demanded.

"Here, you'll study them all. When you graduate, who knows?" Ryuu shrugged. "People have different strengths and weaknesses, but I daresay all are of use to the Gotei."

"My father is one such Clan leader." Hirata put in thoughtfully. "He's never trained with a sword, but his Kidou skill was always quite good when I was a young child and he taught me things then. Since inheriting the Clan he's studied more spells and is quite proficient. I suppose he's not what people think of as a shinigami, because he has no_ zanpakutou_. But he is capable of firing quite strong Kidou."

"I'd like that." Tsunemori murmured, more than half to himself. "Swords...I don't really like them. But Kidou is beautiful. I like that...a lot."

"You and Hirata really do have a lot in common." Shunsui offered Hirata a grin. "Though I'd imagine with decent reiatsu like yours, Tsukabishi, you won't find it hard to hold a sword as well. If it's your own sword, it's different - Hirata sucks with zanjutsu generally, but you wouldn't want to fight him if he has Tsumi no Fuuhi drawn."

"Really?"

"What kind of sword is it?"

"Why? What can it do?"

The clamour of questions came all at once, and Hirata laughed, holding up his hands.

"This is a Kidou class." He said mildly. "And we were discussing flame spells."

"But _zanpakutou_ are so much cooler." One student said regretfully. "I can't wait to have one of my own and fight down Hollows."

"Hollows aren't a joking matter." Ryuu said sharply. "And you will certainly not be able to defeat one if you focus all your energy on one discipline instead of spreading it across them all. You are learning to be a shinigami. Not a glorified samurai who can do nothing but swing his sword."

"And as for the incantations for the flame spells, they are the same up to a point." Juushirou put in hurriedly, before anyone could react to Ryuu's slightly critical tone. "At the midpoint, though, they change. The second half of each spell is quite different. Next time you have your textbooks in front of you, take a look and see. That's how you know."

"You can't really fire the wrong one by mistake." Hirata said thoughtfully. "The second phrases are quite different from one another. And you won't do_ Oukasen_ this year. We didn't do that in practical Kidou till...Third year, I think."

"It was." Shunsui confirmed, mischief in his eyes. "I'll never forget the way Enishi blew the target into smithereens and sent wood splinters flying over the fence and into the cook's apple trees in the kitchen garden beyond. Two or three of the boughs closest to the Kidou arena had their fruit impaled, and lots of apples fell onto the ground. That was the last time Kazoe let us use that arena for live Kidou."

"_Oukasen_ is a lot tougher to control." Juushirou said ruefully, remembering the incident in question and also the look of abject horror that had crossed Enishi's features at the spectacle he had caused. "So for now it's easier for you First years to concentrate on _Soukatsui _and _Shakkahou_. Just so long as you know they aren't the only flame spells - that should be enough for your assessments."

"Senpai, do you like Kidou?" Kaneyo asked quizzically, and Juushirou nodded, looking surprised.

"Yes. Very much." He agreed. "I think it's a beautiful way of using spirit power - but dangerous if you're not really careful with it. That means there's always something new to learn even about spells you know well. It never gets boring for me."

"Even though you have a_ zanpakutou_, you still like Kidou?" The student who had earlier expressed his preference for swords looked doubtful, and Juushirou laughed.

"Sougyo no Kotowari is a part of me. It would be cross with me if I said I liked anything better than it." He said lightly. "But it's probably true to say I enjoy studying Kidou as much as I do working with my sword. I liked Kidou from the First year...and that hasn't changed."

"Ukitake is the top ranked Kidou student in our year." Ryuu put in frankly.

"Isn't it hard, though?" A girl blushed, eying Juushirou with a faintly awkward look. "I mean...being...District? Isn't it hard to learn all the spells and things? Because...Clan people seem to already know so many things. And...well..."

"Tsukabishi isn't Clan." Kaneyo protested. "And he absorbs everything up even though he's only been told it once. It's nothing to do with District or Clan. Tis brains, that's all. Brains."

"Oomaeda-kun!" Tsunemori flushed red to the tips of his ears. "That's not...it's not...the thing is..."

"Some Clan people don't like it." A boy muttered, and Juushirou's eyes softened. He nodded.

"I know. I've experienced that too." He said quietly.

"Hey!" A girl spoke up, indignation in her green eyes. "Stop saying it like all Clan people are bad! It's not like that! Just because some say silly things, it doesn't mean..."

"Clan and District can work together." Shunsui spoke across her, casting her a smile that quelled her anger into confusion. "And more, they should. It doesn't matter where you're born, not really. Juu's right. If you have skill, you use it. If not, you do what you can to support those who do."

"Almost five years and finally Kyouraku has the measure of what school is about." Ryuu remarked off-handedly, sending his classmate a dry smile. "Although I cannot disagree. My opinion on this matter is the same."

"Every member of Senior Class is Clan, with the exception of Juushirou-kun." Hirata added seriously. "Most of us have gone through the school with him, though, and we don't consider there to be any difference between us and him. Sensei wants us - all of us students - to look at things a different way. If We study together, We learn more about each other."

"It's not always easy." Kaneyo admitted. "I don't care either way, really, but you know, folks do draw lines in the sand."

"They always will." Ryuu said quietly, and Juushirou saw the shadows return to the sober grey eyes. "No matter how trivial the reason, people will always find reasons to fight."

"Ryuu." Shunsui's brows knitted together, then he sighed.

"He's probably right." He admitted. "But so is Hirata. The truth is, this world isn't going to survive if it's left to us Clansfolk alone. There aren't enough of us - there never will be - to tackle the Hollow problem to the point where balance is properly restored. People like Juushirou - and Tsukabishi, and all the other District students - they're needed. People with the power to help will always have a place in Soul Society. Anyone who speaks against that hasn't grasped reality yet. Things are changing and they havd to keep changing. If we're going to protact this world, it Needs all of us. Not just a few here and there."

"I intend to be a shinigami." Tsunemori, who had been listening carefully, spoke up at that point, rare resolution in his dark eyes. "Like Juushirou-senpai and Kyouraku-senpai and all the others. Mother would want me to do that. To help. I don't know if I can do much...but...I want to try. And I don't...I don't want to fight with Clan people, either."

"Already this school is making a difference." Hirata said softly. "Most all of the Clans are now behind the idea of bringing the Districts into the picture."

"And not all Clan kids are taught Kidou and things before they get to the Academy." Shunsui admitted sheepishly. "I didn't know any Kidou before I came, and though I could hold a sword, I didn't really have much - shall we say - useful experience among my studies."

"Your attention please, students."

Before any of the group could respond, there was a voice from the doorway and all looked up, Juushirou among them to see Kazoe stood in the entrance, a slightly troubled expression on his severe features.

"First Year, you are dismissed." He said quietly. "Your normal timetable will resume after lunch - till then you have recess. Thank you for working so quietly this morning."

"Sensei, has something happened?" Kaneyo asked eagerly, but Kazoe shook his head impatiently, indicating the door.

"You are dismissed." He said pointedly. "But nobody is to leave school grounds, as this is a school day. No more questions please."

Grumbling and exchanging looks with one another, the First years nonetheless got to their feet, gathering their papers and books together before filing towards the door. One or two of them bowed their heads towards the Seniors, then, with Kazoe's stern eye on them they fled, the sound of excited chatter filling the hallway beyond.

Kazoe sighed, sliding the library door shut with a look of resignation, and the four Seniors exchanged looks.

"Thank you for overseeing them at such short notice this morning." The teacher said softly. "I'm sure you had questions to field, but we felt it best that you had no answers to give."

"Sensei, what's happened at home?" It was Ryuu who spoke first, and Kazoe's eyes flitted to Ryuu's troubled face. He did not answer at once, then he nodded.

"You are right. It does correlate to the Kuchiki." He said heavily. "We received a slightly disturbing report early this morning that we felt we could not ignore."

"Then...someone...is hurt?" Juushirou asked anxiously. Kazoe shook his head.

"No. Nobody has been hurt or killed." He said firmly, and Ryuu let out a sigh of relief.

"Then will you tell me what?" He asked. "I don't mind if Ukitake and the others overhear - if nobody has been slain, then..."

"Doubtless it won't stay a secret for long, given that so many students here have Clan connections." Kazoe said quietly. "But an attempt was made on the life of your Clan leader."

"On Guren-sama?" Even Shunsui looked stunned, and Kazoe nodded.

"It failed." He said frankly. "And the suspect was incarcerated in the Kuchiki prison. We were not going to give you any more infomation than that, but it seems...highly likely that other details will leak out and therefore each member of staff has been dispatched to speak to the Seniors individually. Security here will be heightened in the meantime."

"Because of an attack in District Six?" Hirata's brows knitted together.

"We have received two communications." Kazoe said grimly. "One regarding the assassination attempt on Guren-sama, and another regarding the possibility of a plot against the life of the next Kuchiki heir. In short..."

"Me." Ryuu's word was little more than a whisper, and he sank back against the wall, a mixture of emotions in his slate grey gaze. Kazoe nodded.

"I know that this isn't the first time such an idea has been put to you." He continued gravely. "And that you're aware of the current awkward situation of suspicion against your cousin Nagoya."

"I don't believe him guilty." Ryuu said bleakly. "Of everyone, I don't believe Shirogane-senpai to be after my life."

"Right now, we don't know. But we've had a missive from the Head of the Kuchiki Clan to detain him on sight. First District's military have also been so briefed." Kazoe responded. "There is one other main reason for contacting us, though. To ensure your safety is paramount to them. We had hoped that we could shield the domestic squabbles of the Clan from school life. But that seems unlikely now. There is one other piece of data that we are hoping to keep from the main school as a whole, but it would be irresponsible for us not to mention it to those who are in immediate company with the assassin's apparent target."

"Which is what, Sensei?" Juushirou felt a sudden cold chill run down his spine, and Kazoe's eyes darkened.

"The suspect held in the Kuchiki cells is as yet unnamed." He said levelly. "But there is absolutely no doubt about one thing. Whoever he is...the one who tried to kill Guren-sama is a blood member of the Shihouin Clan."

* * *

The Council Hall was already busy by the time Guren left his carriage, pausing only to acknowledge the respectful bow and greeting of the guards on duty before proceeding forward into the central chamber itself. It was little more than routine for him now, walking through these ornately decorated hallways towards the place where the Council of Elders had met ever since their inception some centuries ago, but somehow today it felt unfamiliar, as though he was once more stepping through each door for the very first time.

He was still on edge. Since the attempt on his life the security at the manor had been tripled threefold, and he knew there were still many things to do back there. But the memory of that gold eyed silent shadow sitting motionless in the end cell of the Kuchiki prison was an image he could not easily push from his mind. Whether he still had duties to undertake with his family, for now he needed answers. Both for his own sake, and for the sake of his dead Father's memory.

_Otousama was killed by Shihouin conspirators. Now my son lies dead and my life was also targeted. I need to know what the truth is – whether this generation of Shihouin are the same or different from the last._

The attendants on duty at the main chamber door bowed at his approach, their long flowing robes trailing on the ground as they hurried to pull the divide open and allow him entrance. Though security here was tighter than anywhere else in Soul Society, nobody needed to ask his name. He was Guren, fifteenth head of the Kuchiki and fourth head of District Six – and everybody here knew him on sight.

He had robed for effect that morning, determined that no matter how wretched and unsettled he was feeling inside, he would not show that face before the other members of the Council. He would use his_ haori_ and his ceremonial Kuchiki attire in the same way as he had before the family court – as armour against those who sought to pry into his deepest thoughts.

That he had risen at dawn that morning and spent a half hour at his son's memorial before preparing to leave was something that nobody else needed to know. And if someone here was responsible for wrenching his heart right out of his body…he would not let them have the satisfaction of seeing him rattled.

He was a Kuchiki. He would not stoop to their level.

"Guren-sama." As he reached the seat belonging to Sixth District, a voice drew his attention and he turned to acknowledge the greeting of his neighbour from Seventh District, Endou Misashi. Guren had never liked the ruthless, battle-greedy Endou, but Misashi was not like the predecessors who had carved out their power base in blood and slaughter and had relished ruling their land through fear. On the contrary, Guren knew that Misashi did not carry a sword even when facing difficult negotiations with his kinsfolk, and in his two years as head of the Endou, his opinions had been reasoned, rational and soft-spoken to a point where the Kuchiki lord had found himself grudgingly forming some level of respect.

"On the subject of your son, my greatest condolences." Misashi bowed his head now, acknowleding the distinction in status that lay between them, and this as well was something that helped Guren's unsettled heart. Though Misashi's rank in the Council was equal to his own, the Kuchiki were generally considered the most senior and superior of the eight ruling families, and Misashi had always observed this fact with his quiet politeness and careful deference. "I trust that you have made good progress in establishing the circumstances and that you will soon be able to find peace for him and for your family."

"Thank you." Guren spoke gravely. "Of all people, Misashi-dono, perhaps you can understand best how a Father feels when his child's life is stolen away."

"Indeed." Misashi's eyes clouded, and he nodded. "If all you can give Ribari-sama is justice, sometimes that's the best thing of all to offer."

"Without doubt." Guren acknowledged. "I have every intention of finding that justice for Ribari – just as I found justice for my Father some several years ago."

"We still live in bloody times." Misashi sighed, and Guren knew that his companion had seen them bloodier than most during his lifetime. "The Endou are feeble in comparison to the Kuchiki's might and connections, so please don't consider my words impudent. But if there is anything as neighbours of District Six that my people can do – please tell me. I will do my utmost to ensure that those things are done."

"I'm not sure this is a problem that your people can resolve." Despite himself, Guren offered a faint smile. "But there is one thing I might ask of you. Recently I believe my brother sent word to the border retinue of your land and my own. A kinsman of mine who may have information about Ribari is rumoured to have passed that way – if your men see him, I would like him stopped. Held, if possible…until someone from my Clan can come and retrieve him."

"A kinsman?" Misashi's eyes narrowed. "I have read Seiren-dono's letter. It is Lord Shirogane…I believe?"

"Yes." Guren nodded.

"I see." Misashi pursed his lips. "You wish us to…arrest him? Or simply detain him?"

"Detain him, if you would." Guren said briskly. "There are matters which need discussing and I have not yet had a chance to discuss them with him."

Misashi was silent for a moment, then,

"Forgive my intrusion, Guren-sama, but I'm sure that Shirogane-dono was the Vice Captain of the Sixth Shinigami squad? I'm sure he isn't now a suspect in…"

"I do not suspect Shirogane of anything." Guren cut across the question swiftly before it was asked, shaking his head. "I simply wish to talk to him. It is not what you think, Misashi-dono. And I would prefer…such enquiries to remain unvoiced. I will simply ask that if he is seen by your men, he should be detained by them if possible. That's all."

"I understand." Misashi nodded his head. "I'm sorry if I crossed a line, Guren-sama. We will certainly do our best to assist you in this matter."

Guren sighed, sitting back in his seat as Misashi withdrew to his own. Glancing around the chamber, he could see that all of the Clan representatives were now in place, the gold and black crested throne of the Shihouin currently left vacant as the young head of the Second Clan took the place of Council chair. As he watched her slip nimbly into her position, ceremonial _haori_ fluttering slightly against her lithe frame, Guren's eyes narrowed. Midori was known for being as ruthless as she was fair, and had not hesitated to cut down a kinsman in the past who had betrayed her and her kind. She had been trained by the Uncle who had preceded her – the man put to death for misadventure with illicit chemicals by the Council some years before – but at the time she had taken control of the Shihouin, she had made a clean break with the past, claiming that from that point on the dark arts of her family would be put instead to the benefit of Soul Society as a whole.

Even if she had spoken true then, could such a young and inexperienced shinigami really control her whole Clan enough to wipe out centuries of tradition in blood and shadow? Guren knew that the 'Shadow Cat' had special influence and respect among her people…but Midori was still in her twenties. Even without her knowledge it was possible for stalwarts of her uncle to have decided to act behind her back.

"This Council session is now begun." At that moment the girl's crisp tones broke through the silence, level and confident as she faced the other members of this hallowed group. Her gaze hesitated for a brief moment on Guren's face, then she smiled, bowing her head in his direction.

"We welcome you back, Guren-sama." She said softly. "We are all aware of recent events among the Kuchiki Clan – I trust that your presence here means that things have begun to settle?"

"That depends on your definition of 'settle'." Guren said acidly. "My son was murdered. That isn't really a problem that can be summarily fixed with negotiation."

"Nonetheless, we are happy to see you back among us, Guren-sama." Tokutarou spoke gravely. "A death in the family is something we can all identify with."

"It's a more serious incident than a sole assassination." Nagesu, head of the Urahara adjusted his spectacles with a troubled look on his face. "The information we received in District Three was that further attempts have been made on the lives of other Kuchiki – most specifically, on your own, Guren-sama."

"I have not had such a report." Midori looked startled, and Guren eyed her for a moment, trying to work out whether she was telling the truth. "Guren-sama, someone has truly targeted your life?"

"Yes. It is true." At length Guren nodded his head slowly. "But as you see, I am unharmed. It would take more than a base assassin to kill me, Nagesu-dono – I assure you."

"But it's still troubling to say the least." Hashihiko, the grey haired chief of the Yamamoto rumbled. "This is not the kind of incident that happens often in District Six's Clan."

"Guren-sama?" Shiba Kyouki turned curious green eyes on her neighbouring shinigami. "My border retainers have reported that there's been unusual activity on your side of the District divide in recent weeks. With one murder and with an attack on your life – such activity suggests hunting a suspect that's so far slipped your noose. I can assure you nobody has crossed over into my land since these patrols intensified – but they do concern me a little. A sizeable Kuchiki military presence moving towards foreign land is always cause for apprehension."

"My brother is following all leads." Guren decided that now would not be a good time to mention in any detail the situation surrounding Shirogane. "My son's death has undoubtedly caused a certain amount of disruption among our people – and as you rightly say, it is an ongoing situation. There is no intention of invading District Five or imposing on your people in any way, Kyouki-dono. On the contrary, we are covering all areas of District Six and Six alone for clues. The answers are doubtless there - although it is not certain by any means that Kuchiki in other regions might not come under similar assault…"

He paused, meeting Hashihiko's eyes gravely.

"I understand that your kinsman, Genryuusai-sama has assured my brother of his protection regarding my nephew Ryuu and his cousin Mitsuki." He said quietly. "I am unsure if any other Kuchiki students of Clan blood are in danger, but Ryuu's bloodline may put him in jeopardy and Mitsuki may be seen as a way to get to Ryuu."

"Genryuusai-sama is resolved to protect all of his students, with or without communication from the Kuchiki or any other Clan." Hashihiko said firmly. "You need have no fear there, Guren-sama. Your nephew and the young _hime_ are as safe as they can be anywhere in Seireitei – probably much safer there than at home, in fact, given the reports we've all received."

"They're not reports other Clans should become frightened by." Guren said grimly. "The targets have only been those associated with the Kuchiki in a direct and unequivocal manner. For the most part, those singled out have been those of us close to the core of the Clan."

"Are you saying this is a Kuchiki matter and the business of nobody else?" Midori asked softly. "In a crisis circumstance such as this, I believe it to be in my power as Chair of the Council to grant aid or assistance to help resolve the current turmoil. Somehow I don't suppose that's an offer you intend to accept, Guren-sama."

"I have not said it is or it is not a Kuchiki matter." Guren said coldly. "The truth is that we have not been able to establish firmly those things either way. However, we have managed to carve out one firm lead and it is one of which I wish all Clans to take clear notice. The young man who attempted to take my life was prevented from doing so and was taken alive to the Kuchiki prison, where he is currently in our secure custody. Though we have not managed to obtain a name from him, or any other information, one thing is as clear as can be."

He paused, meeting Midori's amber eyes as he looked for any sign of guilt or apprehension in her gaze.

"The one we have captive is dark-skinned, with long violet hair and golden eyes." He said softly. "In short, he is undoubtedly a member of the Shihouin Clan."

"_What?_" Midori visibly paled, and a soft murmur went around the chamber as the other Clan leaders exchanged stunned glances. "Guren-sama, what allegation are you raising against my people now? Do you think my dislike of you or your family runs deep enough for me to risk the rebuilding of my own on a murderous whim? In case you hadn't realised it, I have no further interest in rivalry with the Kuchiki or with sending out secret assassins on any errand whatsoever. That was the province of my Uncle and those who came before him. I am not that kind of Clan leader."

"And yet there is no doubt about this individual's identity." Guren said quietly. "Only Shihouin and their descendants have golden eyes. I am not the only one who has seen this boy's violence, either. There are other witness statements linking him to a murderous attack on unarmed stable hands some days before."

"I don't believe it." Midori was still pale, but as she banged her fist down against the arm of the chair, Guren realised that it was anger and not guilt that had drained her features of their normal colour. "I won't believe it! Such a thing…I would not sanction an attack on your life or on the life of your son, Guren-sama. I have no reason to wish you or him dead. On the contrary, the further the Kuchiki stay from Shihouin affairs the happier my family generally are. What past we do or do not have with one another, I'm not interested in reviving it. I'll say it again for the benefit of the full Council. I _did not_ dispatch an assassin to take your life or the life of any other and I am quite willing to swear that fact by blood with witnesses if the need arises. If you truly have a Shihouin in your jail then he is a traitor to his family and no concern of mine."

"You are telling me to kill him, then?" Guren asked softly, and Midori snorted.

"I don't care what you do with reckless idiots." She said bluntly. "I didn't send him, Guren-sama. He's not mine. Do with him what you will – the Shihouin denies all knowledge of this plot."

"In which case, you have nothing to hide, correct?" Guren challenged.

"That is what I'm saying. Yes." Midori's eyes were defiant, but Guren was somewhat comforted by the level of rage building up inside of the young woman's body.

It was the anger not of someone who had been caught and revealed for double crossing, but rather the fury of a young Clan leader whose wrath was directed unequivocally towards any unfortunate who had dared bring her family shame.

"I want to know who this assassin is and what he was doing in my study." Guren said softly. "He is not some insignificant descendant of your family, but rather a son of pure blood. Perhaps he is the same age as my nephew Ryuu, or thereabouts, and I would wager he had trained with a weapon, although he is not very careful in his mode of attack. His features are true enough that neither I nor my investigators have any doubt. I imagine someone close to the core of your Clan must be able to claim him. Even put a name to him – and find out what his reasons were."

Midori's eyes became near slits, giving her an almost feline look as she digested this. Then,

"If you are so confident of his bloodline, I'm surprised you can't already name him." She said quietly. "As for your description, there is only one person close to the centre of the Shihouin Clan which fits that age range and that is my brother Kai. Whilst I realise my word is probably not good enough to speak for him – Kai is in District One at present, and I think it's unlikely that he slipped the attention of Genryuusai-sama and his staff and crossed two Districts to make an attempt on your life."

There was an edge to her words now, her pride having been fully riled by Guren's direct accusations.

"Shihouin Kai-kun is indeed in District One." Now Retsu, who had until this moment remained silent, spoke up among the rest, her calm voice serving some way to placate the rising tension that had begun to fill the hall. "I can vouch for that fact myself, Guren-sama. I saw him there this morning, at breakfast with his fellows. Therefore I will exonerate him from your suspicions as an enemy of the Kuchiki Clan."

"There." Midori's eyes glittered with triumph. "So you see, Guren-sama, there's nobody within the inner circles of my family who might fit your description. In fact, there is…"

She faltered, her hand going suddenly to her mouth as though she had remembered something, and Guren's brows knitted together as he fixed her with a searching, suspicious look.

"There is?" He prompted quietly, and Midori sighed, closing her eyes briefly and then opening them to meet his grey gaze.

"I don't see how it can connect." She said softly. "In fact, I don't see how at all. But…there is one other member of my Clan who is of similar age to my brother. And I admit it…his whereabouts are currently unknown."

"I see." Guren's eyes became slits. "His name, please?"

"Onoe Tomoyuki." Midori sounded troubled now, glancing at her hands and then across the room to where Retsu's brow had also creased in consternation. "But I don't see how he can be your killer either, Guren-sama. In fact, there's surely no way…even if I can't speak for his whereabouts, such a thing is…"

"Onoe Tomoyuki." Guren repeated the name softly, then, "Thank you. I will judge for myself whether or not he is a candidate in this crime."

"With respect, Guren-sama, I have to echo the opinion Midori-sama has put forward." Retsu spoke again now, raising her hand in a conciliatory gesture towards the bristling Kuchiki lord. "I have knowledge of Onoe Tomoyuki, and I believe…Midori-sama's words to be correct. Though I did not know that his location had become unknown – I was under the impression that he was in the care of his kin in District Two."

"He was. Until about two months ago." Midori nodded her head, her eyes suddenly sober and full of consternation. "When he disappeared without a trace. We searched and conducted our own enquiries. But there wasn't any sign of him, and so we let it go."

"This is confusing me." Nagesu admitted. "If there is such a person and he absconded his Clan, surely…"

"I've heard the name Onoe before, too." Tokutarou said grimly. "He was a classmate of Shunsui's – well, somewhat, but they were students at the Academy at the same time. He got into an altercation in the First year, and was dismissed. That's the same person, isn't it, Midori-dono? Unless I miss my guess, he assaulted your brother with the intention of killing him outright."

"Then he is trained as an assassin?" Guren grasped hold of this, and Midori sighed, nodding her head.

"But I too am so trained. Kai also. Most of us are." She said wearily. "Tomoyuki had that training, sure enough. And he had a grievance against Kai and I which drove him to violence. But that being so, Guren-sama, I don't see how he could have killed your son or made an attempt on your life. Whether he has that kind of a past or not is irrelevant. Tomoyuki as he currently is…it's just not possible."

"But he is missing?" Nagesu murmured softly. "Betrayed kinsfolk sometimes take extreme measures, Midori-dono. Perhaps this Onoe seeks still to take revenge against you and this is his way of doing so. If he held a grudge like that before…"

"Onoe Tomoyuki-kun's brain activity is almost none." Retsu said frankly, before Nagesu could finish his sentence. "He took _Eiminyaku_ poison in order to commit suicide and though his life was stayed, really only his body remained intact. He was comatose and there was little if no hope of him ever reviving from that sleep. Even an Unohana could not raise him from that slumber – no healing method is effective against the damage _Eiminyaku_ poison causes."

Her gaze flitted to Guren.

"You know that to your cost, Guren-sama." She added evenly. "Senaya-sama's life was also lost at the hands of that drug."

"But…" Guren faltered, despite himself, and Midori nodded.

"Tomoyuki's slept for the past four years or so." She said gravely. "We were told there was a very faint chance of him waking on his own, but if he did, he would no longer know his own name or remember anything that had happened before. As Clan leader I took the decision to protect and keep him alive, because his being so served as a reminder of why we were changing the Clan and moving beyond the assassin past. We did wonder whether he had woken and become confused, so wandered off – but he would not have had the knowledge to get anywhere or feed himself, so we would have found him quickly if that had been the case. I suspected his father of having murdered him, but even that investigation came to nothing. He simply vanished."

"A living corpse." Guren's eyes widened as he remembered the blank look in the assassin's eye, and the docile, soundless way he had hunched himself into the corner of his cell, seemingly detached from anything going on around him.

"What if he had awoken?" He asked quietly. "And by some fluke, had left on his own? What if this drug had driven him to aggression, and then…the boy who attacked me had eyes are as pure gold as yours are, Midori-dono, but they showed no emotion of any kind. He had no power of speech, and despite the violence he showed towards me, he has not attempted to escape his cell. He hasn't responded to any questions or actions against him. And when he fought me – even then he showed no fear of being caught or killed. But my physicians say he wasn't under the influence of any drug at the time of the attack, so explaining his behaviour has left us at a loss. He also has no reiatsu to speak of – and I remember when Father died, that cursed drug ate away at his spirit power piece by piece until eventually there was nothing of it left. The person you have just described to me fits the person I have locked in my cell. Retsu-dono, is such a thing possible? Could he retain enough to act in such a way?"

Slowly Retsu shook her head.

"Onoe Tomoyuki is effectively dead. His mind and his soul are fleeting wisps and nothing more." She said sadly. "His body remains undamaged, but without a mind, a body cannot run. I examined your son's body, Guren-sama, and I saw the precision with which the wound on his neck had been inflicted. Even if by some fluke the boy had managed to regain some consciousness, he would be incapable of understanding the processes needed to inflict poison on someone else, let alone have the sleight of hand to perform the deed. I would still say that it was impossible. Onoe Tomoyuki could not have killed your son."

"Even if he is the one who attacked me, and who now languishes in my cell?"

"Even so." Retsu agreed. "I have seen the half-formed consciousnesses of those who have made even the faintest recovery from _Eiminyaku_ poisoning, and most of those individuals had considerably more spirit power remaining than Onoe Tomoyuki did when I treated him some years ago. My honest opinion is that the boy is effectively dead – and a corpse cannot take the lives of others."

Her gaze drifted to Midori's tense form, then,

"And it certainly could not do so at the behest of the Shihouin Clan." She added. "They do not have the scientific endeavour to achieve such a miracle of healing."

"In your opinion, Retsu-sama, could Tomoyuki have woken and walked off on his own?" Midori asked softly. Retsu shook her head.

"In my view, that too would be impossible." She responded. "It is far more likely that someone else removed him."

"For what purpose?" Hashihiko frowned.

"For this purpose, apparently." Kyouki's brows knitted together. "To make Guren-sama believe that a Shihouin was trying to take out his family, just like when Senaya-sama was killed."

"Which almost certainly means that the Shihouin are not involved." Tokutarou said acerbically. "And that someone is using them as a scapegoat. Someone with the knowhow to make even a dead man walking into a useful tool and distraction."

"We don't know for certain that the man in Guren-sama's cell is Onoe Tomoyuki." Nagesu pointed out, and Guren could see the sudden consternation that had filled the scientist's pale eyes. "That should be established before any more theories are put about. We are racing far ahead of ourselves, and run the risk of basing theory on hypothesis rather than fact."

"Nagesu-dono is right." Hashihiko agreed. "We are making assumptions, but there is no clear evidence of this Shihouin's identity."

"He did not carry any form of identity with him, Guren-sama?" Tokutarou asked curiously. "Nothing to mark his Clan – nothing like that?"

"Nothing." Guren confirmed. "In fact, he was robed in peasant fabric, with no Clan badge or colour at all. Even the weapons he carried bore no connection to the Shihouin. They were actually fashioned in District Eight, Tokutarou-dono – but by a smith whose weaponry is already widely used and exported across the Eight Districts. They are similar weapons to those some of my own retinue might wield – something easy to obtain wherever you might be."

"I'm glad you don't suspect my family also of conspiracy in this." Tokutarou observed. "That might prove difficult to explain to my kinsfolk."

"No. But I do also have a question for you." Guren's mind flitted to the mysterious _hime_ that had infiltrated Sixth District's manor. "Whether you have any cousins by descent of your late Uncle Sadehira – or whether you do not."

"That is a strange question." Tokutarou's brows knitted together in confusion. "But one I can readily respond to. The answer is no. My Uncle never married nor had children of his own. Why?"

"You are certain of that fact?"

"I am." Tokutarou agreed. "But I don't understand why you would…"

"Then it is of no matter." Guren dismissed it with a flick of his fingers, inwardly disturbed by the speed and clarity of Tokutarou's denial.

_If he's right, Seiren is wrong. Maybe the whole of the evidence against Shirogane is suspect, if Nanaki is not a descendant of that Clan. But I will not bring my family into shame and scrutiny here. For now, I have nothing evidential to back up Nanaki's claim – both she and the pendant are gone. In which case, I'll let that matter rest. But I wonder…if Shirogane knew she was lying, and that's why he confronted her. That's why…all of this began._

"Guren-sama, I don't know what your motive was for asking me that." Tokutarou's frown deepened. "Does this have a connection to those weapons and your assassin? Because you just said that…"

"No. It was a vague thought that came to nothing." Guren shook his head. "Please, do not trouble yourself on it. I accept your word as truth and I will assume the weapons entered this killer's hands through methods unknown to your Clan."

_For the time being, until I have more to work with, that is all I can do._

"Very well." Tokutarou was clearly still unsettled, but he nodded. "If that's all it is, I suppose it doesn't matter. If you want me to make enquiries about sword exports I will – but they are numerous from Eighth District and likely wouldn't tell you anything of use."

"I expect that's true." Guren sighed. "The evidence I have is far too fleeting to be of any use. No. For the time being, Tokutarou-dono, I won't trouble District Eight to follow up this enquiry. You are right – your District specialises in sword production and export and therefore acquiring weaponry from there would be quite easy."

_Though if that hime lied to us, and those swords were from District Eight…I wonder what that really means._

"I understand." Tokutarou inclined his head. "But my Uncle is not a popular man or memory in the Kyouraku Clan. He is also quite definitely dead, unlike Onoe Tomoyuki. Therefore we should return to a more useful line of conversation – I can't help you with ghosts."

"Then the problem of identifying Guren-sama's assassin remains." Hashihiko reflected. " Midori-dono, surely if you know this Onoe boy by name, you would recognise his face?"

"We would all recognise him." Midori agreed. "But as Clan leader I would not be welcome in District Six under any circumstances. The safety of a Shihouin is also never assured in that land – particularly now, if suspicions are turned our way. I will gladly send someone to help with your enquiries – but only if their safety can be guaranteed. My family are not involved in this business – I want clear assurance that your kin won't try and exact vigilante justice on a relative of mine trying to help you put clues together."

Guren was silent for a long while, then he sighed, nodding his head.

"It is a curious business." He said quietly. "That a boy with no wits could have attacked me in my own quarters. Certainly he could not be working alone – but if Retsu-dono says that the Shihouin's involvement in such a thing would be impossible, I will…bow to her opinion. And yes, Midori-dono, I will accept your offer of help. You have my assurance that whoever you send to my land will be granted full immunity and security whilst carrying out their mission. I want to know who the boy in my cell is, and what his overall significance is to this business."

"Very well." Midori looked weary. "Then I will dispatch my brother Yanagi to District Six as soon as possible. He's the best placed to identify Tomoyuki, I believe – and as a member of my close family, you can be assured that I take your request and your investigation seriously. I will trust that no harm will befall my brother – providing you trust that he and I mean you and yours no harm either."

"I believe you." Guren admitted. "Yanagi-dono will not come to harm in District Six. You have my word."

"There is one other possibility that I think may have been overlooked." Misashi's soft, thoughtful voice broke through the discussion at that juncture, and Guren turned to eye him curiously, taking in the pensive expression in his pale blue gaze.

"Possibility?" Midori looked startled. "What do you mean, Misashi-sama? What kind of possibility?"

"Retsu-sama has clearly said that a boy with Onoe's physical and mental condition would not be capable of murder. Perhaps not even of raising from his bed and walking on his own." Misashi said quietly. "But that doesn't make it an impossibility for such a boy to commit these crimes. Perhaps Guren-sama is right. Maybe the boy he arrested is Onoe Tomoyuki. Perhaps Onoe Tomoyuki is in fact the assassin District Six are seeking."

"Misashi-dono, with the scientific evidence…" Hashihiko began, but Misashi held up his hand to indicate he had not finished.

"I accept Retsu-sama's medical evidence, Hashihiko-sama." He continued levelly. "But even so, I don't believe in coincidence and I don't believe in unexplained phenomena. If a Shihouin boy with eyes like a corpse attacked Guren-sama's life, and the only candidate who fits the description is Onoe Tomoyuki, then very probably that is who it is. Because people witnessed him committing crimes, the most likely explanation is that he did so. The question is not so much who - but a matter of _how _those things were achieved."

He twitched his shoulders into a shrug.

"Now he is inside Guren-sama's cell, perhaps because he lacks the knowledge or will to try to escape. But all of those things are likely not accidental. Killing Guren-sama might not have been his real objective. Could a boy with no mental capacity kill a Shinigami with Bankai level ability? I would not have thought so. Not even the most stupid criminal would send someone like that to remove the life of someone like Guren-sama, and with the death of Ribari-sama, we are not dealing with stupidity."

"What point are you trying to make, Misashi-dono?" Guren asked quietly, and Misashi offered him a faint smile.

"To me, the most logical conclusion is that this boy - be he Onoe or be he not - was not sent to kill Guren-sama at all." He said simply. "Since there is a Shihouin now in the Kuchiki cells, there is evidence against the Shihouin Clan that is very hard for Midori-sama and her companions to easily refute. I would have thought that to be the real objective. Perhaps this time the _death_ of a Kuchiki wasn't intended. On the contrary, maybe the plan was for Guren-sama to _continue to live_ – and in a state angry enough to declare war on old foes and reignite conflict from a generation before."

"You're talking in riddles yourself, Misashi-dono." Tokutarou sighed. "But what you're saying is that someone sent Onoe – if it is Onoe – to annoy Guren-sama and make him declare war on the Shihouin?"

"Indeed." Misashi nodded.

"And for what purpose exactly? Who benefits from that?" Midori demanded.

"Anyone who is not Shihouin." Misashi said simply. "Because a Shihouin is in Guren-sama's cell, I'm fairly sure that a Shihouin did not kill Ribari-sama. Nor did one kill the stable men – and nor, Guren-sama, did one attempt to take your life."

"I was there." Guren glared at the other man indignantly. "I'm not so much of a fool to doubt my own eyesight, you know!"

"I wasn't saying that." Misashi assured him. "What I mean is that it isn't the puppet that poses the real danger. It's the one in the shadows that does – the one pulling the strings. Find that person and probably you find the killer of Ribari-sama. And that killer is probably not a Shihouin."

Nagesu's expression became stricken.

"Keitarou?" He whispered, dismay in his pale eyes, and Misashi shrugged.

"We don't know where he is, or what his current activities are." He said gravely. "But we do know that try as we might, the Council has not managed to track him down. He remains a dangerous outlaw and more than that – one with an illegal _zanpakutou_ capable of manipulating another person from a distance."

"That's true." Tokutarou chewed down on his lip. "Urahara Keitarou – Aizen Keitarou – his sword does have that power."

"Power enough to manipulate my daughter into attacking her brother, and probably, power enough to lure her to her death." Misashi said darkly. "Since Eiraki knew more about him than the rest of us, I'm sure he had no qualms about silencing her as soon as he thought our guard was down. He tied off and destroyed all the loose ends that remained here so that we couldn't follow his tracks. But although he's kept quiet and out of sight for two years or more, he is almost certainly still alive. Nagesu-sama, I remember quite clearly that you said you thought he'd escaped your battle and a body was certainly never found."

"_Why_, though?" Guren murmured. "The Endou and the Shihouin, also the Urahara – I understand why he would take issue with them. But the Kuchiki? Why? What motive would he have for killing my son?"

"Keitarou's beliefs are complicated. His mind is highly intelligent but warped and scarred by years of exile, betrayal and deceit." Nagesu said softly. "He is a genius, and he understands and creates things at a level far beyond anything any of the rest of the Urahara are able to do – but he uses that genius to further his own ends. Revenge is a part of it – avenging the Father that was stolen from him by the justice of this Council and the decision of my Father, I suppose. But also…he has a grudge against the Clans themselves. He told me when we fought that he intended to take and use the District boy against us – that the Clans were not going to hold onto Seireitei forever."

"If you attack the Clans themselves, it makes sense to start with the most powerful." Tokutarou said grimly. "If you begin at the top, then the ones beneath start to falter and fall. You are strong, Guren-sama. Your people are an ancient one and your honour and pride some of the most celebrated in Seireitei. If even your family can be cast into chaos, imagine the potential he has for the rest of us."

"And his sword would manipulate even a corpse to dance?" Guren asked softly.

"Perhaps not a corpse." Retsu shook her head. "But Misashi-sama's suggestion holds the possibility of truth. A living body – a beating heart – is probably all that is needed."

"Shunsui ended Keitarou's manipulation of Ukitake Juushirou by stopping Juushirou's heart." Tokutarou agreed. "But Onoe is clinically still alive, even if his spirit is dead. Therefore he can be used as a puppet. And rather than getting up and leaving District Two on his own…"

"It seems very likely he was given help." Guren's eyes darkened. "Very well. Then the first thing I must establish is the identity of the boy I keep in my prison. If that boy is Onoe Tomoyuki, then perhaps these discussions hold some merit. And if not…if not…"

"If not, you will have the full cooperation of the Shihouin Clan in getting to the bottom of who and why." Midori said frankly. "I give you my word on that."

"Nagesu-sama, what do you think?" Retsu turned her gentle gaze on the troubled Urahara. "I realise this is a troubling idea for you - but Urahara Keitarou is better known to you than to many of us."

"He is _Aizen_ Keitarou now." Nagesu's eyes hardened and he shook his head. "My family discarded him a long time ago, and there is no reasoning with him. I would sooner you didn't call him by our Clan's name, Retsu-sama. It brings us shame each time you do."

"Nagesu…" Kyouki sent the fair haired Clan leader a surprised look, and Nagesu sighed.

"I have resigned myself to being my cousin's enemy." He said soberly. "I don't know if Misashi-dono's idea is or isn't possible. I haven't seen evidence either way and I can't form a judgement made on supposition."

"To circulate the name Aizen Keitarou among even the most senior retainers might likely cause panic and concern." Hashihiko observed. "Whilst Misashi-dono's words hold merit and should not be dismissed…we can't put every ill occurrence at the door of a man who nobody has seen or heard anything from for at least two full years."

"Not being seen and not being heard are strengths that he employs." Misashi said mildly. "We are talking about a man who managed to kill my father without leaving substantial evidence of having done so for even a shinigami of Retsu-sama's calibre to absolutely pick up on. We are talking about someone who eluded the Endou military time and time again – and who eluded the Council of Elders when final justice was delivered to my nephew Seimaru and his despotic regime. And we are also talking of someone who without training or education managed to raise not only a _zanpakutou_ of shikai calibre but – if the accounts of Ukitake Juushirou and the young girl Shikiki are to be believed – to Bankai level. This is not someone we can dismiss simply because he is not in our line of sight. If strange things are happening and there is no clear explanation for them…I would not hesitate to put my suspicion at his door."

"Misashi-dono, we all know how you feel about this man." Kyouki said frankly, casting a sympathetic smile across the Council Chamber. "And I tend to agree with you – he's not someone we can easily ignore. But we need evidence before we can risk creating panic among our supporters. Whilst in the safety of this room such things can be freely discussed…we have to be more cautious on the outside."

"I realise that." Misashi sighed heavily. "And that I have a personal involvement in this matter. I would like to find him, to question him and to find out at the very least what he did with my daughter and where her corpse now lies. But you're right, of course. To panic people without proper evidence would be wrong."

"I suggest that Yanagi-dono is called before the Council of Elders to report to all of us on his findings in District Six, not just the Kuchiki court." Tokutarou put in. "If he can confirm the identity of Onoe Tomoyuki, that would be some way towards ruling in or out the hand of another in this, and until then, we don't need to raise the subject of Aizen outside of this room."

"Better still, bring the boy himself." Hashihiko said abruptly. "In chains so that we can see for ourselves what kind of assassin dares infiltrate the Kuchiki Clan."

"If he is being manipulated, that might well be what his puppet master wants." Kyouki cautioned. "Whether by Aizen Keitarou or by another hand – bringing someone who is suspected of sudden, violent acts into a place like this brings serious risk. Even chained, we don't know what might happen."

"If he attacks us, we will kill him." Midori said curtly. "Kinsman or not, I'll take him down by my blade if need be."

"For now, having Yanagi-dono come to District Six is good enough." Guren reflected. "I'd rather not move someone whose movements can't be predicted. The chance of him escaping if we tried are quite high – and he has no reiatsu by which to track him if he made such an attempt. Yanagi-dono can give us the boy's name – and the Kuchiki are capable of resolving this from that point on."

He raised his gaze to Midori.

"If he is found to have murdered my son, whatever his name or rank, I will kill him." He added quietly. "But if he is Shihouin, I will return his corpse to you – so you can dispose of it as you see fit."

"Burn it." Midori's eyes became cold. "If one of my Clan has acted against another Clan without an order from me, I no longer want them, alive or dead. My people all know that betraying the Clan in any respect is death and dishonour and I won't make an exception, not even if the prisoner is Tomoyuki. His own stupid actions led him to this point – I have no sympathy for the consequences he takes from choosing an assassin's path."

She sighed, for a moment looking weary, then,

"The matter is settled, then." She murmured. "My brother will visit District Six and we will know who this miscreant who threatens the peace really is. Until that point…nobody else can do anything. We will await those reports, Guren-sama. This Council session is thus dismissed."

* * *

"There. I think you can read it now."

As the pink light faded from around her fingers, Shikiki cast her companion a hopeful look, offering him a smile.

"Is it something important, Shirogane-nii? Fixing something like that is easy, but Okaasama said it was something important to you. Is it all right now?"

"Let's see." Shirogane reached out to scoop up the creased piece of paper, smoothing it out against the bedcovers. Where before it had been saturated with his blood, the ink having run beyond legibility, it was now crisp and clean once again, the four black characters vivid against the pale surface.

_Kyouraku Nanaki._

Had Shikiki gone any further, he realised, the letters themselves would probably have been erased, and he marvelled once again at the potential power this ordinary young girl held in the palm of her hands.

"It's fine." He said now, casting her a grin. "Thank you, Shikiki. I know it probably doesn't seem very important to you, but it's the only thing I have that might be a clue to my cousin's murder."

He folded the sheet, sliding it into the sash of his nightrobe.

"I'll keep it with me." He added. "I don't know if it will help or not, yet. But at least now it's legible again."

"I'm glad." Shikiki beamed, sitting down on the end of the bed. "Is it something that might make Shirogane-nii's family want him back again?"

"I don't know, yet." Shirogane admitted. "Maybe...it depends on a lot of things. It's a step in that direction, perhaps. Whoever wrote the letters on that sheet of paper is someone I don't think I or my family should be trusting. So when I'm well again, I hope to do some digging around to find out who she is."

He sighed, stretching his arms over his head as he stifled a yawn.

"It's such a bother, being so tired all the time." He murmured. "Even though I've been sleeping so much, and eating far more properly than I was when I first left the manor. I had not perceived how much trouble it could be to lose blood like that...I fear I'm still a burden on you, far more than I would have liked."

"You should stay here until you're well." Shikiki said seriously. "Okaasama's said the same thing. That if you don't, you might get hurt or killed. I want Shirogane-nii to be able to go home to his family, but if you don't get well, that won't happen. Sometimes just wanting to be well doesn't mean you are."

"Somehow that seems like something you have to say to Ukitake fairly often." Shirogane shot her a rueful smile. "Am I right?"

"Yes." Shikiki's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Juu-nii doesn't like staying in bed either. He's impatient and always wanting to do things. Maybe Shirogane-nii and Juu-nii get along well because of that."

"Do you think I'm like Ukitake?" Shirogane was surprised, and Shikiki shrugged, shaking her head.

"No. You're not." She said thoughtfully. "But in some ways...like this. Like not wanting to sit back when things are wrong. That's what Juu-nii is like too. I think in that way you're like him, Shirogane-nii. Because your cousin who died - he was someone you loved a lot, wasn't he? And you want to do something for him, even if you can't bring him back."

"Yes." Shirogane's expression became grave. "When you say things like that, I think you understand what that's like."

"Mm." Shikiki nodded. "You see, one of my guardians before I came here was killed by the Endou-ke. And it was a horrible way in which he was killed. He was so hurt, and there was so much blood on his body. But by the time...I didn't see him before he died. I couldn't save him, even with my power. He had already gone."

She sighed.

"Sometimes people think I can repair death, but I can't." She said sadly. "And I couldn't help Dai-nii, either. But I could take the wounds off his body and make him look peaceful. I could fix his body. I just couldn't put his soul back because it had already gone away."

"I see." Shirogane said softly. "So you could save me because my soul was still there, even if my body was broken?"

"Yes." Shikiki agreed. "Juu-nii, too. When I saved him, even though his heart was hurt, I could still find him, so I could still turn things back. Someone isn't really dead until their spirit is gone."

"Ribari-sama's spirit was gone by the time I saw him." Shirogane spoke gravely. "The night he died, I was with him - I and other people who I was in charge of. We were all attacked with poison, and when I came to myself, Ribari-sama was already dead. I know what you mean, Shikiki. I don't have your power, but I understand all the same. If the spirit has gone...what a person looks like and that there's nothing you can do to bring them back."

"Juu-nii taught me that there were good shinigami and bad shinigami." Shikiki said pensively. "I decided that I'd grow up and be a good shinigami, like Juu-nii and the Ojii-san who comes to see him sometimes. I think Shirogane-nii is a good shinigami too. I don't really like Clans, to be honest - because they don't always care a lot about people who aren't rich and they have silly ideas about a lot of things. But I don't think they're all mean people any more. And...Shirogane-nii seems quite clever to me, for a Clan person."

Despite himself, Shirogane laughed.

"You aren't at all afraid of me, are you?" He asked, amused. "Or the fact that if I wasn't in this much disgrace, I could take complete power over you, this family and destroy it for an insult to my name?"

"I've been scared of Clan people before. But they were scary Clan people and they had cold eyes and bad auras." Shikiki said frankly. "Shirogane-nii is different. Even if you could do that, I don't think you would. Even if you don't like District people - I don't think you'd kill them just because you could."

"I don't like District people. Or maybe, I don't understand them, or give them a lot of attention." Shirogane admitted. "But you're right. I don't suppose I would kill them without a second thought."

"Shirogane-nii has sad eyes, and his aura is hurting and tired." Shikiki said quietly. "But when you laughed, you didn't seem so sad. I'm happy if I can make you laugh, Shirogane-nii. Because it's harder to fight against bad things if you're sad. It's much harder."

"I think you're a very smart child, even if you are District." Shirogane smiled wryly. "And even though you're as young as this, you understand a lot of things. Probably things your companions here do not - I think they're as protected as I am in some ways, just in a different kind of world. But you're not. You've seen the violence of this world more than I have, haven't you? With the things you've told me, you're more adept at surviving on your own even at what, eleven years old? It makes me a little ashamed - that at four and twenty I've spent so much of my life taking things like status and security for granted."

"People shouldn't want to live in dangerous situations, though." Shikiki said simply. "If you have to then you do. But it's all right not to. It's not a bad thing if you don't ever do that. At least, I think so."

"Shikiki!"

Before Shirogane could respond, the door of the bedroom was flung back, revealing an anxious eyed Miyabi who shot Shirogane a frightened look.

"Shikiki, Hiro-nii wants me to tell you! Something's happened...Hikari-nee was here, and..."

"Hikari-nee?" Shikiki looked startled, and Shirogane gauged the expression on her face carefully.

_Hikari-nee? Now who is that? Another of Ukitake's brood? No, perhaps not. I don't recall a Hikari in the few days I've been here. Miyabi said that the girl came here. A neighbour, perhaps? _

"Guards were at the Kira-ke." Miyabi hurried to grasp Shikiki around the wrists. "They were searching it and they forced their way into the farm. Kira-san tried to stop them but they threatened to arrest him and drag him back to the cells. They're from the Kuchiki-ke and they're raiding all the land round here. Kira-san told Hikari-nee to come warn us since they'll be heading here next - since they broke some stuff and trampled some crops and they don't seem to care if they cause any damage."

"Guards from the Kuchiki?" Shikiki paled, her gaze flitting to Shirogane, whose expression darkened.

"Seiren-dono." He muttered, trying to ignore the fear that coursed suddenly through his veins. "This is my fault, isn't it? Because he seeks me, now he's causing your neighbours upset?"

"It's not your fault!" Shikiki shook her head firmly, but Miyabi chewed down hard on her lip.

"Hikari-nee doesn't know that Nagoya-dono is here. She just wanted Hiro-nii to know about the guards and he didn't tell her our secret because it might get her hurt." She whispered. "But the guards are looking for Nagoya-dono. They told Kira-san that they were hunting a fugitive and anyone who was caught shielding him would be charged with treason. They carried the badge of a Kuchiki Lord from the main manor - the right hand man of the Clan leader, that's what Hikari-nee said."

"And they're coming here next?" Shirogane asked sharply. Miyabi nodded, terror in her dark eyes.

"If Juu-nii was here, he could protect us." She whispered. "But these are people with swords. And...and..."

She trailed off, and Shirogane cursed, the fear in the young girl's expression making up his mind. He grasped at the blankets, tossing them back and throwing his legs over the side of the raised pallet that had been his sick bed for the past few days.

"Shirogane-nii, what are you doing?" Shikiki demanded. "I can make a barrier - you don't need to get up! I can..."

"You can get killed by my Uncle's men." Shirogane said blackly, grabbing out for the wall and slowly hauling himself to his feet. "If I'm found this far inside your house, I'm obviously going to bring disaster down on your family."

"But..."

"Your barriers heal and protect. They can't conceal me, can they?"

"I...suppose not...but..."

"Then they'll find me. And if you're protecting me, you're obviously complicit." Shirogane said flatly. "You'll be arrested."

"But..."

"Shut up and listen to me." Shirogane snapped. "You just told me that people shouldn't want to live in dangerous situations, didn't you? Well, this is a dangerous situation. And you don't have to live in it. So don't!"

"Nagoya-dono, what are you..." Miyabi began, but Shirogane didn't wait to answer her question. Grabbing Ginkyoujiki from its position against the chamber wall, he thrust it with shaking hands into the sash of his nightrobe, using the wall as support as he forced himself towards the chamber door.

"Shirogane-nii!" Shikiki's call pierced through the haze of colour and light that blurred his vision and made him dizzy, but he ignored it, focusing instead on steadying his racing, swirling spirit power.

_Can I sense them?  
_  
Cautiously he extended his senses, picking up the faint hum of insignificant spiritual energy against his thoughts. They were coming closer, he realised, and he did not have much time - but there were no shinigami among the investigators, and for this small mercy Shirogane was grateful.

_Kinnya-sama didn't deploy his men after me. This is Seiren-dono's retinue alone. They're all men with no spirit power. In that case...in that case..._

He gathered his scattered strength, inwardly cursing his continued weakness as he dragged his heavy body out into the hallway.

"What the hell are you doing?" Hiroyuki's exclamation jerked him to attention, and he raised his gaze to the other's confused one. "Did Miyabi not tell you? Wandering around is the worst thing you can do - they'll be on us in a minute, and..."

"Let me...outside." Shirogane swallowed hard, somehow managing to form the words. "I want to go...out. Let me..outside."

"_What?_" Hiroyuki grabbed him by the arms, but Shirogane pulled free, shaking his head.

"Let me." He said thickly. "If I'm outside...and they find me...you...might not have known. I could have...just...come in to hide. But...inside your house..."

"You think you are going to make it, pulling yourself along like that?"

"Do you want your whole family killed?" Shirogane snapped back. "Let me out, dammit, or...you'll see for yourself...what my Uncle's men are like!"

Hiroyuki stared at him for a moment. Then his lips thinned and he nodded his head.

"All right." He said quietly, grabbing Shirogane more firmly around the shoulders and leading him briskly along the corridor towards the rambling home's rear door. Shirogane was vaguely aware of other siblings in the vicinity, but his vision was dancing and swimming with every step and he was glad of Hiroyuki's rough support. As he stepped out into the fresh air, he heard an anxious cry of,

"They're here! They're here!" from somewhere within the building, and he pulled himself free once more from Hiroyuki's hold.

"You don't know who I am, and you haven't seen me." He said quietly. "If you value your family's lives, that's all."

"What will you do?"

"What I was trained to do, for as long as I can do it." Shirogane glanced at his fingers, gauging the flicker of reiatsu that glimmered feebly around them. "Go and deal with them. I'm not your concern. They are."

With that he closed his eyes, muttering the words to the _kyokkou_ spell, and as the light twisted and distorted around his body, he was aware of Hiroyuki's exclamation of surprise. Shirogane did not answer, however, dropping to all fours as the effort of holding the spell together meant he no longer had the energy to stand.

_I was weakened already by the first assault, the night Ribari-sama died. I didn't sleep, and after I went on the run, I didn't eat much either. Then I took an injury that even Shikiki couldn't heal - my body is not strong enough to hold any spell over me for long. _

He gritted his teeth, crawling along the ground towards the shelter of a nearby delapidated store shed and somehow managing to pull his heavy body between the gap in the wooden slats. Dropping back against the wall, he closed his eyes, putting his entire strength and focus on maintaining the spell around him.

_I don't care about District people, and their fate has never interested me. But these are people to whom I owe my life. Shikiki is right - nobody should choose to live in danger. They've already put themselves in that position by helping me to survive. They may have done it because of Ukitake, but the end result is the same._

He buried his head in his arms.

_I don't know if I can hold this for long enough, but if there are no shinigami, they won't trace me. This is all I can do - hide like a coward in the shadows. But I don't want Shikiki and her companions to suffer harm because of me. So I'll do my best. If my spell fails, then at best if I'm only out here they might yet be able to pretend they didn't know about me. I don't have the strength to draw Ginkyoujiki or fight like I did when I left the manor. But while the guards are here...I'll do what little I can do to make sure nobody else has to get hurt._


	36. Kinnya's Rage

**Chapter Thirty Five: Kinnya's Rage**

"They've gone."

Shinkei fell back against the wall of the house, letting out a gusty sigh of relief.

"Yeesh, for soldiers, they sure could get in and out of the strangest places. I thought they were going to be here searching all day and all night too, the way they were going at it."

"They were here a long time." Kaede pushed shut the sliding door of the study that had once belonged to her husband with a soft click. "Sanjirou and Yuuya are seeing to putting the back rooms back in order, and Rouhei and Miyabi are straightening out the bedchambers, but they really did pull everything about without a second thought. I dread to think what state our garden is in - Anika is already raging about the kitchen. When Kamikura-sensei returns from the town he's going to meet a scene of utter chaos."

She paused, giving her eldest son a troubled glance.

"Hiro, what about Nagoya-dono? They were here and they searched thoroughly. But they didn't find him so...they must've missed some place or other?"

"I don't know where he is." Hiroyuki shrugged his shoulders, a helpless expression on his own face. "When he heard the soldiers were coming, he insisted I took him outside so that he couldn't be connected with the family."

He grimaced, casting a glance towards the window where he could see the first signs of dusk beginning to colour the blue of the sky. It was some three hours later, and finally the last of the Kuchiki retainers had left the Ukitake property, a curt parting warning about the penalties that would befall any peasant who shielded a traitor still ringing in the ears of the indignant family. With the thoroughness of their search, too, it seemed to Hiroyuki as though they would not come back a second time.

They had not found their quarry, and they did not suspect the Ukitake-ke of any wrong doing. But that in itself was a puzzle - and Hiroyuki knew that his own worries had shifted from the safety of his kin to the whereabouts of the wounded shinigami who had so desperately forced his way outside moments before the men had arrived.

"When we got outside, he did something and vanished." He concluded. "I've no idea what he did after that - but since the soldiers didn't find him, maybe he left the place completely."

"In that state?" Shinkei frowned. "Hiro-nii, I know you were suspicious of him being here, but the guy couldn't fight a bowl of rice with a chopstick the way he was when Rou-kun and I found him. Miyabi and Shikiki have both been nursing him, too, and they've said the same. Are you sure he could've got away? He seemed pretty weak still, despite Shikiki's care."

"I'm just saying what I saw." Hiroyuki rubbed his temples. "If Shiro-nii was here, he'd probably have a better answer for you, but he isn't. And as far as I saw it, Nagoya-dono vanished. Then the soldiers came...and if they didn't find anything...what else am I supposed to think?"

"Like that, if he has left our estate, it won't just be guards who might track him down." Kaede bit her lip. "He's vulnerable to Hollows, too, given that he's a shinigami. And other wild animals sometimes come down from the upper ledges - Hiro, I don't think we can just assume he's gone and leave it at that. If he did what you said, he did it to protect us - all of us. In return..."

"I know." Hiroyuki's eyes darkened. "That's the worst part of it. When he said that - about my job being to protect my family, not him - I realised that he was trying to repay us for saving his life. And I wasn't happy, either. But what I can't see, I can't see. I don't have smart skills for tracing shinigami, Mother. Only Shiro-nii can do that. So..."

"He's not gone away anywhere, Hiro-nii."

She had crept up on them without any of the trio realising it, and as they turned, Hiroyuki saw the consternation in Shikiki's eyes as she stood with the sliding door half open to face them.

"He's still here. He's in the garden where you left him."

"Then why didn't the soldiers pick him up?" Shinkei demanded. "Shiki-chan, are you sure? Hiro-nii said he disappeared. And then..."

"Mm-mm." Shikiki shook her head. "He's still here. He's been here the whole time. I can sense it. I know where he is. He was just using magic, that's all. To hide."

"Magic? You mean...that Kidou thing that Shiro-nii does?" Hiroyuki was taken aback, and Shikiki nodded, pushing the door back fully and crossing the study floor towards the older boy, sliding her stubby fingers into his calloused ones.

"I'll take you." She said quietly. "Because I think he still needs our help."

Hiroyuki frowned, pausing to cast a glance at Kaede, who inclined her head in agreement.

"You said it." She said lightly. "He did what he did because he wanted to try and shield us. If Shikiki is right, and in that state he forced himself to use Kidou because he wasn't strong enough to leave...then surely we still have an obligation to shield him too. He's proven that whatever crimes the Kuchiki suspect him of, he's not someone who easily lets others get killed."

"He did say he was going to do what he was trained to do." Hiroyuki's brows knitted together, and he tightened his fist around Shikiki's chubby hand. "Okay, Shiki-chan. I understand. You lead the way - I'm coming."

"I don't think he's awake." Shikiki's tones were anxious as she led him through the old building towards the battered rear doors. "He used his Kidou as much as he could...he used it and used it until he couldn't use it any more. I felt it...all of it. He was determined...he didn't intend to let it go. So he kept holding it...until he passed out and he couldn't hold it any more. So you should be able to see him now. But I don't think he can walk, so you might need to carry him..."

She paused, eying her adoptive brother hopefully, and Hiroyuki grinned ruefully.

"It's all right." He assured her. "What Okaasama says is true. He's proven that he doesn't mean us harm - and that there's a reason Shiro-nii respects him. I respect him too, if he did what you said he did. To push himself in the state he was in for our sakes...I suppose that here is now a pretty safe place for him to be, now they've searched it. So it makes sense for him to stay until the fuss dies down again."

"I think so too." Shikiki's expression lit up. "I'm glad you want us to keep him a bit longer, Hiro-nii. Because he's really not a bad person."

"It's not that I really thought he was." As they stepped out into the grounds of the Ukitake manor, Hiroyuki shrugged his shoulders. "But he's a Clansman, and we shouldn't be involved in Clan squabbles. This seems to be a big one - and that made me wary. Both Father and Shiro-nii have entrusted a lot in me now to take care of all of you. And from the way those soldiers were behaving, he's wanted on something quite major. Has he said much more to you?"

"Someone he was close to died and it made him sad." Shikiki said thoughtfully. "I don't think he's used to losing people in the same way, and he said something about wanting to find out who killed that person and why."

"Maybe he dug too deep." Hiroyuki's brows knitted together. "I've heard Shiro-nii talk about the Endou and the Shihouin, so it wouldn't surprise me. You've seen it too, haven't you? In District Seven, how Clans are with things they don't want in the public eye."

"They slaughter people." Shikiki said frankly. "If they don't think that they matter. But Shirogane-nii didn't do that. He didn't let even me protect him with my barrier, although no normal soldier would've been able to get through it. And he was Juu-nii's _shishou_. So he's like Shun-nii - he's nice."

"I think he's quite different to Shunsui." Hiroyuki said wryly. "Well? Where is he, then? I still don't see him - where are your senses telling you he is?"

"This way. Here." Shikiki loosed her grip on the older boy's hand, padding across the grass in her bare feet and tapping on the weather-worn wooden door of the old storage shed. "I think he's inside here. I think probably he went there because if his spell didn't work, at least he'd still be hiding."

"You're right." Hiroyuki pushed back the divide, the light of the setting sun falling across the slats and panels to reveal a huddled form up against the far wall of the shed. He dropped down by Shirogane's side, realising quickly that Shikiki had predicted correctly and that the young noble was quite unconscious. Even in the dying rays of the sun Hiroyuki could make out the pallor of the shinigami's skin and he frowned, putting a gentle finger against Shirogane's cheek.

At his touch, the man let out a faint murmur, and Hiroyuki felt relief trickle over his senses once again.

"He's fainted. Like you said." He said, turning to meet Shikiki's anxious gaze. "But I don't think that there's anything worse than that. Whether he's unconscious or asleep I couldn't tell you - but he's not particularly hot or feverish, nor is he all that cold. If we bring him in now, he'll probably escape worse harm. Your senses are useful, Shiki-chan. You're better than a scent hound when it comes to things like this."

He slipped his hand behind Shirogane's back, using his other arm to loop under the collapsed shinigami's legs. Carefully he lifted him, frowning as he did so.

"He isn't as heavy as I thought he would be."

"He isn't very well. That's why." Shikiki said seriously. "Being ill makes you lighter. Dai-nii used to say that."

"You mean he's lost weight? But he's been eating fine." Hiroyuki was surprised. "Admittedly he picked a little at things for the first day, but I've seen him clear bowls of Anika's rice porridge and other things since. Surely..."

"It's not that. It's a...sick kind of losing weight." Shikiki sighed. "I can't really explain it clearly. But I think Shirogane-nii was ill already before he was hurt this time. He said some things about it - about having been poisoned when his friend was killed. And I think...maybe he hasn't been very well since then. At least, he did say he hadn't slept a lot when he was at home, and I suppose, when he had to leave there too..."

"I wonder." Hiroyuki pursed his lips. "You think that his tiredness now is more a cumulative effect from all of those things, not just the lack of blood, don't you?"

"Mm." Shikiki agreed, trailing behind her companion as he carried the oblivious patient back into the house and towards the steps to Juushirou's chamber. "I think so. He lost lots of blood. But I think...he's really very unhappy inside, too. And that...isn't getting better either. I'm not sure if it's because of his friend dying, or his family not wanting him, or because he was chased and stuff and hurt like he was. I don't really understand Clan life that well so I can't be sure. But that's why...I want to be kind to Shirogane-nii. Because nobody is being kind to him at the moment except me. And...I think he doesn't like that. He's not used to that."

She sighed, stretching her hands over her head with a yawn.

"I'm used to what it's like, when people don't want me, or aren't kind." She said matter of factly. "It doesn't happen any more, thanks to Juu-nii - but till then, it happened a lot. Still, when things are like that, and someone is nice to you, it helps. And you want...to help those people, because they helped you. So Shirogane-nii helped us today. That's what I think. Because we were kind to him. Even though he's Clan, I think it's the same thing."

"_You've _been kind to him." Hiroyuki cast the unconscious shinigami a guilty glance. "The rest of us have somewhat kept our distance. But you're right. It's the same, isn't it? He's injured and we're helping him. And he's a friend of Shiro-nii's...Shiro-nii would be angry, if he thought we were giving a bad impression of his family. It must've taken a lot of Nagoya-dono's time and energy to train Shiro-nii, with the health problems he has. Yet he stuck with it and he succeeded. It's really a very little thing for us to look after him now. I'm sorry, Shikiki. I've let myself become too suspicious."

"No. Bad things happen if you're never suspicious." Shikiki said thoughtfully. "But I think it's okay not to be suspicious of Shirogane-nii. Whatever bad thing his family think he did, I think it's wrong. I don't think he did it. I don't think he hates his family - I think he loves them. And I think he wants to be wanted by them - so I don't think he'd do anything to make them want to push him away."

She darted ahead to slide open the door of Juushirou's chamber, startling Miyabi who had been carefully tidying the mess that the soldiers had left in their hunt for their missing fugitive.

"Nagoya-dono?" At the sight of the limp form in Hiroyuki's arms, Miyabi hurried forward, but Hiroyuki cast her a grin, depositing his burden gently on the top of the raised pallet bed.

"He's asleep, I think. Or tired out. He's not hurt any more than he was before." He assured her. "We'll let him rest a while, huh? He was brave, today."

"Mm." Miyabi nodded her head, placing the last of Juushirou's books back on the shelves, then coming to stand at Shirogane's side. "The soldiers won't come back, will they?"

"They searched the house from top to bottom and they didn't find him, so probably not." Hiroyuki shook his head. "They didn't come here because they suspected us. They were searching all the land and property in this area, else Hikari's farm wouldn't have been tackled. If they've ticked us off a list, they likely won't be back any time soon. It's much safer for Nagoya-dono to be here rather than anywhere else."

"What would they do, if they found him?" Miyabi sent her brother an anxious look, and Hiroyuki sighed.

"Arrest him, probably. Since they left him for dead once, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd be happy to hurt him a second time." He said frankly. "His life is in our hands, and so we'll keep the secret and do what we can. All right? Shiro-nii would want us to do that - so we will."

He reached over to ruffle Miyabi's hair gently.

"You'll keep helping Shikiki to nurse him, won't you?"

"I will." Miyabi nodded firmly. "Juu-nii would want me to, so I will."

She rested a hand briefly on Shirogane's pale one, then sighed.

"He really does look like a doll when he's asleep." She said thoughtfully. "But his hair is all messy now, look. There's bits of straw and dust in it from outside. Do you think he'd wake up, if I brushed it through?"

Despite himself, Hiroyuki laughed.

"I don't know." He admitted. "Maybe you should wait till he wakes. He might be startled if he opens his eyes to find you curling his hair or something like that."

"Silly." Miyabi snorted. "Nagoya-dono's hair is already curly. I don't need to do anything about that. But curly hair gets messy really easily, and if he was hiding outside..."

"I think he's waking up anyway." Shikiki piped in at that moment, and Hiroyuki's gaze flitted to the sleeping Clansman's face, noticing the faint trembling of his lashes. A moment later his eyes opened, hazy and confused as he stared up at them blankly.

"Shirogane-nii, are you all right?" Shikiki was the first to react, taking his free hand in hers and squeezing it gently. The muddled grey eyes shifted across to meet hers, and Hiroyuki was surprised to see both a smile and a look of relief cross the other's haughty features.

"The soldiers...have gone?" He asked faintly, and Shikiki nodded, loosing her hold on his fingers.

"They didn't find you." She said matter of factly, a faintly scolding note in her tones. "But you were silly and you used too much magic. Hiro-nii had to bring you back inside because you were out cold. You should say thank you - it's cold in that shed at night."

"Shiki-chan..." Hiroyuki trailed off, but Shirogane was regaining his wits speedily now, and he shifted his heavy body around, pulling himself with some difficulty into a half-sitting position to meet the older Ukitake boy's gaze.

"Thank you." He said quietly. "Even though it would have been easy for you to have left me alone...a second time you did not."

"You took a gamble to protect my family, and so I'll take one to keep protecting you." Hiroyuki said evenly, faintly embarrassed by the genuine sincerity in the other's eyes. "Please don't look at me like that, though. It's weird, having a Clansman stare at you in gratitude for something that's just common sense."

Shirogane started, then he laughed ruefully, reaching up to rub his brow.

"I suppose I'm a little tired." He murmured. "Perhaps you're right."

"Shirogane-nii, don't you do anything silly like that again." Shikiki said firmly. "All right? You're lucky, this time. But you're not well yet. And if you want to get better, it's like I told you. You can't do idiotic things."

She sighed, rolling her eyes in Miyabi's direction.

"That's why I say Clan people are stupid." She said resignedly. "They don't listen even when you say things that make sense."

Shirogane did not answer for a moment, then he reached out a shaky hand to brush her cheek.

"Do you think Clan have so little honour...that...they'd let...children die...to protect themselves?" He asked softly, and Hiroyuki saw the flicker of pride in the nobleman's eyes. "Some Clan are foolish, perhaps. Some are undoubtedly evil. But most of us have...honour. My life was saved by you. I would not steal your life in return, Shikiki. Yours or the lives of anyone you cared for."

He smiled wryly.

"Ukitake...would not forgive me for that, would he?"

"You and Juu-nii really are friends, aren't you?" Miyabi sat down on the end of the bed, and with a jolt Hiroyuki realised that the aura of fear and uncertainty that had separated the Ukitake children from their unexpected houseguest had almost entirely dissipated with the day's events.

"I think maybe there's a difference between friends and teacher and student, Miya-chan." He said now. "Nagoya-dono is Shiro-nii's senpai, and the one who trained him. But you probably shouldn't put him in the same box as Shunsui."

"But that's still a friend, kind of." Miyabi reasoned. "And if he's Juu-nii's friend, Juu-nii is probably worried about him too. He'll be happy, won't he, when he finds out we've helped like this."

"I suppose he will, but for now we're not telling him - or anyone - anything." Hiroyuki warned.

"We'll go find Anika." Shikiki decided. "Since Shirogane-nii is all right, he's probably hungry. Using a lot of strength does that - so let's go see if we can help Anika make something for him to eat, Miyabi."

"All right." Miyabi got reluctantly to her feet, nodding her head. "We'll go do that. Hiro-nii, you'll look after Nagoya-dono till we get back, won't you?"

"I'll do my best." Hiroyuki agreed playfully, and Miyabi grinned, allowing Shikiki to pull her out of the chamber and away to find the family's trusty household servant.

"I understand, now." It was Shirogane who broke the awkward silence, his expression pensive as he examined his dusty hands. "What it is Ukitake wants so badly to protect."

"Mm?" Hiroyuki dropped down a little awkwardly at the bedside, casting his companion a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

"The reason he kept getting up again and again, even coughing blood...to face me and my strict demands with his sword." Shirogane sighed. "This is it, isn't it? What he wanted to be able to protect."

He gestured around him.

"This house is old and worn. The curtains are faded, the walls are battered. The books have been read so often the binding is coming away and the mats on the floor are wearing thin." He said reflectively. "There is nothing in this place which holds any kind of allure or appeal - on the contrary, it is a ramshackle home with nothing particularly to recommend itself to outsiders."

"I hope you're going somewhere with this." Hiroyuki's eyes narrowed, and Shirogane offered him another faint smile.

"I have never liked the Districts, nor paid the slightest bit of attention to the lives of its people." He admitted frankly. "Ukitake was my first and - I thought - last encounter with that way of life. Truthfully, I have always considered you all beneath me - beings of no consequence or value whatsoever. However..."

He sighed, burying his head in his hands.

"I am a little envious of Ukitake, now." He murmured, and Hiroyuki found his indignant pride fading as he took in the genuine pain in his companion's voice. "He has nothing...and yet...I understand now why it doesn't concern him and why he's happy to call himself District."

He raised his gaze.

"He has all of you." He said sadly. "And that in itself is enough...to want to take up a sword and fight."

Hiroyuki's eyes softened.

"We're all very fond of Shiro-nii." He said quietly. "But we all know he's not like us, too. His mother's blood - the Kuchiki blood - makes him that way. Despite that, though, he's always been Oniisama to all of us and he remains so. No matter how far he goes, that's something we all know."

He sat back, folding his arms across his chest.

"Our house probably isn't anything special compared to the Kuchiki manors." He said thoughtfully. "But I've never wanted to be Clan. I'm happy enough with what I have and I wouldn't change it."

He eyed Shirogane keenly.

"We've kept our distance from you because we know there's a divide between Clan and District and without Shiro-nii, we didn't know how to broach that properly." He added honestly. "Shikiki is the only one who's really encountered Clan in a big way before, but even though her experiences were so horrific, she isn't afraid of you. Just now, though...Miya-chan showed you her trust. What you did for us today has broken down that barrier. Whether you consider us beneath you or not, you've obtained our loyalty and our help - so far as we can offer that help. Maybe all we can do is shelter and feed you - but we'll do that at least until you're well enough to take a boat from the coves and clear your name."

Shirogane did not speak for a moment, and Hiroyuki could tell that the Clansman was thinking things over carefully. Despite his pale complexion, rough peasant robes and tousled hair, the shinigami had not lost his appearance of elegance or nobility, and a faint smile touched Hiroyuki's lips as he remembered Miyabi's doll reference.

"I don't intend on putting your lives in danger on my account." At length, the Kuchiki spoke. "But...I believe I need a little more time to heal before I can safely undertake the things I need to do. I had energy enough to fire and hold a spell today, which proves I've made progress. But...perhaps..."

He pursed his lips.

"There may be one more thing I can ask of you, Hiroyuki-dono."

"What's that?" Hiroyuki was curious.

"If my Uncle is resorting to the level of invading private homes in order to find me, it means that the situation has intensified around my home, and more damage may occur." Shirogane's eyes narrowed. "I cannot write a letter to Guren-sama, because it would certainly be intercepted, and if I showed myself to a messenger, with a reward on my head...the risk is far too great. However..."

"You want us to send a letter for you? To the Clan?" Despite himself, Hiroyuki was a little apprehensive, but Shirogane shook his head.

"No. Not to Guren-sama directly." He said thoughtfully. "Right at the moment I am tired, and I shall eat and sleep and think over what should be said. But I think...I shall send a letter to my former teacher in District One - the same man who has such faith in your brother. If I did that...would you help me send it?"

"To the Academy, you mean?" Hiroyuki asked, and Shirogane nodded.

"To Genryuusai-sensei." He agreed. "I will conceal a letter to Guren-sama inside and ask him to forward it to District Six. That's the one chance I have to make contact without Seiren-dono's interference, since nobody would question Genryuusai-sensei's motives."

"I'll talk to Kamikura." Hiroyuki decided. "He's a former student of Genryuusai-sama's, and they do correspond from time to time. If he went to send the letter, it would not be suspicious at all."

Shirogane's eyes lit up with hope, and Hiroyuki realised that Shikiki's words had been more perceptive than he had known.

_"I don't think he hates his family - I think he loves them. And I think he wants to be wanted by them - so I don't think he'd do anything to make them want to push him away."_

"You miss your family, don't you?" He said quietly, and Shirogane shrugged.

"I'm trying to understand a lot of things at the moment. Things I had taken for granted, mostly." He said honestly. "Since the death of my cousin, many things have occurred that have shaken me. Perhaps they are teaching me lessons about pride and complacency - or punishing me for those vices."

He sighed.

"Shikiki said I wasn't like other rich people, but I am." He said self-effacingly. "I pay no attention to the needs of others until I am needy - I care more for my own status than I do for the status of those around me. I am quick to anger and draw my blade out of pride - and I am sharp with my criticisms of anything and everything that does not match my expectation. I am...just as foolish and simple as any other rich man you will ever meet - whether I will manage to learn anything even from this experience I do not know."

"I don't think you're foolish or simple." Hiroyuki grinned. "And certainly today you proved you can pay attention to the needs of others. That was quite a harsh self-analysis."

"By nature I am pragmatic." Shirogane offered a rueful grin in return, and Hiroyuki felt that a faint bond of understanding had begun to build between them. "That is all."

"Nagoya-dono, will you tell me firmly what exactly you are involved in?" The Ukitake boy asked now. "Since we've gone this far to protect one another's interests, will you trust me with that at the very least?"

"I don't know entirely what has happened." Shirogane admitted. "But many things confuse me. Ribari-sama's murderer remains at large, but since his death hostility between my Uncle and I has intensified. Uncle has a son, you see - my cousin Ryuu - who he sees as the rightful heir to the Kuchiki Clan now Ribari-sama is gone."

"And he sees you as competition?"

"I am not entitled to be considered as heir, because my bloodline comes through my mother and not my father." Shirogane said matter-of-factly. "And I haven't ever thought of taking the Clan, even if my claim wasn't that way. But I've been in Guren-sama's favour for some time - especially since my mother's death. I know it was mostly from duty to her that he did so much for me - but I suppose to Seiren-dono it seemed...otherwise."

He sighed.

"I didn't cry when Mother died." He admitted. "She had been ill for so long and everyone had told me time and time again that she was frail and would probably not last much longer. Therefore every day I was prepared for it to be the last time we saw each other. I loved her very much - but when death claimed her, I wasn't sad. I had built up a barrier, I suppose - I was ready to lose her and so when I did, I let her go with ease. She was in pain when in this world. Death meant an end to that pain. So I didn't cry."

His eyes narrowed.

"But Seiren-dono...took that amiss." He murmured. "That I showed no grief for my mother, who he had been close to also. It deepened the rift between us, I think - that I never went even once to pray at my mother's memorial after she was laid to rest. However, Guren-sama understood...at least, I thought so. I was trained at home and then sent to the Academy to become a shinigami fit to be his Vice Captain. Seiren-dono didn't like that either, nor the fact I was the one chosen to finalise Ribari-sama's training. Then...Ribari-sama was murdered. And I...I was the shinigami in charge when the squad was attacked."

"Seiren-sama believes you killed your cousin?"

"I think so. Though he has been careful not to say it, I am sure he does." Shirogane pulled a graphic face. "Or at the very least, I've annoyed him enough and he wants rid of me so that he has a clear path for bringing Ryuu into the succession. So officially I'm suspected of plotting against Ryuu and Guren-sama. And so I'm a fugitive. I escaped arrest at the manor and I've been on the run since then. What's happened since, I don't know - but a convenient witness has appeared who seems determined to make Seiren-dono and I believe in each other's guilt."

"You don't believe your Uncle killed your cousin and is using you as a scapegoat?" Hiroyuki asked bluntly, and Shirogane shrugged.

"I did." He admitted. "For a moment, I thought it. But...the more time I've had to consider it, I...don't believe that any more. I think it's too convenient that someone appeared to turn Seiren-dono and I against each other, so probably both he and I are innocent. He's simply acting for Ryuu now that Ribari-sama is dead, but the two things aren't connected. And I admit, I like Ryuu. I'd swear allegiance to him quite easily. So...this is all founded on gross misunderstanding. However, since Guren-sama also seems to want to find me...I don't believe there's any benefit in my turning myself in and trying to get an audience with him."

"It sounds messy." Hiroyuki grimaced. "I'm so glad I'm not Clan. And more, that Shiro-nii's connection to the Kuchiki is distant enough to sever him from all of this."

"Ukitake's connection to my Clan is more vivid than you might think, but wholly illegitimate." Shirogane offered Hiroyuki a humourless smile. "He is the grandson of the local Lord of the Manor for this area of District Six - albeit out of wedlock."

"What?" Hiroyuki stared, and Shirogane nodded.

"Kuchiki Raiko was the bastard daughter of my Great Uncle, Kinnya-sama." He agreed evenly. "The hermit shinigami who never leaves his manor. But it's all right, Hiroyuki-dono. Kinnya-sama's men were not among those who searched this house. There are shinigami with his retinue - and I believe one of those also saved my life when I was cut down by the soldiers in the forest. I don't know if he has any motive except to return his region to peace and quiet as quickly as possible - but I think it most probable that he has no idea of Ukitake's existence at all."

"Shiro-nii is...that close to being Kuchiki?" Hiroyuki gathered his wits, and Shirogane smiled.

"You should keep him out of this matter for as long as you can." He agreed. "Let sleeping dragons lie."

"That's why you protected us most of all, isn't it?" Hiroyuki's eyes became slits. "Because you knew that even the faintest suspicion in our direction and the connection would be made. That's why you said about my family being killed - whilst soldiers might arrest us if we were just sheltering a fugitive, if there was something else in the equation too..."

"Kinnya-sama doesn't involve himself in politics." Shirogane said simply. "I'd advise you to follow suit."

"Bit late for that." Hiroyuki cast his companion a dry smile, and Shirogane laughed.

"True." He owned. "But I am grateful for your help. I've been scattered so badly lately - I find myself quite pitiful, but I didn't have time to even take my flute from my chamber when I fled. It's always calmed my nerves whenever I've been angry or unsettled - I miss it badly. For all the efficacy I might have used to manage my Clan or my squad, I have never really been one to care about having company - even conversations with my _zanpakutou_ spirit come but rarely. However, this unexpected interaction with your family is helping me gather my wits more than I would have thought."

"Shikiki is very clever at understanding other people's sadness." Hiroyuki acknowledged. "Even though she's just a child. And you can count on the rest of us now, too. We're your allies. Especially since what you've just said...makes us almost kinsfolk."

Shirogane raised an eyebrow, and Hiroyuki chuckled.

"I thought you wouldn't like that." He said playfully. "But it does. Shiro-nii is my half brother and you just said that his grandfather was your great Uncle. Therefore..."

"I think that is a line of enquiry best left alone." Shirogane said acidly. "But for the meantime, there is one thing I would ask of you."

"Mm?" Hiroyuki got to his feet, pausing to glance down at his houseguest. "What's that? Shikiki and Miyabi will be back with food for you soon - and Miyabi intends on brushing the dust from your hair too, so if it's something menial, you'll have to speak to them. I told you that I wasn't going to be your manservant, and I meant it."

"You have pride too, just like your brother." Shirogane reflected absently. "But no, it was nothing like that."

He smiled, this time a smile of sincerity.

"My name is Shirogane." He said simply. "I would be grateful if you would use it. If you are allies of mine now - Nagoya-dono seems unecessarily formal. You've already dropped the formal speech for the most part - so you may as well address me as I address you."

"Oh. Well, that I can do." Hiroyuki winked. "I'll let you get some rest before the girls descend on you, then, _Shirogane_-dono."

"Thank you." Shirogane inclined his head in acknowledgement. "And when my wits are more about me, I will think more carefully about the letters I now know I must write."

* * *

Midnight.

Shunsui paused to cast a glance across the chamber, taking in Hirata's sleeping features in the soft white glow of the moonlight. It was a clear night, with only the vaguest wisps of cloud drifting across the velvet sky. Summer had arrived almost without their noticing it, and though a slight breeze blew gently across the school grounds, inside the building it was a warm, clement night.

Most people were fast asleep, like Hirata, lost in dreams and oblivious to the passing of the dark hours. But although Shunsui was well used to nights that were far warmer than this one, he alone had been unable to drift off to sleep.

A deep feeling of unease still rested in the pit of his stomach, and though he could not put his finger on what or why, he could not escape from the stifling sense of foreboding that was constantly there nagging at his thoughts. Kazoe's announcement to Ryuu and the rest in the library had done nothing to settle his heart, either. On the contrary, the clear, concise way in which the Kidou master had brought the instruction had sent fresh waves of doubt and worry searing through Shunsui's insecurities.

He did not want to be involved in the Kuchiki dispute, yet the more he tried not to be, the more he felt that becoming involved was an unavoidable end result. That the darkness was spreading over the whole of the landscape, and that, piece by piece, it was eating away at the tranquility that had held firm for the past two years.

Though he had never fully believed in that tranquility in the first place.

Though Shunsui had never been in the habit of speaking clearly about the things that most troubled him, he knew that he could not continue to ignore the signs. And even though he was not able to put it in words for those closest around him, as his sense of unease had grown, so had his conviction that the evil involved was something far deeper than a simple case of violent Clan ambition.

This was being pushed into place...manipulated...by something more.

A force had killed the son of the Kuchiki Clan leader in full view of his comrades, and had escaped. Yet now a Shihouin was incarcerated for making a foolish attack on the life of that Clan leader - and in Shunsui's sharp mind, those things did not add up.

It was almost as though they were meant to see the obvious and no more - but Shunsui had survived his harsh childhood by seeing beyond the obvious, and it ate away at him that he had seen something like this before.

Another time when the Shihouin had been used as scapegoats, and blood had been spilled.

_You both feel it too, don't you?_

As he slid his swords into the sash of his night robe, he felt the faint flicker of his _zanpakutou_ spirits' consciousness brush against his own, and he let out his breath in a rush, tapping the two hilts absently with the tip of his fingers.

_No, don't answer that. It's what you've been trying to push on me since term began, isn't it? I don't want you to lecture me about ignoring signs and signals - so let's take it as read that I understand._

_**Where are we going?**_

Seibara's soft voice flitted across his thoughts as he pushed back the door of his chamber, casting a glance behind him once again to ensure that Hirata was still fast asleep before stepping out into the corridor beyond and gently closing the divide behind him.

_**It's not like you to miss out on your sleep.**_

This was Amaki, a faint edge to his words, and Shunsui smiled grimly, making his way purposefully along the main landing to the end of the hall. Going through the main school building risked waking younger members and staff alike, but the window that let sun and moonlight illuminate the senior corridor at intervals was a wide one and overlooked the school grounds. It was already slightly open to allow the night air to circulate, and Shunsui did not find it difficult to push it fully back, resting his hands on the sill for a moment as he gauged the distance in the darkness.

They were some floors up, so he knew he could not just jump from the window and hope for the best. But very little escaped his notice, and he already knew that beneath where he stood, the wall was thick with rose and vine. He had often teased Juushirou about the potential access to the balcony of the Nest, but there were other places around the senior annexe that were just as good for quick climbing access, and so with great care and precision Shunsui swung a leg over the sill, shifting his grasp to support his weight as he felt with his other foot for a good hold. Before long he had found it and, with the help of the thick vines to guide him down, he was soon on the grass, the cool blades still damp from the evening dew and refreshing against his bare feet.

_**Shunsui, what are you doing? **_

Now Seibara sounded concerned.

_**It's the middle of the night, and the old man already told you once this term about breaking curfew. If you're going to leave the school grounds...**_

_I'm not._

Shunsui shook his head imperceptibly.

_We're not leaving school grounds, so I won't be breaking rules. Nobody's ever said that Seniors can't be up and about in the night - I remember past Senior classes being called on to patrol late into the evening when bad things were afoot. Therefore I'm well within my bounds. Don't worry, Seibara. I don't intend on getting into any trouble._

_**Then why are we here?**_

Amaki's shadowy presence hovered at the edge of Shunsui's thoughts.

_**Explain what you intend, Shunsui. You're not supposed to keep secrets from us, no matter who else you might choose to hide things from. If you can't place your faith in us...**_

_I'm not hiding anything._

Shunsui patted the sword hilts again, then turned, making his way purposefully across the grounds towards the area that was fenced off for _zanpakutou_ training. During the day he was often here with Kaoru, but as he reached the gate, he felt the flutter of Seibara's excitement buzzing against Amaki's disbelief.

_**Are we going...to train?**_

_We are._

Shunsui paused, gazing at the training ground gate thoughtfully, then with a deft flick of his fingers he manipulated the lock open, pushing the old structure open and stepping into the land beyond.

_My sword isn't the kind of zanpakutou that can be used to fight against a kid like Kaoru. You both understand that, don't you? In the short time I've known the both of you, I've learnt that you take no prisoners when you're really serious about fighting. Therefore I don't intend to ever use you when training Kaoru - not released. But you're right...I can't just do nothing about my own training either. Because I feel...bad about something. And I can't explain what it is or why - just that I'm sure you both know about it just as much as I do._

He sighed, sinking back against the fence and feeling it give slightly under his weight.

_I can't really express it in words. Not even to Juu, and especially not to Ryuu at the moment. The business with the Kuchiki is serious, but I can't get out of my mind the fact that it's all...something else. Something...bigger. And something that's going to mean danger for all of us if we're not careful._

_**At last you're taking your senses seriously.**_

Amaki sighed, but Shunsui felt the disapproval fading from the male spirit's voice.

_**You're right. Evil is in the air. You can feel it, perhaps better than your peers. Your sword is half demon, don't forget - a demon should be able to feel evil.**_

_You're not a demon._

Shunsui closed his eyes, the darkness of his mind shifting and blurring into the midnight meadow of rainbow coloured flowers lit up by the glow of a moon just like the one that hung in the sky above them that night. Carefully he imposed his own form into the world, stepping into his inner consciousness as he waited for his spirits to join him.

_But you do have an uncanny sense for the negative, and for other people's evil tendencies, Amaki. My own among them. And I always intended to listen to you - I just had to find a moment when I could. Just I don't think I can put that off any more, can I? Even though everything has been busy...I don't suppose it's something I can let wait._

_**That's more the Shunsui that Seibara and I gifted our powers to.**_

Now he could see Amaki taking form, the shadowy skeletal figure with the glowing red eyes. At the creature's feet, the flowers began to wilt and decay, but Shunsui was no longer the weak soul he had once been, and the decay did not spread beyond the immediate aura of this apparition's bat-winged body. Despite Shunsui's words, there was no doubting that Amaki was indeed a demon - but Shunsui had come to learn and understand his sword's true nature, and so he no longer saw the twisted, blackened entity as an object of fear. On the contrary, he knew that Amaki's distorted body had been the result of his own negativity and despair, and now when he saw the spirit take form before him, he felt only regrets for the amount of suffering and neglect he had inflicted on his sword whilst growing up.

"Well? You're right, of course. On all counts. You're not naive enough to believe that District boundaries have any way of confining evil, and it snakes its way across the whole of Seireitei, just as it has before. The taint of death lingers around those Kuchiki friends of yours - death they've seen and felt, and that taint has spread here because of their coming. It will follow them, too. Don't believe that it won't."

Amaki's face twisted into a grotesque grimace.

"The scent of death is an active one. It hasn't faded. It still grows. All of the things that have happened...are as you suspect them to be. They are a beginning - but they are not a complete entity."

"Great." Shunsui spoke this word out loud, aware at that moment of a faint, glimmering haze of light emerging from the left hand side of his vision. Seibara was tiny in comparison to Amaki, a perfectly formed fairy-like figure who despite her delicate appearance was the one who had always pushed Shunsui's endurance and conviction to the greatest extent. Her expression now was as sober as her companion's, and Shunsui sighed, reaching out a hand to touch her briefly on the head.

"Well? What exactly do you both intend to make me do about it?"

"What the danger is, Shunsui, even we don't know. It hasn't come here yet, and so we can't find it out." Seibara said sadly. "If we could, we would tell you - but we can't. Still, what Amaki said is true. Both of the Kuchiki have that taint about them. Shizurugi and Yuuyugo are both on edge - Yuuyugo is buzzing with apprehension over the amount of bloodshed in District Six and the violence that is still going on there. And Shizurugi has more or less shut himself away from our probing - we've tried to reach out to him, but he refuses to respond."

"Rather like Mitsuki and Ryuu themselves. I suppose their swords reflect their own moods at present." Shunsui rubbed his temples. "But I'm grateful to you for trying. There are questions that as their classmate I can't ask - no, I daren't ask, that's the truth of it. I don't want to become involved in this business, but most of all I don't want Juu to get himself involved in it. It makes me uneasy no matter how I think about it - because I don't think this is a Kuchiki issue. And I don't think...you think it is either, do you?"

"Shinigami Clans are full of unspoken ill-intent." Amaki dropped down onto the flowers, wilting a bunch more as he crossed his legs, folding his arms across his skinny chest. "It's hard to know where all of that comes from. Any Clan has enough of it to implode itself. You've seen that for yourself. It's hard to pick up from our point of view what's what when there are so many conflicting vibes. As_ zanpakutou_, finding that information out isn't our job, either. That's up to you to worry about. All I'm interested in is telling you that evil is around and you need to be ready to meet that evil. So that's why Seibara and I have been nagging you."

"Being lazy is really not a hobby or lifestyle choice you two recognise, is it?" Shunsui let out a heavy sigh. "But I know you're right. And about the Clans, too. It's a shinigami problem. Not a _zanpakutou_ one. Even so though, I'm sure that there are a lot of little pieces of this that haven't pulled together yet. A boy murdered. A Clan leader whose life was threatened. Another Clansman driven into exile. A missing Shihouin. Now a Shihouin turns up in the prison in District Six. And who knows what else we haven't seen yet?"

"Speak your real fear, Shunsui." Seibara said quietly, and as he met her gaze, Shunsui's own brown eyes darkened. "You can't speak it to anyone else, but speak it to us. Amaki is right. You mustn't conceal anything from the two of us. We're here to fight with you and we won't ever abandon you - so trust us. Trust us with the fears you have, even if you don't know how to quantify them to anyone else just yet."

Shunsui was silent for a long time, then, slowly, he nodded.

"Aizen...Keitarou." He said softly, and as he did so, the memory of his fight in the snow with Juushirou some two years earlier flashed through his brain. He flinched, remembering Juushirou's frozen body lying motionless on the snow, the blood tainting his clothing, and Shikiki's young hands glittering with pink light as they fought to restore his friend's life.

"Aizen Keitarou." He said again, more strongly this time as he forced the images away. "But that's nothing new, is it? You both alone know that ever since the day he disappeared his existence has concerned me. Since he put Juu through so much - I've not forgotten him. He's disappeared and the world has gone back to normal. But I never have believed that. Not really. I don't know where he is or how many people he's killed in order to keep himself hidden. Probably Hirata's poor sister among the rest, since she was one of those he used and abused. But I know he is alive. And if something evil is lurking in Seireitei, I find it hard to believe he wouldn't be connected to it."

He buried his head in his hands.

"Even Juu doesn't know how much that man's existence bothers me." He whispered. "I've not spoken about it since...well...how can you speak about an incident that one of you doesn't remember? And I don't want him to remember. I don't want him to be drawn back into that web of danger. Because...Keitarou almost killed Juushirou the last time. And I don't want anything to happen to Juu."

"Juushirou is important to you." Seibara's glittering white fingers brushed against the sleeve of his robe, and he glanced up, meeting her gentle expression with a troubled one of his own. Seibara alone had been with him during that battle, and therefore Seibara more than any other knew and understood the fears he had locked away inside his heart. Without saying it, she understood that it had been that encounter - that fight in the snow which had driven Shunsui to train to raise his _zanpakutou _properly. The fear of losing someone else so close to him had been fully ignited that day, and even though he had quickly returned to his normal self, Seibara knew that it had left deep scars against the young boy's soul.

"I won't let anyone kill Juu." Shunsui murmured now. "That man or anyone else. I won't let him be used or broken like he was the last time - I won't let it happen, Seibara. You both taught me to protect the things I care about and fight when I need to fight for those things. So I want to be ready to fight. Because if Aizen Keitarou is involved in any of this - if he is - I can't imagine he's totally forgotten about Juu. And with Juu having Kuchiki blood as well - I can't risk not doing anything at all."

"Your spirit to protect is possibly your most driving instinct." Amaki observed now. "But there's no time to wallow in fears about an event that hasn't yet happened. Your friend is not weak, and he is not as young as he was the last time he crossed paths with that man. You have no actual evidence to connect anything now to the person you consider your absolute enemy - and that is why you've not raised his name to anyone, not even to us until tonight. But we've known he's there, Shunsui. Deeper inside of you than inside of your friend, perhaps, despite the past. Aizen Keitarou drove you to make a choice that you would probably not easily have overcome. Had that young one not been there, he would have made you kill the person you trust most. That's something we don't expect you to forgive. But instead of dwelling on it, we expect you to get stronger. And fight back. So that such a thing can never happen again - to anyone you care about."

"I know." Shunsui's eyes snapped open, the inner world disappearing as he gazed across the empty training ground with renewed resolution in his heart. "I've held back, because I know...that the things you want to teach me aren't necessarily things I'm going to like. I think...there's a darkness in Katen Kyoukotsu that helps me understand better the darkness that man wielded against Juu and I. Or...no, I suppose the darkness is mine first and foremost. You come from me, not the other way around."

A sad smile touched his lips.

"Perhaps it's because of that, I don't know. But I think...Katen is a sword designed to kill if necessary, isn't it? And that to wield it...I have to accept that no matter how good my intentions when I enter a battle, the moment I do, I'm in the wrong. That the things I'll do are things I won't want to acknowledge - the reasons that I'll do them is what I have to look to in order to keep moving forward."

_**Saying such things proves you've moved beyond your Father. **_

Seibara's words were gentle.

_**We won't lie. You're not wrong. Your sword is shadow and light, and you can never hide completely from shadow, Shunsui. It can be your greatest tool, if you can only learn to use it. The games we play are not really games at all, but battles of life and death - your will against the will of your opponent. And we will never teach you a skill that you will find easy to accept. Your soul is not designed to take the easy way out. It's designed to take the right decisions. That duty comes with the level of strength you have, so you can't escape it. And we will force you to learn how to use those skills - even if it brings you pain. Just like that day in the snows two years ago.**_

Shunsui hesitated for a moment, then he slowly closed his left hand once more around the hilt of his _wakizashi_ blade, drawing it and flipping it around into a more comfortable grip.

"_Hanakaze midarete, kashin naki._"

He murmured, and a faint breeze blew across the training ground as Seibara's spirit flared in response, sending the petals of a flew late tree blossoms fluttering to the ground. Shunsui's right fist grasped the katana hilt, raising the weapon and holding it horizantally against Seibara's _wakizashi_ as if to stir Amaki's spirit into joining the release.

"_Tenpuu midarete, tenma warau_." He whispered, closing his eyes as his swords glittered with energy, morphing and changing into their released forms. "_Katen Kyoukotsu_!"

* * *

Dawn had come.

Kinnya gazed out of the window of his chamber out towards the horizon, his brow creasing as he watched the mixture of colours flood across the distant waves of the District Six coves. The sun was rising slowly, its glow somewhat dampened by the heavy cloud that had lingered overnight, whilst the reds and oranges that pooled across the wind-rippled waters made the old shinigami think of blood.

A red dawn meant a day of ill weather, and from the slightly shadowed edge to the clouds, Kinnya was sure there would be rains that morning.  
_  
Maybe even a storm._

His lips thinned, his snow-peppered brows drawing together as he considered this fact.

_If the report I received yesterday is true...there will indeed be storms. But perhaps not of the kind you choose to send down, Senaya-nii._

Reaching for his cane, he carefully pulled himself to his feet, absently rubbing his hips to get rid of the stiffness. In the past few weeks, his doctors had all but withdrawn the many herbal remedies they had foisted on him for joint pain and fatigue, and as a result when his body protested after a long night sitting watching the stars, there was no longer any medicine to take the edge off the twinges. Yet Kinnya preferred it that way. His body was not broken, nor had it yet begun to shut down. He had simply chosen not to use it - and now he was trying to, it was protesting at the sudden and unexpected activity.

_An old man can't change his habits as easily as a young one, so they say._

Kinnya's grey eyes drifted to the cane, his lips pursing as he ran his gaze over the engraved surface of the wood.

_Did you send the clouds this morning, Senaya-nii? So that you couldn't see me vent my rage on the unfortunates your son calls a retinue?_

"Kinnya-sama?"

The knock at the door had been expected, but still to the impatient Kinnya who had long awaited it, his manservant's arrival seemed to have taken far too long.

"Come in, Keiichi." He said frankly. "I expected you sooner - what delayed you?"

"It is dawn, my lord." Keiichi was unperturbed by his companion's apparent ill humour. "And I have obtained the information you sent me to gather. That and another thing - something which perhaps will also be of some interest to you, bearing in mind the tale young Ryuu-sama brought with him when he came to visit you."

"Something relating to Ryuu's visit?" Kinnya, who had been about to demand the papers clutched carefully in Keiichi's old hand paused, fixing his manservant with a quizzical look. "What do you mean? What else have you discovered - does it also relate to Aniue's dubious interpretations of truth?"

"No. Not that." Keiichi shook his head. "It's just...while investigating your scout's report, I accidentally stumbled across something additional. Something relating to the news Ryuu-sama brought about...Raiko-hime and her...her family in these parts."

"About Juushirou?" Kinnya's eyes widened and, papers momentarily forgotten, he stumbled forwards, grasping Keiichi's hands in his own. "I thought he was in District One - is that not true? Please do not tell me that some ill has befallen...just when I came to discover..."

"Juushirou-sama is indeed in District One." Gently and carefully, as if used to his master's flights of emotion and passion, Keiichi detached the old man's eager grip from around his wrists, patting him reassuringly on the shoulder as if he were a father comforting his son, rather than a retainer reporting to his master. "I'm sorry to have frightened you - it is not that at all. Simply that the name Ryuu-sama gave was Ukitake, wasn't it? And the family Ukitake live in this area of District Six - not far from the coves that Shirogane-sama was heading for when we let him flee."

"They do, do they?" Kinnya's eyes became thoughtful, and he turned back towards the window, resting his hands against the sill as he gazed once more out towards the coast. "I see. I suppose that makes sense. I didn't know where Raiko had been sent, and at that time I was mostly still at the main house under Aniue's beck and call, so I had no time to really investigate. But...I suppose that would have suited my brother. To leave her under my nose but out of my reach. Yes, it would have suited him quite well. And so the son Raiko birthed lives under my rule, does he? An irony indeed. I wonder if Raiko's poor husband even understands the half of the manipulations Senaya-nii indulged in to erase her connection to our Clan."

"Raiko-sama's husband is also deceased, it appears." Keiichi said frankly, and Kinnya turned, eying Keiichi in consternation.

"My grandson...is orphaned?"

"From the information I gathered yesterday, I learnt the man had been killed by a Hollow protecting his eldest son some...I suppose it must have been seven or eight years past." Keiichi scratched his head absently. "It was irrelevant information, but people in these parts talk to one another quite a lot and Ukitake Hidenobu was a well known person in the coastal community. In any case, when I discovered that the head of the Ukitake-ke was a young man barely approaching adulthood, I asked what had become of his Father. And I was told that story...that Hidenobu-dono had already passed away, leaving his family in the charge of his third child and second son."

"By a Hollow?" Kinnya's hands began to tremble against the sill, colour draining from his features. "But what...what of the shinigami, Keiichi? Where were the shinigami?"

"By all reports they destroyed the Hollow, but not until Hidenobu-dono had taken a fatal wound." Keiichi said gravely. "The son he was protecting was Juushirou-sama - the father gave his life for his child."

"His life for..." Kinnya swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry and cottony as he realised the implications of his servant's words.

_Raiko brought spirit power into a District family. My daughter gave it to her son, and because of that, monsters took his father's life. Monsters that shinigami should destroy - shinigami like me. But I...I have not left this manor to fight them since my daughter passed away. And so when my grandson was in danger...it was his father who defended him. A man who could not have had the strength to fight fought in my place, because I...I turned my back on the world and I did not bother to know. Raiko, your husband's life blood is on my hands, isn't it? And my grandson...my grandson was orphaned, because I did not do my duty to protect the people here._

His eyes narrowed.

"Keiichi, the other report, if you please." He said quietly. "About Seiren's soldiers - I assume that you gathered this irrelevant data whilst completing those enquiries on my behalf?"

"Yes." Keiichi nodded his head, holding out the papers and with a still-shaking hand, Kinnya took them. "It's as you suspected. I obtained that memo from one of the senior soldiers - your nephew gave consent for them to search for Shirogane-sama via whatever method necessary to find him. Including the invasion of peasant homes."

"I see." Kinnya's gaze blackened. "But I do not see Guren's seal on this document."

"That's because it isn't there." Keiichi said quietly. "I made some discreet enquiries and I've heard that Guren-sama is keen to find his nephew, but that the instructions he's sent out to people have been to detain Shirogane-sama with the least fuss possible. As far as I am aware, no communication has come from him that endorses Seiren-sama's men to invade the homes of your people."

"So Seiren has acted alone, out of his own stupid paranoia or ambition?" With a sudden burst of anger, Kinnya tossed the papers aside, watching as they scattered across the chamber floor. Keiichi did not flinch even a little at the unexpected reaction, and Kinnya sighed, closing his eyes briefly to contain his swirling rage.

"Very well." He said evenly. "Then one more thing. Your information about my grandson - you happened to obtain this just by accident, did you? Or perhaps because the areas you investigated...the places where Seiren's men had been...included the home where my grandson's family live?"

"You are right, my Lord. The Ukitake home was one of the estates searched for Shirogane-sama."

Kinnya's fists clenched together, his knuckles whitening from the tension that flowed through his old body.  
_  
I already stole his father through my careless, self-indulgent grief - Senaya-nii and I between us inflicted spirit power of that level on a District family that could only take sacrifices as a result. And now...and then this. I won't have it. I won't have it! _

"Seiren's chief officers have been summoned here, I trust?" He asked out loud, and Keiichi inclined his head.

"Yes sir. They have."

"Then I will see them." Kinnya's voice had lost all of its warmth. "Please bring them to me at once."

"Yes, sir." Keiichi bowed and withdrew, and Kinnya turned away from the window, his thoughts and emotions swirling through his body as for the first time in a long time naked fury overwhelmed him.  
_  
My grandson's life has been made miserable enough by Kuchiki pride and ambition, and I'm an old man whose hands are just as stained with blood and deception. If you know about me...and from what Ryuu says, you do - you must also know I did nothing to save your father, Juushirou. And probably...you won't want to meet with me, knowing that. But at least I won't let further harm come to your family. Believe me, even if it stains my hands with more blood - I will not permit it!_

A faint flicker of spiritual energy darted across his wits and he frowned, taking a deep breath of air into his lungs.

_Besides, Shirogane is still in District Six. Hiding, maybe, but there. If I dispatched my shinigami, where would they find him? His location and the place Keiichi described are startlingly close together. Perhaps that isn't a coincidence. Shirogane was a student at the Academy. Juushirou is a friend of Ryuu's and a current student there. Perhaps I'm overthinking it, but...if the Ukitake-ke have chosen to protect Shirogane, I will protect him too. I will not let Seiren have his way - does he not realise that by acting this way he throws into jeopardy everything that idiot brother of mine worked so hard to achieve?_

"Kinnya-sama, Captain Ouguchi and Captain Furizawa of Seiren-sama's special guard."

Keiichi returned at that moment with the two senior officers, and as they entered the room, bowing stiffly in Kinnya-sama's direction, the old man felt his dislike swell up within his body once again. Their attitude was formal, but somehow off-hand and imperious, as though they were bowing to a lesser man than the one who had given them their orders.

Well, they would quickly learn their mistake.

Kinnya's eyes became slits.

"Ouguchi and Furizawa." He murmured. "I would like you to explain to me, if you don't mind, what business you and your men had invading the homes of my people?"

"With respect, Kinnya-sama, your retainer has a copy of all of our paperwork pertaining to yesterday's mission." Ouguchi was the first to speak, his voice brusque and dismissive enough to rankle against Kinnya's sleeping pride. "You will see that with the command of Seiren-sama, second in command of the Kuchiki Clan we are endorsed to search this land for the missing fugitive, Nagoya Shi..."

"I did not see Guren-sama's seal on that document." Kinnya cut across the man's words, and the soldier faltered, casting a glance at his companion, who frowned.

"As my comrade just reported, sir, the mission was commanded by Seiren-sama, not Guren-sama."

"I see." Kinnya's voice was dangerously low as he fought to keep a hold on his emotions. "And are you both aware of the laws pertaining to such invasions of private land in District Six?"

"With the authority of someone of Seiren-sama's position and bloodline, we have the right to..."

"_You have no rights._ Not on _my_ land." Now Kinnya could not hold back any more, and at the hard, accusatory note in his tones, the two soldiers hesitated once again, staring at him uncertainly. "I would advise you that before you obey the orders of your commander so mindlessly and without thought, you take a look at the law and you understand what you can and cannot do to disrupt the peasant classes of District Six!"

"Kinnya-sama, if you please..."

"I will not 'please'." Kinnya was in full flow now, a faint haze of spirit power beginning to glimmer around his body as he rounded on the two men, stalking towards them like a hunting cat bearing down on its prey. Despite themselves, the soldiers both took a step or two back, for the gleam of rage in Kinnya's eyes was like nothing they had ever seen before. They had clearly been told that the lord who ruled this area was a docile old man who had turned his back on his duties and who would not interfere with their orders. That he was in possession of a temper or such a powerful spiritual aura they had had no clue - but as the old man's reiatsu prickled out from his body towards them, the tension in the chamber began to rise.

"The law states that _only with the permission of the Clan Leader in writing_ can the views of a local landlord be overruled." Kinnya said now, his every word biting through the thick atmopshere and digging into the unfortunate men who now cowered before the force of his reiatsu. "Do you understand?_ The Clan Leader._ Guren-sama. I believe I made it clear that I would cooperate with your search so long as my people were not put out unduly and were not frightened or brought to harm. Now I receive this report, and I am not happy."

He raised his free hand, white electricity dancing menacingly between his fingers.

"The penalty for breaking that law can be loss of rank, or even loss of life." He said coldly. "If I wanted to, I could kill the both of you and eliminate the whole of your search force without retribution from the central Clan court, because I am within the law. You are without it's protection - I suggest you speak to me more carefully if you want to return to the main house alive."

"Kinnya-sama, the men are simply following the orders they were given." Keiichi's voice was impossibly calm given the rising atmosphere, and Kinnya shot him a glance, the _byakurai_ fading from his hands as he let out a sigh.

"Yes. I know." He admitted, the reiatsu that surrounded his body fading and quieting somewhat at his servant's words. "But I want them to understand what my rights are. And that in this matter - they and my nephew have none."

He wheeled back on the two terrified soldiers, a hunter's gleam once more in his eyes.

"Do you understand?" He asked, a nasty tone in his voice. "Your lives are forfeit to me if you dare lay another finger on a single one of the peasant homes within my land. As it is, I believe the most sensible option would be for you to gather together your retinue to a man and leave the Coastal Regions immediately. Otherwise I might become angry again - and I am not the feeble old fool your commander Seiren believes me to be."

At the informal way in which the Lord gave Seiren's name, the two soldiers glanced at each other once more.

"W...with respect, Kinnya-s...sama, two of my squad h...have not reported back to our campsite for the p...past few days." Furizawa somehow managed to form words, but from the formality and deference now in his tone, it was clear that he had been well shaken by the Clansman's words and mode of attack. "I have sent people to find then, but...to withdraw..."

"Sending men into the wilderness on illegal errands likely brings with it consequences of the highest level." Kinnya's words were soft, but there was a faint threat in his slate grey eyes. "I imagine they became unecessarily violent and so were dealt with by my own retinue who are charged to keep the peace in this region."

"You mean...you..." Furizawa's face drained of colour, and an unpleasant smile touched Kinnya's lips.

"I have said nothing. I am an old shinigami who does not leave his manor without good cause." He said dismissively. "And I have no interest in your underlings or where they might have got to since you dispatched them here. If they are fool enough not to return safely to your flock, perhaps a wild animal has claimed them. There are said to be bears in the forest, as well as Hollows and other unpleasant creatures...I imagine they were careless enough to cross the path of one such beast."

"We found traces of blood in the forest on the coast road, and a damaged sword, but nothing more." Ouguchi said quietly. "Kinnya-sama, if you know the whereabouts of our comrades, please tell us. It is impossible for us to return to the main house with an incomplete force of men. You must see that it appears badly for you if men go missing in what is meant to be a peaceful environment."

Kinnya fixed Ouguchi with a cold look, and Ouguchi wilted under the sternness of the other's glare.

"Are you accusing me of murdering your men?" He asked quietly, and Ouguchi swallowed hard.

"No, sir. I mean, that wasn't...it's just...perhaps...as you said, they fell foul of..."

He trailed off, his words becoming unintelligible, and that unpleasant smile returned to twitch around the corners of Kinnya's mouth.

"If they are lost, leave them. If my men should find them, doubtless I will return them to Seiren, since I have no desire to have his lackeys around my land any longer." He said decidedly. "Soldiers who cannot heed danger or follow simple maps are of no use to anyone - possibly my nephew will not mourn them, should they not return."

"Kinnya-sama, with all due respect..." Furizawa began, but another glare from the shinigami silenced whatever he had been about to say, and slowly Kinnya inclined his head.

_Weak silly men. They probably guess their comrades are dead - maybe they even know so far as that I was behind their disappearance. But they're no longer crowing so proudly. I'd wager it'll be a while before they make such a silly assumption about Kuchiki rank again._

"You have not found what you are looking for on my land, therefore you have no grounds to complain." Out loud he spoke coolly, raising his hand in a dismissive gesture. "You can go back and report this to Seiren, if you choose - but I am within my rights to evict you and evict you I shall. You are no longer welcome here. You or any of your companions who wear Seiren's badge. I have no fear of my nephew, nor am I worried about his authority. He is merely what I once was, and I understand better than you think what rights that does and does not give. He is not Head of the Clan, and his son is not named or invested heir yet. Therefore Seiren is as I was - surplus except to act as his brother deems fit. The sooner Seiren realises that his entire life has been for that purpose alone, the better everyone in this Clan will be."

He thrust out his hand, and a small yet substantial whirl of spirit energy shot out across the chamber, blasting against the sliding door and blowing two thirds of it clean off its runners.

"You are dismissed." He said evenly. "Do not come back here without the proper paperwork and seal, else you will find yourselves parted extremely easily from your lives, let alone your badges."

Without a word the two soldiers fled, falling and scrambling over one another to escape through the hole Kinnya's kidou had left in the sliding door. As they disappeared, Keiichi cast a glance at the damage, then tut-tutted under his breath.

"That was an unnecessary theatric, Kinnya-sama. Your doctor will not approve of all this Kidou you seem to be using of late."

"I know." Kinnya rubbed his wrist ruefully. "But I was angry, Keiichi. I needed to let some of that anger forth. Besides, I don't feel unduly tired. I think I'm all right. Perhaps we won't tell my physician too much about it."

"When he sees the hole in the door, I think he'll guess." Keiichi rolled his eyes. "But I will see what I can do about getting it repaired in the meantime."

He frowned, his gaze becoming serious.

"Kinnya-sama, they may come back and with a warrant from Guren-sama himself. Are you prepared, if they do?"

"They will not." Kinnya said evenly. "Because there is nothing they can find here that will induce Guren to cross me in such a way. He knows...what Seiren and his silly soldiers do not know. That I might be a hermit now, but I have not always been so. And Seiren has no sense for spirit power, but Guren is the opposite. He has an extremely keen awareness of other people's abilities - unless he knew for certain that Shirogane was here and that he had evidence to prove him guilty, I don't think he would act. Guren is not careless. That is why he is Head of the Clan."

"Well, your people would be proud of you." Keiichi reflected. "But would you have reacted with quite so much anger if I hadn't told you that Juushirou-sama's home was searched?"

"Perhaps not." Kinnya admitted. "But the truth is, Keiichi, I probably have no way to reach out to my grandson anyway. Time has passed and lives have been lost. He would...probably not like the man I am - even less if he knew the things I'd been involved in for the sake of my brother's mad Clan policy. So if all I can do is protect the kin he's not here to protect right now I will. It's very little, but I will."

"Whenever Juushirou's name comes up, your eyes become alive again." Keiichi observed. "I don't think you've given up on meeting with the boy, even despite what you just said."

"I don't suppose I'll ever give up on that - knowing he's alive takes the edge off my grief for Raiko." Kinnya said matter-of-factly. "Besides, there's something else. I think...Seiren may not be dancing to Guren's tune."

"You think he's planning rebellion?"

"No. I think he's being used and manipulated to a point where Guren becomes angry." Kinnya said darkly. "I dislike Seiren, but I will keep my word about this family and so it bothers me when I think someone is trying to split it apart. Seiren is a fool to so easily fall into traps, but perhaps that's as much the foolishness of Aniue and I for letting him remain alive in the first instance. It would have been so much simpler if we had not...but given the situation we now have, all we can do is try and limit damage before Seiren truly overreaches himself."

"Do you think Seiren-sama knows...things he should not?"

"Maybe. But I am fairly sure Guren does not." Kinnya rubbed his temples. "So if Ryuu is right and someone else is aware of it - that evidence may yet surface to push the split between the brothers once and for all. If someone can make Seiren's acts desperate enough to make Guren angry...and then the right piece of incriminating proof came to light...it would look very bad for Seiren and for the Clan."

"Someone is trying to frame Seiren-sama by making him go after Shirogane-sama?"

"Possibly." Kinnya agreed. "I'm certain of Shirogane's innocence and more, because nothing has come from Guren, I'm certain he believes in the boy's innocence too. I think Guren to be fond of him, so if Seiren was to kill the boy, that might be enough to tip the scale. Therefore it's better that Seiren's men are not anywhere near where Shirogane is until this can be straightened out. Seiren is the one who has the most to gain from Ribari's death, and the biggest motivation behind why he'd do it, too. So whether he does or he doesn't know is immaterial. Either way it would not look good if that were to suddenly surface over the corpse of Guren's other nephew."

"Shirogane-sama is still here, isn't he?" Keiichi demanded sharply, and Kinnya nodded.

"He's recovering from his wounds not far from the coast." He said wryly, and Keiichi's eyes narrowed.

"By the coast? You mean...?"

"Maybe. It's possible. Yesterday Shirogane definitely used concealing Kidou when you said the Ukitake land and surrounds was being searched. Therefore I think it's a high possibility my grandson and his kin are on Shirogane's side."

"And that means you now are, too?"

"I've given my motives." Kinnya scolded. "But yes. If you like to add that one too, I won't object."

Keiichi was quiet for a moment, then he sighed, coming across to tap his companion gently on the arm.

"I think Juushirou-sama would realise, if he met you, that deep down you are a kinder person than most in the heart of that Clan." He said reflectively. "However many things you've done and whatever you haven't managed to - even despite the way you like to act to frighten those around you in order to keep things as they should be. Senaya-sama knew that he could have ultimate trust in you because of that good heart, and that is why of all people you alone know how he was thinking when he left this world for the next. Even now you're willing to honour your brother's requests of you - even though he's been dead such a long time, and no longer has any right to claim your loyalty."

"You're wrong about that." Kinnya said ruefully. "Senaya-nii was someone who demanded that kind of loyalty for life - and for my life, not just his own. He knew when he died that I would keep his words close and see to the things he could not do himself. He knew even death didn't break that connection - that I was still bound to him when he was gone."

"For that reason, Senaya-sama was able to make the choices he did. He could leave the rest in your hands and rest easy knowing all would be done as he instructed." Keiichi observed wisely. "The brother he often argued with and who clashed swords with him on one occasion or another - but the brother who understood him better than anyone else. I sometimes think that when he died, you lost a part of your own soul as well, Kinnya-sama. You no longer had anyone to disagree with quite so violently."

"I suppose that's true." Kinnya laughed, nodding his head. "Ryuu asked me if Aniue and I were close, and I told him that it was a hard question to answer. Even now I find it that way - to me it always felt that we were closer than blades of grass but more distant than the sun and the moon. Yet you are right. I did understand him. Perhaps we were close. Often I really do feel as though he's still watching me from his _Tsukijiro_."

"Despite the way you drove fear into those guards just now, I think that Juushirou-sama would see the Kinnya-sama who cared - not just about his grandson, but about that boy's District kin and your own past and present, too." Keiichi decided. "I've been your servant a long time and you've often treated me with kindness. Perhaps you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. If Juushirou-sama is smart in the way Ryuu-sama said...I'm sure..."

"For now, there are far too many other things pressing." Kinnya dismissed this with a flick of his fingers, but a faint smile touched his lips at Keiichi's words. "I expect that I will have a visit from Seiren before too long, in outrage about the way I treated his men. And when that happens, I intend to see what I can do to stem his stupidity...before it condemns both him and the Clan to collapse."


	37. Nazo no Hime

**Chapter Thirty Six: Nazo no Hime**

The foreigner would be arriving in District Six any time now.

Nanaki fidgeted against the harsh fabric of her maid's uniform, fingering the pendant that hung around her neck with an amount of suppressed frustration as she waited for her sign.

It had been too good to be true, she mused resentfully, gazing up at the almost full white haze of the moon shining down on her from its vantage point behind the wisps of cloud. For a very short time she had thought them to be rid of the voiceless, emotionless shadow that had dogged them ever since Masaki had had the bright idea of opening up his puppetry experiment. It had never been said for sure, but Nanaki had confidently believed that with his capture and incarceration, their paths would no longer cross.

She had not anticipated that her conversation with Seiren in the dark woods of the Kuchiki manor some nights before would lead them down this path - or that Masaki would have made the decision to retrieve the golden eyed killer from his prison.

_I don't see why it matters if a Shihouin sees him, though._

Nanaki sighed, folding her arms petulantly across her chest as she paced up and down on the worn patch of grass.

_That was the point, wasn't it, in taking a blood Shihouin and manipulating him against the Kuchiki Clan? The whole purpose of having that creature tagging along with us was for this reason - to make the Shihouin top of the Kuchiki suspicion list. And it must have worked, since now a high ranking Shihouin is coming here. Surely it would be more benefit to us if we tried to kill that Shihouin on Kuchiki land, and let that boy fester in the dungeons. We don't need him any longer, not now he's known to the Kuchiki guards. And if this...Yanagi-dono...if he was killed here, then...so what? Surely that would just play into everyone's hands, and it would have the same result._

She slipped her fingers beneath the sash of her uniform, pulling out the small vial of toxic solution and glancing at it with a sigh.  
_  
I could manage something like that, but orders are orders and I promised not to disobey him when it came to things like this. I don't understand it, but I'll go along with it. I just wish that it didn't mean we had to take that creature back. I was starting to enjoy having time alone again, just us._

She slipped the solution back into her sash, raising her gaze to the horizon for any sight of the carriage that she knew would soon be coming over the rise towards the Kuchiki manor. From the shadows she had stalked the estate on and off during the day, and she had realised that security would be especially tight during the visit of the foreign noble - so the soldiers who would usually patrol the forecourt would doubtless be redeployed to the gates to ensure that no harm could befall their unusual visitor. There were plenty of Kuchiki whose feathers had been ruffled by Guren's sudden decision to bring someone that most of the Clan perceived as an enemy into the heart of their estate, so Nanaki surmised that they would have their hands full preventing any conflict from breaking out between dissatisfied Kuchiki Lords and a trained Shihouin assassin.

As she had expected, the guards posted to the prison had been reduced that evening, for the prisoner had not shown any sign of wanting to escape, and the door of his cage had been securely fastened to hold him until the formalities had been dispensed with and the guest could come and make his formal identification.

In that brief period of time, when attention would be away from the cell, Nanaki would act.

And she would need all of the tricks and shortcuts she had learnt during her time in service for the Kuchiki, for her face was also known to the Clan.

_Hopefully I won't be seen, though._

Nanaki pulled the hood of her cloak up to shield her face, as she caught sight of the distinctive outline of a carriage cresting the ridge ahead. That was her signal - the approach of the black and gold vehicle would send the manor into a frenzy of activity and during the confusion she had perhaps two or three minutes to cross the main courtyard and slip down the back steps to the prison.

Letting out her breath in a heavy sigh, she turned on her heel, slipping carefully down the grassy slope and darting nimbly between the trees as she watched the Clan retainers preparing to receive their important guest. As she had expected, the attention was entirely focused on the approaching carriage, and with her black cloak and careful knowledge of the estate, she found it was not difficult to slip into the grounds and between the old stone buildings towards the innermost part of what was for the most part more a castle than a manor house.

Pressing up against the wall of the kitchens, she pricked her ears, listening carefully for the rumble of carriage wheels and the calls of the guards as they got into position. She could not make any further move until the Shihouin had stepped down onto the cobbles, for it would be at that moment that the men guarding the entrance to the prison would likely be sent for as further back up and then - and only then - would she have an opening to reach her destination unmolested.

She was not really interested in Shihouin, but as the elaborate vehicle jerked to a stop, the black horses drawing it snorting and pawing at the ground impatiently as the figure descended, the clouds shifted from their position across the moon, illuminating the courtyard more clearly and highlighting the features of the visitor at the same time.

As she caught sight of the golden eyes, Nanaki's heart constricted in her chest.

_Shihouin Yanagi._

She had not known his name, but as she gazed at the young man, she realised with a jolt of fear that he was not a stranger to her. On the contrary, he had visited her family on at least one occasion in the dim, distant past and she remembered distinctly having been presented to him as he and his kinsman had shared an evening meal with her and hers. She had not spoken one word to him - and for the most part had not raised her gaze from her meal as the conversation had darted on around her, but even so, she knew.

Shihouin Yanagi was someone she had met.

Her eyes became slits as she ducked back into the shadows to consider this.

_Is that why__** he**__ doesn't want me to risk encountering this man face to face? Yanagi-dono's trained as an assassin - now I realise who he is, I know that only too well. He was one of those...one of the tainted men of that silly old Shihouin fool who got wrapped up in plans they couldn't control. I thought they'd all been killed or locked up, but I guess they missed one._

She closed her eyes.

_That means he'd not only recognise me, but...he'd also know...perhaps that's why we're taking what's ours and running with it, instead of risking a confrontation. To kill a trained assassin would be difficult for me to do. If Yanagi-dono were to see me...and were to live long enough to raise the alarm, the whole game would be up. I'm taking enough of a risk breaking that creature out of his cell - but at least if I stick to the plan, the chances of me being seen and identified are minimal._

Letting out her breath in a rush she opened her eyes, re-focusing her thoughts.

_And that's more important. If I was to be named, the game would be up. I suppose I owe__** him **__an apology. He thought this all out beyond my comprehension - so I won't disobey his instructions. While the Kuchiki are busy with their visitor - I'm going to go and do my job and then get out of here. The Senkaimon will be open outside the back of the manor when the moon is highest in the sky, that's what__** he**__ said. So long as that brat and I are there then, all should be fine. Another mysterious disappearance by the phantom killer of the Kuchiki Clan._

A grim smile crossed her lips as she slipped through the dark shadows towards the servants' stairs that led down into the bowels of the manor prison. Seiren had been indiscreet enough in his words to give her a good idea of where she was going, and so she did not falter, approaching the door that led to the cells with extreme caution. Most of those posted on duty in this area were men belonging to Futsuki, Guren's older half brother, and not the more gullible Seiren - but Nanaki had no way of knowing how much the two brothers compared notes and whether the soldiers here would recognise her as a maidservant or an exiled hime of a foreign Clan.

Neither one of which should be inside a Clan prison on a night like this.

Peering around the edge of the door, she saw that there were only two men on duty at the present time, sitting in the corner of the chamber and playing a game of dice. Beyond that, in the cell behind them, Nanaki could make out the object of her mission and her lip curled in disdain as she met the blank gaze and realised that he had probably been sitting in the same corner in the same position since the day he had been put into the cell.

But as their eyes met, the gold eyed boy suddenly got to his feet, and Nanaki froze, realising that even though Masaki was not with them, he was able to reach his puppet closely enough to acknowledge her arrival.

"Hey, you want to play dice too, huh?" One of the guards cast the Shihouin an amused glance as the boy moved slowly and purposefully to the edge of the cage, resting his hands against the bars. "We'll roll you in, if you like - you'll have to tell us your name though, first. Can't play a friendly game of dice without knowing who you're playing against."

"He's not going to answer you, idiot." His companion snorted. "He's simple. You've seen him as much as me. This is as much as he does. Whether he even really attacked Guren-sama or not...well, who knows. But you can't waste good dice on him. He'll probably think they're food and try to eat them."

"Haha, probably." The first guard laughed. "I'm tempted to give him them, though, just to see."

"It'd be a problem if he choked, mind you." His friend cautioned him. "That bigwig Shihouin is coming here this evening. We want a live prisoner to show him, don't we?"

"I s'pose." The first soldier got to his feet, moving across to the cage and reaching between the bars to flick the prisoner across the brow. "But you're not going to tell anyone anything of any use, are you? Sheesh. The Shihouin have really fallen, sending a poor simple boy like this to do dirty work for them. It's cruel is what it is - he's not gonna understand what he's being told to do, and...hey, what are you..."

For in the split second the guard had come close, a gloved black hand had shot out through the bars, clamping itself without hesitation around the retainer's neck. With no expression in his golden eyes, the Shihouin boy tightened his hold, and the retainer's eyes bulged as he struggled to unclasp the determined claws that dug into his throat.

"Hey...get...stop..."

"Stop messing around with him, leave him be." His friend got to his feet, then let out an exclamation of his own as the second gloved hand came through the other side of the bars to close the hold around the retainer's throat more firmly. There was a sickening 'crack', then the guard slumped to the floor, his neck kinked at an odd angle.

"What did you..." The second guard stared at his friend, then at the prisoner, meeting the blank eyes as his own fingers closed around the blade of his sword. "You're not as innocent as you look, are you?"

"No, but he is surprisingly obedient when he wants to be." Nanaki slipped into the chamber, pausing to bend down beside the dead retainer, and at the sound of her voice, the remaining guard swung around, weapon still drawn.

Nanaki stared at him, a faint smile playing around the corner of her mouth.

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked softly. "A maid servant and protected favourite of Lord Seiren? I don't think you'd find your life went much beyond your friend's if you did something like that to me."

"Who are you?" The retainer gazed at her warily. "Speak your name and your purpose, wench - if you're something to do with this miscreant..."

"I wish I could say otherwise." Nanaki found what she was looking for, pulling the cell keys from the dead guard's sash and getting to her feet, calmly walking across to the cell door and sliding the longest key into the rusting lock. The gold-eyed boy did not react, waiting patiently for her to release him, but the retainer lunged forward to grab her by the shoulder, trying to pull her forcibly away from the cage.

"You're a traitor to the Kuchiki! I'll have your head!" He threatened, and Nanaki ducked away from his grasp, turning to stare at him, her gaze completely cold.

"You really don't want to hang on to your life, do you?" She asked softly, as the cage door creaked open and a black-clad blur shot out of it, knocking the remaining retainer off his feet before he had realised what was happening and pinning him to the ground. Those determined black-gloved fingers closed just as firmly around this man's neck as they had around his comrade's, and Nanaki's nose wrinkled in disgust at the second faint 'crack'.

"You really are the most unpleasant creature to be around." She told her companion disdainfully, reaching over to pat him on the shoulder, and at her touch, the golden-eyed boy raised his head, slowly getting off his prey and gazing at her blankly. "But at least you're being a little bit useful in your own escape. Now comes the hard bit, though. Above ground is a kinsman of yours and someone I don't want to see me. We have to get out of here before he's brought to this place. And the only way of doing that...is to take those stairs and hope for the best."

She gestured, and her companion turned his head in the direction she had pointed.

"You should obey my instructions. He told me that you would, so do what I say." Nanaki said quietly. "Anyone who sees us, kill them. Understood? Anyone. No matter who they are. Nobody must remember me being here."

She bent to pick up the sword of the dead retainer, handing it to her companion.

"You can use this. I don't like you snapping necks - it makes me feel sick." She added. "And at least with that you can pretend you're a proper fighter, even though you're clearly not. Now come on. Follow me - and don't forget what I said."

She turned to hurry up the stairs, not turning to make sure that he was following her, for despite the lack of response, she knew that he was. Masaki had been very clear before she had left their hiding place - that that night he would answer to her commands, because he had strengthened his spell of control to enough of a degree that he would be able to hear clearly her instructions and force the puppet to obey. The swift way in which he had dispatched the guards in his way had given Nanaki fresh hope that this time there would be nothing amiss about the experiment - for she knew that maintaining full control over such a dead specimen was a patchy process at the best of times.  
_  
But he didn't try to hurt me. Only them. So he's progressed. He can distinguish ally from foe, which proves that he's more under our control right now than he has been before. I suppose I should be glad for small mercies._

They reached the top level at that juncture, and Nanaki could hear the sound of boots on cobbles as soldiers rushed to obey the orders of their captains and commanders. Yanagi had been ushered inside the manor by this point, but there was still a sizeable guard loitering in the vicinity, and Nanaki clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, gauging the best route to take to the _Senkaimon_ and safety that waited just beyond the rear gate.

The soldiers were mostly in the front courtyard, but Nanaki had spent enough time at the Kuchiki manor to know that with recent events, the military personnel had more than doubled and that the chances of them escaping the notice of every retainer was unlikely.

But they couldn't loiter. The risk of being caught grew with every second they hesitated, and so in the end she sighed, grabbing her companion by the wrist and pulling him forward towards the cluster of trees that framed the rear exit of the grounds.

"Hey!"

The sound of a soldier's voice cut through her soul to the bone but she did not falter, aware that they had caught the attention of a stray handful of retainers and that if they paused for even the briefest moment, they would probably be captured. There would be no fooling Seiren a second time - not if she was in the company of the Shihouin boy, and Nanaki felt fear race through her blood as she realised the well-trained men were gaining on her and her companion.

"Move!" She hissed, but it was to no avail, for out of the blackness hands reached to grab her, holding her firm even as she struggled against her grip.

"We've got them, Taichou!" A man shouted exuberantly. "Skulking around the grounds!"

"One of them...it's the gold eyed demon, sir!" A second soldier exclaimed. "He's escaped...this wench has set him free!"

"Let me go!" Nanaki struggled to wrench herself free, but it was to no avail, for the man who held her was brawny and strong and determined not to let her slip his grasp.

"You're not going anywhere." He told her firmly, then, "Someone go alert Futsuki-dono! We'll get them down to the cells, and then..."

Before he could finish his sentence, though, his expression changed, and as though he had seen a ghost, his entire body stiffened. Nanaki felt the grip around her arms loosen, and she tugged herself free, glancing around her for any sign of her gold-eyed companion.

He was not where he had been a split second before, and a cold chill prickled down her spine as she saw the man who had moments earlier been holding her crumple in a pool of blood on the floor, his spine sliced through by the still dripping blade of the empty-eyed assassin.

"Grab him! Don't let them escape!" Immediately there was a frenzy around them, but Nanaki was not about to let herself get caught again. As one of the men grabbed around her throat, she felt the already weak clasp of the Kyouraku pendant give way beneath the pressure, but she had no intention of stopping. From the corner of her eye, she saw the blooded weapon swing down again, sending a spray of red out across the cobbles as a second guard fell and then a third, a fourth, a fifth groaning and writhing on the stones.

"Come on. Enough." Nanaki could hear the sound of reinforcements, and she grabbed her blood-splattered companion by the sleeve, yanking him forcibly towards the back gate and the safety of the _Senkaimon_.

Relief almost brought tears streaming down her cheek as she registered the gaping hole of nothingness between the two trees and she tightened her hold on the Shihouin's arm, pulling him forcibly into the tunnel behind her. In the black, she was aware faintly of the fluttering of the guiding butterfly, and as the gateway closed behind them, she let out her breath in a rush.

"You did as I told you." She murmured, casting her companion a glance, and he met her gaze with a flat one of his own.

She sighed.

"But because of you, my cover is probably up in smoke now." She added ruefully. "Still, we both got away with it. Come on. I have a report to make, even if you don't...I suspect we'll be disappearing into the black for a little while now, whilst the Kuchiki recover from this latest blow to their pride."

* * *

So they had out-thought him again.

Guren clenched and unclenched his fists, struggling to control the flare of rage and indignation that threatened to sear through him as he gazed down at the crumpled bodies of the two guards lying abandoned and discarded on the cold stone floor of the prison. Behind them, the door to the cell creaked freely in the night breeze, swinging slightly open and shut as if to taunt him all the more for the night's events. Somehow even here the people he sought had managed to elude him.

Above ground, the remaining men of Futsuki's rear guard were conducting searches in the surrounding area for the two figures who had been sighted fleeing into the night, but somehow Guren knew that they were already long gone. Soldiers lay bleeding and dead on the cobbles outside, too – more sacrifices that should have been prevented, more lives that should have been saved.

Futsuki would investigate this latest happening as thoroughly as he had investigated the last, but Guren still felt empty at the lack of evidence that they had to go on. It was a hollowing, sobering thought when he faced it, but of all of those who his enemies had targeted, he alone had escaped the confrontation unscathed.

_What kind of a Clan leader am I, if I can protect my own life but not anybody else's?_

He rested his hand against the wall of the prison.

_What kind of a Clan leader does that make me, Otousama, when that's as much as I'm able to do? More common born families have loved ones to grieve now – and we're no closer to putting the lid on this affair. Worse too, now the inadequacies of my Clan are open for all to see. You would not forgive me for that, I don't think, would you? You would never have let things get to a point like this._

"Someone is playing games with your family, Guren-sama." Yanagi's voice brought him back to the immediate problem, and the Kuchiki turned, meeting the golden eyes with a clouded look that almost bordered on resentment. The Shihouin's own amber gaze was grave, and at Guren's accusatory look, he bowed his head slightly.

"I can assure you that whoever that is, it is not the work of my family." He added softly. "My sister dispatched me here to identify the boy in your cells – but if I cannot do that, at least allow me to do what I can to help you in your enquiries."

There was a moment of silence, and then Guren sighed.

"Two fugitives were seen running from this place." He said wearily. "Soldiers gave chase but some were killed and others badly wounded. The rest did not clearly see who they were – but one of them must have been the boy we had secured here in this cell. My brother Futsuki is taking care of matters there and will report to me presently, but I imagine I know what he will say. That these people knew where he was and when to come and get that boy – in order to do that, they must have been aware that you were coming here tonight."

"Mm. Perhaps." Yanagi's lips thinned and he slowly nodded his head. "But that does not suggest guilt on the part of my family. On the contrary, Guren-sama…there is no benefit to us so long as the Kuchiki believe we had a hand in the assassination of their family's chief heir. My Clan are not strong enough to face yours in any kind of battle – even if we called on our allies, we would take grievous harm from it. Please accept my assurances that this was not my family's doing. We are not a Clan who seeks aggression with any other – but particularly not with yours."

"I wish I knew what to believe." Guren admitted. "I feel as though there are enemies in every corner, and I don't know who I should trust. People among my own retinue, or people from outside – any one of them could be conspiring against me and those I consider closest to me. You understand, Yanagi-dono – the position in which I find myself. I had hoped that tonight I could at least lay one question to rest. Instead I've opened up several others."

"Mm. Perhaps not."

Guren saw the younger man's gaze flit to the still corpses, then, slowly and carefully he bent at the side of the nearest, turning the body over with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What are you doing?" The Kuchiki demanded, and Yanagi raised his head, an apologetic look crossing his features.

"I am trained as an assassin." He said honestly. "And I understand the methods of murder probably more clearly than a man of your standing would when faced with an assault like this. I probably can't tell you beyond all doubt who killed your men, or who set your captive free. But there may still be things I can tell you – and if you will let me, I would like to try."

Guren stared at the young Shihouin in surprise, and Yanagi's lips twitched into a faint smile.

"A Shihouin's honour is an odd thing." He admitted, resting his hand against the cooling body of the guardsman. "I haven't forgotten that it was you who brought before the Council the suggestion of my release. Even despite the things I was undoubtedly involved in, you saw to forgiving me my crimes in order that I might support my sister and my Clan as they supported allies of their own. It's said that a Shihouin never forgets a grievance and kills silently to avenge it, even many years after the fact. Perhaps that is true. But it's also the case that we never forget a kindness – and that should also be repaid with just as much resolution as a slight."

"Meaning that you seek to repay a debt?" Guren was taken aback. "My suggestion was made for the good of the Endou and for the stability of District Seven. It wasn't…"

"I understand the reasons." Yanagi inclined his head. "But the fact is that my freedom was given by you. I do not consider you my enemy, nor an enemy of my family. And if I can help you, I will do so. I understand as well how it feels to see your family manipulated and destroyed by a force in the shadows. Midori has raised with me the possibility that this may have connections to those incidents some years ago. That is also why I'm here, as opposed to a more respectable member of the Shihouin Clan. I have knowledge of the darkness, shall we say – and my assassin wits are more potent than many others among my generation."

"Then whatever you can tell me, please, tell me." Guren gestured towards the corpse helplessly, and Yanagi nodded.

"Whoever killed them took them by surprise." He said thoughtfully. "And probably it wasn't a planned attack. There's no sign of a weapon having been used – the life was throttled out of them by someone's hands but there are no nail marks in the skin, so I would think whoever killed this man probably wore gloves."

"The assassin boy wore gloves. Black ones, made of common cloth." Guren interjected. "Go on."

"Whoever did it had strength, too. I'd wager the one that killed them was a man, probably of their height or thereabouts – no less, and of reasonably fit build." Yanagi extended a finger to push the dead man's face from one side to the other, as if absorbing every bruise and lesion that the corpse's cooling had brought to the surface. "He has not been dead very long, either. The body is cooling, but has not stiffened nor begun to break down into spirit particles yet. And there is no foreign reiatsu to be found near this one's body."

He raised his gaze.

"I would say that the one who killed them was probably your captive." He admitted with a sigh, running his hand along the dead man's shoulders and then to his wrists. Carefully he lifted the left arm, examining the fingers of the hand carefully, then nodding his head.

"Scuffed, as though he fought for his life against something – his nails are broken, so maybe the door of the cage was involved in this. That said, though, he has some black fibres caught in his nails…"

His eyes narrowed and he drew his distinctive Shihouin dagger from his belt, using the tip to prise free what was caught in the broken nail. Dropping it onto the palm of his hand, he raised it so that Guren could see it.

"Black cloth – cheap, so easily torn." He said frankly. "And something else. Something that troubles me most of all, Guren-sama. A single hair...of deep violet hue."

"You acknowledge, then, that the one who killed my men was a Shihouin?" Guren asked acidly, and Yanagi nodded his head.

"It seems so to me." He agreed heavily. "But the hair also bears no reiatsu, not even the faintest trace. A proper assassin can suppress his spirit power to an infinitesimal degree, it's true. But that suppression doesn't spread to lost hairs or broken nails. For that reason a Shihouin assassin is trained not to leave a trace at the scene of a crime to which they do not want to be connected."

He clicked his tongue pensively against the roof of his mouth, then,

"Whoever committed this crime was careless, and left traces of himself behind. This hair should bear the life print of the one from whom it came – but it does not. From this hair alone I cannot identify your killer – but because I cannot read the reiatsu, I suspect…that it was probably Onoe Tomoyuki who was held in your cells here. Misashi-dono's hypothesis may be founded in some truth – your men were killed by a puppet corpse dancing to someone else's commands."

"The command of Aizen Keitarou?" Guren asked softly. Yanagi nodded, getting to his feet and moving across to where the second man lay flat on his back, his eyes staring up in sightless fear towards the ceiling.

"There's no evidence to back up that idea." He agreed. "But you should keep the possibility in mind."

He cast his gaze over the second corpse, then bent to close the man's glassy eyes.

"This one died in much the same way, though he put up less of a fight." He said with a frown. "Neither of them were killed with a weapon, but you said that your soldiers outside were cut down?"

"Yes. Two dead, and I believe another four took serious injury." Guren nodded.

"Then probably they took a sword from here." Yanagi nudged his foot against the scabbard of the nearest soldier. "This is empty. The murder weapon there was probably the sword missing from this soldier's sheath. I don't suppose you'll catch them now, Guren-sama. I suspect that they achieved their aim and are long gone."

Before Guren could respond, there was a knock at the door of the chamber, and it slid back to reveal Futsuki, a grim look in his dark grey eyes.

"Guren-sama, calm has been restored to the inner and outer courtyard and physicians are tending to the wounded men." He said quietly, his uncharacteristic formality telling the Clan leader just how severely his kinsman viewed this situation. "The dead have been removed to a quiet location and their families will be informed. The same with these two, with your permission. That makes a total of four dead and four who may yet lose their lives – though all is being done to try and save them, at least one will probably not take active service again."

He slipped his fingers into his _obi_, pulling out something that glinted in the light.

"One of my soldiers retrieved this from one of the fleeing figures before they managed to escape the Kuchiki grounds." He added softly, holding it out and Guren reached out his hand, allowing his companion to drop the object into his palm. "He told me quite clearly and coherently before he lost consciousness that he had taken that from 'the serving wench'. I'm sure when you see it you won't need me to tell you who that might be."

Guren gazed at the pendant, anger and dismay welling up in equal measure inside his heart as he took in what it was.

"Kyouraku Nanaki." He whispered, and Yanagi started, casting the Clan leader a quizzical look.

"Kyouraku…Nanaki?" He repeated. "Who…may I ask, who is that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Guren's hand tightened around the pendant as rage threatened to override common sense. For a brief moment, reiatsu flickered dangerously from his aura, then he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"It seems that we have taken a viper and sheltered it when we should have hunted it with swords." He said grimly. "The girl is involved in this business – there is now no doubt in my mind about that. I will take this and speak to Tokutarou-dono about his kin – I will find out once and for all what this pendant means and who it belongs to. Yanagi-dono, I may ask you to accompany me when I do…from your assessment of this scene tonight, I believe your insight may be of further use to me."

"I'm at your service. My sister has given me instruction to do whatever I can to assist you in resolving things so that the Shihouin's name is cleared." Yanagi acquiesced. "But from the sounds of it, you have another line of enquiry."

"For tonight, I suggest you withdraw to your quarters and rest." Guren said evenly. "You've had a long journey and my family will ensure that you are well fed and provided with all you might need with no harm to your person. Believe me, Yanagi-dono – I take that duty very seriously, and even more so because of tonight. My men will personally see to your security."

A wry smile touched Yanagi's lips.

"I imagine I'd be quite difficult to kill." He said simply. "But I appreciate the gesture all the same. Thank you, Guren-sama. I won't refuse your hospitality."

He bowed his head, withdrawing from the room, and Guren gestured for the soldiers that had followed Futsuki to the prison chamber to escort him to the upper part of the manor complex. Soon Futsuki and Guren were left alone, and a heavy silence fell over the brothers as Futsuki cast his gaze over the dead guards.

"I want to know where Shirogane is." Guren was the first to speak. "More than anything now, I want to know what information he fled with and where he might have gone. If he did attack the girl, I imagine that he did so only because he saw what she really was – a true motive that his disappearance has so far concealed. The fact he doesn't seem to have crossed borders troubles me – that he might have fallen foul of someone or something and it may already be too late to hear his evidence."

"Seiren has been searching and will doubtless continue to do so." Futsuki sighed. "But in the circumstances, Guren, do you think that it's wise to bring Shirogane back here? If he knows something, his life is doubtless in danger. If he doesn't, who knows what kind of a reception Seiren will give him."

"Seiren's witness is no longer credible." Guren said blackly, holding up the pendant so that it glittered in the light, and Futsuki nodded.

"Agreed." He said grimly. "But Seiren is not an easy man to persuade when he's got his mind set on something. He will probably interpret it as the girl being kidnapped by your attacker – and without anything clearer to give him as proof, he will still connect the business to Shirogane."

"You said you had a witness?"

"Yes, but the man who took the pendant is the most severely injured of my men." Futsuki ran his fingers through his thick dark hair, loosening the tie that held the black locks in place. "Whilst his life may be saved, it will probably be some time before he is fit enough to give evidence before the court. Without going into great graphic detail, Guren, he was lucky not to be killed outright."

A hollow smile touched his lips.

"He's a loyal man, so he held on to his wits as long as he could in order to report to me and give me the chain." He added. "But that was sheer force of will alone. I doubt he'll fight for me again – if he does, it will be some months together before he'll be considered fit enough to hold a sword."

"And the other men?"

"Several saw the boy clearly, but only that one man was able to identify his companion. The other men saw a second figure – but none of them saw her face. At least, the others who did were killed for what they saw. As I said – this man's injuries mean he's fortunate not to have died."

"I see." Guren groaned. "So while we do have a witness, in such circumstances…"

"It really does make me wonder what Shirogane may have discovered." Futsuki agreed grimly. "Whether they targeted him because they thought he knew too much – or whether he was just a convenient scapegoat. Though while I agree he needs to be found, that risk makes me hesitate. If he is found…it may be better for him not to be here. For his own safety as well as for the safety of people here."

"I see. And I understand." Guren rubbed his temples. "All right. So you think that for now this should be kept from Seiren completely?"

"Tonight's events cannot be." Futsuki shook his head. "But the involvement of the _hime_ – yes. I heard from the chatter of his men with mine that he slipped out of the manor without retinue to meet with someone a few days past. I think it was very likely he met with the girl, and perhaps during their conversation, he…"

"Told her where the prisoner was held." Guren's head snapped up, and Futsuki sighed.

"I don't suspect Seiren of treason." He said frankly. "But I do think he's unreasonable at times, and stubborn even when it comes to being his mistake. He believes the girl was a victim, assaulted by Shirogane and he has his reasons for doing so. But because he clearly trusts her…and he knows that both you and I favour Shirogane in more than one regard…"

"Better not to create more trouble than we must." Guren murmured. "If Seiren did tell the girl where that boy was held, then he probably did so by accident. But his behaviour…he's focused so much on Shirogane's erratic actions, but Futsuki, of all people don't you think that Seiren himself has acted the most strangely since my son was killed?"

"Yes, but in the circumstances, it's understandable." Futsuki sank back against the wall, folding his arms across his chest. "Seiren's one focus and pride in this world has always been that son of his – and now he sees the chance for Ryuu to achieve all the things he hoped for. Ryuu was born to be the heir to the Clan, don't forget. Ribari-sama was a good few years younger, so for three or four years Ryuu was unofficially considered to be your future heir. Seiren's just reverting to how he felt then – he'll probably believe anything that will help him push Ryuu to the forefront of this family once again."

"At present I feel…my twin brother to be very far from me in all things, Futsuki." Guren grimaced. "This is the first time since Otousama died that I have considered keeping matters of state from him – even considered his actions to be putting the family at risk. We exchanged heated words when I told him of Yanagi-dono's coming, even though he understood my reasons why - and I felt old barriers go back into place. And more than that..."

He frowned, remembering the conversation about Senaya's _nikki_.

_As though Seiren knew pages had been taken from it at a time when I did not - and yet never once has he said anything regarding it, not even after that letter was found._

"I feel…as though there are things he is holding back from me, too." He concluded with a sigh. "It's as though things are slipping back towards a time when we did not talk and we did not share. I do not know what he is thinking, and it makes me hesitate."

"Senaya-sama would be grieved if he thought that was true." Futsuki said lightly, and Guren nodded.

"He would, but you cannot force friendship between foes." He said tiredly. "And the bonds between Seiren and I were forged in adversity, not in family affection. On this matter we are divided – and for now we will probably remain so. Very well. I will see Tokutarou-dono as soon as I am able and we will go from there. In the meantime, ensure that Seiren's men understand if Shirogane is found, he is to be brought back alive to face my questions. I can trust you to do that, I think, and he'll take it easier from you than he will if I give him a command."

"You can, and I will." Futsuki nodded. "But if he has any wisdom about him, Guren – that boy will keep his head down and stay in hiding until this whole matter is resolved. When Shirogane re-emerges into the light, a lot of truths might become exposed. But that might also be the time his life is really targeted – and I don't want to see more young Kuchiki blood spilt."

"Nor I." Guren agreed. "Ribari is already too great a sacrifice. I won't allow it to happen again, Futsuki – for the sake of this Clan, I will not!"

* * *

"There. I'm almost done now."

Miyabi sat back on her heels, setting the rough-bristle brush aside as she eyed her handiwork with a critical eye. It was the next evening in District Six, and despite the young girl's intentions to groom the dust and straw from their visitor's hair, Shirogane's need to sleep and replenish his energy reserves had taken priority. Miyabi had not given up on her task, however, and that afternoon had seen her taking her own brush to the nobleman's curly dark hair, her work only broken by the need for an evening meal. To Shirogane's surprise, Miyabi had chosen to take her food with him in the sick room, rather than downstairs with her family, and the nobleman had realised with a jolt that Hiroyuki's words had been true – the Ukitake family had broken down their barriers and had almost adopted their patient as one of their own.

Proud as he was and disdainful as he had always been of the 'common folk', Shirogane had found himself enjoying this sudden attention. It was not like being fawned over by servants who kept their respectful distance and followed his every command, nor was it like being looked up to and followed by the shinigami of Sixth Squad, but there was a warmth to the Ukitake family's informality that was entirely new to him. Though many of the youngsters had now dropped the polite turns of speech that his status as a Clan member merited, Shirogane was surprised to find that he liked it better that way. They had made him belong – and in a world where he had lost all his bearings, to have allies was a very precious thing.

_They may be allies with no power or influence and they can do little to really protect me should I come under threat from home. But their company helps my spirits…and perhaps their kindness makes me more able to focus on the path I face ahead._

"Your hair is really quite long for a boy, Shirogane-nii." Miyabi was speaking now, and Shirogane turned to glance at her. "Do all of your family have hair as long as yours? It must be hard to keep it tidy when you're doing stuff like sword practice or fighting against Hollows."

Shirogane reached up to touch the ends of his dark hair ruefully, nodding his head.

"Long hair is customary in the Clan." He agreed. "But perhaps not quite as long as mine. My mother used to want me to keep it long, since I inherited Father's curls and it was a memento of him for her after he was killed. I suppose I kept with it even after she passed away – perhaps for the same reason, but probably out of habit more than anything else. I usually tie it back – but since I've been here, I suppose I haven't had the strength to bother."

"Well, that's no good." There was a faintly scolding note in Miyabi's tones. "You shouldn't have pretty long hair if you're not going to take good care of it. Look, I'll tie it in a ribbon for you. Then it won't get so tangled – that's all right, isn't it?"

She turned at this point, sending a doubtful glance to the figure who stood in the doorway, and at her question, Hiroyuki laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"You shouldn't ask me, squirt. You should ask your patient." He said playfully. "If Shirogane-dono doesn't mind you playing with his hair, it's nothing to do with me."

"I have no objection." Shirogane acknowledged. "It is a warm night tonight and I grant my hair would be better out of my face, especially if I am going to manage to write something this evening."

"Ah yes. About that." Hiroyuki nodded, stepping into the chamber proper and pulling a sheaf of cheap parchment paper out from where it had been curled up in his sash. "It's not Clan quality, I'm afraid, but I spoke to Kamikura and he's willing to be your messenger – he'll take your letter for you and send it through his usual channels. It won't be there as fast as you'd probably get it if you sent it through Clan messengers – but it will get there safely enough, I'd imagine. The same people deliver most of Kamikura's letters to District One, and none have ever gone astray."

"Thank you." Shirogane held out his hand for the paper, even as he felt Miyabi's delicate hands gather up his thick mane of hair, looping a wide piece of white ribbon around it before tying it firmly in a bow. "And thank you to you too, Miyabi. Already I feel a little cooler – I didn't realise that District Six could be warm like this."

"I suppose being stuck in a stuffy chamber in bed like that doesn't help." Hiroyuki said thoughtfully. "Juu-nii's said the same thing…that he hates being confined in here when sick and he always has the window shutters pushed right back like this if it's in the summer. His favourite place to go is the coves – but we can't risk you being seen outside of the house, so…"

"I can bear it." Shirogane assured him. "I am finding myself surprisingly able to bear many things recently."

A wry smile touched his lips.

"Perhaps I lost more than blood in my conflict with my Uncle's retainers."

"I brought the ink, Hiro-nii!" Before either Hiroyuki or Miyabi could reply, fingers appeared at the window, followed by the tousled head of Shinkei and Shirogane's eyes widened as the young boy pulled himself into the chamber, flinging his legs over the sill and perching on the stone shelf, rummaging around in his clothing for the small vial of black liquid. At length he found it, setting it down on the ledge beside him with a grin of triumph.

"There it is. I knew I had it here somewhere."

"You're going to give Okaasama a heart spasm if she sees you jumping in and out of windows again." Hiroyuki scolded, crossing the chamber to tap his brother smartly across the brow. "You're too old for it now, Shin-kun, and setting the younger ones a horrible example."

"Well, I learnt from your horrible example, so there's no hope for me." Shinkei was not at all perturbed. "Besides, it was quicker that way than walking all the way down from the study and back up to Juu-nii's room. And I did bring the ink, so there's no need to hit me."

"I never clambered in and out of windows." Hiroyuki glowered, and Shirogane was amused by the grin Shinkei gave him in return.

"No, you just set fire to stuff. Chi-nee told me so." He said cheekily. His gaze flitted to Shirogane, and his grin widened.

"You look less fancy and fussy now Miyabi's done something with your hair. And less pale too, I think – don't you think so, Hiro-nii?"

"He does look better." Hiroyuki had clearly given it up as a bad job, for he allowed the subject to change, nodding his head. "Shinkei, did you remember the brush as well? Shirogane-dono can't write with his fingernails, so if you didn't…"

"I did." Shinkei pulled a face, rummaging once more inside his tattered kimono and pulling out a worn writing brush. "See? I can do as I'm told to do."

He slipped down off the sill, gathering up his prizes and setting them down on the bed beside the patient.

"Are you going to be able to write there, though?" He asked, concerned. "I can't write unless it's a flat surface – my kanji wobbles all over the place if I try."

"Your kanji does that anyway. Kamikura-sensei said so." Miyabi said smartly, shuffling off the bed and reaching to pick up Shirogane's discarded dinner tray. "But you can use this, Shirogane-nii. I'll take the plates downstairs to Anika and you can use the tray as a writing board. Then you should be able to manage, shouldn't you?"

"I'm sure I'll manage just fine." Shirogane agreed, taking the proffered board and unrolling a length of the parchment, smoothing it out over the wood with a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

_Cheap paper, but of good enough quality to take ink, I imagine. Perhaps not what I'm used to – but I'm in no position to complain about that._

Out loud he said,

"Thank you. I am building up my debts to your family quite substantially."

"It's all right. You're Juu-nii's friend, and you helped protect us from the soldiers, so we should help you." Miyabi told him firmly. "Juu-nii would expect us to do that, and he'd be cross if we didn't."

"Well, I have other jobs to do, so I'll leave you to Shinkei and Miyabi's care." Hiroyuki cast Shirogane a smile. "When your letter's done, if you want to give it to one of them, they'll get it to Kamikura. He's planning to walk into town tomorrow – so he can take it then, I expect."

"I cannot give you coin with which to pay the courier." Shirogane realised with a jolt, and Hiroyuki snorted.

"Kill some Hollows for us when you're fit." He said off-handedly. "That's your job, isn't it? If you do that, then the debt's repaid and more. Hollows kill people they shouldn't kill – but we're not strong enough to fight them. They haven't come to this area for a while – but that doesn't mean the danger's gone."

"Papa was killed by a Hollow." Miyabi said softly, and Shirogane saw the genuine melancholy in her dark eyes. He frowned, reaching out to grasp and squeeze her hands instinctively.

"I'll do my duty as a shinigami, whether my Clan take me back or they do not." He said gravely. "I'll give you my word here and now, Miyabi – and to you too, Shinkei-dono, Hiroyuki-dono – so long as it is in my power to do so, I will stop Hollows ravaging the Districts and causing people distress."

"Then it's all fine with us." Hiroyuki said simply. "Get writing. It's already late, and Shiki-chan will be up here soon. She'll start fussing if she thinks you're going to stay up late."

"She is a very strict nurse – but a fair one, too." Shirogane acknowledged. "Very well. I shall follow your advice and see what I can do."

_Though it will not be an easy letter to pen. But I shall persevere. I must do that. In order to be able to keep the promise I just made as much as for any other reason. _

His brow creased in concentration.

_A dead shinigami or a dead Clansman has no use or value in this world. All we can do we must do while we live – and so we must do what we can to ensure we keep living. Ribari-sama's death taught me that – a lesson I shall not easily forget._

"Are you still awake, Shirogane-nii?"

Shikiki pushed back the wooden divide, poking her chubby head around the door and casting him a grin. "Oh, you're writing? Anika wanted to know if she could have your dishes, but…"

"I was going to take them." Miyabi looked guilty. "I'll take them down to her now, Shikiki. Now you're here, Shirogane-nii won't be on his own."

"Hey! What about me!" Shinkei was indignant. "I'm here too, Miya-chan – or am I invisible now?"

"No, but you're no use when it comes to taking care of a sick person." Miyabi tossed her head. "Hiro-nii trusted that to Shikiki and I. You climb in and out of windows like a monkey, so of course he wouldn't ask you."

"I was only the one who found Shirogane-dono in the first place." Shinkei shot back. "So mind your manners, Miya-chibi."

"Don't call me that!" Miyabi pouted, and despite himself Shirogane began to laugh.

At the unexpected reaction, the two squabbling siblings turned to stare at him, and Shikiki sighed, dropping down on the end of her patient's bed.

"You should both shut up. You're making it hard for Shirogane-nii to write." She said reproachfully. "And he won't sleep before he's finished, so that will make it even later."

"It's all right." Shirogane shook his head. "I am not used to it – to sibling squabbles of this nature. But seeing you…reminded me of some things I had forgotten."

_Of the times that Meroka and I would spat and squabble as children and the way she would fuss around after me…memories I felt were an irritation, but now I recall them with a strange kind of fondness. At that time I had a family, though it was her family and not mine. Who would have thought it…that I'd watch District children fight and feel nostalgic for that past?_

"Forgotten?" Miyabi's ears pricked up, and Shirogane nodded.

"I used to have a cousin who I fought with a lot…but we played together often." He said, tapping the end of his brush idly against the tray. "I am realising that I was fond of her – and that those memories were good ones. That's all."

"Your family's kind of messed up, if you don't mind me saying." Shinkei said bluntly.

"Well, since you've said it, it hardly matters if he minds or not." Miyabi poked out her tongue. "You're an idiot, Shin-nii. You should go downstairs and help there – you can't do anything much here."

"I'm older than you, so pipe down." Shinkei was not having any of it. "You're making more fuss than I am and you're meant to be taking dishes to Anika - isn't that what you said? Take them already. Shirogane-dono doesn't belong to you, you know."

"I'm going to." Miyabi bristled. "And even if you did find him, so what? You couldn't even read his name!"

"So what? I don't know every kanji."

"I bet you can't even read what this says." Miyabi reached over to scoop up the scrap of folded paper that lay on the bedside unit, waving it in her brother's direction. "Can you?"

"I can too." Shinkei stuck out his tongue. "It says Kyouraku. That's what. And Nana. And hime. So there."

"Kyouraku Nanaki." Shirogane reached out to take the scrap from Miyabi's small fingers, running his gaze over it a second time, and Miyabi sent him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Shirogane-nii. I forgot it was important to you."

"Mm..no." Shirogane shook his head, raising his gaze to meet Shinkei's thoughtfully. "Please, Shinkei-dono – say again what you thought it said."

"Why?" Shinkei was confused. "You already corrected me – you know what it says, so…?"

"Yes." Shirogane agreed. "But your way of interpreting it – of reading the kanji…please, say it again."

"Kyouraku. Nana…and hime." Shinkei was nonplussed, but obediently did as he was bidden. "Like that?"

"Indeed." Shirogane placed the scrap against the rough parchment. "Kyouraku. Nana. Seven. Hime. Princess. That's what it says, is it not?"

"He only knows that because he can count to ten and because there's a _hime_ in my name, too." Shikiki reflected. "It's not that impressive really, Shirogane-nii. Shinkei-nii is really bad at kanji."

"But on the contrary, what he's said has given me cause for thought." Shirogane's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps I am over thinking it. But those are indeed the characters for seven…and for princess."

He lifted his brush, dipping it in the ink.

"I must write." He said softly. "I cannot delay contacting what allies I may still have any longer. Perhaps there is nothing to this name, and perhaps there is everything. But I intend on sending this with my letter to Genryuusai-sensei…and perhaps he will make clearer sense of it than I can."


	38. Strained Bonds

**Chapter Thirty Seven: Strained Bonds**

"I'm sure I warned you what would happen, Oniisama, if you allowed a Shihouin to enter our land."

Seiren turned from his place by the window, displeasure rippling through his body as he faced his twin's troubled expression with a self-righteous one of his own.

"The one who tried to kill you is now free - and lurking among our halls is the presence of another trained in much the same way. The Clan leader's brother he may be, but do you think that his intentions are any different from the rat that scuttled from your cells?"

"I do not seek war."

Guren closed the door of his study, inwardly bracing himself for the clash of tempers and wits that his brother's displeasure would bring to the discussion. It was the morning after the prison breakout, and as the Kuchiki manor struggled to return to a sense of normality after yet another night of bloodshed, the Clan leader had returned from an urgent meeting with regional representatives to find his twin waiting for him inside of the old study.

From the stiffness of Seiren's demeanour, Guren knew that describing his brother as angry would be an understatement. Yet he too was weary – and still reeling from the effects of the previous evening.

Despite everything, though, as he had arisen that morning after a bare two hours of sleep, Guren had come to a realisation. In Yanagi's sombre golden eyes he had seen something he had not expected to see – an honesty that told him that the Shihouin were as much victims in this as his family were before them. Whether the one who had escaped the prison cells was or was not a blood kinsman of that family, Guren no longer believed that this was a conspiracy of Shihouin against his Clan.

But the alternative was far more terrifying to contemplate – that a man who had assassinated at least one Clan leader and who had evaded the justice of the Council of Elders for more than a century could now be working once more from the shadows, pulling his puppet strings and watching as the noble families one by one fell victim to his whims.

If Aizen Keitarou was involved, he was truly the bringer of chaos – and a greater threat to the stability of this world than the increasing quantity of Hollows that managed to slip through the spirit world divide.

But for now, Guren had no choice but to focus on the problem immediately in front of him. And as he saw the reproach in his brother's eyes, he realised with a heavy sigh that it was a problem that had been sleeping, not resolved by the death of their father.

_Seiren and I are still strangers below our political unity._

Guren ran his gaze over his brother's proud, indignant form.

_He makes his judgements and I make mine. Unlike Father and Kinnya-ojisama, there is nothing more to our alliance than necessity. Whilst Father and his brother argued, they were close enough to do so without the Clan falling into tatters. Seiren and I have never had that closeness. We have never wanted each other…and now those bonds are being pushed fully to their limits as our interests diverge._

"I do not suspect the Shihouin of complicity in this matter, Seiren." He said out loud now, keeping his tones level and calm. "There is no evidence to suggest that they are responsible. I will not pursue leads that do not exist."

"No evidence?" Seiren wheeled on his companion, disbelief in his grey eyes. "When you had a man of that family locked in a cell here for days together and you tell me there was no evidence? Did you forget the way in which our Father died so easily, Guren-nii - and even the death of your only son too, for that matter! We had a Shihouin and now he is free. He got free the night that you brought a Shihouin to District Six on the understanding of assistance. Don't you see what's going on here? Just as they did when Father died - they're plotting to destroy us now in the same way they did then!"

"You are jumping to conclusions." Guren began, reaching out to put a hand on his brother's shoulder, but Seiren snorted, casting the hand away.

"_You_ are being foolish." He said blackly. "And it will like as not kill you, too. If you can't learn from the mistakes Father made..."

"Do you think my life so easy to steal as that?" Guren's pride was rankled now. "I'm Clan leader, Seiren. I'm not a weak man, and I can fight for my own survival. Father was taken off guard, it's true. But I understand the past and because of it, I'm trusting Yanagi-dono to help me find the killer of my son. There have been things discussed at the Council, too - possible leads and information, not to mention the offer of assistance from other families in the Gotei. Our enemy is not the Shihouin Clan. I feel strongly now that..."

"_That's _why I call you a fool!" Seiren erupted at this point, anger and frustration flashing in his slate grey eyes as he wheeled on his companion accusingly. "Do you understand what would happen to this family if you were to be killed, you idiot? And more, what Father expected of you - of us - when he died and left the family in our hands? _We are the Kuchiki_. We don't need the help and pandering of other families to solve our problems. What we need is strength and decisiveness - and since Ribari-sama was killed, you've lacked both of those things! You can't even name an heir for fear of them being attacked - or maybe for another reason altogether!"

"I have not given you leave to speak to me like this." Guren's brows knitted together as he realised his brother had thoroughly lost his temper and that the discussion was rapidly deteriorating into the kind of argument they had had as teenagers - times which had often been settled at the point of a sword. At least once during their childhood, Seiren had pointed his blade to Guren's throat, for despite Guren's superior spirit power, Seiren's skill with a sword was a well polished art, and in full view of a horrified courtyard of serving staff, Guren had been forced to yield. That memory surfaced now, rankling again against his pride, and he frowned, chewing on his lip as he fought against his own rising temper.

"_I_ am leader of this Clan." he added softly. "It was _me_ that Father left the family to. Not _us_, Seiren. _Me_. I will act as I see fit - you are here to advise me, but you are _not_ here to command me."

Seiren's eyes narrowed to near slits, and he opened his mouth as if to retort, but thought better of it, clamping his jaw shut and folding his arms across his chest. There was a moment of awkward silence, and then at length the other man spoke.

"I have no other reason to be here except to serve this Clan with my loyalty and my advice." He said flatly. "I have no spirit power, and I am no use to the family as a shinigami. But I am not oblivious, Guren-nii. I know what my position here is and what I should or should not be doing. At present I have but one objective in my mind. To protect this Clan the way Father expected - from killers in the shadows who seek to steal lives."

"I've not said otherwise." Guren was irritated now. "I've never doubted your loyalty and Father didn't either - even if your moods are unreasonable and your actions stubborn and obsessive, you have served this family in the way he expected and I have never stood in your way. But for you to question my judgement in this way is out of line. Even behind the closed doors of my study, in the circumstances..."

"Kinnya-ojisama used to do so to Father, did he not?" Seiren raised a quizzical gaze, and Guren's lips thinned.

"I am not Father." he said pointedly. "And you are not Kinnya-ojisama."

"No." Seiren's features darkened, as though Guren's words had held another meaning for him, and he shook his head. "Clearly we are not."

"There is some evidence to suggest the young boy who attacked me was being manipulated by outside forces." Guren decided to try the calmer approach again, knowing that the last thing he needed was for members of the house staff to hear them shouting at one another in the privacy of the central study. "We're dealing with a level that everyone on the Council agrees is beyond the know-how of the Shihouin. Yanagi-dono has come here knowing he'd get a hostile reception - and he has more or less received frosty hospitality from most of the members of the court. Despite that, though, he has already been helpful in his knowledge of assassin arts and we have learnt things from the bodies of the soldiers killed. I truly believe he means to help us further, Seiren, in order to clear his family's name. The past is past and all those associated with it are no longer here. We shouldn't fall into the trap of reliving what has already gone before."

Seiren's eyes became cold and hard.

"Your son lies dead." He said bluntly. "His spirit gone from this world, and for what reason? Tell me that, Oniisama, and I will grant you your whim of mercy towards that Clan. But the truth is you don't know any more than I do why Ribari-sama was killed. And just because your son is already lost beyond help doesn't mean that others of us have sons whose lives may be in danger. It is not over – you act as though it is a wound that can begin to mend, but it is not."

"_Don't _speak of Ribari as though he's a discarded object, rather than someone for whom I cared deeply!" Guren exclaimed, giving up all pretence of reason as Seiren's words raked cruelly against his grief. He banged his fists down on his desk to emphasise his point, fixing his brother with a furious glower.

"_You_ have no comprehension of how I feel about that - you who have your wife living, and five children besides cannot understand even for a moment what a widower like me feels when his only son is murdered in cold blood! I want justice for Ribari more than anyone - _especially_ more than you do, since _your_ focus has been more on securing Ryuu the succession than anything beyond! _Do not _presume to tell me how I feel about the situation. You have _no idea_ how I feel...no idea at all."

A strange look entered Seiren's gaze, and the other man nodded his head.

"I cannot understand what it is to have my son stolen from me." He said quietly. "But I _can_ understand what it feels like to have had taken everything else."

"What do you mean?" Guren was on his guard, and Seiren shook his head.

"You wouldn't understand even if I spelt it out for you." He said wearily. "You never have understood, Guren-nii. Everything I've done since Ribari-sama was killed was for the sake of this family. My son is the only heir surviving - and of course I want him to succeed you. But I don't want to see him - or you - or anyone else murdered because of conspirators in the shadows. I don't know what leads the Council has given you -but this is a _Kuchiki_ matter and what is right in front of us is unlikely to be an illusion. The letters. The assassin. Nanaki-hime's statements - they all tie together. But your heart is soft, Oniisama. You still think to protect Shirogane even when blood may be on that boy's hands. And because of that..."

"You have not found him." Guren cut across his companion. "And until you do, we will not discuss his guilt or otherwise. I will give him a fair hearing, Seiren. Your men may keep searching for him, but on that understanding...the final judgement in this will be mine."

"I know, as everything is." Seiren muttered. "None of us exist except for your sake. Father told me enough times as a boy that my purpose was to shadow you and create the Clan _you_ wanted, regardless of my own will. I've done that for this long - I understand how I should act."

"Seiren..." Guren stared at his brother, his anger momentarily sidelined by the genuine flicker of resentment in his companion's gaze. There was another pause, then,

"You knew, didn't you, that Father's _nikki _was incomplete?" Guren did not know why he raised the question, but at the startled, half-hunted expression that crossed his twin's face, he knew that his assumption had been right. "Why didn't you tell me? No, more importantly, why is that the case? What was taken from that book that future generations of this family should not be allowed to see? I don't understand - but...I think that you do."

Seiren did not answer right away, then slowly he shook his head.

"The _nikki_ was in Kinnya-ojiue's possession when Father died." He said flatly. "Father gave it to him, so far as I understand it, before he slipped into his final coma. And Ojiue gave the book to you once you were properly accepted and sworn in as Head of the Clan. _I_ have never had possession of it. You are mistaken if you think I took anything from its pages. If there are pieces missing, then you should address your concern to our Uncle, and not to me. As I told you, I am simply the shadow in the background, doing the job Father gave me to do and no more."

"That isn't an answer."

"I don't have another." Seiren said matter of factly. "But whilst we're speaking like this, I want to know something too. You haven't given up on choosing Shirogane as your heir, have you? Teitou's crazy suggestion has lodged somewhere in your mind - your concern for Shirogane since he disappeared has been far greater than the safety of my son in District One."

"Genryuusai-sama is a man who can protect Ryuu so far as that is needed." Guren said evenly. "And the laws of this Clan forbid any but agnatic inheritance. _You_ are the one who is paranoid about Shirogane. Not me."

"But..."

"I love Shirogane dearly. Ribari did too." Guren cut across his brother. "For that reason I don't believe he would betray me. For that reason I am worried for him. As a Captain worries for his Vice Captain, Seiren."

"No." Seiren's eyes darkened once more. "As a Father worries for his son, Guren-nii."

Guren faltered, knowing that there was truth in Seiren's words, and the other man sighed.

"You think I haven't noticed, but I have." He said heavily. "That you pretend to be strict with him, but it is the strictness of a Father who wants his son to achieve. Shirogane has been your pet since Masane died - but even before then you were impressed by his ability. That favour you showed him has gone to the boy's head and we now find ourselves in this situation."

He moved towards the door, but paused, resting his hand against the smooth walnut frame as he fixed his companion with a piercing glare.

"You are too soft, sometimes." He said quietly. "And too eager to believe in people. The Shihouin. Shirogane. You should be more careful. _Especially_ of those you believe are close to you. Even kinsfolk can bare thorns. Don't forget that even I once brought my blade to your throat - and if even your shadow can do that, there are many other members of this family who can, too. You already said that you are not Father – but remember how Father died. You should be more careful of your own safety, Guren-nii. This world is full of dangers yet."

With that he was gone, and Guren sighed, sinking down behind his desk as the tension seeped out of his body.

_But you believe in people too, Seiren - dangerous people who doubtless mean us harm._

He slid his hand into his _obi_, retrieving the Kyouraku pendant and gazing at it pensively.

_Your hime is not who she seems either. Maybe there are enemies here, or maybe not. But one of us is treading in dangerous waters. And old quarrels are beginning to resurface. The arguments that were had about succession before Ribari was born have returned, but with more venom now. I haven't seen Seiren like that for a long time...it worries me where this is leading us to._

_

* * *

_

The ground was strewn with petals, the silver light of the gleaming moon casting a silvery edge to their naturally pastel colours and making them seem almost ghostly in the dim night haze. All around him, long, distorted shadows stretched from the branches of trees from which the petals fell like floral snow, coating the grass and making the whole area seem bright as a winter's night. A gentle, balmy breeze drifted across the meadow, and the leaves rustled gently against one another, creating a soft whisper that was the only sound in the night air.

Everything was peaceful.

Shunsui stepped pensively through the sleeping landscape, pausing to rest his hand against the trunk of the nearest tree as he surveyed his surroundings. There was nobody else there, but he could still feel the prickle of another's company lurking deep within the spreading pools of black that gathered beneath each heavy bough. It was as though the shadow was a lake of nothingness, reaching down, down, down to depths beyond his comprehension. And as he bent to touch his fingers to the edge of it, he was aware of a faint buzz of energy brushing against his skin.

He could not see anyone, but he knew that they were there.

"Kyouraku Shunsui!"

The voice came like a thunderclap out of the peaceful sky above, and Shunsui started, tripping over his feet and falling headlong into the abyss of black that had been the tree's shadow. Down, down, down he sank, surrounded by nothing but ebony emptiness on all sides as he fell deeper and faster into an endless pit of nothing.

From out of that darkness, hands seemed to reach out towards him, thin, white, skeletal hands all trying to grab at him and pull him in this direction or in that. Bony fingers dug into his skin and he struggled to free himself, trying to see from where the spectral limbs came.

But there was nothing around him except more shadow and night – the arms had no bodies and even the gleaming red eyes of Amaki were nowhere to be seen.

A loud crash like an explosion sent shockwaves through his system and the next moment the shadows had swept away, colour and light dancing before his eyes as he belatedly began to realise that he was not being sucked into a black hole after all. There was sound around him, and as he cautiously opened his eyes, he realised that someone was standing over him – someone with a look in their eyes that could only be described as homicidal.

Shunsui gulped, hurriedly gathering his wits as he raised his gaze to meet the angry one of an indignant Kidou instructor.

Around him he could hear the sound of his classmates laughing, and a sheepish smile touched his lips as he realised what had happened.

_I guess I fell asleep. Well. That's never happened before. Whoops._

"So you've decided to rejoin the class, have you?" Kazoe's words were like drops of ice, and Shunsui winced, schooling his features into the most apologetic and contrite expression that he knew how to muster. Despite his reputation for laziness, this truly was the first time he had actually fallen asleep in one of his classes, and as he gauged the teacher's clear annoyance, he reflected that of all of his subjects, Kidou was probably the worst one he could have chosen to try it.

_But with my training at night and with class work, Senior duties and Kaoru-chan during the day…I suppose it's not a surprise. I like my sleep too much for my body to give it up easily._

"Falling asleep in class is something that a First year would be ashamed of." Kazoe's words were cutting now, and an inexplicable sense of self-preservation caused Shunsui to flinch back just in time the avoid the sharp wooden cane as it came crashing down against the edge of his desk. "For a Senior it is _unforgivable in all respects_. I expect laziness and haphazard behaviour from you at the best of times, Kyouraku. But this…"

He trailed off, a dark glint in his gaze, and Shunsui swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry, Sensei." He said guiltily. "I don't have any excuses. I haven't slept very well these last few nights, but…that's no real justification, I know."

_**It's hard to sleep when you're training swords at midnight in the zanpakutou arena. Three nights running now – no wonder you're falling asleep in class.**_

Seibara's voice was faintly chiding, and Shunsui bit his lip.

_Shut up and go away. You and Amaki are to blame for that, so don't act as though I did something bad. If you want to bother about it, you feel guilty, Seibara. If you both weren't pushing me…_

_**You could train at a normal time, and then you'd be able to sleep.**_

_I don't want anyone to come near what you're teaching me until I know I can handle it and it won't pose them a threat. Your games are dangerous ones – I'm not going to put anyone else in harm's way. Besides, it would worry them if they saw me seriously putting my mind to learning something. They'd start to draw conclusions from it – and I don't want them to share the fears I have when I don't have any evidence for them aside from my own paranoia._

"I see." Kazoe's eyes became slits, and Shunsui dragged his attention back to the teacher's hawk-like gaze. "I dread to think what you've been up to that's meant you of all people have been losing sleep. You can't tell me that you're upset by recent events…"

He turned to indicate Ryuu, who jumped at the sudden attention.

"Your classmate is under far more pressure and you don't see him sleeping in class."

"I suppose I'm just a lazy oaf, at the end of the day. It's not easy to train that out of someone." Shunsui's usual insouciance was beginning to return and he twitched his lips into a faint smile. "But since this is the first time in four and a bit years I've done it, there's probably a good chance I won't do it again, Kazoe-sensei."

"I should strike your hands raw for your insolence, but by this point it's fairly clear I won't do anything except draw blood – I certainly won't fix your personality." Kazoe glared at him in disdain. "If you didn't submit such good papers and if you didn't make such good grades, I wouldn't bother to try teaching you. But it does seem that some of what I say goes into that vacuous mind of yours and occasionally it manages to stick."

The sound of the gong through the buildings at that moment made the rest of the class begin to gather their papers together, and Kazoe frowned, banging his cane once more against Shunsui's desk to indicate his displeasure.

"You may be Seniors, but you are still students. _I _will dismiss you, not the gong." He said warningly, and silence fell, his pupils exchanging glances but not daring to utter a word as they realised Kazoe was on the verge of really losing his temper.

For a moment nothing moved, then the teacher let out a heavy sigh.

"You are dismissed." He said wearily, but as the class began to file out of the chamber, he thrust his cane out to stop Shunsui from leaving.

"Kyouraku, since you didn't bother to attend this class with your fellows, I'll expect you to catch up the missed notes on your own time." He said acerbically. "Everyone else has been set an essay question. You can hope one of your classmates will be kind enough to share it with you. Even if you do need to take naps during the day time, I'm not going to spoon feed you as though you were an infant. Now go and think about that carefully. If it happens again…"

He trailed off pointedly, a look of foreboding in his eyes, and Shunsui bowed his head.

"Yes, sir." He said quietly. "I understand."

"Then get out." Kazoe sighed, lifting his cane so that the boy could pass. "I've had more than enough of you for one day."

With an inward sigh of relief, Shunsui obediently gathered his belongings together, sauntering across the classroom and out of the door to the hallway beyond.

"Well?" Juushirou was waiting for him, and at the white haired boy's searching expression, Shunsui grinned sheepishly, running his fingers through his tousled brown hair.

"I guess I didn't want to get to graduation without being able to say I'd taken a nap in class." He said off-handedly. "Though I could've picked my time and place a little better, that's for sure."

"Kazoe's expression when he realised you were snoozing was priceless, though." Kai's voice came from behind him, and Shunsui turned, realising that not just Juushirou but other members of the class had stopped back as well. "I thought he was going to thwack you hard over the head with his cane, to be honest."

"I think he thought about it." Hirata rubbed his chin pensively. "Have you really been sleeping badly, Shunsui-kun? Though now you mention it, you were up and about before me this morning…"

"Before Hirata?" Enishi looked startled. "Kyouraku, are you getting sick?"

"No…I'm not sick." Shunsui laughed, hastening to reassure his tall friend. "I'm fine, really. I haven't slept very well, it's true, but it's nothing major to worry about. As class just then proved,"

He flicked his fingers towards the closed Kidou chamber door,

"It isn't as though I'm not _able_ to sleep. I just need to pick my times and places."

He stifled a yawn.

"We've been very busy lately and a lot has happened. That's all. I'm fine, Enishi, so don't look so worried."

"Shunsui, you're an idiot." As they progressed towards the Senior annexe, Sora descended upon them, swiping the unfortunate Kyouraku across the back of the head. "Kazoe looked like he was going to kill you – seriously, I thought he was going to savage you there and then."

"I think the staff are all a little distracted at present." Ryuu put in thoughtfully. "Perhaps if not for the other things on their mind, he may have been more harsh. As it is…"

"As it is, I guess I have you to thank for my being let out of there in one piece." Shunsui bowed solemnly towards his friend. "I would thank you, but it seems inappropriate given the circumstances."

"There is tension here at the moment." Mitsuki, who had been in Sora's slip-stream put in quietly, her own expression clouded. "It's impossible to ignore it, even though everything has continued as normal since the other day. There don't seem to be more soldiers around the school grounds, and the staff are carrying on with classes. But it's still there. In the air. That feeling that something isn't quite as it should be."

"That may just be our paranoia, Mitsuki." Ryuu pointed out. "Although if it is affecting Kyouraku's sleep patterns…"

"If it's stopping Kyouraku from sleeping, we're all doomed to insomnia between now and the summer break." Kai said wryly. "Though that isn't too far off itself. I wonder what will happen, you know – will we be allowed to leave, or…?"

"Your family and my family are in a precarious position." Ryuu cast him a glance. "You shouldn't be making jokes about it – you understand the severity as well as I do of what that messenger's report said."

"Yes." Kai's expression became grave. "But the truth is, Kuchiki…I don't know what to do about that. All I know is that I'm not aware of any reasons for Shihouin to be hurting Kuchiki. I certainly don't think having to share a room with you is any reason for me to want to kill you, either. If there's a plot afoot, it's nothing to do with me. And from the way you've been since you came back, you don't really want anything to do with it either. Right?"

"Well, true." Ryuu acknowledged.

"Kai's right." Juushirou said pensively. "This…it has to do with the Kuchiki, and it maybe has to do with Ryuu, in that perhaps someone might think they want to hurt him. But Sensei wouldn't let that happen, and nobody is stronger than Sensei."

"Midori-nee sent me word that my brother Yanagi was going to District Six to help with the enquiries there." Kai added. "She hasn't told me much more – said it was red tape I didn't need to bother about – but if Yanagi-nii really is going to Guren-sama's assistance, it sounds like your Clan leader doesn't believe us responsible either. So…if there is a Shihouin, like as not it's a rogue. And if anyone betrays Midori-nee – well, you remember Aitori."

His lips twitched into a rueful smile.

"That awaits anyone else who does the same thing, believe me. Guren-sama's justice is probably less horrific than facing my sister when she feels betrayed."

"Your sister is a scary wench, when all's said and done." Shunsui reflected absently. "But that's probably true enough. The Shihouin aren't idiot enough to be involved in something like this. That means someone's framing them – but that won't work a second time. Midori-sama isn't stupid, and she has allies who aren't stupid either. So if Guren-sama sees it too – this may all be tied up much more quickly."

_Or it may not be, but we'll leave that worry for another time._

"We still don't know what's happened to Senpai." Mitsuki let out a sigh, and Shunsui saw Juushirou's gaze flit to the young healer, a brief flicker of pain in his own hazel eyes. His lips thinned and he frowned, reaching out to grab the District boy by the arm.

"This subject sucks, and I'm too tired to bother with it, so we'll change it." He said firmly. "Juu, you'll take pity on me and give me your notes from today, won't you? And the essay question, if you please. Kazoe's in a sulk with me so didn't tell me what it was – but you won't be mean, will you?"

"You can have them both with pleasure." Juushirou looked surprised, but the troubled expression faded from his gaze, and Shunsui offered him a grin.

"Good. I knew I could rely on you."

"Do you want them now?" Juushirou questioned. Shunsui shook his head.

"I'm going to go to my room and take a proper nap, since I'm going to fall over my feet if I don't." He said ruefully. "I'll have them after lunch and do something with them then. I don't see Kaoru till late this afternoon, and I guess I'll find time to work out what I should be writing for Kazoe somewhere in between."

He stretched, stifling a yawn.

"Don't worry about me. I've been working too much lately and my body's rejecting it." He added playfully. "It prefers me to go at a slower pace – I guess I've learnt my lesson."

He gave his friend a wink, then,

"I'll catch up with you all later." He said lightly. "Try not to have too much fun without me, all right?"

With that he was gone, whistling under his breath as he made his way towards the chamber he shared with Hirata.

_**But you'll be training again this evening, won't you, Shunsui?**_

This time it was Amaki, and Shunsui's whistling stopped as his expression became sombre. Slowly he nodded.

_I will. And every night until we get it right. Whatever's coming, it isn't going to wait for me to catch up on my sleep. I'll just have to be a mite more careful…and hope that I can get the hang of Katen's lessons before anything else happens._

_

* * *

_

"Thank you for meeting with me at such short notice."

Guren settled himself down on the finely woven cushions, casting his companion a troubled look as he smoothed his robes into a more comfortable position. "I realise that following the Council meeting the other day you might have decided not to - but until now I had no way of pursuing my real fears with you, and no evidence to bring to your door."

"Your request both intrigues and troubles me." Tokutarou admitted with a sigh, taking his own seat and casting his companion a pensive look. "I've given a lot of thought to that meeting, and the things said in it since. A lot of things...are not quite right. And it put me in mind of something one of my servants raised with me, too. Something relating to the Shihouin."

It was two days since the escape of Guren's Shihouin fugitive, and in that time an uneasy silence had descended over the Kuchiki twins as both Guren and Seiren had gone about their own individual lines of enquiry. For Guren his concerns about his brother's ill temper had been overshadowed by the need to speak to the head of the Kyouraku at the first opportunity – and in this vein it had been Yanagi who had facilitated such a meeting, for with his Clan connections he had learnt that Tokutarou would be in Inner Seireitei for two or three days together following up some private documentation. Tokutarou's work had nothing to do with the Kuchiki incident, but Guren had been grateful for the coincidence all the same. He had left the manor early that morning, with Yanagi and a handful of guards as his only companions, and Futsuki had been left behind with strict instructions to tell Seiren nothing about the true nature of his errand. Though he had felt some measure of guilt for keeping his investigation into the Kyouraku _hime_ a secret, these had been quickly quelled by Futsuki's no nonsense approval of his plans, and so whilst he was sure his twin would spend the day receiving reports and sending orders in the hunt for Shirogane, Guren was embarking on a completely different path of investigation.

It was not like him, but he was a little nervous of what the day might bring. Tokutarou was a weakling when it came to spirit power, but the fight with Seiren had reminded Guren that a man of intelligence and high level sword skills could still prove a formidable enemy. More than that, though, Tokutarou was neither friend nor foe of the Kuchiki. As such, he was not obliged to give Guren any information he did not choose to divulge. District Eight was protected too by its alliances – not only with the proud Shihouin but also with the formidable Shiba led by Kyouki – and Guren knew his Clan were in no position to fight any kind of war.

Therefore, discussion was the only way forward. And so that morning found him here in Tokutarou's Kyouraku apartments, preparing to discuss a matter he had not been able to raise with the brother who had been at his side since before birth.

Tokutarou himself was not oblivious to any of those things. It was unusual for a Kuchiki to ask the help of anyone else, preferring for the most part to resolve their own troubles privately with as little outward interference as possible. That the head of the Clan had requested a meeting – and had been willing to work that meeting around Tokutarou's own commitments gave the shrewd Kyouraku a good idea of how tentative things were within the Kuchiki Clan. A brief message from Midori via her aide Saku had confirmed this, and Tokutarou's brows knitted together as he remembered the short but to the point communication.

"_If Guren-sama wants to speak to you, it means that he's afraid. What he's afraid of may be what Misashi-dono raised, too. Be on your guard too, Tokutarou-dono. I suspect there are more shadow games to be played out before the spotlight falls on the true culprit_."

"I've asked Yanagi-dono to join us once he's finished reporting the latest occurrences to his own kinsfolk." Guren's features were definitely strained, Tokutarou thought now, as though he had not easily slept, and despite his natural caution, the Eighth District Clan leader felt a faint flash of sympathy for this father who had so recently been robbed of his son. "Since he was the one who brought this meeting about, I know you'll have heard that he wasn't able to make an identification on the Shihouin."

"Indeed." Tokutarou inclined his head slightly. "I understand it was a violent incident…and that you lost some men."

"Four." Guren's eyes darkened. "With four more wounded. It appears by some means or other our intentions seem to have got through to the enemy. In any case, the boy was broken out of our prisons by someone about who...well, now I know for certain I want to discuss with you. Whether just between us, or with Yanagi-dono present, too."

"I don't mind Yanagi-dono's involvement." Tokutarou agreed. "His Clan and mine have a formal alliance, and as you've said, it was through his connections that I learnt you wanted to meet with me. He's visited District Eight a few times on Midori-sama's behalf – I find him a well-reasoned man despite his misdemeanours and I am inclined to trust his opinions and his judgement."

"Good." Guren looked relieved. "It is not in my habit to work with a Shihouin of any kind – or with a Kyouraku, for that matter. But I am...troubled, Tokutarou-dono. And I'm unsure who to view as my enemy or my ally."

He slipped his hands into the folds of his expensive silk _obi_, pulling out something small and metallic and holding it out to his companion.

"This was retrieved from the individual who came to break our prisoner out of his cell." He said gravely. "Though the Shihouin boy was entirely docile during his time in captivity, as soon as he was set free, he reverted to the same behaviour he used against me - and against the poor souls in my stableyard. This time there are surviving witnesses who can confirm the savagery of his actions - and it is without a doubt that he is responsible at least for slashing my stable hands and their chief groom. However, as firm as we are in that belief, that...makes us confused."

Tokutarou took the glinting item, his eyes widening as he absorbed what it was.

"But this is..."

"A Kyouraku Clan pendant, and a genuine one, I believe."

"Indeed." Tokutarou's dark eyes became grave, and anger flickered in the depths of his gaze. "I can see now why you asked such a cryptic question of me in the Council session before, Guren-sama. If you had seen something like this in the midst of everything your family are going through, then..."

"I did not have custody of the pendant when I raised the matter before the Council, so I could not ask you anything further." Guren sighed, running his fingers absently through his tightly bound hair. "But now I do, I felt it of absolute importance that I bring it to you and find out what I can about it."

"You had seen it, but you did not have custody of it?" Tokutarou's eyes narrowed, and Guren nodded.

"I shall tell you the story as best I understand it." He said wearily. "I do not believe you to be involved in this conspiracy against my family, Tokutarou-dono. Please understand that. I'm asking for your help and cooperation alone - and I hope that even though we have no formal alliance treaty, you will give it. My son is already dead - I do not want to see more members of my family made victim by whoever is really our enemy in all of this."

"The moment that crest appeared it became something I can't ignore." Tokutarou said grimly. "You needn't worry about that, Guren-sama. As Midori-sama has, I will offer you my complete assistance in whatever way I can. But please, explain how this came to be in District Six. Because...it belongs to a very particular line of my Clan. And...that troubles me. A lot."

"You know, I think, that my nephew is currently missing from District Six." Guren said heavily, and Tokutarou nodded. "The reason behind that is an altercation between him and my brother Seiren. Well, there were already some tensions, I think - but the crowning evidence was the statement of a girl in our employ - a girl who claimed to be an exiled _hime_ from the Kyouraku Clan. She claimed to not only have witnessed the Shihouin boy killing the stable hands but also overheard incriminating conversations that made Seiren believe Shirogane to be working against Ryuu and against me."

"You don't believe that to be the case, though, I think." Tokutarou said softly, and Guren shook his head.

"When we first captured the Shihouin, it seemed as though some of her story was founded in truth, but now I am convinced it is not." He agreed. "More that we have been fed a fantasy and that unfortunately some of my people more than others have come to believe in it as truth. I want to find my nephew - though returning him to District Six at the current time may be dangerous for him and perhaps for others."

"And my role in this?" Tokutarou asked softly. "You spoke of an exiled _hime_, but to my knowledge no such individuals exist."

"The young girl who gave the evidence and provided us with the pendant as proof of her identity is also that same individual who broke the Shihouin boy out of my prison."

"An elaborate hoax to make you believe a Shihouin murdered your son." Tokutarou murmured, his eyes becoming angry as he digested this. "Taking a swipe at their allies the Kyouraku at the same time."

"Yes. It seems to be precisely that."

"It's a good deal of effort to go to." Tokutarou's lips thinned. "Tell me more about who you believed this girl to be?"

"She claimed to be a daughter of your late Uncle, Sadehira - driven into exile by your taking over the Clan." Guren nodded. "She knew a lot of things about your family, and I wasn't sure how she could have come by that information and the pendant both - plus her manners and bearing were definitely not that of a common born girl. The same might be said for her education, from what I understand. I must confess that my brother Seiren is completely taken in by her - somebody allegedly assaulted her and left her in a battered state, and Seiren has always been protective in that way. I think it reminded her of our sister's frailty, when this young one came crying to him for help. Anyhow, she put into his head that Shirogane had assaulted her, and Seiren sent men to arrest Shirogane. Shirogane wasn't in the mood to be taken quietly, and so released his sword and fled the manor. The girl was in our custody for a while. She and the pendant both disappeared the day the Shihouin tried to kill me - and until she came to release the prisoner, I saw nothing more of her. Both escaped and we have...no leads on where they might have gone. Only one man can place her at the scene – he is in a critical condition at present, so further enquiries in District Six are proving difficult."

"I can see why you miss Shirogane-dono most." Tokutarou said astutely. "As a skilled shinigami trained in higher level search operations as well as spiritual skill, he would be the perfect agent to dispatch on an investigation of this nature."

Guren groaned.

"That was my original plan, until things swirled out of hand." He admitted quietly. "My family is in a particularly unpleasant situation and it shames me to admit it. I don't know if the reason Shirogane has been targeted was to make Seiren react how he has, whether it was to cloak the real motives, or to get a talented and loyal member of my kin well out of range so I cannot use the skills I know he has to my benefit. But either way, whoever is behind this is thinking many steps ahead of me. What Misashi-dono raised in the Council session also troubles me - could that one person plan such an elaborate web of deception in order to bring down a Clan?"

"Yes, I believe so. And maybe more than one Clan, if you had been more easily fooled and had declared war on the Shihouin and the Kyouraku." Tokutarou set the pendant down. "The Shiba would defend my people, of course, and Misashi-dono is indebted to the Shihouin, so would probably take their part. Chaos would be unleashed. The Kuchiki hold very high standing in Seireitei. Any decision you take as head of that Clan has serious consequences for the rest of us."

"True." Guren agreed with a sigh. "And now I am unsure whether the life of my other nephew may be in danger. Whilst I have faith in Genryuusai-sama's ability to shield him, I think...Ryuu is probably still a target. And we may be dealing with a level of intelligence that took down Shouichi-dono and almost destroyed both the Shihouin and Endou Clans through his manipulations."

"More, the Yamamoto are protecting your heir, therefore bringing them into the conflict on the Kuchiki side if war had been declared." Tokutarou offered a hollow smile. "Forgive me for saying it, but it's a relief to me that the current head of the Kuchiki is not Seiren-dono."

Guren's expression clouded, and he nodded his head.

"In any case, what you can tell me about the pendant - I would appreciate to know." He said frankly. "How little or how much - we lack leads."

"I can't give you much of one, either." Tokutarou sighed, his gaze flitting again to the pendant. "I can confirm it carries the emblem of a blood member of my Clan, though there is only one living individual in the family at present who holds that exact crest. Even mine differs from it very slightly, though to an outsider they would probably look much the same."

"The living individual being...?"

"My brother Shunsui, who I hope as a friend of young Ryuu-dono, you'll believe above your suspicions." Tokutarou grimaced. "I'm sure Retsu-sama can provide him with similar alibis to Shihouin Kai."

"I don't suspect a loyal member of your Clan in any of this." Guren shook his head. "The girl said clearly she was an exile hated by your branch of the family and had come to our land because the Kuchiki and the Shihouin were mutually suspicious. Since you were allied with the Shihouin, she felt that she would be safe in District Six, even living a menial life. And she claimed to be the daughter of your Uncle."

"That man had no children. Nor a wife." Tokutarou said flatly. "If he had, then he would never have taken Shunsui from his mother and tried to train him to fight against me for power in the Clan."

"Sadehira-dono did such a thing?" Guren's eyes narrowed. "I did not know...but Shunsui-dono possesses that crest, and this girl came from..."

"That does not belong to Shunsui." Tokutarou shook his head. "Even though the image is the same, the chain design is too old for it to have been stolen from him."

"Then?"

"All I can tell you is that it doesn't belong to my Uncle." Tokutarou said with a sad smile. "His crest was not the same."

He got to his feet, reaching up to select an old volume from one of the shelves in the study. He opened it, flicking through the pages until he found what he was looking for. He pushed the book across towards his companion, scooping up the pendant and setting it down against the paper of the opposite page.

"You can see it most clearly here." He said briskly. "This one on the right is my Uncle's crest. He incorporated more of his mother's line in the image, because he felt a connection to our family's samurai roots. And this pendant has not any of those adornments. Though the vintage is right, that pendant never belonged to my Uncle. Nor to anyone who was a descendent of his line."

"Then the girl stole it and was lying?"

"Most probably. Yes. Or acquired it through another means." Tokutarou shrugged. "A second hand seller or trader of some kind, perhaps..."

He frowned, as something skipped across his thoughts, and Guren shot him a sharp look.

"Tokutarou-dono?"

"Something...just then." Tokutarou's brows knitted together. "I said that a servant of mine - well, a retainer - had raised something with me that I'd considered troubling but with all my work I'd pushed it aside. He'd asked about a Shihouin in a town local to where my manor lies. I didn't find out the exact reason, except that a prostitute in the vicinity had been attacked and another allegedly murdered. I don't know if there is a connection, except that a Shihouin appeared there and also appeared among your kinsfolk, too. I don't know what other evidence exists relating to that matter, but...I do remember reports being filed in that same town about the death of a prominent precious metal trader who was a regular at the local markets. I don't recall his name - but at the same time these reports were filed, I heard mention of a mysterious man claiming kin to my Clan who had appeared and disappeared like a wraith. His name was 'Masaki' - and he carried a Clan pendant."

"That one, perhaps?" Guren suggested. Tokutarou shook his head.

"The reports I read suggested a lesser Clan crest, but I didn't see it myself." He said grimly. "I'm sorry, Guren-sama. It seems I might have been concealing evidence relating to your business without realising I was doing so."

"You would have had no reason to make those connections." Guren frowned. "But since the weaponry used in the attacks came from a forge in District Eight, I think...it's possible that at some point these people - be they Aizen Keitarou's or not - made their base in your domain."

"I can't deny the possibility." Tokutarou sighed. "And I will investigate that possibility so we know once and for all. I'll speak again to the soldier who mentioned the Shihouin, and review personally the evidence relating to the other suspicious occurrences. Though I imagine they're no longer in Eighth, if they were there before."

"They are not hampered by movement, though, it seems." Guren reflected. "If they can be in your land and in mine within a short time of one another, and perhaps other places too..."

"Even District One." Tokutarou said darkly. "I will go there myself and speak to my brother, if you will allow me to. Knowing Shunsui and remembering his close friendship with two of the young ones of your Clan, I suspect he knows some of what's happened and suspects far more. If I may take the pendant - I will see what I can find out about that too. Even though this is not his, he may have ideas about whose it is."

"All we saw was that there was something engraved on the back - Sumomo, and another character we can't make out clearly." Guren nodded. "You've told me what I needed to know about it and the girl who held it, so you're welcome to take it. Though it's evidence in our case, it doesn't tell us anything we really need to know to catch these people. If and when we do, I may claim it back from you. But till then..."

"Thank you." Tokutarou inclined his head. "Then I'll see what I can uncover. If necessary I can send men to the forge that made the weapons and find out what kind of orders they've taken and from whom - though they take so many it may not help."

"At the moment, all information is a help, because it's more than I already have." Guren said flatly. "For the Kuchiki to need to ask for help brings me shame, I won't lie. But my son lies murdered, and I...have to find his justice as well as protect the rest of my family from harm."

"Perhaps this business will have the opposite effect to the one intended." Tokutarou reflected. "If it makes Clans come together rather than splits them apart."

"Maybe." Guren spread his hands. "But _if _we're dealing with Aizen Keitarou, he is an enemy shared by all of us."

"I am fairly convinced that Misashi-dono is probably right on that count, and that the Shihouin was removed from your custody to prevent that link being made." Tokutarou said simply. "Yanagi-dono knew Aizen, don't forget. It's possible that - if the boy is Onoe Tomoyuki and is being manipulated - Yanagi-dono might have picked that up."

At that point there was a knock at the door, and Tokutarou raised his voice to call the servant in, watching as his retainer opened the door to usher Yanagi himself into the chamber.

"I'm sorry to delay my arrival so greatly." The Shihouin bowed his head, gravity in his own golden eyes. "Please forgive me - my sister was...not pleased to hear the news I had to relay."

"None of us are pleased about very much of late." Guren said blackly. "Sit down, Yanagi-dono. Join us. We had just begun to speak about unsavoury things here too - such as the reasons that my prisoner was set free before you could set eyes on him."

"It seems strange to go to the trouble of getting him seen and caught to implicate us only to withdraw him at serious risk to the whole operation." Yanagi agreed thoughtfully. "Unless there was a good reason not to identify the boy."

"Which means, in your opinion, what?" Tokutarou asked, and Yanagi sighed.

"As I have already told Guren-sama, I believe that the culprit is probably Tomoyuki." He said with a shrug. "I can't be sure, but I didn't detect any Shihouin reiatsu when I arrived in District Six. None at all. And that I wasn't allowed to even see him - that was suspicious to me. Whoever it was didn't want the Clan to put a name to the killer, and that must be because doing so would lessen the suspicion against the Shihouin, not increase it. Onoe Tomoyuki is the only Shihouin who can't be directly linked to Midori's orders - with no mental capacity of his own, his involvement in anything pretty much absolves us of ours. And someone didn't want that to be made concretely clear."

"Probably they didn't expect you to ask for a Shihouin to come to Sixth." Tokutarou glanced at Guren, who nodded.

"Seiren was not happy that I did, but Futsuki supported it, and we were able to provide adequate security to prevent harm befalling our guest." He agreed. "Ironically it's probably the most cooperation between our two families in a generation."

"This Shihouin is different from the Clan I was raised and trained in - and from the one who may have killed your Lord Father." Yanagi said gravely. "I won't hide from my own crimes - you all know them well enough for me not to. But I believe Midori sent me to identify the boy not because of my bloodline to her but because she wanted to know if there was any connection between this attempt to frame my people and the last. I was far too involved for anyone's liking in Kamuki-jisama's plans for _reidoku_. Therefore I knew things and people even she or Kai do not. And...though I did not detect Shihouin in the vicinity, when I examined the place where the soldiers were cut down, I did...sense something...amiss."

"Aizen Keitarou?" Guren asked eagerly, and Yanagi shook his head.

"If that man _is_ involved, he would not give himself away so blatantly." He said firmly. "No. But a...darkness. A something...not quite tangible. But something in the air - something around the guards who were killed, and in the cell the boy was held. Something not Shihouin - something dark and empty. Perhaps...the taint of a manipulating hand guiding from the shadows - nothing more than the faintest impression but there all the same. When working with _reidoku_, that sensation was around then too. It's not the chemical or a reiatsu or anything particular. Just...an empty darkness."

He laughed ruefully.

"Maybe I'm over-thinking it." He admitted. "But my impression when I stepped into the empty cell was the same as when I was involved in the _reidoku_ project. A sense of a missing jigsaw piece and something dark controlling things that we could not see."

"So we return to the mystery of Nanaki-hime and the Kyouraku pendant." Guren murmured.

"Nanaki-hime." Yanagi's eyes narrowed. "This was the girl who set my kinsman free from your cell – I've heard the name before."

"She is _not_ a kinswoman of mine." Tokutarou said flatly. "No such person exists – without studying the genealogy I can tell you that."

"I remember Sadehira-dono, and I must admit the girl bore scant resemblance to him." Guren acknowledged. "Dark hair, true, but ebony black rather than brown or chestnut, and very vivid blue eyes – I must say I've never known a pure-blooded Kyouraku with blue eyes."

"It isn't a trait we tend to carry." Tokutarou admitted. "And I will tell you something else – Guren-sama, I don't know if this matters or if it does not. But Aizen…is a Kyouraku name. Aizen Keitarou is an Urahara by birth, but his mother was half Kyouraku. And though he would not fall within the degrees of our Clan – when he was manipulating Misashi-dono's poor daughter and operating from District Seven some years ago, at that time he used Kyouraku paraphernalia to ease his passage into our land. A Kyouraku dagger and a Kyouraku family crest were both in his care…I still have the dagger somewhere in my vaults as forgotten evidence, whilst Juushirou said quite clearly that he'd seen Aizen in possession of a Clan crest. So the fact that Kyouraku memorabilia has surfaced again doesn't remove suspicion from his door. In fact it does the opposite. It swings the arrow rather more in his direction."

"But if that crest is the same as your brother's, that would signify a rank beyond this man's family connections, surely?" Guren said softly. "If I assume that the lesser crest your men reported belonged to Aizen, and therefore your mysterious Masaki was Aizen Keitarou, even then…what of the other? You are sure no living individual holds that crest now, other than Shunsui-dono?"

"No. No living person does." Tokutarou's eyes became troubled. "It is the crest of my Father, Guren-sama – and he has been dead for some time now, as you know."

"Matsuhara-sama's emblem." Yanagi looked thoughtful. "Which is why Shunsui-dono holds it – but…"

"That in itself is a dead end." Guren admitted. "Matsuhara-dono had but two children, one who holds the crest and one who does not. But neither one of them are viable lines of investigation for us. We have hit another brick wall. Unless something was somehow stolen from among your family's possessions – I don't suppose that your late Father's badge would have been easily discarded."

"Maybe by my Uncle." Tokutarou admitted. "It's possible that during the time he had control of the family, he dispatched with Father's insignia in that manner. I do know that Shunsui had no Clan crest when I took charge of the family – he chose to keep Father's emblem, but I was the one who saw to it being crafted. It's how I know that that one isn't his – he didn't inherit one from Otousama, his was made for him alone."

"Then if Sadehira-dono dispensed with that, and somehow it got to circulating the second hand market, maybe Aizen acquired it and killed the trader you said was killed to prevent the trail being followed back there." Guren said thoughtfully. Tokutarou nodded.

"I will review this case personally and see what I can find." He promised. "If my Father's name and honour is being called into question, I won't let any stone be left unturned. Shunsui and I will both give the Kuchiki our full cooperation, Guren-sama – you have my word that anything I discover I will pass on to you at once."

"Thank you." Guren's face became one of relief, and as he stood, a faint smile touched his lips. "Perhaps you are right, Tokutarou-dono. Maybe…this business will bring Clans more closely together, rather than pushing them apart."

"But if we can prevent any more bloodshed, so much the better." Tokutarou said grimly. "You can await my communication, Guren-sama. Believe me – I will be in touch."


	39. A Fragile Alliance

**Chapter Thirty Eight: A Fragile Alliance**

"Shunsui-kun? Shunsui-kun, wake up! Wake up! There's someone to see you…_wake up_!"

Shunsui let out a sleepy grunt, pulling the blankets more firmly over his head as if to block out the noise. It was early the next morning – at least early by Shunsui's standards, for the breakfast bell had both been and gone – and he had no desire to stir from his comfortable slumber any time soon. It had been almost dawn before he had crawled beneath the covers, exhausted from a full night of training with Katen Kyoukotsu, and he had anticipated sleeping through at least until lunch.

Yet whoever was trying to stir him was persistent, and as they shook him firmly once more, he groaned, opening his eyes and blinking blearily against the sudden flare of sunlight that penetrated his drowsing brain.

"At last!" A shadow loomed over him, and Shunsui realised it was Hirata, pale eyes glittering with frustration behind his glasses. "I've been trying to wake you up for ages, Shunsui-kun – you really sleep like the dead when you want to!"

"Hira..ta?" Shunsui blinked again, trying to bring the world into clearer focus, then, "Why are you waking me? We don' have class till s'afternoon, do we?"

"No, but like I said, someone is here to see you." Hirata let out a heavy sigh, sitting back on his heels. "Your brother's here and Genryuusai-sensei sent me to wake you. Everyone else is finishing breakfast, but I said I didn't mind. That was at least ten minutes ago, Shunsui-kun – Tokutarou-sama's waiting for you, so wake up!"

"Oniisama is?" Shunsui frowned, realising that he was not going to be left alone, and he reluctantly pulled himself into a sitting position, eying his friend in confusion. "Why would he be here? Am I still dreaming or something? That doesn't make any sense."

"_You_ don't make any sense." Hirata pulled a face. "Listen. I've told you the truth – and no, this isn't a dream. Tokutarou-sama is waiting for you in the Senior study. He has something he wants to talk to you about – and you shouldn't keep him waiting."

"He's only my brother. It's nothing major." Shunsui was all ready to turn over and go back to sleep, but Hirata grabbed him by the arm, giving him another little shake.

"It looked like something major. He has a serious look in his eyes." He said quietly. "Please, Shunsui-kun. Get up. I know it's still early and you said that you wanted to sleep in this morning – but it can't be helped, not when he's come all this way."

Shunsui gazed at Hirata for a moment, taking in the solemnity in the pale blue eyes. He sighed, holding up his hands in resignation.

"For a skinny kid, you're getting pretty persistent." He said wearily. "All right. But do me a favour, Hirata? Tell Tokutarou-nii to come here? I'm not going to trail through the halls in my night garments – Now I'm a Senior I can imagine what Sensei'd say about that if I did. But if Niisama wants to speak to me so badly, he can come to me here. Will you tell him that for me?"

Hirata eyed him keenly for a moment, then he nodded his head.

"You really do look tired." He admitted. "I don't know what's going on with your sleeping lately, Shunsui-kun, but you don't look as though you went to bed the same time the rest of us did. All right, I'll tell him. But if he's cross with you, it won't be my fault, all right?"

"All right." Shunsui nodded. "Thank you. Whatever it is, he should know better than to come here as early as this. Especially if he wants to get sense from me."

"I imagine he came now because you didn't have any classes. And if it's important, you should listen to him." Hirata said acerbically. "But I'll go pass on your message. Then I'm going to go to the library for a while – I'll give you your privacy, don't worry."

"I appreciate it – I think." Shunsui offered his companion a weary smile. "I've probably only had a couple of hours sleep at best, so I hope he'll go easy on me."

"A couple of hours?" Hirata had reached out to open the door, but at this he paused, turning to face his companion in concern. "You didn't get to sleep till that late?"

Shunsui shook his head.

"The sun was about getting up when I dropped off." He said truthfully. "My sleep pattern is completely out of whack."

"Maybe you should see Unohana-sensei about something to help you sleep, then." Hirata suggested, and Shunsui grinned wryly, shaking his head.

"No…it's all right. I'll work it out myself." He said frankly. "She has enough to worry about without me adding to her list, I'm sure. Go pass on my message to Tokutarou-nii, Hirata – I promise not to go back to sleep in the meantime."

"All right." Hirata seemed reluctant, but he did not push the matter further, instead sliding the door back on its runners. "Make sure you don't."

With that he was gone, and Shunsui sighed, dropping back against his pillows in resignation.

_With the best will in the world, I can't keep this up, you know. _

_**You're the one who insists on training at night.**_

Amaki's words were unsympathetic, and Shunsui grimaced.

_I know, but you both understand why that is. At least, you should. Besides, it best suits my swords to do it then. The training ground resembles my inner world most when the moon's high in the sky._

_**If you don't get enough rest, though, you won't be able to learn anything, let alone what we have to teach you.**_

That was Seibara, and Shunsui nodded.

_I know. But I'd counted on sleeping in this morning._

He sighed, glancing at his hands.

_Maybe tonight I'll have to take a break and get a proper night's sleep. It bothers me that it'll be time wasted – but it can't be helped. _

"You know, you've reached new levels of laziness, Shunsui, if I have to come visit you in your room because you can't be bothered to get out of bed."

Tokutarou's voice prevented either Amaki or Seibara from responding, and the young shinigami raised a rueful smile to meet his brother's quizzical gaze, gesturing for the older man to sit down beside the bed.

"I know, but you'll have to humour me," he said matter-of-factly, "because I'm too tired to go traipsing round the school. Please tell me that we won't be here for hours, Tokutarou-nii. It's not that I want to be antisocial, but I already fell asleep in one class this week, and I don't want to make it two."

"Fell asleep in class?" Tokutarou frowned, obediently dropping down beside the bed. "Why would you do that?"

"Mm. Why indeed." Shunsui sighed, his gaze flitting to where the _daishou_ blades of Katen Kyoukotsu lay propped up against the wall. "The truth is…can you keep a secret, Oniisama?"

"I should hope so, since my life and my job rely on my ability to do so, sometimes." Tokutarou said acidly. "Why? What kind of secret?"

"I've not been sleeping for the last few nights." Shunsui admitted. "I've been working – down in the training grounds. With Katen."

"All night?" Tokutarou's eyes narrowed, and Shunsui nodded. "Why? That seems extremely enthusiastic all of a sudden, given that it's you."

"I know." Shunsui agreed. "I haven't mentioned it to anyone else. I don't want anyone else to know – though Sensei probably does already. And if he does, he's not said anything, which I take to mean he doesn't mind me doing it. But Katen's techniques are…not really ones I want to show everyone else at the moment. And more…I don't want people to worry."

"The idea of you training seriously _is_ worrying." Tokutarou said astutely. "But it usually means there's a good reason behind it. Something has happened to make you do this, hasn't it? Not just the nagging of your sword, but something…"

"No. Not exactly." Shunsui glanced at his hands. "I don't want you to talk to anyone else about this, Oniisama. But I just wanted to be ready…in case something did happen. I don't want to leave it till too late. Because I have a bad feeling, and it's…bit by bit getting worse."

"What kind of bad feeling?" Tokutarou asked softly, and Shunsui sighed.

"The kind of bad feeling that doesn't go away." He admitted. "The kind of bad feeling I had two and a half years ago, when Juushirou…since then. I don't…want to go into details, not really. But…even though nothing's happened exactly to make me sure of it, I…just don't like the way it feels."

Tokutarou was silent for a moment, then he reached out to put a hand on Shunsui's shoulder.

"Aizen Keitarou, huh?" He asked quietly, and Shunsui started, turning a stricken gaze on his brother.

"You worked that out quickly. Does that mean…?"

"Your fears may have nothing to back them up as yet. But they're probably ones worth holding onto." Tokutarou said grimly. "That's sort of why I came to see you this morning – and I should have expected that you, being in the midst of things here, would have picked up a few vibes of your own. Shunsui, yesterday I had a visit from the head of the Kuchiki Clan, Guren-sama. And he gave me this."

He slipped his hand into the folds of his clothing, pulling out a glittering silver object and holding it out for his brother to see. As he reached out a finger to touch it, Shunsui let out an exclamation of surprise.

"But this is my crest! No…no, it isn't. Father's crest." As he registered the age of the chain on which the pendant hung. "Father's pendant, then – right? But how did that…why would Guren-sama have something belonging to Father?"

"He doesn't really know the answer either, but he hopes we'll find one, and I said we'll try." Tokutarou said soberly. "Shunsui, you know that a Shihouin tried to take Guren-sama's life recently, don't you?"

"Mm." Shunsui's eyes darkened. "It's caused all kinds of shockwaves, though so far, thank goodness, it hasn't rebounded any on Kai or on Ryuu. In fact, Ryuu's being remarkably steadfast about the whole thing – he can be obstinate to the point of unreasonableness at times, but this time he seems to be putting that obstinacy in a different direction. Whether a Shihouin did or didn't try to assassinate Guren-sama, Ryuu's not connecting that to Kai. So…though security is a little higher here…that's about as far as it's gone."

"Well, the Shihouin that was in Guren-sama's custody was meant to be identified by Yanagi-dono. You may have heard that too."

Shunsui nodded.

"Kai mentioned that Yanagi-dono was going to District Six." He agreed. "It sounded to me like the Kuchiki weren't going to jump to conclusions about this business, either."

"Right." Tokutarou agreed. "But before Yanagi-dono could identify the whelp, he was broken out of prison. The girl who broke him out carried that."

He indicated the chain.

"And called herself Kyouraku Nanaki."

Shunsui's eyes became huge at this, his earlier sleepiness suddenly forgotten in light of his brother's words.

"You're not serious?"

"Completely." Tokutarou said grimly. "So was Guren-sama. Apparently this girl had claimed sanctuary in some form from the Kuchiki – this bit is a bit hazy in my mind, but she had led them to believe that she was a daughter of our Uncle and that her life was under threat from you, or I, or in either respect the Clan as it stands now. She used the pendant as proof of her identity."

"But that isn't Uncle's crest." Shunsui said bluntly. Tokutarou nodded.

"Which proves her story false." He agreed. "A true blooded Kyouraku would know that. She knew a lot of things about our family which would persuade a foreign Clan that she was genuine. But not enough that she could easily fool us."

"Besides, Uncle had no children." Shunsui added. "I hope you told Guren-sama that."

"I did." Tokutarou confirmed. "And explained to him that you spent a good part of your childhood at that man's estate for that very reason – had he had his own children, you would have known about them – and you would not have been so important to him in his attempts to take hold of the family. Guren-sama doesn't believe us to be complicit in this plot against his Clan – but he does want our help getting to the bottom of this part of it. It seems very much as though the people involved in Ribari-sama's murder spent some time in our District – and I've begun to review some of the evidence relating to incidents in the town of Teika and its surrounds because they may prove to be connected."

He dropped the pendant down onto the bed.

"The only way that I can see this falling into foreign hands is if Uncle rid himself of Father's belongings when he took control." He added. "But since I wasn't there during that time, nor around him, I thought…"

"I might remember." Shunsui sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I know that you were the one who had my crest crafted for me, when I chose to carry Father's insignia instead of creating my own. But the truth is, I don't think Uncle did dispense with anything that was Father's. Aside from Father himself, I mean. He ran the Clan from his estate, not from the main one – Mother was there, remember, but he took me from it and it lay empty more or less till you came to take it back. And if he had really wanted to get rid of Father's belongings…then surely the first thing he would have got rid of would have been Tensonshin. Father's _zanpakutou_ was a symbol of Father stronger than any other. If Tensonshin didn't disappear, I don't suppose anything else did."

"That's true." Tokutarou sighed. "And I have had Yasuhiro checking through items in storage and much of the things that were Father's are still at the manor. Just…there is no Clan pendant."

"Which means this _was _Father's."

"Yes. Probably."

"And yet it was in the hands of some strange girl who claimed to be Uncle's kinswoman."

"Yes."

Shunsui let out a heavy sigh.

"Smoke and mirrors." He murmured, and Tokutarou's expression became clouded.

"You think so too?"

"I don't see what else to think." Shunsui cast him a pensive glance. "Someone who isn't a Kyouraku blatantly flaunting evidence to suggest they are. A Shihouin killer who doesn't get to be identified by a real Shihouin, suggesting that something is not right there, either. And all of this nonsense about Nagoya Shirogane, who obviously hasn't done a damn thing against his Clan because someone badly wants him suspected of it. The angles lead off in all kinds of directions, but none of them are clear-cut. I doubt any of them are the right one."

"Yes. Agreed." Tokutarou inclined his head.

"This is why you said I shouldn't dispense with my fears just yet, isn't it?"

"You remember Onoe Tomoyuki, Shunsui?" Tokutarou asked softly, and Shunsui pursed his lips, slowly nodding his head.

"Yes." He said gravely. "He's not someone easily forgotten."

"And you know that he's disappeared from Shihouin custody in recent months?"

"Mm. Kai told us." Shunsui agreed. "He didn't want us – or Ryuu, specifically – to think he or the Shihouin were hiding anything. This was before any Shihouin attack on Guren-sama, though."

"Kai-dono was defending his Clan before anyone had reason to suspect them?" Tokutarou stared, and Shunsui shook his head.

"I forgot. Guren-sama doesn't know about it, so he wouldn't have mentioned it to you." He said ruefully. "Probably I'm not supposed to divulge it either, but since I've begun, we'll blame my sleepy brain. According to Ryuu, Nagoya told him that the Kuchiki _bocchan_ saw a Shihouin before he died. Mitsuki also said that when some of the Kuchiki servants were murdered, one of them mentioned a gold eyed demon before _he_ died."

"Conveniently silenced witnesses." Tokutarou said acerbically, and Shunsui nodded.

"That's why it hasn't been reported to Guren-sama." He agreed. "From what Ryuu said, Nagoya didn't think anyone at the main house would believe his testimony, so he kept mostly quiet. I know because I was there when Ryuu asked Kai about it, and Kai said the Clan had no connection to it – but told us about Onoe just in case."

"That was smart of him." Tokutarou reflected. "Since it seems highly likely the one who attacked Guren-sama _was_ Onoe Tomoyuki. Which of course is a medical impossibility, and so they didn't want him clearly identified by his kinsman."

Shunsui felt the dark sense of unease curl up once more inside his stomach.

"Onoe is essentially dead." He murmured. "If he really did…if he could fight, it would have to be under someone else's control. And the only person…the one who would be able to do that…"

"Is Aizen Keitarou. Yes." Tokutarou nodded grimly. "The Council has also reached a similar conclusion, although we've all agreed to be careful about mentioning such a thing outside of Inner Seireitei. It would cause panic, and we have no real proof."

"I don't need proof. Not now you've said that." Shunsui said flatly. "I've been waiting for it. Ever since he hurt Juu – ever since he disappeared. I knew he'd come back…I've been waiting for when he did, and now it seems he has."

"Shunsui…"

"I won't forgive him for that, Oniisama." Shunsui shook his head. "And if it is him, he might still have interest in Juu. He wanted him for something specific two and a half years ago, and now…I won't let him have his way. So I've been training just in case – it looks like it's a good thing I have."

"I don't want you trying to fight someone like him, Shunsui." Tokutarou's expression became one of alarm. "He's an unknown threat with a seriously unpleasant Bankai skill. You're still a student, and…"

"And I'm not going to stand back and let people or things I care about get hurt." Shunsui's eyes hardened. "I'm not going looking for him, Nii-sama. But if he crosses my path – I won't promise you to stand back and pretend I haven't noticed."

"Lack of sleep doesn't agree with you." Tokutarou reached out to ruffle his fingers absently through his brother's dark messy hair. "And I don't like it, when you say things like that. I understand what you went through that winter, Shunsui – more than just your arm got broken, and you have no idea how grateful I was that that chibi could save Juushirou's life. But Aizen Keitarou isn't someone you should choose as an enemy. The Council will deal with it, if that's what it turns out to be."

"Like they did before?" Shunsui pushed his brother's arm away, shaking his head in frustration. "It's not that simple. And if he does come for Juu again…"

"We know, now, that Aizen has an interest in Juushirou." Tokutarou said gently. "We didn't know that before. And besides, this is something different from what happened in the Endou Clan. Aizen was working under Seimaru's auspices, then. But he has no connection at all to the Kuchiki. If he's attacking them, it's for some greater political reason of his own, not a personal grievance. And…"

"He wants to overthrow the Clans and give power to those who should have it rather than those who do." Shunsui murmured. "Juushirou said so – that that's what Aizen had told him. Juu said he hated Clans. It doesn't seem a stretch to think that he'd try to cut down each of them one by one. The Kuchiki. The Shihouin. The Kyouraku. That automatically means the Shiba, and you can see the pattern already beginning to form. When the Council hunted him down, it was Midori-sama and you, Oniisama, who most pushed to help District Seven and to spearhead the hunt. Kyouki-sama was also in District Seven during that final showdown. And Guren-sama was the head of the Council at that time, wasn't he? The one who endorsed this to happen in the first place."

"You're making connections that may not exist." Tokutarou warned. "All we do know is that this man is very clever and very hard to predict. What's real and what isn't real is difficult to fathom. Besides…with this business, we have to be careful."

He touched the pendant, then,

"Guren-sama said that his brother Seiren – who I believe is the father of your young friend – was very much taken in by this mysterious _hime_ Nanaki. I don't know if that means he has suspicions towards us – but for the time being, rocking the boat would be a bad idea, for Ryuu-dono as much as for anyone else. You understand that, don't you? I have to get to the bottom of what's gone on in Teika before I can say with any confidence what I think has happened."

"Then tell me about Teika." Shunsui folded his arms. "I know the town – I've visited it several times and I'm very familiar with the kind of place it is. You might as well fill me in on all the details – since I'll only bother you for them in letters if you don't."

"I don't have all the details yet." Tokutarou admitted. "What I know is as follows."

He pursed his lips, beginning to count off points on his fingers.

"One, a mysterious man claiming to be a Kyouraku and calling himself Masaki appeared and disappeared without any trace. He claimed to be acting on my orders and searching for something – and he carried a Clan crest, but not one of that level or status."

"Aizen had one of those. Juushirou said so." Shunsui interjected, and Tokutarou nodded.

"That's my line of thinking too, but don't interrupt." He chided. "Two, a prostitute disappeared in the vicinity at about the same time Masaki was there. Her house was burnt, but whether she lives or died is unknown. This prostitute was the daughter of someone who crafted jewellery, but a refugee from District Seven after the Endou started their purge."

Shunsui's eyes narrowed as he processed this information.

"Three, a well known trader in precious metals was found dead in his home in unexplained circumstances. My men put it down to a domestic incident, but there are some questions about it even now. This trader also had dealings with Masaki before Masaki left Teika and disappeared. Four, a second prostitute was attacked by a person dressed all in black and with golden eyes. She survived the attack, but it seems she was a friend of the girl who is now missing. And Five…the missing prostitute – Momiji, I think her name was – bears some resemblance to the mysterious _hime_ the Kuchiki treated as an exile."

"So you think they're the same person?" Shunsui asked. Tokutarou shook his head.

"It may be that the prostitute was taken or killed to make it look that way." He replied. "But the _hime_ in Kuchiki custody could read and write and had a proper noble education. This Momiji was not well educated in that way – there seems little likelihood of her being the same person. Just that they bear some resemblance – that's all."

"So we're meant to _think _they have a connection, even if they don't."

"Probably."

"I see." Shunsui grimaced, rubbing his temples. "It's all false leads and red herrings, isn't it? So much information that tells you nothing at all about anything. This other prostitute – has she been interviewed?"

"This is where my interrogation falls down." Tokutarou admitted. "The matter is…of some sensitivity. Shunsui, tell me – has Juushirou had mail from his sister recently?"

"From Chi-chan?" Shunsui was startled. "Maybe. If he has, there's been nothing of note in it. Why? You think they've seen something? Because Juu's been mooning about a few things lately, but most of them have been lovesick meanderings and the burdens of leadership. I don't think he's worried about his family at all."

"Then perhaps she hasn't told him." Tokutarou looked pensive. "It seems that the second prostitute – I forget her name, and I don't think Takeshi intended me to have it anyhow – is an acquaintance of Chihiro's. No, Takeshi said…she was a student. Chihiro was teaching her to sew and to write so that she could break free of that lifestyle and make a more honest trade for herself. She has two small children to support – not her own, but those of a friend – and so that's how she came into Chihiro's acquaintance. In any case, this prostitute went to Chihiro and Takeshi for sanctuary after her attack. She refuses to come to the manor or leave the safety of their home, nor will she speak to any of my men. Takeshi has reported to me about the matter, but there's something he isn't telling me and I get the feeling that there's no way that he will."

"You're saying Juu's sister's wrapped up in this now?" Shunsui groaned. "Typical. It runs in the family, doesn't it? Poking their noses in and getting everyone else worried about them."

"Perhaps." Tokutarou agreed ruefully. "But listen…this being the case, and with it being a matter of a prostitute, I don't think I can take it much further. Her information _may _be useful to this, but it's not a line I can cross. Summer break is soon, though, and I do intend to bring you home. So…"

"I can do the courtesan quizzing?" Shunsui snorted. "I don't mind. That does seem more like something I'd do, anyway."

"Not just that." Tokutarou responded. "I want you to invite Juushirou home with you too this break. All right? It's probably better he doesn't go to District Six just yet, and it's a long way for a short break in any case. So I want you to ask him, understood? If he asks why, you can tell him that – that it's a long way to Sixth and that you thought he might like to see his sister, since he doesn't get a chance to do so very often."

"I see." Shunsui's eyes became slits. "You think that Chi-chan might tell Juu something, and Juu might tell me, and I might tell you. Correct?"

"Something like that." Tokutarou looked apologetic. "Using your friend as an unwitting spy is a low technique, but in the circumstances…"

"I'll ask him." Shunsui nodded. "It means I can keep a better eye on things anyhow. Ryuu and Mitsuki will be staying here – and where they are is pretty much the centre of the target at the moment. If Juu's with us, he's not with them. So that suits me fine."

"Good." Tokutarou got to his feet, reaching to pick up the pendant, and as he did, the light glinted off it, highlighting the engraved character on the back. Shunsui frowned, brushing his finger against it to stop it spinning.

"Su…momo?"

"Yes." Tokutarou nodded. "I don't understand it either. But that looks like what it says."

"Why would Father's pendant have that written on the back?" Shunsui looked nonplussed. "Did he get stupidly drunk one night and decide to graffiti his Clan insignia?"

"Beats me." Tokutarou grinned despite himself, sliding the object back into the safety of his _obi_. "All right. I'll go speak to Sensei now, and let you catch up on your sleep. I won't see you again till summer break – so don't forget to speak to Juushirou, all right? I want him to come with you to District Eight, and I won't take any excuses."

"I imagine the chance to see Chi-chan will be enough, but I'll remember." Shunsui promised. "And I'll think over all the other things you said too. Because I'm sure now that Aizen Keitarou is involved in this, even though I can't pin it all together quite yet. Maybe by the time I come home I'll have had better luck – but you can be sure that I won't drop it. Juu and I will see you in a week or two – take care until then."

"You too." Tokutarou nodded his head. "Sweet dreams, Shunsui. Keep working hard – the Clan has high hopes for you."

With that he was gone, and Shunsui sighed, leaning back against his pillows once more and gazing up at the ceiling.

_Can I sleep now? With all those things swirling through my head, will I be able to? So many fleeting clues and hints yet nothing that leads us anywhere. That's just the kind of man Aizen Keitarou is…and I was right to be worried. It isn't over yet – maybe it hasn't begun yet. Who knows how far he intends to go this time…and whether or not I can keep Juu clear of his clutches!_

_

* * *

_

"It looks like Tokutarou-sama's made a move."

Kai let the drape fall back against the window of the bed chamber, letting out his breath in a rush. "I wonder whether that's out of loyalty to my sister and their alliance, or whether he has ideas or reasons of his own for coming here. Either way he seems to have come on horseback and alone – so I don't suppose he's intending to make a fuss."

"I am trying to read, Shihouin." Ryuu's voice was soft and even, and the dark haired boy did not raise his gaze from his book, but at a glance Kai could see the tension in his roommate's body and he sighed, dropping down onto his bed.

"I know." He admitted. "And I should be too. Kazoe's deadline is looming, but it's hard to focus on anything at the moment."

"Yes. Particularly when you are talking about nothing instead of attempting work." Now Ryuu did lift his head, fixing Kai with a pointed look. "If you are not going to study, then I would appreciate it if you would go someplace else and allow me to do so in peace and quiet. I have more to catch up than you do if I am to restore my class position and you are really not helping me think."

"I can't do that." Kai shook his head, and Ryuu's gaze narrowed.

"Why not?" He asked, shutting the book with a snap and resting his hands on the covers. "There is absolutely no reason to enforce yourself into my company, and many reasons why I would think you would prefer us to be some distance apart. Especially in light of recent events, I can't imagine that you want to spend time around a Kuchiki."

"That's just it though." Kai grimaced, resting his chin in his hands as he met Ryuu's quizzical grey eyes with earnest golden ones. "That's precisely why I can't just take off. _Because of_ what happened in District Six."

"Shihouin, do you think you're protecting me?" Ryuu's eyebrow arched as his face took on an expression of disbelief. "Because I can assure you that I am not in need of a bodyguard, and even if I was…"

"I'm not protecting you, idiot." Kai snorted, shaking his head as he stretched out on his bedcovers. "I know what Shizurugi can do and I know you're probably as good with Kidou as I could be, perhaps even better if I'm honest. It's not that."

"Then what?" Ryuu demanded. "Explain yourself clearly – and quickly, if you don't mind, since I have another two and a half chapters I wish to cover before I can begin thinking about Kazoe's assignment."

Kai did not answer immediately, then he frowned, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's a matter of pride." He said quietly. "My Clan has rebuilt theirs, piece by piece since my Uncle was put to death. The discovery of the Endou part of the plot helped – people realised it wasn't all a Shihouin scheme, but even so, it's been hard work. And now…this."

"And so you are haunting my air space because your family have fallen on hard times in recent years? Forgive my lack of comprehension, but that seems stupid even by your standards." Ryuu leant back against the wall.

"My Clan aren't trying to kill you." Kai said frankly. "But someone out there is. At least, they tried to take out your Uncle and they took out your cousin, so it's a fair bet you're next. I want to know who…and why. And I want to teach them exactly why they shouldn't try and frame the Shihouin."

Ryuu's expression cleared, and he nodded his head.

"I see." He said thoughtfully. "In truth, I cannot pretend not to understand your feelings. Because…I feel similarly regarding this whole business. The blame is being shunted by my Father in the direction of my other cousin, and I believe this to be in error. So I too would like to know who is targeting us – and more than that, I want to know why."

"I don't particularly hate the Kuchiki." Kai said pensively. "I was taught to when I was small, but I never really understood the reasons why. Some dark grievance stored away in years of Clan dust – never clearly explained. When I think of it, all Father ever said was that there had been an unforgivable accusation made by your people towards mine – and the Shihouin never forget a slight to their pride. And so it continued."

"The death of my Grandfather, no doubt." Ryuu mused, and Kai sighed.

"I didn't really think about that." He admitted. "Because from the bits and pieces I've heard about Senaya-sama's murder, I…I wondered about what my family's involvement was. He died from Eiminyaku poisoning, didn't he? Whilst men of my Clan were in your District. Even if that is the grievance – the slight against Shihouin pride – I always thought that maybe there was something that my family had done. And so I don't really consider it a grievance, that your family suspect mine of that. I just think that…it was a long time past and things have changed."

"For my part, I begin to doubt that a Shihouin hand was ever at work in the death of Senaya-sama." Ryuu said quietly. "Truthfully, Kai, I doubt it very much indeed. There is not much real evidence to link the two things together. There were Shihouin in District Six, and there was Eiminyaku used in Senaya-sama's death. But…"

"You don't believe the Shihouin killed your Grandfather?" Kai was taken aback. "That's unexpected. I was fairly sure you were fully indoctrinated in all the favourite Kuchiki prejudices."

"On the contrary, I am not." Ryuu's tone held a faint edge, and Kai sighed.

"Sorry. That was slightly pointed." He admitted. "All right. If you don't believe that, what do you believe? If you can tell me – I realise it's not my business to know."

"Guren-sama has consulted your brother Lord Yanagi on the business concerning the one who attacked his life." Ryuu said categorically. "For me to consult you is in keeping with the actions of my Clan leader, don't you think?"

"I see." Kai's expression became one of amusement. "You're really quite clever, sometimes. And all right. I'll bite. Tell me your theory and I'll see if I can supplement anything of yours with anything of mine."

"If I was to express this opinion at home, I would probably receive censure." Ryuu admitted. "But I know I am not alone in believing it to be the case. I think that Senaya-sama's death was not the work of the Shihouin, and perhaps not the work of Kuchiki dissidents either. More, I think it may have been engineered…by those _loyal _to my Grandfather."

"That he killed himself?" Kai's eyes widened with shock, and Ryuu shrugged.

"Suicide is shameful in my Clan, therefore I would not put it in those terms before my kin." He said honestly. "But the death of my Grandfather was the thing that made my Father and my Uncle bury their childhood rivalry and work together for the good of the Clan. They always hated one another as children…but Senaya-sama's death was the catalyst for their united front. They had an enemy to pursue, and so they joined forces. And our family benefited."

"Using us as the scapegoats." Kai's lips thinned. "Hence an unforgivable slight to our pride from the point of view of the Shihouin Clan elders."

"That seems a possibility to me." Ryuu agreed. "There is only one person still living who I believe knows all the particulars of what happened when Grandfather died. And the way in which he refused to discuss that matter – more, warned me away from it – suggests that it was not the simple murder-by-the-enemy plot that it appears."

He sighed.

"I have learnt of late that my Grandfather was quite skilled in creating deception for the sake of the Clan's stability." He added sadly. "This would not therefore be out of character, for his death to also be such a charade."

"Intriguing." Kai drummed his fingers absently on the bedcovers. "But I don't suppose the truth matters when it's so ingrained into what everyone else believes."

"You're not angry?" Ryuu was surprised, and Kai shrugged.

"I wasn't alive to judge things then." He admitted. "So I suppose I feel it doesn't really connect to me. This latest situation is different – I'm Midori-nee's heir and I know what's going on in the heart of the Clan now. Midori-nee wants to rid us of the assassin tag – there's no way that she'd endorse an attack on your family like this one."

"I know." Ryuu agreed, and Kai eyed him keenly.

"You still believe the Shihouin are innocent?"

"More and more with each passing day."

"Then?"

"I don't know." Ryuu ran his fingers through his thick dark hair, loosing the white ties that held it in its usual firm tail. "I don't know anything, and that's the truth. I only have fears and suspicions and those don't add up together either. My Father has kept sending such frightening memos to Genryuusai-sensei about my safety and the hunt for my cousin continues. But I feel as though it's a nightmare from which I can't wake up."

"Kyouraku was right, though, wasn't he?" Kai pursed his lips. "You told me that Shihouin had been sighted, but you and Edogawa both kept that secret in order to try and stop my Clan being brought into things. That means you believed us innocent then – and you still do now. Which means you have suspicions in another direction. Can you tell me what those suspicions are?"

"I was not even able to disclose such things to Shirogane-senpai, a blood member of my Clan." Ryuu closed up, turning his attention back to the book. "You and I may have reached agreement on some things, Kai – but we are far from allies and there are things which I will not disclose to an outsider, no matter what the provocation."

"You're calling me Kai, however." Kai observed. "And you don't usually do that."

Ryuu flinched, staring at his companion in stricken surprise, and Kai let out a wry chuckle.

"You hadn't realised?" He asked. "But you've done it a few times since we started this conversation. And to be honest, the fact we're having this conversation at all is progressive enough. Since usually you like to snipe at me – and I admit I can't resist teasing you when you get on your high horse."

Ryuu stared at his companion for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh, pushing the book aside and flopping down on his bed.

"It is impossible to belittle your Clan when I feel so dissatisfied with my own." He murmured.

"I suppose that's true." Kai acknowledged. "Maybe that's why I don't feel so much animosity to the Kuchiki now as before. Because I've seen the ugly side of my own family, and so can't really point my finger at yours any longer."

"Pride comes before a fall." Ryuu said sagely. "Such an unpleasant cliché – and yet one founded in such truth."

"Will you be the heir to the Clan, when all this dies down?"

"I suppose." Ryuu turned his head to meet Kai's gaze, and the Shihouin saw the reluctance that lurked in the clever grey eyes. "Since I am the one with the most suitable claim. What else can I do? You understand – you've been there too."

"Yes." Kai agreed. "And I don't know sometimes if I'd want to do what Neesama does – but since she's got no plans for kids, I have to prepare for the chance I might one day inherit the family. Just…I can be useful in my current position when I wasn't before. So I don't mind being her heir. When I leave here, I have a job already carved out for me and it's one that will help bring the Shihouin forwards. So long as…all of this…doesn't ruin our chances of building other Clans' trust."

Ryuu dragged himself back into a sitting position, then,

"I am not as strong as you are." He murmured, and Kai was startled at the sincerity in the other boy's tones. "Your family almost collapsed around you and yet you still hold your head high and you still have your pride."

"Have you lost yours, then?" Kai crossed his legs, settling back against the corner of the chamber, a challenging look in his golden eyes. "For all of the fine words you spout about your people – is Kuchiki pride really such a fragile thing that it crumbles under the slightest amount of pressure?"

"Of course not!" Ryuu reacted angrily to this, indignation flaring in his gaze. "You just don't understand what it's been like, that's all. You don't…"

"I understand what it's like to live every day not knowing if a kinsman of mine is about to die." Kai cut across him, his expression calm and even as he broke through Ryuu's protestations. "I know what it's like to wait anxiously for word as Council hearings drag on, and wonder and pray for the lives of people I care for. I know what it's like when those people have been wound up in bad things – things that could take their lives. And I had my own life threatened by someone I shared blood with – because I stood up for someone I believed in, instead of for the ethic that throttled our Clan. I understand more than you do what it's like to be surrounded by darkness, Ryuu. Doubtless there are things about the Kuchiki you know but haven't told me and that's fine, because there are things about the Shihouin I haven't told you. But pride doesn't cost anything to hold on to. Rebuilding other people's faith in you is one thing. But your own pride in who you are…in what you believe in…that's something else."

He glanced at his hands.

"If I hadn't had that…if I hadn't clung on and believed, I wouldn't have made it through those months before Uncle's execution." He added softly. "I wouldn't have survived the stress of Father's trial and then Aniue's. I wouldn't be able to deal now with the fact that I can't see my father except with special permission – or the burden of inheritance when my sister thrust it my way. Your family is not the same as mine, I know. Probably there isn't the same darkness running through your Clan as there always has been through mine. But if you can't hold on to your own pride and strength in this – you'll be dragged under by it. And if that's how weak you are, Ryuu – you shouldn't even think about inheriting the Kuchiki Clan. People depend on that Clan for protection – not just Clansfolk but people like Ukitake's family. So think about that good and hard before you make decisions. If you're so feeble that you can't hold on to even your own pride, you don't deserve to be considered heir to the Clan."

There was a long, heavy silence as Kai finished speaking, and for a moment the Shihouin was sure he'd pushed his roommate too far, half expecting a burst of hot Kuchiki rage at the bluntness of his words.

But instead Ryuu sighed, rubbing his temples.

"You're right." He said hollowly. "I can't refute you in any respect. But the truth is I don't want to be considered heir to the Clan. Perhaps that does make me weak, or cowardly, or feeble in some way. But it's what I said before. I'm not as strong as you."

"Bah." Kai snorted, getting to his feet and coming to shake his roommate sharply. "Don't give me that rubbish. You're being nice to me and it's creepy – it makes me think you've something nesting in your brain, so I'm going to rattle it out of you. You're the one who likes to make the comparisons between Kuchiki and Shihouin, aren't you?"

"Perhaps so." Ryuu nodded. "But…"

"Don't 'but' me." Kai ordered. "If you hate something, at least have the conviction to hate it properly! Dammit, Kuchiki – you've made a school career out of knocking holes in my and other people's Clans. It's pathetic if you fall at the first serious hurdle – do you want me to lose all respect for you or something?"

"You wish me to belittle your family?" Ryuu demanded. Kai shrugged.

"It's normal." He said dismissively. "And it doesn't bother me so much as it did, because I'm more confident in the Clan I'm helping to rebuild. But more, I want you to act like your normal self. This self-pitying, sighing and moaning wimp is not the Kuchiki Ryuu I'm used to exchanging punches with. If you don't pull yourself together, I might be the one asking for a room change."

"Ask for one then!" Ryuu retorted. "Sensei is bound to ignore your request, so you won't get anywhere by following that path."

"Probably." Kai groaned. "Look. I don't know what it is – something that's bugging you that you can't quite fathom out – but whatever it is, swallow it, all right? You know what you believe in. You've been preaching to us about everything and anything since the first term, so don't drop it now. If you have to be heir to the Kuchiki, then you do. That's all it is though. Heir. Understand? You aren't being asked to take the reins and lead them, and in those circumstances, you have a Clan leader from whom you can learn everything you'll ever need to know. So stop being unlike yourself. Insult me, if it makes you feel better – but for God's sake stop moping like a lost sheep about things you can't change!"

Ryuu stared at Kai for a moment. Then, without warning, he began to laugh. Kai blinked at the unexpected reaction, eying his companion uncertaintly.

"I expected to be yelled at, not laughed at." He admitted at length. "Do you mind pointing out what was funny – or where it was I went wrong?"

"Your lecture…was…so contrary…of course…I would laugh." Ryuu gasped out between spasms of mirth. "But…I am grateful…all the same. Thank you…Shihouin. I think…I needed to…laugh."

"Well, you're welcome, I think." Kai looked nonplussed. "You do get my point though, don't you?"

"I do." Ryuu nodded, fighting to regain control of his composure. "But if you have such a negative opinion of me, why on earth are you demanding I reprise such a role?"

"I guess I'm more used to it if you're backbiting me." Kai admitted. "That's all. Is that odd?"

"No." Ryuu looked thoughtful. "But I am finding it harder to do that at present. Your family and mine have been talking – Guren-sama's actions prove that. And the truth is…the truth is…"

"Mm?" Kai tilted his head on one side, and Ryuu sighed.

"I don't believe my hatred of you runs deep enough for me to maintain it indefinitely." He said apologetically. "I'm sorry that I may disappoint your expectations of me, but at present I feel no desire to insult you or to rip holes in your Clan's reputation, as I believe you put it. Perhaps my conviction in that area is not all it should be."

"You don't hate me?"

"I'm afraid that's how it seems." Ryuu grimaced. "Even sharing a room like this is less unpleasant a chore than I might have imagined it to be some two or three years ago."

He shrugged.

"Of course, the blame is entirely in your court." He added matter-of-factly. "You've sadly neglected your duty to deride my family for some time past now – and it's impossible to maintain a feud one-sidedly. You are leaving all the work to me – which I don't consider a fair tactic."

"I suppose it isn't." Kai grinned. "All right. So I'm sorry too, then, for letting down my part of the bargain. But the fact is I don't hate you either, so it's far too much of a bother to try. Perhaps we both fail this round of Clan pride and conviction in one way or another."

"My Father would be horrified if he thought I was having such open discourse with a member of your Clan." Ryuu said pensively. "That thought pleases me far more than it should."

"You don't much like your Father, do you?"

"Not particularly, but I believe it's mutual." Ryuu sighed. "I am simply a tool to further his ambition – no more than that. It's all I've ever been to him or to my family, Kai – that's the difference between your position and my own. Your family were ripped apart by scandal, it's true. But you and your siblings have genuine bonds between them. I have no such ties to my immediate family, and I have always been there to be manipulated for their benefit. When I left for school it was a relief. Four sisters, a father and a mother all trying to push you into the limelight when you just want to be left alone to read or study or get on with your preparation for the school term ahead…I suppose I hoped when I graduated I could escape that at last. All of this makes such a freedom look unlikely."

"You really aren't a social person, are you?" Kai observed, and Ryuu shook his head.

"I would rather they left me alone." He owned. "I even tried looking for proof to denounce my claim, but instead I found…"

He faltered, his expression changing, and Kai's eyes narrowed.

"Found?" He pressed, and Ryuu shook his head.

"Evidence to the contrary." He murmured softly. "Evidence that strengthened my claim, rather than weakened it."

"Like?" Kai was curious. "You're already the nephew of the Clan leader and the son of his twin brother – what could make that claim stronger?"

"A secret of my Grandfather's that should have died with him." Ryuu said simply. "And I will speak of it no further."

"Suit yourself." Kai sighed. "It's probably nothing to do with the issue at hand, anyway."

"I hope not." Ryuu admitted.

"Ryuu, your loyalty is to your family, isn't it? Above everything else, no matter how much they annoy you or how isolated you are by them?" Kai asked quietly, and Ryuu nodded.

"Is that strange?" He asked, and Kai shook his head.

"No. I was the same, even when Uncle paid me no attention and even was willing to sacrifice me for his plans with the Endou." He said seriously. "But if that's what drives you, keep hold of it. I mean it. You carry the Kuchiki name, just like I carry the Shihouin one. That means that you exist for their sake, just as I do for my Clan's. Whatever you can do for them – or give them – that's the path you need to take."

"Meaning I should stop fussing and accept my bloodline?" Ryuu asked acidly, and Kai shrugged.

"If that's the best thing you can do for them, then I suppose so. You know that better than me."

He got to his feet, reaching out to pull his startled roommate up with him. "Come on. You can do your reading later – for now let's abandon academia and head out into the fresh air. Bring Shizurugi and I'll see whether you've learnt enough to take my blade from me in sealed combat yet."

"Spar you?" Ryuu blinked, then, "But Kazoe's essay…"

"You need cobwebs clearing from your brain if you're going to bring your grade up, and sparring is a form of study too." Kai said simply. "Besides, you have an enemy on your tail. You want to slit his throat before he slits yours, don't you?"

"That is a violent and unpleasant way of putting it." Ryuu wrinkled up his nose, and Kai grinned, shrugging his shoulders.

"Your roommate is a Shihouin." He said blithely. "Well? Are you going to run away from me? It's been a while since we crossed weapons of any kind, so perhaps you think I've leapt too far ahead of you now."

"Oh, so that's the way of it?" Ryuu raised an eyebrow, grabbing the sheathed Shizurugi from his cabinet and sliding it into his _obi_. "For someone who gave a lecture just now on Clan pride, you're very cocky, Shihouin Kai. I suppose Shizurugi and I will have to show you a few things about how a Kuchiki wields a sword, now won't we?"

"Good. That's what I want to hear." Kai's eyes twinkled. "Come on then. The furthest training ground will be empty – it always is at this time, because I've been down there on a few occasions and there's no classes booked to use it between now and the midday meal. There's plenty of opportunity for a good workout – which you need, because you've had your head in your books pretty much since you came back."

He paused, then shook his head.

"Perhaps since the day we came here." He amended. "You won't make a Gotei shinigami if you can't do the practical, now will you?"

"You appear to be confusing me with some other member of our Class." Ryuu said archly, and Kai was strangely relieved to see a flicker of his companion's old stubborn pride surfacing in the melancholy grey eyes. "Very well, Shihouin. I will spar you without reserve. But don't say you haven't been warned. I am in no friendly mood to go easy on you – and even with a sealed sword I can inflict plenty of damage."

"If you can catch me, of course." Kai said innocently. "I'll race you down there."

With that he was gone, slipping into shunpo as he darted through the halls and corridors towards the furthermost training ground. He was the first to arrive, and with an approving smile he realised that as he had expected it was not in use, for mostly this particular arena was given over to one to one _zanpakutou_ training sessions.

_Tokutarou-sama is here, so Kyouraku won't be training his _chibi-hime_ this morning. That means Kuchiki and I have free reign to have a proper fight. It doesn't matter really who wins or loses – but it will be good for him to let loose for a bit. He's very bad at letting out pent up emotion._

He pulled Meimei Anshi from its sheath, glancing at the gleaming ebony blade thoughtfully.

_Why am I so concerned about that stiff-backed idiot at the moment, I wonder? Because Sensei made us roommates? Because his Clan and mine are now involved in this? Or maybe because time really does heal all wounds – it's true that I don't look on him with as much hostility as I did to begin with. He's mellowed – maybe I have too. I wouldn't call us friends, but maybe there's a fragile kind of truce between us after so many years in each other's company._

He swung his sword experimentally, enjoying the feel of the crisp summer air against the glittering metal.

_Well, Meimei. Don't let me down. Even if this is a friendly spar, I don't want to give up my position of top dog to a son of the Kuchiki Clan. _

"That was unfair." At that moment Ryuu materialised at the edge of the ground, an irritated look on his haughty features. "Only a junior plays hide and seek, Shihouin – I thought this was going to be an adult spar, not children's games."

"It got you here, as I knew it would." Kai was unrepentant. "But I don't intend on playing with you either. A spar is a spar."

"Rules?" Ryuu pulled Shizurugi from its scabbard, tapping it gently against the leg of his _hakama_ as he eyed his companion carefully. "No releasing of course – Sensei would be on us in a shot if we tried to fight like that without prior permission. But otherwise?"

"Mm. We need rules?" Kai teased, then he shrugged, his expression becoming serious.

"You take my sword, you win. I take yours, I do." He said quietly. "No Kidou, no Shunpo, and nothing above the chin. It might be hard to explain bruises to someone outside otherwise – bruises on the body you can hide, but bruises on the face…"

"Agreed." Ryuu raised Shizurugi. "Then there's no sense in waiting around. _Hajime_!"

Without even pausing to draw breath he drove forwards, Shizurugi's edged blade pointed directly towards Meimei Anshi's hilt, and Kai laughed, side-stepping the attack and bringing his _zanpakutou_ down easily to meet the challenge. Ryuu skipped back, changing his angle of attack, and Kai parried him neatly, turning his weapon and shifting his weight from right to left as he switched from defence to attack. Ryuu was not as nimble as the swift-footed Shihouin, but he was no pushover, and so he managed to meet the swing, pushing Kai's blade back before swinging Shizurugi again in his companion's direction.

"You're getting better." Kai paused for a moment to adjust the grip on his weapon. "Perhaps you'll make the Gotei after all."

"You won't, if you stand around talking when your enemy is armed." Ryuu shot back, taking advantage of his companion's brief halt to change his angle of assault, bringing Shizurugi across from the right in a determined swing towards Meimei Anshi's unusually sharp blade. Kai cursed, hopping back out of the way as he parried the shot, and Ryuu offered him a faint grin.

"You're too complacent with your blade, Shihouin." He said, and Kai could hear a flicker of the usual pomposity returning to his classmate's tones. "Standing around like that you're open for anyone to attack you."

"I suppose I should take your attacks more seriously, then." Kai returned with a grin, springing forward with a sudden onslaught of swings and strikes against the Kuchiki boy's blade. Despite the fact none of Kai's movements were designed to make contact with Ryuu's body or cause any kind of physical harm, the sheer force and quantity of them forced the Kuchiki boy to take steps back, biting his lip as he focused all his attention on keeping Meimei Anshi at bay.

"That more like it?" As Kai drove his weapon past Ryuu's right ear, his companion snorted.

"You're not meant to give me a hair cut." He snapped back. "Nothing above the chin – your rules, remember? Keep to them."

"That was just a play swing. It wasn't anywhere near you." Kai was enjoying himself now. "I want you to come out of your shell and really fight me, Kuchiki. I want to see where this Clan pride really is. If I was your enemy – how would you kill me?"

"I don't remember being trained in the arts of killing." Ryuu objected, parrying his companion's fresh assault and managing to bring Shizurugi in for a swing or two of his own. "I am not a Shihouin. We aren't trained that way in my Clan."

"But the one who's after you isn't going to stop and listen to you explain your humanitarian instincts." Kai did not falter, merely targeting his classmate with another barrage of swings and feints in an attempt to dazzle and confuse him into making a mistake. "This is a matter of kill or be killed, Kuchiki. Your enemy will want to kill you. You have to realise that – there are some fights where the end only comes when one of you lies dead."

"I thought you didn't like killing either!" Ryuu was breathing more heavily now, sweat beading on his brow, but still he managed to push back each one of Kai's penetrating swings. "Now you're telling me to come at you with killing intent – I'm sorry, but I see a disparity here!"

"I don't like killing. I don't like it at all." Kai admitted, shifting his stance slightly to ward off Shizurugi's next attack. "But I understand the difference between wanting to kill and having to kill. Ryuu, this person killed your cousin. They may come to kill you next. They may want to kill other members of your family. Are you going to stand back and let them?"

To Kai's surprise, a faint flicker of purple energy glittered briefly around Shizurugi's hilt, gone almost as soon as it had appeared, and Ryuu shook his head, determination in his grey eyes as he brought his weapon up sharply to clash against Meimei Anshi's exposed blade. The force was almost enough to knock the black bladed weapon from Kai's grip, and the Shihouin pursed his lips, taking a step or two back and holding up his free hand in order to halt the fight.

"You almost released that on me then." He said quietly. "You shouldn't tell me about rules if you're going to break them yourself."

"I didn't release." Ryuu lowered his sword. "But you made me angry. No…or rather, what you said…made me angry."

"You want to protect your family, don't you?" Kai asked, and Ryuu nodded.

"It seems I do." He murmured. "I want to know who killed Ribari-sama, and I want to know why. And then…I suppose I want things to become peaceful again."

"Even if it means you becoming heir to a Clan that's mostly shunned you?"

"That is part of being a Kuchiki." Ryuu smiled sadly. "Affection is secondary to honour. All is secondary to that. Even life."

"Your Clan sucks." Kai said frankly. "But if you want to defend it, then that's how you've got to fight. If you believe in defending it – that's how you have to be. You held back against me then, when Shizurugi wanted to burst forth for the take down. I'm glad you did, because it would've been a whole lot of mess otherwise. But it was there – that instinct to protect and even kill if your family needed you to."

He smiled.

"You're no different from me deep down." He added. "Pretty manners and fine words aside, you're as capable of fighting to the death as I am."

"The difference is that I do not choose to train for such a thing." Ryuu responded simply. "Well? Are you done, then? I thought the victor was the one who took the other's sword – I don't recall you taking Shizurugi, so unless you yield…"

"No. That was just time out, to let you calm down a little." Kai shook his head, raising Meimei Anshi once more. "I'm ready to go again when you are."

"What on earth is going on here?"

The voice struck through the training ground like a clap of thunder, and at the sound of it Ryuu visibly froze, his features paling and the tension coursing through his system more and more with every passing moment. Kai frowned, lowering his weapon as he turned to meet the speaker, unsure what exactly he might find but certain that whatever it was was something that had brought his companion no pleasure at all.

At the entrance to the grounds stood a man of about Ryuu's own height, dressed in the distinctive cream and green of the Kuchiki Clan. He was leanly built, but not skinny, with thick dark hair schooled properly back in the neat ties preferred by high ranking members of the District Six Clan. At his waist hung a sword, but from a glance Kai could tell that it was not a _zanpakutou_, and in that instant he realised who the man was – and why neither one of them had properly sensed his coming.

_Seiren-dono doesn't carry a spirit sword, and his reiatsu is minimal at best. We were so focused on our fight that neither of us realised – but it seems that Tokutarou-dono isn't the only Clan member visiting the Academy today._

He bit his lip, shifting his gaze back towards his roommate.

_I chose a bad time to bring you down here, didn't I, Ryuu?_

"Otousama." At length Ryuu broke the silence, lowering Shizurugi with some difficulty as he turned to meet the man's gaze. "What…why are you here? What brings you to District One?"

"Your safety, among other things." Seiren's eyes narrowed, and he cast a wary, disparaging glance in the direction of the hapless Shihouin boy.

"Shihouin…Kai, I presume?"

"Yes, sir." Kai's pride bristled at the censure in the Kuchiki's grey eyes, but from the tension still rippling through Ryuu's young frame, he decided it would be better if he didn't rock the boat any further. He bowed his head respectfully, long tail of violet hair falling over his shoulder as he did so.

Seiren gazed at him a moment longer, then turned his attention back to Ryuu, marching across the training ground and grasping his son by the shoulders.

"What kind of idiocy is this, that I come here concerned about potential attacks on your life and I find you here of all places, sword drawn and alone against a member of the assassin's Clan?"

"Kai is my classmate, Otousama." Ryuu's tones were careful and polite, but Kai could feel the resentment oozing from his companion's words as he sheathed his weapon, then carefully detached himself from Seiren's hold. "It is not uncommon for shinigami in training to practice with swords against one another. That is all."

"Shinigami." Seiren's displeasure seemed to grow at this. "And you don't think that it is imprudent at present for you to be raising your weapon against a Shihouin, when one of his Clan is suspected of an attempt on your Lord Uncle's life?"

Ryuu glanced at Kai for a moment, then back at his father. Slowly he shook his head.

"Kai is not my enemy. He is my classmate." He said quietly. "Therefore I am in no danger here."

"Not your…" Seiren's expression became one of incredulity, and Kai was certain for a moment that the nobleman would reach out a hand to slap his son. Somehow he resisted, but the fact he was on the verge of losing his temper was not lost on the young Shihouin.

_Ryuu wasn't kidding. His relationship with his father sucks. I guess that explains bucketloads…but right now I'm actually feeling sorry for him._

"The Shihouin have been enemies of the Kuchiki since the death of your Grandfather, before you were even born." Seiren spoke in low tones. "I understand that this Academy of yours has given you strange ideas about inter-Clan allegiances and you may even believe yourself to be friends with him – him and others of his type. But you are a Kuchiki, Ryuu, and that should be foremost on your mind. We have an assassin escaped and potentially targeting your life next – and you are paying no attention to your own security by playing sword games with people like this with nobody to ensure your safety!"

"With respect, Seiren-dono, Ryuu doesn't need protecting." Kai did not know what had possessed him to speak, but the words were out before he could stop them, and Seiren sent a look of utter contempt in his direction. "I've sparred him today and I've seen him fight before. He's not weak."

"I didn't ask a Shihouin's opinion on whether my son is weak or strong." Seiren snapped. "I know he's not weak, and your viewpoint means absolutely nothing in this. You have no part in this conversation."

He turned back to Ryuu, who was bristling too now with indignation.

"I intend to speak to Genryuusai-sama about this – that in future you should not be in a position where you are alone with a Shihouin, and especially not in a situation where you're sparring one with blades."

"That will be difficult, Otousama." Ryuu's tones carried a definite edge now, and Seiren eyed him in surprise.

"Oh? How do you mean? The power of our Clan is far-reaching, you know, and in the circumstances…"

"Kai is my room-mate." Ryuu cut calmly across his father, and Seiren reacted at once, staring at him in stricken disbelief.

"_What?_"

"It's quite true." Ryuu inclined his head. "Sensei decided on such a course of action at the start of term."

"And why did you not protest it?"

"I did not see a reason why to." Ryuu shrugged.

"You really are impossibly naïve sometimes." Seiren was beside himself. "Right, that's it. Now I know that, I will be speaking to Genryuusai-sama about that, too. It's a good thing I came here to see for myself the security measures being put in place – now I find them so completely lacking, I'll have to make sure I…"

"I have no intention of changing rooms, Otousama." Ryuu said quietly, and Seiren grabbed him once more by the shoulders, giving him a shake.

"You will _not _answer me back." He said darkly. "I've told you before, that when I make a decision…"

"_I _am the one who may become the next heir of the Kuchiki family, not you." Ryuu's gaze became steely, and Kai watched in fascination as he pushed his father away, dusting himself down almost as if he had swiped away an unpleasant insect who had been hovering too close to his body. "I am almost three and twenty, and therefore I am not a child who needs to be ordered or disciplined any longer. If Guren-sama is to see me in any vein or form as his successor, then I need to show him that more than anybody else. Therefore I have decided to follow my own judgement in this matter. Your interference is not needed."

"Ryuu…" It was impossible for Seiren to be more angry, for his features were flushed red, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets at this blatant display of defiance.

"I have no intention of changing rooms." Ryuu repeated levelly. "Kai is my room-mate and that is fine. I do not consider him my enemy. I consider him my classmate."

He turned, bowing his head slightly in Kai's direction.

"For my father's rudeness to you and your kin, I apologise." He said gravely. "Many disturbing matters surrounding our family of late have unfortunately caused him some amount of distress, but…"

Thwack!

At last it came, for as Seiren's rage flared up and overflowed, it seemed he was no longer able to keep his hands at his sides and Kai winced at the sound of the man's palm smacking against his son's cheek. For a moment Ryuu stood stock-still, a mixture of disbelief and indignation in his grey eyes as he touched his finger gingerly to his jaw, and Kai wondered what his classmate was planning to do.

Two seconds passed, then three, and then four, each one seeming to take an age as nothing moved in the training ground.

Then, with the utmost dignity and forced calm, Ryuu lowered his hand, taking a step back from his father and bowing his head.

"With respect, Otousama, if you go to Sensei, I will simply go to him and explain that I do not want to change." He said quietly, his tones courteous but lacking in any kind of genuine emotion. "In terms of the Clan, you are Guren-sama's right hand man. But if _I_ am the one to succeed him, my judgement must be seen to outrank yours. I have trust in Shihouin Kai. I believe he is not my enemy, nor do I believe that the Shihouin Clan are involved in the plots against our family. Killers lurk in shadows and I wish to find them as much as you do. But you will not find them by coming to the Academy. And I will not bend to your will when it is founded in paranoia."

"Ryuu, you…"

"When _Guren-sama_ issues me with a directive not to speak or share quarters with a Shihouin, I shall immediately obey." Ryuu added matter-of-factly. "But since I know he has sought advice from Kai's brother, Yanagi-dono of late, I suspect that order will not come. Therefore in order not to inconvenience my sensei and my classmates any more than I must by being here, I shall not seek to make changes."

He bowed his head again, then cast his glance towards where Kai stood awkwardly, feeling as though he'd trespassed into an embarrassing family squabble but not quite sure how to extricate himself from it.

"I have further study to attend to, and so do you." He said quietly, this time his words clearly directed at his classmate. "I suggest we end the spar for the time being, and return to the matter of Kidou theory."

With that he turned on his heel, walking purposefully away from his Father and out of the training ground. With a glance at the stunned Seiren, Kai hurried to follow him, bowing his head hastily towards the starstruck lord as he did so.

"Was that a good idea?" As they moved out of earshot, the Shihouin glanced back, seeing Seiren still standing where they had left him as though unable to fully absorb his son's words. "Defending me or my family, I mean. Your Father was pretty mad."

"I am also quite cross." Ryuu touched his finger to his cheek again, then, "And you are right. If I am to be heir of this Clan, I must follow the things I believe in. If I do not want him to manipulate me, I have to stop allowing him to, don't I?"

"He doesn't look like the type to forgive and forget very easily."

"Perhaps not. But I am his son, and the only one he has." Ryuu offered his companion a hollow smile. "Therefore he will not bear a grudge against me. I am the only chance he has of raising his family's status into the leadership position, and he knows it."

"You really don't get along, do you?"

"As you saw." Ryuu sighed heavily. "Though that is probably the first time I have really stood up to him. I regret it, Kai – that when he spoke ill against Senpai, I did not do anything then and now things spiralled to the point they are now. And besides, what I said to him this time was true. I have no reason to change rooms. You are not going to kill me in my sleep – I have confidence of that."

"I have been tempted to smother you once or twice, when you start murmuring half-spells." Kai admitted, and despite himself, Ryuu smiled – a proper smile this time that reached his clouded grey eyes for the briefest of moments.

"That aside." He amended. "Since there are times you rise before dawn that I would sooner you did not – you have a habit of leaving the door ajar slightly and it bangs and wakes me up long before I need be out of bed."

"But those are normal roommate things." Kai said thoughtfully. "They're not a matter of Clan life or death."

"No." Ryuu agreed. "Besides, Father's had his way far too much lately. When Ribari-sama was alive, that was different – but now…if his son becomes heir to the Clan…"

"I guess that he's not really in favour of Guren-sama's consorting with my brother, either."

"It doesn't seem that way." Ryuu rubbed his chin pensively. "Perhaps they have argued. As I believe I said before, they were never close until my Grandfather died, so perhaps a little pressure applied in the right places and those bonds would crack."

"That might be the reason Ribari-sama was killed." Kai suggested, and Ryuu's eyes darkened.

"Maybe." He acknowledged. "To drive a wedge through the Clan. Not just to kill the heir, but to shatter the family's bonds of loyalty completely."

He turned, gazing thoughtfully in the direction of the training ground for a moment, then,

"Father came here to ensure I was safe, so that he knew that his situation was still safe, perhaps." He mused. "He's driven Shirogane-senpai out, and maybe he's fought with Guren-sama – but everything rests on me and my being alive and strong. Even Guren-sama cannot dispute my bloodline for the Clan inheritance – and so…Father has a lot to gain."

"Do you think he…" Kai's eyes became big with shock, and Ryuu sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Sometimes." He admitted wearily. "But then sometimes it doesn't add up that way, either. I can't explain it, Kai…just take it from me that this is entirely complicated and without clear solution."

"Mm." Kai's brow furrowed in thought for a while. "All right. I accept that. But listen. I don't know what help Yanagi-nii has been to Guren-sama or how that investigation has progressed. It may or may not have something to do with Tokutarou-dono being here today – we'll have to ask Kyouraku when we can. But regardless of that – I think you and I are on the same side. Bad stuff is happening and people around us are getting tainted by that. Midori-nee apparently said that she'd provide help of whatever kind necessary to prove our innocence – and that goes for me too."

"Are you offering me an alliance?" Ryuu asked doubtfully, and Kai grinned.

"Perhaps." He admitted. "That's sort of what it sounds like, isn't it?"

"It is." Ryuu pursed his lips, then nodded, holding out his hand. "Then in that case, I accept."

"All right." Kai grasped the hand firmly, shaking it and then releasing his hold. "A Shihouin's word is his bond, so you can count on what I've said. You want to find out who killed Ribari-sama and you want to defend your Clan. If I can help, I'll help you. And hopefully prove my own people innocent in the process."

* * *

So Seiren had come at last.

Genryuusai paused briefly in his delivery of his Second year Sakusen lecture to glance out towards the training ground, interpreting the flickers and flares of spiritual presence as he did so.

_Things are beginning to move, then, or so it seems._

He turned back towards the black board, scribing quick and neat kanji in long columns to illustrate his point, but all the time his mind was far away from the small teaching chamber and instead on the confrontation of wills and wits that was going on across the other side of his school.

_I shan't interfere in the business of that Clan more than I have to. Whilst I understand why Seiren has come, it's not for me to follow the orders of the Kuchiki in how to protect his son. Ryuu is a young adult now and he's far from stupid. I want to let him make his own decisions – not allow others to make them for him._

Out loud he said,

"You have ten minutes now to work out the best way of resolving this particular puzzle. I'll call on people at random at the end of your time, so please take this chance to scribe out any notes you think might be of use to you. In a short period of time you'll be putting skills to use on your camping excursion – so I want to see you all taking it seriously."

At the mention of the camping trip, the second year heads all bobbed down over their desk, some eagerly beginning to write and others chewing on their brushes as they tried to reason out the problem for themselves. In this brief moment of respite, Genryuusai reached for his cane, moving over to the window to get a proper view of the training grounds.

_I put Ryuu and Kai together this year to see whether Clan prejudice or class spirit would prevail, and I think I'm beginning to see my answer. Two proud Clans who've kept a feud for a long period of time – but it is not fair to infuse their children and their children's children with hatred they do not understand. This world won't rid itself of its poison and instability whilst those who lead it insist on remaining fragmented and at odds. True justice can only be found in cooperation and fair judgement, not in the proud whims of one family over another._

His white brows bristled, knitting together as he considered the most recent of Seiren's memos to the school.

_A father wanting to protect his son. To me they are all like sons and daughters, so that emotion I well understand. But you might do more harm by it, Seiren. Ryuu isn't the kind of boy who will easily understand your motives. You'll push him away sooner if you smother him – even if all you are trying to do is preserve his life._

He sighed, resting Ryuujinjakka's cane against the wall.

_Maybe you're already finding that out. And it's not as though you're the only one who's made the journey – Tokutarou is also here, and with a serious look in his eyes. Things __**are **__moving ever more quickly. Most probably it's unlikely District One will be kept out of things for a lot longer._

He turned back to run his gaze over the industrious forms of his students, picking out each one of them in turn. Some were Clan, some were District, but all of them were bent on the same aim of doing their best and achieving their full potential.

_None of you deserve to be caught up in politics or Clan warfare. I hope Seiren doesn't decide he wants to search District One for his fugitive next, because a clash between his men and the Yamamoto would not make things easy for us here. Still, I will do my best to protect you all, whatever the future brings. And as for Ryuu and the Senior Class…_

His eyes became serious as he reminded himself of the gambles that the path forward might take. And yet, despite all of that…

_They will go. All of them. They will go._

He nodded almost imperceptibly as if confirming it to himself.

_My Seniors __**must**__ be able to face all dangers and judge them for themselves in the way Juushirou judged and fought for Tsukabishi earlier in the term. It is a hard decision each year – this year especially – but I am decided. They will go. If I am in error, I will bear the blame – but it strikes me that I can't hold them back. This group in particular must not be prevented from achieving their full potential. This is no longer a time to protect or shield them – if they can't take these steps now, the Gotei will have no use for them come the spring._

His eyes narrowed.

_And if it draws out the assassins in the shadows, perhaps that too will be a good thing. Yes, I am quite decided. The Senior Class __**will **__go to the Real World and face the future they've all chosen to pursue._

_

* * *

_

**_Author's Note: _**

**_Suspecting Eiraki!_**

_A few people have been referencing the lack of suspicion towards Eiraki at this juncture, and I felt I ought to clarify some stuff. Aside from the fact the readers know a lot more than the characters because they see all the scenes ;) Eiraki was a very innocent and shy young girl until the business with Keitarou first occurred. During that business, she was also meek, fearful and considered a victim. She was entirely absolved by the Council of Elders of having any part to play in Keitarou's scheming. She was just a child caught up in dangerous ploys._

_I imagine the reason most people are wondering why people don't suspect her is on account of the note she left for her family at the end of Third Chronicle. What the story has not yet made clear (although it will) is that, other than Eiraki and Kei, **only one person **ever saw that note, and that one person did all he could to conceal it from those who would be most hurt by it. Popular opinion then is that this fragile, manipulated child was kidnapped by Keitarou so she could not reveal any more about him, and then disposed of in some unknown way. Seireitei has not yet seen the Eiraki that readers are seeing...nor do they have any reason or grounds to believe her to act like this. Keitarou forced her to try to kill her beloved older brother, so nobody would suspect her automatically of complicity this time.  
_

_...Nobody except that **one person** who read her note, and then concealed it. More about that to come later, however I'm sure a few folk will guess who that one person was!_

_**Also...**_

_In response to the kind person who left the long and detailed review last chapter - arigatou gozaimasu :) I haven't had a chance unfortunately to write you the response PM that the review deserved, and for this I apologise. Your review and your support are however much appreciated and I hope you continue to read the story._

_**Finally...**_

_Recently with all the threats of massive local government cuts in the UK I found out that I may well lose my job in the new year, which means that between that and studying for my Japanese exam I haven't had much time for anything, including writing Meifu We are literally fighting for everything at the moment, and I'm sure there are other people in other parts of the country who are going through the exact same thing we are here._

I am some way ahead of the chapters posted here (I am currently working on 66) so it should not mean a delay in updates but please if I am slow replying to a signed review or I forget to respond at all, forgive me. It isn't meant as a personal slight and I do appreciate all the support you people give me!

_I was hoping that by next Tuesday (Juushirou's birthday, of course!) I would be able to say to you all that Meifu 4 was completed on my flash drive, but that looks unlikely now. However, I will endeavour to keep up with updating each week and am offering this extra chapter as a thank you for all the support you've given the stor(ies) to date._


	40. Honne

**Chapter Thirty Nine: Honne**

_**"I am the one who may become the next heir of the Kuchiki family, not you."**_

Seiren paced across the floor of his study, anger and frustration swirling through his body in equal measure as he reviwed yet again Ryuu's cutting words. His son had never spoken against him in that way before, yet in that moment he had seemed almost like a stranger - as though the defiance and resolution burning in those grey eyes had not belonged to the same boy who had always behaved with the utmost care and respect.

_**"I am almost three and twenty, and therefore I am not a child who needs to be ordered or disciplined any longer. If Guren-sama is to see me in any vein or form as his successor, then I need to show him that more than anybody else. Therefore I have decided to follow my own judgement in this matter. Your interference is not needed."**_

Seiren let out a growl, sweeping his hand bad-temperedly across his desk and watching the once neatly piled stack of official papers flutter to the ground like sakura blossoms in a late spring breeze. Was it the influence of that Shihouin that had endorsed the boy to act that way, or something else? Seiren did not like thinking of the way in which Ryuu had faced him - but he was too smart a man not to have seen beyond the defiance to the faint flicker of resentment that lay beneath.

Ryuu had never been the kind of person to reveal his true feelings, but in that instant Seiren had felt that those barriers had been flung open and just for the barest snatch of time he had seen into his son's heart.

And deep within it lay ice, anger and insubordination.

He clenched his fists, dropping back against the wall of his study as he tried to process the conversation more rationally.

He had gone to District One on a whim, without even reporting to Guren that he had intended to travel. Instead he had taken the toll paths through Inner Seireitei, accompanied by Shibata and a small group of other loyal men, using his Clan badges to gain quick access to First District's land. Though there had been many Yamamoto stationed across that region, none of them had questioned Seiren on sighting his crest, and so he had arrived at the school in good time, determined to settle for himself the fears that gnawed away in the pit of his stomach. There had been no real justification for his actions, but he had been driven on by the irrational love of a parent frightened for his child's safety. It was not something he could explain to his brother, the man who had recently interred his own beloved son in the family mausoleum some weeks before. But in Seiren's life one focus existed above his loyalty to his twin's command.

That one focus was his son Ryuu, the boy whose birth had caused so much personal joy as well as Clan celebrations. Much as he loved his daughters, Seiren knew that it was Ryuu and Ryuu alone who really commanded a place in his heart - and up until now he had never perceived the distance between them, or how much it had begun to grow.

He had gone hoping to see his son safe and well protected, perhaps even give him guidance on the situation the Clan currently faced at home. But instead he had been greeted with rejection, and his fears, far from being allayed, had begun to grow.

_**"In terms of the Clan, you are Guren-sama's right hand man. But if I am the one to succeed him, my judgement must be seen to outrank yours."  
**_  
Ryuu's words bit through his thoughts yet again, piercing through to his very core, and he groaned, burying his head in his hands.

_If you only understood what those words really mean, Ryuu. If you did...but you don't, and I can't tell you. You have always outranked me from the moment you were born. Your spirit power makes you something I can't be...a tool useful to Guren and a tool who can be what I never could - a successor and heir to the family as a whole._

He lowered his hands, gazing at them with a faint flicker of resignation.

The skin of his fingers was calloused and rough, testament to his years of training with a sword as a young man. He had learnt to fight with both right and left hands, although his natural style was right-handed, and he knew that he had perservered in this mostly to compensate for the things he did not have - the spirit power that had once flowed through his body but of which now not even the faintest trace remained.  
_  
If I had not had that power removed..._

He forced the thought away, lowering his hands.

_I shouldn't think such foolish things. Father made it clear to me when I was younger that my duty was to be Guren's shadow, and that my purpose was to help him build his Clan. I've tried...God knows I've tried...but now he looks to the help of foreign Clansfolk instead of trusting me with what he's thinking. Yanagi-dono's coming here is just one more fragment in an already broken relationship. You've always trusted others more than me, Guren - and now it appears my son too is starting to take that same path._ _People with spirit power flock together - those who don't are left outside, looking into a world they can never share._

He sighed, closing his eyes briefly as faint tendrils of memory began to lick at his thoughts. As vividly as if it were yesterday, he found himself remembering the first time Ryuu had shown interest in his father's sword, and the determination on the young boy's features as, aged no more than four, he had struggled to lift the heavy weapon, sweeping it clumsily around until the weight had proven too much for his sense of balance and had pulled him over into a flustered heap on the ground.

The boy's mother had been hysterical with anger later, Seiren recalled, for having let their most precious child so near danger so young. But whilst Shouko had only ever seen her son as a potential tool for furthering the family's ambitions, Seiren had felt genuine pride at the boy's determination and curiosity. He had wanted to train Ryuu himself, but as the boy had got older, Guren had overruled him, saying that a spiritually gifted child must be trained by those who understood the risks of overflowing spirit power. And so Seiren had been forced to watch from the sidelines as the young Ryuu had learnt the basic skills he could never learn, always in the shadow of his achieving older cousin who seemed always one step or two further ahead.

Seiren's dislike of Shirogane had stemmed from that time, but now as he reflected on it, he realised that a major part of that dissatisfaction had rested in his own uselessness - that whilst Guren had managed to spend a few odd moments to cross training swords with his own son, Seiren had never been able to do the same for his. Ryuu had trained with lesser men instead - the divide between them first put in place by the things as a man Seiren could not do, which as a small boy Ryuu could.

Seiren opened his eyes, forcing the painful images away.

"What use is a Clansman who has no spirit power, Otousama?" He whispered. "You gave me this life, but with it there's nothing I can do, no matter how hard I work. I can't protect...I can't even protect my son from the dangers that threaten him from every side."

_**"I will not bend to your will when it is founded in paranoia. When **_**Guren-sama**_** issues me with a directive not to speak or share quarters with a Shihouin, I shall immediately obey."**_

Ryuu's words ripped cruelly and relentlessly through him, and he forced them back, not wanting to remember the clouded expression that had filled his son's eyes. Gone had been the industrious eagerness that had always typified his young son whenever Seiren had presented him with a book on this matter or that, and gone had been the respect and trust that the child had always given him, no matter what the circumstances. It was as though in that short conversation Ryuu had shattered what Seiren now understood had been a far too fragile bond - and he was left reeling, the pieces of that bond scattered around him like wisps of a long-forgotten dream.

_But the truth is that you don't understand anything, Ryuu. What's been sacrificed...you don't understand. And even if you did...would you look at me that same way? I wonder. If you knew all the things that fly through my thoughts, would you even begin to comprehend my reasons for wanting you to follow my lead?_

Pain reflected in his eyes as he remembered the slap he had angrily administered to the boy's cheek.  
_  
A fit of temper I should not have given into, but when he stood there before me saying such things...as though he truly doesn't understand that there is nothing in this world more important to me than his future and his safety. As though he doesn't realise how frightened I am for him...or how much anguish it would cause me if he were to end the same way as Ribari. The enemy remains cloaked and unknown, even at this late stage.  
_  
"Seiren-sama?"

Shibata's voice from outside the study door startled the nobleman back to reality, and he raised his head, realising the mess his earlier fit of temper had left the chamber in. He sighed, bending to pick up the nearest sheets.

"Come in, Shibata." He instructed. "I am not engaged."

"Yes, sir."

Shibata pushed back the divide, stopping dead as he registered the mess.

"Seiren-sama, with respect, what...?"

"A sudden gust of breeze from the window." Seiren lied. "Well? What is it? I thought I had dismissed you - what brings you back here now?"

There was more edge to his words than he intended, and as Shibata's gaze flitted to the closed window, Seiren knew that his retainer would see straight through the lie to the truth beyond. He did not comment on it, however, merely bowing his head and stepping aside to indicate another man in his slipstream.

"My apologies, sir, but Ouguchi and Furizawa have returned from their errand to the coast. Furizawa said he wanted to report to you directly - that it was a matter of extreme urgency and it could not wait."

"A matter of extreme urgency?" Seiren's gaze shifted to the apprehensive Captain, who nodded his head slowly.

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry to disturb you, but I felt...in the circumstances, I must...speak to you in person."

"All right." Seiren sighed, dropping back against the wall and folding his arms across his chest. "I am very busy, but I shall spare you a little time. What news from the coastal provinces? News of urgency implies news of my nephew - has his whereabouts been discovered?"

"No, sir. He does not seem to have gone to that region at all." Furizawa shook his head. "But it's not...that is to say..."

He hesitated, then dropped to the floor in a position of humility, raising his gaze to his lord.

"We met with hostility in the coastal province, my Lord." He said quietly. "Of an unexpected and concerning nature."

"Hostility?" Seiren's eyes narrowed. "At the coast? From what source?"

"From...from Lord Kinnya, sir." Furizawa bit down hard on his lip. "He...he sent us away with threats of violence and death if we dared to return to his land."

"He what?" Seiren could not believe his ears. "My old Uncle the hermit...? By what authority?"

"His own, sir." Furizawa was frightened by Seiren's clear rush of anger, but did not falter, bowing his head once more. "He said that we had n...no rights in his land and that we should leave. We were told that if we did not, we might face losing our lives...and...two of my men are already missing. When we withdrew, I sent scouts to search for traces of them, but there was none. Just blood and a damaged sword in one area of forest - but nothing more than that."

"Are you saying that my Uncle sent men to kill men of yours in order to thwart me in my hunt for Shirogane?" Seiren demanded.

"I...I don't know, sir." Furizawa admitted. "But we felt...in the circumstances..."

"Soldiers are not supposed to be easily intimidated. Not by other men of rank and file." Shibata cast Furizawa a disparaging look. "If you gather your people and run so easily, I wonder that you're worthy of the title Captain at all."

"It's not that, sir." Furizawa's eyes widened and he shook his head. "A matter of swords, that's one thing. But there was...was magic, sir. As though he...as though we would all be killed by demon magic if we did not withdraw. So I came back - Ouguchi and I gathered our men and came back. We have searched and found no trace of Shirogane-sama in that land, but I wanted to report this business to Seiren-sama straight away."

"I see."

Seiren's eyes narrowed and he clenched and unclenched his fists, allowing his anger to flood through his body once more. "So in one way or another, the shinigami that patrol the coast believe they have greater rights of office than men sent from the main house - is that the basis of this? That men with spirit swords believe they can bully those without?"

"Yes, sir." Furizawa inclined his head. "That was...the way we were meant to feel."

"All right." Seiren nodded, gesturing towards the door. "I understand, then. You are dismissed. I will deal with matters from here."

"Yes, sir." Furizawa bowed again, hurriedly withdrawing from the study, and Shibata sighed, clicking his tongue under his breath.

"Should I have him disciplined for bringing the men back here without a firm order, sir?" He asked softly, but Seiren shook his head.

"You know as well as I do the dangers shinigami can pose to those without spiritual power to fight back." He said grimly. "And if that level of intimidation tactics were being used, I can see why they made the choices they did. This is for me to resolve now, Shibata - and I will do so. Debrief the men but do not punish them. I shall get to the bottom of this."

"Are you going to the coast, sir?" Shibata looked startled, and Seiren nodded his head.

"Hermit or not, I think it's time my Uncle and I had a few words." He murmured. "Whether his men are acting rogue without his knowledge or whether this is his direct order was not clear - but I will find out. And I will remind the Lord of the Coastal Regions that even if he disdains the Kuchiki court, his land is still subservient to it and the orders of those who govern it."

He cast another glance at the mess on his floor, then,

"I will ride at once. Tell Guren-niisama I've been called on business if he asks - do not disclose the rest of the details to him. I don't suppose he'll be too interested, since he's still firmly fixed on the idea of Shirogane's innocence."

"Yes, sir." Shibata saluted, then withdrew from the study, and Seiren sighed, reaching to retrieve his discarded cloak down from where he had tossed it on his arrival back at the manor.

_Yet more walls to clamber over. Well, Uncle Kinnya of the Coastal Regions. Let's see what you have to say for yourself about this._

_

* * *

_

"Well, it's covered in dust and dead spider bits, but it seems to be more or less in one piece."

Hiroyuki stood back from his prize, brushing the sweat from his brow with a dusty sleeve as he turned to glance triumphantly at his two young companions. "Give me a hand, will, you both of you? It's heavy to get it completely out of the mud since it's sunk in over the last few years, but I was right when I thought it had probably survived."

It was early in the morning, and with Rouhei and the youngest Ukitake, Yuuya in tow, Hiroyuki had made the decision to go down to the coves in order to settle for himself whether or not the old boat his father had sometimes used to take them out onto the water was still stashed away in its hiding place beneath the broken roof of a ramshackle old building. Trees and other plantlife had more or less grown through and over the rotting wood that surrounded it, making it all but invisible to anyone who did not know it was there, but Hiroyuki had a sharp memory and he had gone straight to it, taking an axe ruthlessly to the greenery in order to reveal the treasure that lay within.  
_  
It's filthy dirty and it may need patching up, if some of its nails have gone rusty in the meantime. But it should be enough...I hope. If Shirogane-dono really means to leave by the coves, he'll need a way of crossing the sea to Third District. And since this is here..._

"This was Papa's boat, wasn't it?" As the two younger boys hurried to help their brother free the boat from its prison, ten year old Yuuya raised quizzical dark eyes to his companion. "I never saw it before. I knew he'd had one, but...I didn't realise we still had it."

"Nobody's used it since Father's death, that's why." Hiroyuki pulled back a particularly persistant knot of weeds, tossing the resultant green clump away as he bent to examine the boat's hull. "Rou-kun, can you pull back that branch? If you can, Yuu-kun and I can give it one last tug and I think we can probably free it completely. It'll be easier to see what needs to be done to it if we can get it out onto the sands."

"People will think we're odd, playing with ancient boats first thing in the morning." Rouhei said anxiously, nonetheless applying his weight to the troublesome branch. "Won't they wonder why, since we've not used this since Father's death? They might work out that we've something to hide...and then..."

"It's my boat. I'm head of the family, now." Hiroyuki cut across him, shooting him a smile. "Even though there's still a bit of time till I reach the right age, all of this lately has made me feel that more than ever. It's natural, don't you think, that with me coming of age and assuming control of so many things, I'd want to check out the bits and pieces Otousama left behind?"

"I think we've got it out, anyway." Yuuya said excitedly. "Look, Hiro-nii! It even still has some paint on it - it's not been too badly broken after all!"

"Well, Father took good care of it." Hiroyuki sank down on the ground beside the vessel, gesturing for his companions to join him. "Wow, even this early in the morning, the sun is high. We'll have to take a swim at this rate to cool down."

"Father really took you and Chi out in the cove on that?" Rouhei got down on his hands and knees beside the old boat, prodding it suspiciously. "It doesn't look that safe, even if there are scraps of paint here and there. Look, some kind of insect's been drilling through it here...and the nails at the back here are all rusted away."

"But it's probably something that can be fixed." Hiroyuki said with a grin. "Sanji's good at that kind of thing, so I'll ask him to take a look at it when he and Shiki-chan get back from market."

"We're buying so much food lately, too." Rouhei flopped back on the ground. "Hiro-nii, I can't believe nobody has realised yet."

"We buy a lot of food anyway." Hiroyuki's brows knitted together. "Rou-kun, are you regretting helping Shinkei in the forest?"

"No." Rouhei shook his head. "I don't regret it. Just with the guards coming...I guess it spooked me."

"Spooked all of us." Yuuya frowned. "But that's even more reason to get this fixed now, isn't it?"

He patted it wistfully.

"I wish I'd been able to ride in it with Papa." He added softly. "I think it would've been fun."

"It was. You could see so much of the land." Hiroyuki nodded. "He'd tell us, when we were afloat, that there were only certain parts of the water which were really safe to cross. That's why we stayed in this area so much. But all the books and maps are still in his study, so if we can fix this...or rather, if Sanji can...well..."

"There's a dead mouse under the seat." Rouhei scrambled back into a sitting position, peering into the dark hull of the small fishing boat with a sigh. He reached in, grabbing the decomposing animal by the tail and dangling it in the air above the ground with a grimace. "Look, it's almost down to its skeleton. It's probably been here as long as the boat...I bet if I gave it a shake, bits would fall off."

"Rou-kun, throw it away." Hiroyuki instructed, a faintly amused expression on his face. "So the boat needs some cleaning. We expected that. So long as we can make sure it floats - that's the most important thing, isn't it?"

"Do you think he'll use it?" Yuuya wondered. "I mean, he is...you know. Clan."

He whispered the last word, gazing around with furtive eyes, and at his expression, Hiroyuki laughed.

"I think so." He agreed. "Since the guards came, he's seemed more accepting of how things are in a house like ours. And besides, we're all the help he has at the moment. He has to reach his family somehow - and so if all we can do is feed him and give him a boat, then that's what we should be doing. Shiro-nii'd expect us to do that much - so we can't let the side down."

"I'll help clean it." Yuuya volunteered. "I can't do anything to fix it, Hiro-nii, because Sanji won't let me use the hammers and stuff and he always says I get in his way when he's trying to fix things. But..."

"Shikiki!" Rouhei exclaimed, turning from where he had been disposing of the unfortunate mouse corpse with a sudden look of inspiration. "With her power - don't you think she could fix the boat? Even if Sanji-nii did it, even then, it might take a lot of time to do. And we'd have to buy even more suspicious objects at market...whereas if Shiki-chan did it..."

"That's a good idea." Hiroyuki admitted, wiping his hands on his _hakama_. "We'll ask her. If she can at least make it safe to sail in, the rest of the cleaning we can handle ourselves. Or at least, you two can. I'm putting you in charge of the boat, all right? I have a lot of other things I need to do - not least go to Hikari's farm later on today to speak to her father about marriage arrangements. I can't put him off with an excuse of fixing a boat for our fugitive, so..."

"I had a feeling that was going to happen." Rouhei sighed. "Shall I ask Shinkei-nii to help us too?"

"No." Yuuya said emphatically. "He'll just mess around and nothing will get done. Not if it's cleaning, Rou-nii. We'll never get finished."

He puffed out his chest, making himself appear for once his full ten years.

"I'm more useful than Shinkei-nii is." He added importantly. "So I'll do it. And you can help. And when Shikiki fixes it, it'll be all ready."

"Okay, squirt, I get it." Hiroyuki ruffled Yuuya's dark hair playfully. "Then it's decided. Can I leave you two here to make a start? I'll send Shiki-chan down when she's back from the market, but for the time being if you could remove the...erm...dessicated spiders, I think she'd appreciate it."

"Shiki-chan doesn't like spiders, does she?" Rouhei grinned, and Hiroyuki shook his head.

"She told Shiro-nii they reminded her of the past." He said pensively. "Something to do with that Keitarou guy - I don't know. Maybe because he kept her in such a dark creepy place all the time - in any case, I don't suppose she'll want to help if she's got random spider legs poking out from every orifice."

"Girls are scared of silly things." Yuuya reflected. "But it's fine, Hiro-nii. You can count on us."

"Then it's a deal." Hiroyuki got to his feet, offering both boys a grin. "I'm relying on you - don't let me down!"

With that he turned on his heel, making his way casually up the rocky pathway that led to the Ukitake estate.

_Father's boat, huh._

He pursed his lips, negotiating the slightly uneven ground with the skill of one who had been following the same routes and tracks since he was a small boy.

_It's funny, it's sat there for this long, and little by little it's drifted into memory, just like Otousama has. But I think...before this all happened...I'd have hated the idea of anyone disturbing it. It was Otousama's boat, and part of a memory Chi and I had with him that nobody else did. Even Shiro-nii was never allowed out on the waves in case he fell in the water and got a cold. A boat full of memories...yet I'm willing to give it over to Shirogane-dono if he needs it to get to where he has to be. I wonder if that's because I've grown up since Father died, or if it's just because I understand how important family is, and Shirogane-dono's quest is partly to protect his family from whatever danger they may be in. _

He pulled a rueful face.  
_  
That kind of meandering is Shiro-nii's forte, though. I won't dwell on it too much longer. I'm just glad that the option was there and I remembered about it - I don't suppose it'll be much longer that we have our houseguest and I'd like to think we'd done what we could to help him escape._

As he reached the house, he met Shikiki and Sanjirou coming up the market path, Sanji carrying a couple of sacks of rice and Shikiki clutching something long and thin in her chubby fingers. She seemed inordinately pleased with herself, and at the sight of him she let out a yell, running towards him.

"Hiro-nii, look what I got from the market!"

"Careful, or you'll go flying!" Automatically Hiroyuki reached out to grab the young girl even before she had tripped and fallen, a reaction given him by years of experience surrounded by younger siblings. As he steadied her on her feet, however, she raised her gaze to his, holding out her prize with glowing aqua eyes.

"Look! It was on the wood carver's stall. It had got stepped on and it cracked all up the side, so the lady said I could have it, seeing as I thought it was pretty. It has sakura all over it - don't you think it's pretty?"

"What is it?" Hiroyuki looked nonplussed, taking the object from her hand and glancing at it in confusion. "A flute? Is that what it is? Because it looks quite beaten up to me, Shiki-chan. Someone clearly gave it a good trampling, so no wonder that Baa-chan gave it you for free."

"But I can fix it." Shikiki said matter-of-factly, reaching to take it back and running her fingers over the crack carefully. As she did so, her hands glowed with a soft pink light, and before Hiroyuki's eyes the battered, sorry looking excuse for a pipe began to twitch back into its proper shape, the winding sakura pattern that had been almost concealed by the cracks in the wood beginning to stand out like fresh pink blossoms against the smooth surface.

"I see." Hiroyuki grinned. "So you can. But even so, Shiki-chan, what are you going to..."

He paused, eying her with sudden understanding, and Shikiki beamed, nodding her head.

"Shirogane-nii told me he had a flute." She said triumphantly. "I'm gonna ask him to show me how to play it. Just a little bit. I never heard a flute play before, but I'd like to. And besides, he'll be leaving soon, won't he? So I won't get to spend much more time with him then."

"Yes, he will." Hiroyuki's thoughts flitted to the boat, then, "On that subject, Shiki-chan, I've pulled out Father's old boat from storage and Rou-kun and Yuu-kun are cleaning it up. If you can look at it later too - and use your magic to make sure it's safe to float, then I thought he might be able to use it to cross the cove. I can find the navigational maps that Father had for going all the way to District Three - though I can't read all the antiquated kanji on them, I imagine a Kuchiki _bocchan_ will be able to make sense of it, and if not, at least he might get the rough gist. It's all we can do for him, but I thought we should try."

"Mm." Shikiki's expression became sad, but she nodded. "I wish he didn't have to go so quickly, but I understand. I'll look at the boat, Hiro-nii - but right now I want to go see Shirogane-nii and show him what I've got."

"I'll go down to the coast and help the young'uns look over the boat." Sanjirou joined them at that moment, dumping the two heavy sacks of rice down onto the ground with a thump. "I'll get these inside, and then I'll go make sure they don't get into mischief. You want to speak to Shirogane-dono too, don't you, Hiro-nii? You should leave Rouhei and Yuuya to me."

"Thanks, Sanji." Hiroyuki grinned. "That'd help. While I don't expect either of them to get up to too much mischief, the boat is heavy and they might need your help to move it further out."

"Leave it to me." Sanjirou assured him, adjusting his glasses with a rueful smile. "Lugging rice from the market each day is good practice for hauling a heavy old boat down to the sands."

"Then let's go see Shirogane-nii." Shikiki tugged excitedly on Hiroyuki's sleeve with her free hand. "Miyabi was going to take him his breakfast, but probably he's finished eating by now and I want to show him this!"

"Okay, chibi, we're going." Hiroyuki laughed, patting her on the head. "Lead the way, I'm right behind you."

As they reached the small chamber that had become Shirogane's sickroom, a surprise greeted them, for the patient was out of bed, sitting calmly on the covers as Miyabi carefully ran her coarse brush through his thick curly hair. He was dressed not in the night robes that had been loaned him since his own bloodsoaked clothing had been burnt, but in simple District clothing of brown and blue, a darker blue sash knotted at his waist. As Hiroyuki watched, Miyabi twisted the long curls into one sole tail, winding it round and round into a thick knot at the back of his head. Grabbing a ribbon with her free hand, she slipped this around the hair, the brush clutched between her teeth as she fastened Shirogane's locks firmly in place.

From the bedcovers beside him the young girl took up a small square of cloth, and with a jolt Hiroyuki realised what she was doing. With those few small changes Shirogane had been transformed - for though he still had the distinct grey gaze and pale complexion of a pureblooded Kuchiki, with his distinctive hair all but concealed beneath the cloth like a market stall trader and attired in ordinary peasant robes, it would be difficult to identify him as the same haughty son of the Sixth District Clan.

"Good morning, Hiroyuki-dono. Shikiki." At this moment, Shirogane seemed to register their presence, turning to offer them a rueful smile. "As you can see, Miyabi has some ideas about how I should best conceal myself from prying eyes when I make my departure from here. The outfit was kindly donated by your honourable sensei Kamikura-dono - and it fits me quite well, though I've lost more weight than I would have liked from my ill health."

He sighed, pulling himself to his feet and moving to examine his reflection in the small old mirror the room boasted.

"I am quite unlike myself." He murmured. "But if even I can barely recognise my own appearance, perhaps that bodes well for my travelling undetected."

"You're standing up!" The flute momentarily forgotten, Shikiki hurried forward to grasp his hand. "Are you okay? You're not dizzy?"

"I'm tired still, but I suspect that to be as much due to lack of exercise than anything else." Shirogane smiled at her. "I still lack some colour, and I would not say I'm completely well. But I am very much improved, Shikiki. And no, I do not feel dizzy. It seems I have turned the corner - soon I will no longer be burdening your family."

"That's all right. I mean, that you're burdening us." Shikiki glanced at Miyabi, who nodded. "We like having you here, so it's not a problem really."

"But it could bring you into danger." Shirogane said seriously, meeting Hiroyuki's gaze. "And I gave my word, did I not? That as soon as I could leave here, I would do so. I will not renege on my promise, although..."

He paused, then a wry smile touched his lips.

"I will be sad to go." He admitted sheepishly. "It seems an odd confession for one like me who has always despised the Districts. But I...have not found your company unpleasant. On the contrary, I think you have taught me things I did not understand before - perhaps knowing those things I can press on and survive, instead of throwing myself foolishly into danger once again."

"We've found you a boat, we think." Hiroyuki offered him a smile in return. "So when you're ready, give the word."

"I don't think you should go too soon, though. Not till you're really better." Shikiki looked worried. "People at the market were saying all kinds of things today - Sanji-nii said he heard one man talking about someone attacking the Clan leader and there being assassins in District Six and all kinds of scary stuff. If they were looking for you...Shirogane-nii?"

For Shirogane's expression had changed and his brows had knitted together in consternation.

"Someone threatened Guren-sama's life?" He asked softly, and Shikiki shrugged.

"I don't know what the name of the person was, but if he's the Clan leader, then yes." She agreed. "He wasn't killed or anything, but he was attacked. Those kinds of bad things happen in Clans a lot."

"Guren-sama is your Uncle, isn't he?" Hiroyuki interjected, and Shirogane nodded.

"The bad Uncle who chased you away here?" Miyabi asked curiously, and Shirogane sighed.

"No. My other Uncle, and one who has always treated me with kindness." He said wearily. "He is a man for whom I have great respect and fondness...but more than that, in squad terms I am his deputy and I should have been there to help protect him. That I am not...is a failing on my part. I cannot delay my leaving much longer. Even if I am not fully fit...Hiroyuki-dono, how long to fix the boat so that she can travel?"

"With Shikiki's help, soon." Hiroyuki pursed his lips. "But she's right too. You'll need your wits about you to make the crossing, and I haven't had a chance to show you the sea maps Father had yet."

"Hrm." Shirogane's eyes narrowed, and he nodded his head. "Very well. Tomorrow, then. Tomorrow night. I wish to leave when the sun sets tomorrow. Is that possible, Hiroyuki-dono? I cannot delay any longer than that, not now I know my Uncle's life was put in danger."

"We'll try." Hiroyuki made up his mind. "Don't pout like that, Shikiki. He's got to go sooner or later, and people he cares about are in danger. You understand, don't you?"

"Yes." Shikiki sighed. "I do. I just...people always go away. And I don't like it. That's all."

She glanced down at the cheap wooden flute, then frowned, meeting Shirogane's gaze with an earnest one of her own.

"I got this at the market today." She said quietly. "I hoped...you'd tell me how to play it, Shirogane-nii. Because you said that you could...and that it makes pretty music."

"May I see?" Shirogane held out his hand, and Shikiki placed her precious burden carefully into his grip, watching eagerly as he examined it. That it had been crafted simply and from low quality wood was obvious even to Hiroyuki's eyes, but to his relief the Clansman did not say anything about its construction, instead nodding his head.

"Will you let me play it for you?" He asked. "It is a little different from my own flute, but...if you don't mind, I should like to try and let you hear what kind of song a flute sings."

"Please." Shikiki nodded, and as Shirogane sat back down on his bedcovers, Miyabi settled herself at his feet, glancing up at him expectantly. At their anticipation, the nobleman laughed, putting the instrument carefully to his lips.

The next moment a soft, haunting strain filled the chamber, gentle yet alluring as it spread out through the room. The melody was a sad one, written, had Hiroyuki but known it, in a minor key and the slightly ghostly edge to each drifting note struck straight through to his core, almost as though the instrument had indeed begun to sing.

For a little while, there was no other movement or sound in the bedroom as Shirogane's song wrapped itself around all three of the listening Ukitake, putting them gently under his spell. Then at length he sighed, lowering the instrument to his lap, and the illusion was broken.

"Shirogane...nii?" Shikiki reached out to touch his hand, and Hiroyuki was startled to see the genuine sadness in the Clansman's grey eyes.

"My mother taught me to play that piece." He said matter-of-factly, gazing at the sakura patterning that adorned the wooden instrument. "She taught me the instrument, in fact - and gave me mine when I was old enough to make my fingers reach the notes. She was always ill, but it was something we could do together - and that song was her favourite. I played it when she died - as they laid her to rest - and I did not cry, though everyone else around me seemed to. Now...my heart lurches and I cannot play it any further. I wonder what possessed me to play that song - perhaps I was thinking more of home than I knew."

"It was very pretty. But it sounded sad." Miyabi murmured, reaching up to wipe away tears from her lashes. "Like the flute was crying too, Shirogane-nii."

"It really does sound like it's singing, though." Shikiki added. "I don't suppose I'll ever be able to play like that. Even if I really really tried."

"Thank you for letting me play it, Shikiki." Shirogane handed the instrument back with a faint smile. "I have missed my own instrument badly since leaving home. I don't suppose I realised how much I relied on it for comfort in difficult times."

"If it reminds you of your mother, then probably that's why." Hiroyuki spoke up now, his own eyes grave. "It's what we all do, when someone we love dies. We look for something that reminds us, and cling on to it."

He laughed ruefully.

"The boat we're letting you take was Father's, and I never imagined I'd want to let it go." He added. "A keepsake...something that he left behind with us when he was gone."

"Hiroyuki-dono." Shirogane looked startled, and Hiroyuki shook his head.

"Father's death hurt all of us in different ways." He said matter-of-factly. "But one thing I know now is that he'd want us to reach out and help someone who was in trouble. Even if it meant giving up that keepsake - he'd want it, and I...I'm all right with it. I want you to take the boat and escape and do the things you need to for your family's sake. Because...I suppose the most important thing for all of us when Father died was each other. We had each other. And so...it's all right."

"Each other." Shirogane glanced down at the bed covers. "That is true. You do have each other - and maybe that's why you're so strong."

He sighed.

"My flute has probably become my mother's substitute, and my grief for her plays each time I put it to my lips." He reflected. "But this is the first time I've felt it so clearly - I don't know if it's your influence or whether playing music on something other than Oune..."

"Oune?" Shikiki interjected at this moment. "Shirogane-nii, your flute has a name?"

"That's not unusual, you know, in Clans." Shirogane offered her a smile, and Hiroyuki was strangely glad to see the shadow lift from their visitor's features. "It's a very old flute passed down through several generations of the family. Mother's flute and it were sister flutes that were given to her as a girl when she showed aptitude for the skill, and she told me they were old even then. They were crafted by the same individual four or five centuries ago, and fashioned from wood of the same tree, hence they are considered siblings. That's why Mother gave one of the pair to me, because they shared wood and we shared blood. It was not long after my sister's death, I believe - it became a connection between the two of us."

He pursed his lips, glancing at Shikiki's flute once more.

"Mother wanted hers to be buried with her, and so it was, but mine has stayed with me - perhaps so that I could play that last song as she was laid to rest. Oune means "Song of the Sakura"...and well...you have heard now that the flute truly can sing. Because of that, superstition says flutes have spirits of their own. And so they need names, too."

"Clan really are strange in the things they believe." Hiroyuki sighed. "Swords aren't good enough - they have to give spirits to their musical instruments too."

Shikiki looked pensive for a moment, then she held the flute out to Shirogane again.

"Shikiki?" Shirogane was taken aback, and Shikiki offered him a faint smile.

"Take it with you, when you go." She said simply.

"But this is your flute." Shirogane frowned. "You wanted to play it - didn't you?"

"Mm. I do." Shikiki agreed. "But...but Shirogane-nii is missing Oune, and...and my flute wants to help. If you took it with you, you could pretend you were a travelling musician, and maybe earn coin from it if you needed to buy food. And...and if it goes with you, then...then I s'pose..."

She pinkened.

"When everything's all right, and your family are better, you'll have Oune again." She said, embarrassment clear in her aqua eyes. "When that happens, you won't need my flute to look after you any more. So then...you'll bring it back to me, won't you? And...then you'll come here. And I'll see you again. And I'll know...that you're all all right."

"Shiki-chan." Hiroyuki began, but Shirogane smiled, reaching out and carefully taking the instrument from the young girl's stubby grasp.

"I understand." He murmured. "Very well. But in that case, your flute also needs a name. If it's carrying a spirit with it, then surely it needs an identity of its own, too."

"A name?" Shikiki looked thoughtful. "Like what?"

Shirogane glanced at it, then,

"I think...it should be called Orihime."

"Ori...hime?" Miyabe stared at him in confusion, but Hiroyuki let out a chuckle.

"I see." He said appreciatively. "Orihime seems a suitable name to me too."

"Orihime." Shikiki repeated it, then, "Why, Shirogane-nii? Why do you want to call it Orihime?"

"Because that's how you write your name, isn't it?" Shirogane offered her a smile. "Shikiki can also be read as 'Orihime' or "weaver". Your skill is to weave time back to how it was before, so if we name your flute that, I'll know that the spirit within it is yours, won't I? You'll be looking after me and making sure I don't lose my life easily. I have to bring her back to you safely - so if she has a name like that, I'm sure I'll remember to take care."

"I see." Shikiki's face cleared and she nodded her head. "All right. All right, Orihime."

She grinned, reaching across to pat the flute.

"I still want to know how to play it though. I won't ever be able to play like Shirogane-nii - but if Orihime has a spirit too now, I want to help her to sing like you made her just then."

"I'll try to show you a little, before I leave." Shirogane promised. "It will be a very busy time, till then, but I'll try. And if not...well..."

He glanced at the flute, then slid it into the knotted blue sash at his waist.

"It will be something I have to come back for, won't it? Since I've promised, and I must keep my word."

He patted her gently on the head.

"I will bring it back to you. I promise." He said soberly. "No matter what, I will."

"In which case we should start looking at plans for tomorrow night." Hiroyuki suggested. "In the hope that it's a clear evening and you can set sail."

* * *

"This is an unusual occasion for the both of us."

Kinnya lifted a thin hand, gesturing for Seiren to enter the chamber and the other man did so, tension in every inch of his body as he crossed the floor swiftly to stand before his uncle's chair.

"You'll forgive me for not standing to receive you." Kinnya spoke softly and evenly, taking in the changes in expression that flitted through the younger Clansman's grey eyes. "Time takes its toll on the best of us – this is a quiet place and I am unused to being visited by people from the main house at such short notice."

"I received a report, Ojiue." Seiren spoke stiffly, and Kinnya noted that his hand was poised at his hip, within inches of the hilt of his expensive, custom designed katana. "One that brought me some level of concern."

"Concern?" Kinnya injected surprise into his expression. "Of what nature?"

"Apparently you chased my men from your land with threats of violence against them if they continued to carry out their orders. Orders which come from the main house and central Kuchiki court."

"I see." Kinnya's eyes narrowed as he digested this, "Would you relay for me those orders, so that I can see if I remember such an incident myself? I'm aging now, and my memory isn't as sharp as it once used to be."

Seiren bristled, and from the anger in his eyes Kinnya knew he was not fooled. Yet still the younger man kept a hold on his temper, bowing curtly in acquiescence.

"My men were ordered to come here in search of my missing kinsman Shirogane, who is suspected of conspiracy against members of the central Clan. Specifically my son, Ryuu, and his uncle, Guren-sama – the head of the Clan himself."

"Shirogane?" Kinnya affected a blank expression. "I am aware of your son Ryuu – I remember sending a letter to support his claim as next in line to the Clan. But I do not remember a 'Shirogane'. I thought you had only one son?"

"Shirogane is not my son." Seiren was fighting now to keep the annoyance out of his voice, and Kinnya sat back, realising that he quite liked seeing his awkward nephew so bent out of shape. "He is the son of my sister Masane – as I'm sure you will recall if you stop and give the matter some consideration."

"Ah yes. Masane." Kinnya's lips twitched into a faint smile. "I do remember now. She had a son, didn't she…that son is the boy Shirogane? And you're seeking to apprehend him on suspicion of treason? That's quite a serious charge."

"It is, and it is not helped by you giving orders and frightening my soldiers." Seiren snapped. "You are my Uncle and I respect that fact – I know this is your land and that you have been here for longer than I have lived. I don't even know whether it was you or your men in your place who made the threats against my soldiers – but impeding them in the course of their duty is a serious matter indeed. It might be seen as protecting Shirogane – and protecting a suspected traitor is almost the same thing as treason itself."

"Yes, I suppose it is, isn't it?" Kinnya rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I had better be very careful then, not to run into this Shirogane."

"You haven't seen him?"

"I don't leave the manor, so unless he came calling, that would be hard to do." Kinnya said lightly.

"And your men? What reports from them?"

"If they had seen him, they would doubtless have brought him to me." Kinnya shrugged. "I am not disloyal to Guren's leadership, Seiren."

"Then explain to me why it was my men were chastised for carrying out legitimate investigations into the peasant settlements in this area!"

"Does Guren wish to know that?" Kinnya feigned surprise, and Seiren clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Guren-_sama_." He said darkly. "Uncle or otherwise, he is Clan leader. We are not young boys any more, Ojiue. Even if you shut yourself in here, the world outside has changed. Rank has changed. You should not forget that."

"Hrm." Kinnya was silent for a moment, digesting his nephew's words. "And now your son will become heir to the Kuchiki, I suppose? In the absence of Guren's own boy, your son Ryuu will be the next in line?"

"Kinnya-ojisama, I thought I just made it clear…"

"Guren has never asked me to so call him when I see him face to face." Kinnya said simply. "Each year he comes to see me, and we talk about many things. But he has never insisted on my calling him ~sama."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"As for the matter of your men, That will be simple enough to settle." He added thoughtfully. "I've heard reports from my own people and those reports suggest strongly that settlements were invaded and houses too by people wearing your badge."

"We are hunting for a wanted criminal, Uncle!"

"I believe it was made quite clear to your military officials that they would have my complete cooperation in their operations to search my land," Kinnya said softly, "on the understanding that they did not disrupt the peaceful day to day life of the settlements in the process. If they didn't heed that warning, I'm not surprised that they were reprimanded."

"So you do know something about it." Seiren's eyes became slits. "I thought so. Your act of ignorance doesn't fool me, Ojiue. My men said that you made threats towards them, and at least two of my retainers have disappeared without a trace since being deployed to this area. You probably know something of that too, don't you?"

Kinnya did not answer right away, then he smiled, raising ice cold eyes to Seiren's indignant ones.

"Seiren, do you remember Raiko?" He asked quietly, and Seiren started, staring at him in confusion at the sudden change in topic.

"Raiko?" He repeated, and Kinnya nodded.

"I remember her." He said, keeping his tone low and even. "Even though she was forced out of the Clan, I never discarded her. But just more than twenty years ago, Raiko died."

"I don't see what this has to do with anything I've said." Seiren snapped. "If you're going to try and divert me with another rambling pretence of senility, Uncle, then I'd beg you to spare me. I have much to do and I don't have time to play games with you."

"On the contrary, this isn't a game." Kinnya reached for his stick, pulling his body into an upright position so that he could meet Seiren's gaze almost head on. "I want to know the answer to my question. Do you remember Raiko? My daughter Raiko, who Senaya-nii cast out?"

"I remember." Seiren sighed, but nodded his head. "I couldn't forget – but I was only a boy and so was Guren-nii when that matter occurred. That she was alive or dead meant nothing to me. She was removed from the Clan for a reason – her diseased blood and her illegitimacy as well as her general behaviour in the Clan probably all added to it. A half-Clan _hime_ who wasn't afraid to blood her fists brought all kinds of unwanted attention, and…"

"And she was Guren's preferred playmate, so you became left out." Kinnya said softly. "I haven't forgotten you either, Seiren. The little boy who couldn't be a part of their games, because he had no spirit power and could not see or feel the things they did. A jealous, lonely little boy who built that loneliness into a grudge against an innocent young girl."

Seiren glowered at his Uncle blackly.

"Guren-nii and I are no longer living in the past." He retorted. "What quarrels were between us as children no longer exist. And I have no interest in your daughter, Ojiue, dead or otherwise."

"Yes, I believe that." Kinnya sighed, shaking his head slowly in resignation. "You never did have any time for her and I'm not surprised you didn't know of her fate once she left the Clan. But Raiko died soon after bearing a child, Seiren. And recently I discovered that the son she birthed – a baby I believed had also died – survived. Not only that, that he had inherited her spirit power and was learning to use that power to help the Clans in their fight against the Hollow enemy."

"District children." Seiren pursed his lips. "Well? As you rightly said, I don't have spirit power, so that also does not concern or interest me."

There was an edge to his words and Kinnya noted it carefully.

"Raiko's son has surviving family who live in this area of District Six." Now the older man's eyes hardened and his grip on his stick tightened. "Family who live peacefully by the sea. A family whose privacy and safety was put into jeopardy by your soldiers when they decided to carry out a random sweep of the area without the right permission to do so."

His lips thinned.

"Kuchiki law states that all invasions of personal settlements must be with the permission of the land's current incumbent and in written form." He added coldly. "I was the one who oversaw the passing of that law, so I could probably quote it to you word by word if you had doubts. When Guren visits me, he brings news of changes in Clan law and though I never pay them much attention, a quick read of those documents tells me that it is not a regulation that he has chosen to change. Therefore it stands."

He met Seiren's gaze with a challenging one of his own.

"This law can _only be overridden_ by a direct decree from the Clan Leader himself and this must also be in written form." He added pointedly. "I have seen no such documentation. The word of a lesser Clansman – even the Clan Leader's brother – carries no weight in this equation. I also made that a firm stipulation of the law, being that I was the Clan leader's brother at the time it was passed. I wanted to protect objectivity and so I succeeded. Breaching this law remains a serious offence. Soldiers found guilty of doing so can pay with their rank or even with their lives. They were reminded of that fact. That is all."

"In the circumstances…"

"In the circumstances, Seiren, you are seeking to capture a suspect that I have no knowledge of or interest in. The boy's name means nothing to me." Kinnya said frankly. "But the people in my domain deserve the right to live without molestation. And particularly the family of my grandson."

"You would put the safety of District people over that of your nephew and Clan leader?"

"They are not as well equipped to protect themselves as Guren is." Kinnya replied evenly. "The only duty I took with me when I withdrew here was the obligation to protect those living on my land. I haven't always managed to oblige them – but I won't have their livelihoods damaged without due cause. The Shirogane boy is not here. If he had been, your men would doubtless have found him. Therefore my people were disrupted unnecessarily. And unless you would like me to write a complaint in that vein to Guren directly – I suggest you let the matter lie."

"You really aren't an old fool at all, are you?" Seiren observed bitterly, and Kinnya shrugged.

"My age is what it is." He said dismissively. "And I won't say I've never been foolish. But if you're my opponent, Seiren, I think I can acquit myself quite well."

"I always knew you didn't like me."

"Nor did you like me. It's a mutual state of affairs." Kinnya was unconcerned. "But now we understand each other's position, I'm sure this matter can be put aside. You said you were too busy to waste time playing games with me. I can't claim to be the same – but I don't have any interest in drawn out quarrels over Kuchiki law."

"If you feel that way, why did you actively write to support Ryuu's claim?" Seiren was suspicious. "With a formal letter bearing your official seal?"

"Because Ryuu is the correct blood heir to the Clan." Kinnya's eyes scrutinised his nephew's expression for any flicker or change. "And he always was. Wasn't he?"

There it was. Faint and brief, true, but for a moment pallor had touched Seiren's cheeks and consternation flooded those slate grey eyes

Kinnya nodded.

"Yes. I thought so. You do know. You know only too well."

"Ribari was the heir to this Clan. Not Ryuu." Seiren managed, but he was clearly unsettled, and Kinnya smiled.

"Surely…Ribari-_sama_?" He asked innocently, and Seiren grimaced, shooting his Uncle a look of dislike.

"What do you know?" He asked warily. "Why are you taunting me with things like this now? Is that why you've opposed me and prevented my men from acting? You've lurked away here in the shadows for so long most of the Clan believe you're more or less dead – but you're far from it, aren't you? The way you spoke just then…sounded as though you're paying just as much attention to things as you did when Father was alive."

"No…I wouldn't say that." Kinnya shook his head. "I am very isolated here. I will support Ryuu simply because he is the right claimant. Senaya-nii would have agreed with that as well. I don't suppose he would have minded, either, had someone removed Ribari from the equation in order for Ryuu to inherit. Righting a wrong…shall we say? My brother had some strange and ruthless ideas in his lifetime. But he was very conscious of things that he put in place and the impact those decisions had. Knowing that, he would probably have forgiven you for wanting to put your son first."

"_I did not_ kill my nephew!" Seiren exclaimed, anger flooding his gaze, and Kinnya tut-tutted under his breath.

"You're losing your temper, now." He chided. "And you shouldn't be so indignant. You seek to hunt down another nephew – perhaps turn him over for execution – so why not Ribari? From where I sit, this child of Masane has nothing to gain. He has no claim to the Clan, yet you persecute him – why? What benefit could he take from killing those around him? He has no rights in this family that Guren doesn't give him, surely? Why would he turn on the one who gives him favour, and murder that man's only son?"

"It sounds to me like you know exactly who Shirogane is." Seiren said blackly, and Kinnya laughed.

"Maybe." He admitted. "From Guren I have heard of him – though his whereabouts I cannot tell you and I have not provided him with shelter or sanctuary. You have my word on that as a Kuchiki till I die. Masane's husband ranked low, didn't he? Which makes me wonder why you're so keen to eradicate her son. You can't see him as competition for Ryuu, so I wondered…if perhaps he was your scapegoat, instead."

"I did not kill Ribari-sama." Seiren repeated coldly. "Whether you believe it or not, I did not. Whatever you think you know, I swore allegiance to Guren-nii's son and I would have kept that vow till I died. I liked the boy. He was clever and talented and he would not have shamed our Clan."

"But now he is dead." Kinnya said pensively. "And Ryuu will inherit. Don't you think it's worked out quite nicely for you in the end?"

"Why are you baiting me?"

"I'm not intending to." Kinnya shook his head. "Truthfully, I don't believe you killed the young boy either. But it isn't my opinion that counts. Shirogane has nothing to gain by killing. You on the other hand…you have everything. And more…so I'll warn you, Seiren. You should be careful where you tread. The secrets that you know and I know…someone else knows them too. Perhaps…more than one someone. And though I don't seek to damage you or your son in any way – I can't speak for unknown hands in the shadows."

"Unknown…" Seiren blanched. "What do you mean? Stop talking in riddles – if you know so much, tell me clearly and right away!"

"I promised Senaya-nii not to dig up ancient history unecessarily and I'll keep my promise." Kinnya shook his head. "It does nobody any good for me to raise such things now. But you realise it too, don't you?"

He paused, eying Seiren keenly.

"You've known a while." He decided. "Your reaction suggests it, but you haven't acted. That alone is enough to tell me that you didn't act now. It would have been far easier to tackle it sooner, if you'd intended to…I think you had already settled for things being the way they were."

"Then why accuse me?"

"Because like I said, my opinion is unimportant." Kinnya said evenly. "If certain things were to be revealed before the Clan…it might look very bad for you, don't you think? You are the one with everything to gain from Ribari's murder, and that may well be the intention – to scapegoat you, to scapegoat Shirogane, to turn the two of you against each other in order to cloak the real motive and the real killer."

Seiren hesitated for a moment, then he sighed, the anger seeping out of him as he digested Kinnya's words.

"You've known about this longer than me." He said quietly. "I'm right, aren't I? You were one of those…you helped…"

He faltered, and Kinnya smiled.

"Your Father loved you very much." He said matter-of-factly. "What else did you expect him to do, when presented with the dilemma that he had?"

"I know." Seiren rubbed his temples. "I know, and that's why I've never spoken of it to anyone at all. You're right – I've known some time indeed – but it wasn't Father who told me. I wasn't meant to know about it…and so I've acted as though I didn't. It's been easier to."

"You're not angry?" Kinnya questioned.

"Angry enough to kill my brother's son?" Seiren asked acerbically, and Kinnya shrugged.

"Possibly." He agreed. "That might be how it looks to an outside observer."

He frowned.

"Listen." He said softly. "You and I have never seen eye to eye, but my brother entrusted one thing to me when he died and that was to ensure you and Guren made up bonds and served the Clan as partners, not as enemies. You are playing a dangerous game at present. The more attention you draw on yourself and on your son's claim, the more you risk someone finding out the things Father worked so hard to hide. If you're not careful, Guren will find out in the worst possible way what really happened all those years ago. If he discovers you knew about it all along, he may begin to wonder about your loyalty…or whether you've been waiting in the shadows for an opportunity just like this."

Seiren eyed Kinnya for a moment, then,

"You believe me to be innocent, but you think Guren would find me guilty?" He asked softly. This time there was nothing malicious or accusatory in his tones, and Kinnya shrugged.

"I don't know." He admitted. "I was there…I know the full story, even things probably you do not. I've seen the pages taken from Senaya-nii's _nikki_ – many of them I took from it myself when he died, though a few he kept among his private papers. After that time, some of those papers he had disappeared into storage. I don't know where they are. But they could surface. Maybe they already have."

"Father's _nikki._" Seiren whitened. "Shirogane and Ryuu were looking for it…in Guren's office, all of a sudden. What if…"

"The pages that frighten you are no longer with the main book. That I'm quite sure of." Kinnya lowered himself back down into his seat with a sigh. "But where they are…that's another matter."

"I've had letters." Seiren said numbly. "Threats…hinting at knowledge that someone has. And a fragment from Father's _nikki_ – a scrap from a page, but…a page I've read before. That page…the one I found by mistake when archiving material after Father's death. Someone has it already. I thought it was Shirogane…"

"Does that still seem like a logical answer now?"

"I don't know." Seiren sank down onto one of the cushions on the chamber floor. "I don't know his hand well enough to tell, but the paper and the ink of the letters…I thought was a match. But…on reflection…if Shirogane possessed such evidence, why would he not have used it? He had ample opportunity to bring it against me…but he hasn't. He…never once accused me of involvement in Ribari-sama's death. Not once. If he'd known…if he'd had that…"

"I've heard Shirogane is intelligent, proud and not afraid to state his views." Kinnya remarked. "Probably you are right. If he had evidence that implicated you, he would have used that evidence."

He paused, then,

"But there is another who I think keeps his cards closer to his chest. He may know more of this than the one you're hunting down." He said gently.

"Another who…?" Seiren blinked, then dismay flooded his grey eyes. "You mean…Ryuu?"

Kinnya nodded.

"What does your son know about this matter?" He asked softly. "That's the question I'd want to ask."

"Ryuu wouldn't have killed Ribari either." Seiren shook his head firmly. Kinnya snorted.

"Of course not." He said impatiently. "But if he found such a document and read its contents…what would he think? If he stumbled into a secret of this nature days after his cousin's death…might he not jump to the conclusions you're desperately trying to dispel? That record is currently in an unknown location. I suspect it's held by someone outside of the Clan, and that someone is pulling on strings to make the Kuchiki puppets dance to his rhythm. If they all suspect each other, nobody will look beyond. So I want you to be careful, Seiren. Not because I like you or care anything particularly for your reputation – but because I promised my brother to help keep this family together and at the moment I see great risk of it falling apart. Also, I like your son – and I don't think you should pile too many burdens on one still so young."

"You've met with Ryuu." Seiren's head shot up, and Kinnya smiled.

"When he was a small baby, I believe I did." He said benignly, and Seiren frowned, shaking his head again.

"No. Recently. You've spoken to him." He said flatly. "I'm not stupid, Ojiue. I had my spirit power sealed, but not my wits – and I'm not oblivious to nuances. You know Shirogane and you know my son. I don't know how, but I'm sure that it's true. I can't figure out your real motive at the moment – whether it's what you've told me or whether it isn't. But you have spoken to Ryuu. Is that why he is suddenly so resistant to my words...did you tell him that his claim was the rightful one overall?"

"I have never disclosed Senaya-nii's secrets to anyone, Seiren." Kinnya shook his head. "I wouldn't do anything so contrary to the foundations my brother laid down."

"But even so, you've met my son." Seiren persisted. "Maybe he said something to you instead – but whatever it is is the real reason you're endorsing his claim. Isn't it?"

"Ryuu is the rightful heir to the Kuchiki Clan." Kinnya said softly. "From Senaya-nii, Ryuu is the one with the most valid blood claim. You and I both know this very well. Guren does not. If the Clan was to know, it would cause distress and disruption – which I want to avoid. I think you want to avoid it too…and for that little thing at least I respect you."

"Revealing it benefits me or my family not at all." Seiren said flatly. "The position I have now is the best I could ever have hoped for, since the alternative was death. I also don't wish to see the Clan fall into ruin. Believe it or not, the family matters more to me than my own standing in it."

"Yes, I think it does." Kinnya nodded. "And on that matter alone we are in agreement. Therefore you can trust me not to act against you by revealing things that should stay buried to people who need not know about them."

He shrugged.

"Meantime, Shirogane's whereabouts are unknown and I suggest you stop hunting for him so vociferously." He added. "If you think him that guilty, stay close to home and seek out hard evidence there to back up your suspicion. While he is far from Guren, he can't possible pose him any danger, can he?"

"He might pose danger to others. Like Ryuu." Seiren objected.

"If Ryuu is to inherit the Clan, he must face danger and deal with it head on." Kinnya said gravely. "Assassination attempts on Clan leaders are not uncommon occurrences. If Ryuu is born to lead this greatest of all Noble families, he must be able to face that challenge. He is not like you – he has the spirit power you lack, and he will doubtless learn to use it well. But he is grown now. You can't push him into the Clan's attention and yet shield him at the same time."

"I suppose…not." Seiren looked disconcerted, and Kinnya was briefly reminded of his nephew as an adolescent, debating logic with him across the Kuchiki schoolroom. They had rarely agreed then, but in that moment it was as though those roles had been reprised, and Kinnya was once more opening his companion's eyes to the world around him.

"And as for Shirogane, you currently do more damage than good where he's concerned." The old man concluded. "Bringing him back a traitor without motive or irrefutable evidence will only see him pardoned. He will then doubtless become more your enemy than he ever was before, and a sharp-witted enemy with a grudge to bear is a dangerous one indeed. You must be careful, Seiren. You of all people are treading on the most dangerous ground. Whatever crimes your nephew has or hasn't committed – you are the one who has the furthest to fall. And not just you. If you are disgraced – your son may well be too. It might all be for nothing."

"For once I understand you – and appreciate your words." Seiren got slowly to his feet, bowing his head towards his uncle gravely. "And Ojiue, I am sorry for my men disrupting your peasants and causing you annoyance. It won't happen a second time. My search here is done. Whether you know him or do not, I grant that Shirogane is clearly not in this area and has probably left District Six completely."

"Then there is no problem." Kinnya said frankly. "You can return to your duties and I can attend to the very few of mine."

"Yes…"

Seiren turned to go, but as he reached the door he paused, turning to send his Uncle a thoughtful look.

"You didn't come here out of ill-health, nor grief – and you haven't lost your wits or your perception." He said quietly. "I'm not able to tell whether you still have your spirit power, but I'd wager that you did. With all of those things, and Guren's fondness for you…why did you choose to isolate yourself? What was really the reason, Ojiue?"

"I was not needed." Kinnya said simply. "I was Senaya-nii's aide – when he died, a new era began. Guren hasn't needed a relic of his Father's regime hanging over his every move. He's proven a good leader and he's settled the Clan admirably. He's had you and Futsuki both at his side, and therefore I chose to retire here. I may be good at politics, Seiren – but I tired of them. And without Senaya-nii to bully me…surely there doesn't have to be an ulterior motive for retirement?"

"I suppose not." Seiren looked thoughtful. "Well, perhaps the same will apply to me, one day. If I can safely see my son's claim recognised and his inheritance secure…perhaps I might retire to my manor and hand the reins over to another."

With that he was gone, and Kinnya sighed, tapping his stick absently against the wooden floor.

_But that other your son needs is most likely the nephew you're trying to eradicate. You have learnt some things, Seiren, but not enough to protect yourself fully from danger._

He sighed, his gaze flitting to the window where he knew, behind the blue sky and the wispy clouds was sleeping the midday moon.

_Senaya-nii, your son knows. He knows what you did to him, and the warp that now exists in the family tree because of it. But even though that's true, I believe him when he says he didn't kill Ribari. The trouble is though, I think Ryuu believes he did. And more, the evidence to implicate him is in the hands of an unknown. Probably not a Kuchiki. But someone with a dark intention all the same._

His eyes narrowed.

_Seiren may have kept your secret for nothing. On the contrary, it might eventually condemn him. For the only Kuchiki with a motive for Ribari's murder is Seiren himself…and I don't suppose that past is going to stay a secret very much longer._

_

* * *

_

"All hell seems to have been let loose following your little adventure through the Kuchiki estate."

Masaki sank back against the wall of the cavern, casting his companions a rueful smile. "I'm sorry for sending you into so much danger - I realise you did it to please my whims, but it put you at considerable risk."

"Yes, it did." Nanaki dropped down at his side, letting out a heavy sigh. "But we got away. I lost the pendant though, Kei-sama. I'm sorry - one of the guards pulled it, and the clasp just gave way."

"That's because I'm not a metal smith and my repairs were only interim." Her companion reached over to pat her on the arm. "And you mustn't call me by that name. Not even here, so far from the clutches of the Gotei. They know now that you weren't fighting for their team - and there's no point in giving them clues they don't need about who was behind your charade. It's for the best that we employ new tactics in this fight. Patience and caution - we'll wait and see what they do next."

"In this place, nobody will hear me call you Kei-sama." Nanaki objected. "And nobody would bother if you called me Eiraki, instead of that horrible made up girl's name. Here we can be who we really are, Kei-sama - you know that as well as I do. In this place, even if the people walk right on by us, they don't see that we're there. We're like ghosts in their awareness - and nobody from the Gotei will come here looking for us while they think we're hiding in Seireitei."

"They don't realise how much I've perfected the _Senkaimon_ to open and shut to the Real World on a whim." Keitarou agreed with a smile of resignation. "And it's true too that here the local people are generally dead to us and don't even see that we're here. But we're very few against an enemy of so many. And now the Shihouin are moving to help the Kuchiki - I really didn't see that coming at all. Though I doubt it will please all quarters of that stuck up Clan, so probably in the end the result will prove the same."

"That Shihouin at the main estate was one I remember from District Seven." Eiraki said thoughtfully. "One who worked with Grandfather and Seimaru. I remember him clearly, Kei-sama - we should be careful and keep out of his way. Since he knows both of us, and...not just us."

Her gaze drifted to the final member of the group who, curled up like a cat in the corner was fast asleep, oblivious to the fuss that their flight had caused.

"Taking Onoe Tomoyuki from the Shihouin was an interesting experiment, but not altogether a successful one." Keitarou acknowledged. "So it is in science. I've learnt one thing though. That this kind of puppet is not the ideal. We'll dispose of him when there's a good opportunity to do so - till then it's better to keep him with us. If blood must be spilt, better it falls on his hands, not ours for the time being."

He reached across to touch Eiraki's cheek, then,

"Blood doesn't suit you." He added. "Red is a colour at odds with your particular style of beauty, Eiraki-chan."

At the informal use of her real name, Eiraki blushed, offering him a faint smile.

"Red is an Endou colour, and I'm not afraid of it." She said softly. "But what are we going to do next, Kei-sama? If the Kuchiki aren't so easily falling into our traps..."

"No, they have still fallen into a good many of them." Keitarou's expression became thoughtful. "Aside from all the doubt and suspicion that's rife around that estate, we've discovered some useful information about that Clan which may yet prove helpful in adding the nail to their coffin. You still have the parchment you took from their archive?"

"Yes." Eiraki patted the sash of her gown. "It's safe and sound here, minus the fragment I left in Shirogane's room as a paper trail. We can use it any time we want - to throw suspicion in a different direction."

"If Shirogane won't do, Seiren may." Keitarou reflected. "But for now I want to watch and wait. What the situation has given us is the separation from the main house of the two young bocchan - Ryuu and Shirogane are both outside of the protection of their Clan leader. Guren is a strong Shinigami, Eiraki - fighting him directly is something I'd rather avoid until we reach a point where there's significant ground to gain."

"The old man who's Niisama's sensei is also strong." Eiraki warned, and Keitarou nodded.

"Directly attacking there is also not currently an option." He agreed. "That canny old man has been alive long enough to suggest there's not many who could easily kill him. But there are things in District One that still interest me. Things that should interest both of us and our plans - if we could reach them properly."

"Such as?"

Keitarou's gaze rested on the knife that lay at his side, and he smiled, his fingers brushing gently across the blade.

"Scientific experiments that yielded better results than this latest one." He murmured thoughtfully. "That old man has begun something that we can take advantage of. In a world where nobody else cares to show interest, he has begun training the weapons of the future. The District children to whom he's giving blades and skills, Eiraki - the future is there. Our future too."

"District...Ukitake-san?" Eiraki's eyes became huge, and Keitarou chuckled, nodding his head.

"Juushirou is a starting point." He agreed, lifting the_ tantou _knife up so that the dim light of the cavern torch glinted faintly off the silver blade, highlighting where a tiny chip of the weapon was missing. "Because you see, Eiraki-chan, this sword has more power than just the ability to make puppets of empty vessels like Onoe. The power with which I killed your Grandfather...that strength exists too. Ukitake Juushirou is the one and only individual who has lived after experiencing my Bankai. That fact alone is something I can't ignore."

"So you intend to kill Ukitake-san? Even though he's not Clan or anything to do with this?" Eiraki was confused, and Keitarou offered her a gentle smile.

"No. On the contrary, I want to claim him." He admitted, setting the sword down. "His continued life connects us - and I wish to retrieve the thing that is mine. The Academy is a place where weapons are crafted, Eiraki. I would like a better look at the old man's human arsenal - but of those weapons, Juushirou is still the one which interests me the most. So two targets exist in District One and - very likely soon a third, since I can't imagine that foolish Shirogane will go anyplace other than his old school grounds. Beyond that lies a bigger target - one which will open up the door to the future in a way the Clans can't possibly imagine."

"So we're going to kill Shirogane and Ryuu and then...take Ukitake-san?" Eiraki's brows knitted together. "Don't you want to be alone with me, Kei-sama?"

"On the contrary, I want that very much." Keitarou assured her. "A life where nobody bothers us or forces me to make you live in a cave like this instead of in the kind of home you deserve. That's why we're working like this, isn't it? To free Seireitei of the Clans."

"Yes, but..."

"Killing Ryuu is one option. It would eradicate the heir to the Kuchiki and thrust them into further turmoil. Another blood heir does not exist within the family, but just to be on the safe side, if we can find him, we might kill Shirogane as well." Keitarou reflected. "Without an heir, the family will fall, and as cracks appear those who wield power will turn on one another in a desperate battle to cling on to what they own. I didn't expect Kuchiki Guren to be perceptive or reasoned enough a leader to seek help from outside Clans instead of simply declaring war on them - and that in itself is an annoyance. The result is not quite the war we hoped for, but we've made some inroads nonetheless. A war is still possible - it just might take us a little more planning. If nothing else, our antics occupy the Council and continue to cause them infinite amounts of inconvenience and distress."

"That's true." Eiraki smiled ironically. "While they're running around all over the place, nobody's even looking for us, let alone working out where we are."

"Exactly." Keitarou nodded. "Whilst they're bogged down in those things, our focus can shift elsewhere to the other things that interest me. Piece by piece things are coming together, just as a jigsaw puzzle should. But first things first. What we decide around Ryuu may even be a further way of manipulating Seiren - but to achieve that target, we have to sit, watch, and wait for a time when neither Guren nor the old man can easily protect the young ones. Killing Ryuu is probably unavoidable, to maximise the instability in the Kuchiki Clan. But since Guren refuses to turn his sword against the Shihouin or Kyouraku at present, it seems more sensible to pursue a different route and have him look to his kinsfolk for a scapegoat instead."

"Which will mean that idiot Seiren who thinks I'm helpless and useless." Eiraki snorted. Keitarou smiled, reaching out to pat her gently on the shoulder.

"Truthfully, I still haven't decided whether to bring Seiren out as the ultimate scapegoat in all of our machinations, or whether to kill him as well." He admitted. "His behaviour towards Shirogane and towards you have been impeccable and he's obviously foolish enough about status to fall into any number of traps, so it remains an option. The trouble is that he's an empty vessel and so doesn't interest me as much as others do. It's a pity, because had he still had spirit power, he might have been of greater use."

He shrugged, resignation in his mud-slurried eyes.

"Clans waste things so easily because of pride." He murmured. "But I suppose it's as well. Seiren as he is now I could easily make my puppet, but such a puppet would ultimately be worthless to me - probably no better than Onoe, albeit with a greater sense of self. There _is_ blackmail, of course. That option remains open, and I might decide to exploit his noble weaknesses for whatever gain I can. For the time being, though, I want to let the dust settle and see where it does."

He settled himself more comfortably on the floor.

"One other thing, too. Since it's almost for certain that we'll have to kill Ryuu, waiting a while might actually prove the best strategy."

A smile touched his lips.

"I had people watch the Academy's actions in the past, you know, for Shouichi-sama and for Seimaru." He added. "I know already that each year some of the most senior students in the Academy get sent to the Real World. And where do we just happen to be?"

"I see." Eiraki's eyes lit up. "All we have to do is wait and they will come to us."

"Exactly." Keitarou nodded.

"Kei-sama, about Mitsuki-neesama, and...and about...the other students?" Eiraki turned her blue gaze on her companion pensively. "About them...what do you intend to do?"

"I promised you that no harm would befall the Edogawa hime." Keitarou said gently. "I won't break my word. I don't have any reason to hurt someone of such insignificant rank, and besides, she's someone who was kind to you, so I understand your feelings where she's concerned."

"Good." Eiraki looked relieved. "She's not like the other Kuchiki. She understood...when I talked to her about you and how I felt, she was the only one who ever did."

She rested her chin in her hands.

"She isn't much of a Kuchiki, though. It should be all right that way." She added thoughtfully. "I don't suppose she'd even mind if the Clan stopped existing altogether."

She turned to glance at her husband once more.

"And...Kei-sama, what about…?"

"Our target is the Kuchiki bocchan. Not the Endou one." Keitarou understood her question before she could fully ask it, a wry smile touching her lips. Despite how much she had grown, deep down there were still ties of loyalty and affection that she had not quite eradicated, and Keitarou knew that although they were estranged, he had not yet reached a point where he could harm her brother without damaging her faith in him. "I don't care for Clan weaponry, and Hirata-dono's life is not of any interest to me in this."

"All right." Eiraki's tone held nonchalance, but Keitarou could see the faint relief and gratitude in her eyes.

"So now that's settled, we'll wait for them to come to us." He said reflectively. "This plane of existence is outside the control of the Council, and they can't maintain security over such a wide and Hollow-filled area. If the other Kuchiki _bocchan _was to fall foul of a nasty accident, so much to the good. But if it also allows a chance to ready the weapons that haven't yet awoken...that suits me too. Yes, Eiraki. For now we'll wait. I may yet pay a visit to Guren's honoured brother and attempt to weave some webs of suspicion around him. But most of all now we wait for them to fall into a false sense of security - and for them to send their precious ones right into our waiting grasp."

* * *

_**Author's Note**_

_Seiren and Kinnya dropping cryptic clues everywhere. I wonder if anyone's worked out yet what exactly it was that the two of them are talking about. What did Senaya do to Seiren O.O. Answers on a postcard...  
__**  
Shirogane's Flute.**_

_This is not a western style flute, but technically a "fue" __笛__, which is the Japanese word for flute (Chinese uses the same kanji). These were made from bamboo and originally popular in China, but by the Nara period (8th century) they were also becoming popular at the Japanese Imperial court. It was known as a "Ryuuteki" or "Dragon flute" whose song was said to mimic the call of a dragon. The sound made by bamboo fue is a lot more ghostly and haunting than the music of a western flute. The idea for Shirogane to have this right from the first story was put into my head by Eisen, Motomi and Atsumori in the various HaruToki series and their very haunting, beautiful flutes. It's also true that flutes in ancient Japan did often carry names and many were handed down through families. Some of these flutes are referenced in historical sources from the time and are spoken of with some amount of reverence. This doesn't simply apply to flutes, but I believe other traditional instruments such as the koto/kin and biwa. People may or may not have realised it, but where possible I've been rendering the ancient Kuchiki with this or that ancient Japanese custom, and so the flute was the next one in the process. Oune technically means "sound" or "note" of the sakura, but song seemed better for fic purposes xD._


	41. Shadows and Lights

**Chapter Forty: Shadows and Light**

"You're quite decided on this, I can tell."

Kazoe let out a heavy sigh, folding his arms across his chest as he leant back against the panels of the study wall in resignation. It was two days later, and after further deliberation, Genryuusai had summoned each of his staff members in turn to tell them his plans for the Senior students. It had met with mixed reactions, and Genryuusai had left this particular meeting until last, knowing that he needed the support of the Kidou instructor most of all.

Not only was Kazoe trained to _zanpakutou_ level, unlike either Uebashi or Minabe, but he was also an Unohana – a man gifted with healing arts as well as those used in combat, and a man whose shrewd brain and neutral political position made him the best placed member of staff with which to discuss the sensitive subject of the Kuchiki assassinations. Uebashi was a Yamamoto, whose interests could not fail to be native to District One, whilst Minabe had a deep rooted hatred of all things Kuchiki, and Genryuusai had not even tried to broach the deeper meaning of his decisions with her. But Kazoe was different, and deep down Genryuusai hoped that his Kidou instructor would not try and be a thorn in his side in pushing for the plan to go ahead.

But sweet-talking Kazoe was no easy feat, and Genryuusai glanced at his companion know, knowing from the look in those piercing eyes that it would probably be a long negotiation.

"Even given the risks and the fact it might bring angry Kuchiki down on you like fire dragons, you're going to go ahead as though nothing had happened?"

"These are my Senior class, Ginji." Genryuusai rested his chin on his hands, gazing up at his companion in sombre contemplation. "I understand that you're wary, and so you should be – Ayame called me an old fool when I told her, and Uebashi was none too certain either. But both of them are seeing things from the perspective of the Yamamoto's security, and I want to broaden the picture. This is the way things are across Seireitei at the moment. If I continue to shield them, how will they ever fight for themselves?"

"What does Retsu-sama think?" Kazoe's eyes narrowed behind his glasses, and Genryuusai smiled.

"She agrees with me, of course." He said simply. "That they should go ahead regardless of the risks. She's going to give very special training to Suzuno and Mitsuki on top of what they've already been learning, and she believes that it would be a good experience for all of the students to undertake the trip to the Real World."

"Then I can't say anything in opposition, can I?" Kazoe said dryly. "If my Clan leader has sanctioned it, I can't go against that. But I have reservations, Genryuusai-sama. Whilst I know they're all clever and good with their skills, the Real World is a dangerous place when one of the students isn't the probable focus of unknown assassins. That one undoubtedly is…"

"I don't think they're all that unknown." Genryuusai interjected calmly, and Kazoe faltered, casting him a startled look.

"Not unknown? But…you mean all the warnings about Nagoya? Or…the Shihouin? Or…?"

"Neither one." Genryuusai shook his head. "This is a web, Ginji. A neatly laid out spider's web of clues and threads leading in all kinds of directions. Whilst we scramble to follow the ends of those threads, the one who holds them in the middle is the one we should really be hunting."

"I see." Kazoe's eyes became grim. "Retsu-sama intimated something of that nature to me too, following the Council meeting. She didn't want to say too much of it – but with the safety of the children here of paramount importance to us both…"

"Yes." Genryuusai let out a heavy sigh. "The trouble is not defining a culprit, but proving him and bringing him to justice. He has been called a genius and doubtless that is true. In all my years in this world, I've seen many who claim that title, but I've encountered very few who deserve it. Urahara Keitarou – _Aizen_ Keitarou – is one of those who is. And sadly he uses that intelligence for chaos, instead of for good. Well, not that it's impossible to understand his reasons why."

"Are you sympathising with him?" Kazoe stared at his superior in disbelief, and Genryuusai let out a soft chuckle.

"No. No, I'm not." He admitted. "Just that crimes have been committed amongst and by the Clans for generations, and many have escaped with their lives. Urahara Rikaya thought he was doing the best thing when he turned his back on his brother and let him be condemned to death – but I believe the opposite to be true. Keitarou's resentment was born into him at the worst possible time – as an impressionable child. It had a chance to grow through him as he grew – and now we face the situation that we do. I don't sympathise with the man, Ginji. He is someone the Council must find and someone who, so long as he lives, will always cause death and destruction wherever he goes. Even imprisoning him alive would not be far enough a step – he's somebody who must pay for his crimes with his life. I merely say I understand why he turned the way he did – and understanding an enemy is part of learning how to defeat them."

He pursed his lips, reaching up to brush his long moustache absently with a wizened finger.

"The second years must have their camp, first." He mused. "I've assigned nobody to that project who will be in particular danger in District One and so it should run smoothly, I believe. Summer break is in a fortnight, and most people will be busy with examinations. So I will break the news to them about the trip when they return after that break – and we'll begin preparing them then. Oh, but I may speak to Ryuu sooner…"

His eyes narrowed.

"I will not send him if he feels it unsafe for him to go. But Ginji, if he refuses to go, I will also advise Guren-dono that his nephew is not fit to succeed him yet and may lack the conviction to ever do so, no matter how long he trains."

"Kuchiki will go." Kazoe said with certainty. "He may spend a laboriously long time on explaining any point in a written essay, and his vocabulary on occasion could use melting down into component parts. He's proud and sometimes aloof – but he is not a coward. I think he'll go – it's whether we can keep him safe that bothers me."

"Or whether he can keep himself safe."

"That too." Kazoe acknowledged. "That perhaps more so, since we'd be sending them unsupervised."

"Guren-dono would probably be hesitant – Seiren-dono enraged if they discovered what I intended." Genryuusai said pensively. "For that reason, I don't plan to ask them what they think. It's always been an assumed part of Academy Senior year, and Guren-dono at least should be aware of the possibility, since I fielded Shirogane into the Real World the first year he was a Senior and that met with no complaints. No, I will send them, Ginji. As you said, my mind is made up. And as I say every year – if any are killed, I'll accept their deaths on my conscience with the long list of other students who in one way or another I failed."

At that moment there was a knock on the door, and the divide slid back to reveal one of the school's messengers, a scroll tied with a red ribbon clutched in his hands. At the sight of it Genryuusai beckoned him forward, and the young man cast Kazoe a wary look, but did so, bowing his head and presenting the rolled up document to his companion.

"A message has come for you, sir." He said unnecessarily.

"Thank you, I can see that." Genryuusai murmured, taking the letter and glancing at it. "You may go…oh, no, wait for a moment, please." As the young man turned to leave the office. "This letter bears no stamp or seal – it didn't come from one of the Clan messengers?"

"No sir. A provincial courier brought it to District One's border, and it was conveyed from there to the school by Yamamoto men." The messenger looked surprised. "Why – is something amiss, Genryuusai-sama?"

"No." Genryuusai slid the ribbon off the scroll, a strange sensation of expectancy and foreboding in his heart as he began to unroll the cheap market parchment and laid his gaze for the first time on the characters concealed with in. As he did so, a scrap of paper fluttered out, and Kazoe bent to catch it, setting it down on the desk surface.

Genryuusai's gaze flitted to the bottom of the document, and his brows knitted together.

"Messenger – you said this came from a provincial courier?" He said quietly, and the young man nodded.

"Which District did that messenger come from?"

"Sixth, sir." The young man said promptly. "He was the border courier who operates over the divide from Fifth. From the Coastal regions of Sixth District, sir."

"You know that very clearly." Kazoe looked startled, and the messenger reddened.

"No…well…it's just…the courier who travels that route is well known to the Yamamoto, sir." He said falteringly. "He rides often with messages for Genryuusai-sama and for one of the students here, and so…"

"That is all. You are dismissed." Genryuusai gave him a little nod, and relief flooded the man's gaze as he hurriedly made his bow, retreating from the office and closing the door carefully behind him.

"From Ukitake's people?" Kazoe murmured, and Genryuusai shrugged his shoulders.

"From the person who sends their messages." He said evenly. "But no, Kazoe. Not from Ukitake's people. Nor Kamikura. This is another hand completely – a very neat, very formal script that suggests a far higher level of education than even he can provide."

He set the letter down on the surface, smoothing it out as he began to read it through properly from start to finish.

_Dear Genryuusai-sensei_,[It began]

_I imagine this letter will reach you with some level of surprise - perhaps even consternation - and for inconveniencing you with it I offer my heartfelt apologies. You are probably already well abreast of the situation in which my family currently finds itself, and knowing the swift efficiency of my Uncle, you are unlikely to be ignorant of my current position - that is, an exile from the heart of my family and charged with an array of serious offences._

_I have no way to present my innocence to you except through my own words, and for that reason I am putting myself somewhat at your mercy. I cannot reveal my current location to you or anyone else, so returning any kind of message to me is not possible. However despite that I cannot hear your views directly, I have decided that the things I know must go into written form. My life has already been put in serious jeopardy on one occasion - in case such a circumstance should repeat, I should like to know that someone with objectivity holds my last words and will be able to use them if further ill fortune befalls me._

_I am not guilty of the charges which my Uncle has placed upon me. I was indeed present in the forest the night that my cousin Ribari-sama was killed, but I, like my comrades was struck down by poison - Mitsuki will doubtless be able to advise you on the serious nature of that attack and its impact on my health better than I. Suffice it to say that I was fortunate not to also be a victim that night - certainly I was in no position to administer any kind of lethal substance to my cousin, and so I hope must be considered innocent of his murder._

_Whether I can be as easily judged innocent of neglecting my duty towards Ribari-sama I am less sure. Despite the assault on our squad, as the senior officer in charge I feel that a certain amount of the responsibility for Ribari-sama's death lies with me. For that reason I wish to discover the absolute truth of what happened to my cousin. Perhaps it is this fact which has created the suspicions directed towards me - I cannot be certain. However, it seems that my Uncle Seiren believes me now capable of plotting to hurt or kill his son - my other cousin Ryuu, who is currently your student and in your care - and perhaps even my Uncle Guren-sama himself._

_These allegations are entirely without foundation, but the reason for their coming about is still somewhat hazy in my mind. I will not waste ink and paper on trying to explain the complexities of my relationship with my Uncle Seiren - rather if you will indulge me I must talk about the night when things came to a particular head. Particularly I must address the involvement of a mysterious but disturbing witness who claimed to have seen me conspiring with assassins. This was a young girl who named herself 'Nanaki-hime'. She claimed descent from the dead Kyouraku lord Sadehira, but I have managed to confirm that the crest she carries belonged to Sadehira-dono's brother Matsuhara-sama, and therefore her story is likely false. I am accused, I believe, of assaulting this 'witness' on account of what she knew. This is also a grave falsehood - it is true that I met the girl once, or rather, I discovered her lurking within my chamber and took her somewhat by surprise in doing so. I do not know what her purpose there was, but on reflection I am sure I did not find her there by coincidence. At the time of that meeting she warned me quite strongly against my Uncle, suggesting that he had motive to kill my cousin and I should beware of him. She provided the Clan crest above mentioned and wrote her name for me to prove she had had the education of one of high birth and was not simply a town wench playing me for a fool._

_Unfortunately whilst I was seeking to verify this girl's story in the family archive, an attempt was made to arrest me and I was forced to flee. Since then I have been in hiding, and my Uncle's men are firmly on my tail. I have no doubt that the borders between each District will be closed to me - nonetheless, my intention is to travel to District One. If you and your Clan choose to then arrest me for trespass or for my involvement in the Kuchiki disturbances, so be it. I feel confident that if you are in charge of arresting me, you will at the very least hear what I have to say and judge me fairly before sending me to face my family. My Uncle Seiren seeks to kill me, I believe, because he sees me as his enemy - and as for Guren-sama's own views, these I do not fully know._

_I think that this was the reason for that girl's sudden and unexplained appearance into our midst. Our family is sadly in disarray at present, with nobody quite sure if the enemy is a kinsman or not. I believe Seiren-dono has allowed his paranoia to progress beyond reasonable levels and therefore has settled on me as his scapegoat. It is my belief that creating either Seiren-dono or I as a target for blame was that girl's real intention, and there is a good chance that she is also associated with the other events that have since occurred. Perhaps there is an intention to blame both of us, for whilst I have no visible motive to hurt Ribari-sama, my Uncle Seiren has a son who now will likely inherit the Clan on Guren-sama's death. My exile cannot possibly fail to draw attention to that fact...that if my innocence can be proven, his guilt may be put under deeper scrutiny._

_For my part, I do not believe my Uncle Seiren is responsible for orchestrating any of this. On the contrary, I feel he has been manipulated by someone else and that that force is most likely not within the Kuchiki Clan. To explain my reasons for feeling thus, I must disclose to you what so far I have only discussed with Ryuu - that is that on the night Ribari-sama was killed, he claimed to see a Shihouin lurking in the darkness. Since then I have learnt that Guren-sama's life was threatened by a Shihouin._

_Sensei, I have had doubts for some long time about the death of my Grandfather and whether or not the Shihouin Clan were truly involved. The appearance of the convenient witness 'Nanaki-hime' makes me more suspicious still that we are being led down a particular path and that that path is meant to lead to war. The reasons why I do not know, but it worries me that the aim is not simply a struggle for power but the eventual destruction of my family altogether. Most probably that means our enemies are outside, and we have likely not yet seen them clearly enough to anticipate the danger. What is plain to me though is that whoever seeks us harm knows and is trying to capitalise on the fact the previous head of the family was allegedly murdered by the Shadow Clan._

_I do not have a memory long enough to know what happened when Senaya-sama was killed, but there are many more questions for me than answers surrounding it. Since you are in a position of some influence, I hope that you may be able to advise and steady the fears of my Clan in this area. Perhaps you already know better than I how Senaya-sama met his demise...and what the current relations are like between the Shihouin and my Clan. I have kept what I saw secret because I do not want to see this descend into war...but now it appears that my doing so was in vain._

_I know better than anyone else how desperate things have become in District Six. Suffice it to say that whether my life is or isn't forfeit to this disturbance, a war between ourselves and the Shihouin and their allies would be a bad judgement and many innocent people would be killed. People of Clan and people of District - the latter of which I have begun to realise have rights to peaceful living too._

_I originally intended to enclose a letter which I hoped you might find the kindness to convey to my Uncle Lord Guren regarding my situation. On reflection I have decided against it - instead I will trust my words to you and believe that you will know best what information to reveal to him. I cannot beg an audience with my Clan leader through any other channels, so whether my words reach him or otherwise lies in your hands. I trust you will know best what to do and so I will put my faith in your experience and your judgement._

_Finally, at last I begin to understand the lessons you were so keen to instil in each one of us. For those lessons, I am grateful. My life now and my resolution to keep living is probably founded in the discipline and instruction you gave me as a student, and though I did not appreciate all you gave me then, I am coming to do so now. Justice is something that belongs to all people, not just those who hold power._

_I do not know whether my life will be taken from me before I reach District One, or what will happen when I arrive there. I know I am willing to face that danger if it means helping my family to escape the traps being laid around them. Sensei, you will have realised I know from this letter the manner in which this mysterious hime_ _wrote her name, and probably you will not need me to explain the brief and fleeting thoughts that crossed my mind when I regarded the words anew. I do not know if this is a lead or fanciful imagining on my part - but I am enclosing also the scrap of paper on which she wrote her name for me. It may serve some purpose or it may not - but that it is written in a hand foreign from mine I hope may help in the identification of the writer._

_I place myself and my words entirely in your hands and hope for you to do with them as you see fit._

_With all respect, your student,_

_Nagoya Shirogane._

As he reached the bottom of the page he sighed, glancing at it again and then holding it out to his companion. Kazoe took it, eying his superior quizzically.

"You're sure it's all right that I should read this?"

"Yes. Please do." Genryuusai nodded. "And tell me what you think of it when you're done."

"Mm." Kazoe adjusted his glasses, running his gaze down the neat columns of kanji. He was a quick reader, and as he reached the end, he let out an exclamation, raising his gaze to Genryuusai's in disbelief.

Genryuusai nodded his head.

"The fugitive has surfaced." He said quietly. "And from the fact that letter came from where it did…I suspect that the Ukitake family have had something to do with keeping him hidden. How that circumstance came about I don't know – but it's a reasonable assumption to make."

He fingered the red ribbon.

"Kamikura almost always fastens his letters to me with ribbon of that kind. Most likely the courier thought it was just another note in the same vein."

"Nagoya is a clever boy." Kazoe set the parchment down on the desk. "Using a method of communication which would attract no suspicion at all."

"And travelling to the part of District Six where you might least expect a fugitive to flee to." Genryuusai pursed his lips. "But he's stated his intentions to come here…so I must decide what to do about it."

"Whether to arrest him and hold him for Guren-sama?" Kazoe asked, and Genryuusai smiled.

"I've never had any intention of arresting the boy, when I've no doubts at all that he's innocent." He said lightly. "Nagoya is a proud, arrogant and opinionated youngster and I have had reason to curb his attitude on many occasions. But he is a loyal Kuchiki and Ginji, he would not do anything to hurt Guren-dono. Beyond that, he is intelligent. He is not easily fooled, and not easily influenced – that is why he has made an excellent Vice Captain in Sixth Squad so far. Besides, this letter only gives further strength to my other suspicions. You saw what fell out when I opened it, didn't you?"

"Kyouraku Nanaki." Kazoe's eyes became slits as he gazed at the scrap of paper. "And Tokutarou-sama was here just a day or two ago…coincidence?"

"Probably not." Genryuusai said calmly. "But read again what Shirogane says. '_You will have realised I know from this letter the manner in which this mysterious hime_ _wrote her name, and probably you will not need me to explain the brief and fleeting thoughts that crossed my mind when I regarded the words anew.' _As a shinigami, Shirogane probably had ample involvement in events two and a half years ago, covering for Guren-dono with Sixth Squad whilst the Council was making its investigations. I think Guren-dono to also be in the habit of talking to his deputy about matters – and I think Shirogane has drawn on that information and begun to form conclusions. They are also conclusions without a basis at the present time – but what he says here is interesting and gives me further cause for thought. If I was at all unsure about sending Ryuu and the Seniors to the real world now, this letter would convince me that it was the right thing to do."

"I don't see the connection." Kazoe sighed. "Yes, I understand his implication – that the girl who appeared in District Six may be the missing Endou _hime_ Aizen allegedly abducted two and a half years ago. She might well be his new puppet – but that aside…?"

"The one place someone like Aizen Keitarou can hide for long periods of time is the Real World, Ginji." Genryuusai said lightly, reaching to pick up the letter and running his gaze over the contents once again. "And if Shirogane is coming here, whilst he is suspected of treason it would cause a good deal of trouble for Hashihiko-dono if I was to choose to shelter him openly. But if he is arrested by Yamamoto guards, I will have to become involved. Equally, Shirogane's own words are correct. Proving him innocent may not mean proving the right person guilty. I suspect he's probably right when he says that he's not the only target and that what he's reasoned out – or had help reasoning out – surrounding the Uncle who forced him into exile is an unwanted complication. Therefore…it seems of paramount importance that the _real_ culprits in this crime are lured out before the matter of Shirogane's whereabouts becomes more problematic…or before the arrows start to point away from him and in a new Clan direction."

"Using Kuchiki as bait?" Kazoe stared, and Genryuusai shrugged.

"I will put it to him that way, and see if he agrees." He said frankly. "I won't lie to the boy, Ginji. He's not a child, and he will soon be a squad shinigami, if not the heir to a Clan. Therefore I will tell him exactly what I want to do – and see what his views are. I'm sending him there to bring out the real culprits and absolve his cousin and his father of blame. Also, I want to make it so that Shirogane can claim sanctuary and entrance into this land without being immediately arrested and sent home. If his life has been threatened once already, he's probably is in some danger in District Six with things as they are right now. An accusation of treason might have Guren-dono demanding his extradition – but if the blame is deflected elsewhere, he might just be seen as a refugee and him being here a while may be overlooked."

"You've put your faith in Nagoya's innocence." Kazoe reflected. "Based on that letter, and your own memory of the boy. Are you sure it's wise to be so clear-cut?"

"An old man relies on his instincts, and accepts the times when those instincts are wrong." Genryuusai responded. "That's how they live to become old, Ginji – by taking gambles and hoping they pan out. Ryuu believes in Shirogane, and the future of the Kuchiki probably rests on that belief. Besides, there's something else."

He tapped the letter, then,

"I can't imagine that he's been lurking in the coastal province for any length of time without anyone being aware of it. On the contrary, I'm sure he's being observed just as much as he's observing what's going on around him."

"Observed? By whom?" Kazoe was confused, and Genryuusai smiled.

"Another former student of mine, who is no fool, no matter how much he likes to pretend it." He said softly. "A man who claims to be old, and who shuts himself away from the centre of his family as though preparing for death. Kuchiki Kinnya, the Lord of the Coastal Provinces and Ryuu and Shirogane's Great Uncle. He has stayed well clear of his family for a long time – but I don't believe that will happen for much longer. Kinnya is a man of his word – and Senaya was the kind of Kuchiki Lord who demanded promises to be kept, no matter how long the duration. That Shirogane mentions him in this letter makes me wonder if he's spoken to Kinnya – or spoken to someone else who has."

"You've lost me completely, I'm afraid." Kazoe admitted. "I remember Senaya-sama, and I know that there was a scandal surrounding the Shihouin and that man's untimely death. But otherwise…"

"I spent some time with the Clan in District Six in the past, and taught both Kinnya and Senaya as adolescents, about the time they first came to hold _zanpakutou_. They were both of about equal ability, but in very different ways." Genryuusai responded thoughtfully. "They were both very gifted students, but personality opposites. Senaya was the flamboyant one – the sun, I suppose, to Kinnya's moon. Senaya did not mind if the world around him was not real, so long as it looked real, and so long as that reality was perfect in whatever way. He would do what it took to achieve that perfection, and sacrifice whatever needed to be sacrificed to keep it that way. Kinnya on the other hand was the pragmatist – he never looked for perfection if he could have reality instead. In intelligence, they were probably about a match for one another – in swords too. I believe Kinnya to have been the only man whose sword could have taken down Senaya and vice versa in their days as young men. Senaya did everything for the sake of the Clan, and Kinnya made his fantasies reality in whatever way it took. They were very close as siblings go – but also leagues apart."

His eyes narrowed.

"Senaya's Kuchiki carried the image of perfection in all but one regard." He added pensively. "Senaya had _two_ sons, where he should only have had one."

"Guren-sama and Seiren-dono are twin brothers, though. Not much to be done about that."

"On the contrary." Genryuusai's expression became sad. "It is ancient Kuchiki custom that if the firstborn son to a Clan leader be one of twin boys, the weaker child should be sacrificed and the stronger child protected. In the past, it was considered an ill omen – that two boys of equal birth age, power and prowess should be able to clash swords…that they could claim to be equals in all respects and so divide the Clan when it came for one of them to inherit. The Kuchiki has a deep rooted superstition surrounding astronomical omens and portents in the skies when their young ones are born – for two to share almost identical markers is felt to bring misfortune and division to the Clan. Twins that were one of each were of no danger, since girls cannot inherit the family and so would never fight for the leadership. But twin boys are another matter. Yet Senaya, who loved perfection, chose to flount superstition and keep _both_ of his sons. And for that choice – that one imperfection – he probably paid with his life."

"The Kuchiki are a Clan of fools, in that case." Kazoe snorted. "If rebel Kuchiki attacked him because he chose to let both his sons live."

"They are an old Clan with values that are not always clear-cut." Genryuusai agreed. "I suppose he thought that by having Seiren's power sealed, conflict would be avoided. But…it's not a secret that for their early years, Seiren-dono and Guren-dono loathed the sight of one another and it often ended in bruises – or as they got older, drawn blades. Senaya was at his wits end with them, but his death united them behind the same cause. Still, the aftershocks of the decisions Senaya made are still being felt even now. I suspect they will continue to be felt for a while longer – so the sooner we can bring this spider out of the shadows and out the real enemy of the Kuchiki, so much the better. I don't want to see this descend into war – whether civil or inter-Clan – and I don't want to see anyone else die. War would create disruption and uncertainty for our students and our future too – so it's in our interests to work against it. I will instruct Hashihiko to reduce the amount of Yamamoto guarding this area, in order that Shirogane might not be so easily captured when he arrives. And…"

Kazoe sighed.

"And the Seniors will go to the Real World." He said resignedly. "Very well. I'll make the usual preparations – send for me if you need me."

* * *

"One more week and it will be summer break."

Shunsui flopped back onto the grass with a sigh, gazing up at the hazy wisps of cloud that dotted across the bright blue sky. "It seems like a lot has happened so far already this year – don't you think so, Juu?"

"Mm?" Juushirou glanced up from his textbook, casting his amused friend a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I really wasn't listening. I'm trying to get all these complicated Hohou theorems into my brain before the assessments start, and there isn't a lot of time left."

"You want to bring your rank back up." Shunsui cast him a lazy grin. "Don't you?"

"Call me overly proud or stubborn, but yes." Juushirou agreed. "It's not that big a deal really – I know my family will be happy with me passing my exams, let alone ranking third or second or whatever. But I don't like relinquishing it to Yamamoto-kun. So I'm going to do my best this time, and try not to be distracted by other things."

"Distracted, huh…" Shunsui pursed his lips, returning his gaze to the hazy sky. "Being a Senior is hard work. I'm not sure that I'm going to make it to graduation at this rate, if things keep moving at the pace they are."

"You're sleeping better now, though, aren't you?" Juushirou sent his friend a worried look. "Because that really isn't like you. If my burdening you with things has made it worse, I'm sorry. I shouldn't always pour my problems onto you – you don't often pour yours on me and so it's an unfair arrangement, when I think about it."

"You're the kind to pour. I'm the kind to absorb." Shunsui grinned. "It's fine. You're not doing anything to my sleep pattern, I promise. Don't look like that, Juu – I mean it. Just I am working harder this year than I ever have – and my body's taking a little time to catch up."

"Well, if that's all it is." Juushirou set the book aside, stretching out on his stomach and toying idly with the blades of grass. "That we both have a moment free to come out and study under the trees is a nice change."

"Your second years are off in their tents listening to Souryou and the others spout pearls of wisdom." Shunsui said wisely. "And Kaoru-chan is all in a fluster because she's got assessments too and they're Fourth year ones, and she's not sure she's going to pass."

He chuckled at the memory.

"Kaoru's fun when she's flustered." He added. "Her cheeks get all pink and flushed and she flutters around all over the place. It's so hard resisting the urge to tease or flirt with her – but I'm really trying not to, Juu. She's far too easy a target to be left alone with someone like me."

"You sound fond of her." Juushirou observed, and Shunsui nodded.

"I am, but I think…it's more of a little sister type feeling." He said with a sigh. "Honestly, I didn't want to train her in the first place. But now I am…I'm quite enjoying doing it. She listens and she works hard. And she's always cheerful, even if I've got other things on my mind. So that helps. I'm quite liking having a _deshi_ to train, Juu – please don't tell Yama-jii that, but it's true all the same."

"I won't tell him." Juushirou grinned. "But I am jealous. I still want a chance to do that. But I'm not special and left handed like you are, and…I wonder if Sensei really isn't sure about my training with anyone, to be honest. Though he's said otherwise, it's more like…well, I'm a risk if my health plays up, so I might prove unreliable. But more than that…I wonder if this is his real punishment for what happened with the Hollow. He hasn't officially punished me but…maybe he's not giving me a _deshi_ because he thinks I'm too impulsive to be trusted."

"If he'll trust Kaoru to me, Juu, he'll trust you too." Shunsui snorted. "But I s'pect he thinks you have enough on your plate. He's not stupid – he probably knows that you're helping Tsukabishi here and there with his writing, and you are still tutoring those second years with Akira, which I'm sure takes as much patience and tolerance as you have most days. Not to mention that he's still using you as his poster boy to advertise his school to District families…you have to have time to breathe somewhere in all of that."

"Time to breathe, and time to think." Juushirou grimaced. "No thank you."

"Juu, are you still mooning about Mitsuki?" Shunsui pulled himself up into a sitting position, casting his friend a searching look. "I've not been as attentive as usual to what's going on, on account of my sleep patterns, but I haven't noticed you guys spending much time together. Was there a fight? Or..?"

"No. Nothing like that." Juushirou shook his head. "We're fine…I think. Just…"

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't want to think about it all too much." He admitted. "So let's change the subject, before it makes my brain hurt."

"Relationships aren't meant to be easy, you know."

"We don't have a relationship."

"Then that's probably the first problem you're falling down on." Shunsui's eyes twinkled, and Juushirou shot him a dark look.

"Shunsui. I already said change the subject."

"But you were pouring, so I was soaking it up." Shunsui said matter-of-factly. "But all right. Let's talk about summer instead. You're all ready to come to District Eight, I hope? Because I already sent a letter to tell Nii-sama you're coming and that he should let Chihiro know."

"I wrote to her myself." Juushirou nodded. "It'll be good to see her and Takeshi, since it's been a little while. It seems funny that she's now living closer to your family than to mine."

"She's become very well indoctrinated to District Eight life from all accounts." Shunsui mused. "But I haven't seen a lot of her either, what with being here and stuff. I think Rae-chan has though. Chihiro's good with small children – I think if it was up to Rae, she'd have Chi-chan as Haru's nurse in a flash."

"Well, Chi's the eldest girl of a long family." Juushirou chuckled. "Of course she'd be good with kids – it's only natural. I'm sure it won't be long before she has a few of her own, either. Growing up in a big family, I can't imagine she'd want it any other way."

"What about you?" Shunsui cast his friend a quizzical look, and Juushirou looked startled.

"Me?"

"I remember you saying some time ago that you weren't looking to marry or have children." Shunsui reflected. "But you're from the same big family. Won't you be lonely, if you don't have a family of your own?"

"_Haibyou_ is a curse." Juushirou's eyes became clouded, but he spoke in even, matter-of-fact tones. "I can pass it on to my children, and it's impossible to know until it's too late whether a baby will inherit it. It's not something that should be passed on, Shunsui. That settles it as far as I'm concerned. I won't ever have that kind of a family – I suppose the Gotei will have to become that for me."

"Being part of a squad, huh." Shunsui's expression was unusually grave. "I suppose that goes for me too, to be honest."

"There's no reason for you not to have a family of your own." Juushirou objected, and Shunsui offered him a lazy grin.

"For me, getting married is like choosing to have only one flower in your garden for the rest of my life, rather than appreciating the beauty of all the different ones." He said blithely. "I'm not really cut out for that level of commitment. Possibly I never was – but having had my experiences with Saku, and having seen you and Mitsuki dancing around one another, I think that's the case. I'm quite a lone wolf really, you know. I do all right on my own."

"What part of you is a lone wolf?" Juushirou snorted, tossing a handful of grass blades in his friend's direction. "Don't be stupid. You're not solitary at all, so don't pretend like you are."

"But I am." Shunsui said wryly. "You just don't see it because when I'm with you, I'm not by myself."

"You make absolutely no sense sometimes." Juushirou sighed, resignation in his hazel eyes, and Shunsui nodded his head.

"I know." He agreed cheerfully. "But you still put up with it, and I'm grateful that you do. You see? We both have our uses. You confide all kinds of things in me, and I twist your brain into strange and unusual shapes in return. No charge. Consider it a favour of our friendship."

"Maybe lack of sleep is finally sending you kooky." Juushirou muttered, and Shunsui arched an eyebrow.

"Kooky? Let me guess – that came from Sora?"

"It did." Juushirou agreed with a grin. "She was describing some of the juniors she was tutoring and that seemed to be her general view of them. That they were kooky."

"Girls who don't want to play with swords don't really make sense in Sora's world." Shunsui said wisely. "And you can see her point. This is the Academy, not finishing school. They aren't going to learn to embroider or arrange flowers by coming to train to be Shinigami."

"There's a divide still, isn't there, between girls and boys." Juushirou said pensively. "Even now there are more boys at the Academy – you can tell just by looking at the uniforms that there's more blue than red at meals."

"It's hard to change stereotypes. You're not the only one who's marginalised in the big picture." Shunsui replied. "But things are changing. Bit by bit. People like Kaoru-chan are as important to the future as you are."

"Mm."

Juushirou was silent for a moment, then,

"Things are going to be all right, aren't they? When we graduate."

"Are you worried about not making it into a squad?" Shunsui asked, surprised. "Because you know what I said before. That if there isn't another opening for you, you'll be able to come with me to Eighth. Chi's in my District, and I'd make very good use of you, so…"

"It shouldn't be that way, though." Juushirou cut across him, shaking his head. "I know you mean it, Shunsui, but I don't want…to…"

"You want to be there on your own merit, not because of my help." As the white haired boy trailed off, Shunsui cast him a grin. "I'm not offended…I know that's the case. But I'm sure it will be all right, Juu. You work hard…you deserve to be considered more than some of the rest of us. And the Kuchiki don't mind you bearing arms, so…"

"The Kuchiki, huh…" Juushirou frowned. "Yes. But…I don't know. I mean…if they know. That I'm…that my bloodline is how it is. And…if they found out about Mitsuki…"

"Does that mean you've decided to pursue things with Mitsuki?" Shunsui's ears pricked up. "Even in spite of the Clan/District divide?"

"I don't know what I'm planning to do at the moment." Juushirou admitted. "And I haven't talked to her about it, either. Which is why I don't want to talk about it with you, really. And the Kuchiki have so much else happening, it seems trivial to be even thinking about…well…things like that."

"Trivial is my middle name, though. You'll have to forgive me that." Shunsui remarked off-handedly. "And you know, things aren't as bad as all that. Since the warning came about Ryuu's life being in danger, nothing else has happened. The Kuchiki and the Council are pursuing things – it might be all wrapped up before we know it."

"You said that before." Juushirou observed. "I don't believe you mean it, though."

"Why wouldn't I?" Shunsui was taken aback, and Juushirou fixed him with a pensive look.

"Because you never take things at face value." He said at length. "Whatever you say, you're always thinking several levels deeper. And so when you say everything's going to be fine, it worries me a bit. It's as though instinctively I know it isn't going to be fine, because you're trying to tell me that it is."

"You really don't trust me to tell the truth at all, is that it?" Shunsui affected a wounded expression, and Juushirou grinned.

"Not that. But I have learnt to read between the lines." He responded. "And more, Shunsui – you not sleeping is a dead giveaway you're worried about something. But as you said, you don't pour. You absorb. So I'll just have to wait till you've absorbed too much and can't help but spill some of the details. I won't push you – I've learnt by now that that won't work with you. But stop saying everything is going to be all right. We both know you don't believe it."

"Touche." Shunsui raised his hand in a wry salute. "Perhaps you're right. Perhaps it is that way. But there isn't really any reason for it. I just have a bad feeling about stuff in general. It's not tangible and I can't put it into clear words at the moment. I just want everything to be resolved – so if I keep saying it, some part of me probably hopes that it will be."

He made to lower his hand, pausing as he caught sight of the shadows on the grass.

_Shadow, huh…_

Slowly he stretched his fingers, watching the dark shapes move in sync with his own, and his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Without thinking about it he moved his other hand to touch the edges of the silhouette, half-expecting his fingers to disappear into the grass, but instead they brushed against the slender green blades, and he frowned.

"Shunsui?" Juushirou cast him a quizzical look, and Shunsui withdrew his hands, offering his friend a grin.

"Mm?"

"You spaced out for a moment. What's up?"

"I was just staring at the shadows on the grass and wondering if they could swallow someone up inside." Shunsui said absently, and Juushirou snorted, picking a daisy and tossing it in his friend's direction. It landed on Shunsui's head, caught against the edge of the rough band that held his growing hair back from his face, and at the overall effect Juushirou laughed, amusement lighting up his hazel eyes.

"Yes, that suits you." He decided. "You should wear your hair like that more often, Shunsui."

"Thanks." Shunsui reached up to take down the flower, glancing at it before dropping it down onto the grass. His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the blossom fall into the shade of his body, lingering there for a moment and then, as if drawn in by some greater power, it disappeared into the black. "I'll bear it in mind."

"If you don't want to answer me, you don't have to." Juushirou continued. "I'd rather you didn't say anything at all than tried to make up something silly to cover."

"All right." Shunsui's gaze was still fixed on the grass, his eyes searching for any sign of the flower's presence. Try as he might he could not see it, but then a gust of wind blew gently across the grounds, disturbing the blades of green and revealing the soft white of the flower beneath them. He let out his breath in a rush, sitting back and folding his hands in his lap.

_Optical illusion, huh. Well, of course it was. Katen isn't released at the moment – and I still haven't got to a stage where I can control that particular skill. Just for a moment it looked as though…but of course it couldn't have. These shadows are normal shadows. They're nothing to do with Katen or I._

"So this is where you've both come to hide, is it?"

Kai's voice cut through his thoughts and he turned, shadow tricks momentarily forgotten as he raised his gaze to meet the amused golden ones of the young Shihouin. His eyebrow raised as he saw who was behind his friend – Ryuu's hair was pulled back into a tail behind his head, and Shizurugi was at his side, a clear indication that he'd been training.

"You two are making this a regular thing now, are you?" Juushirou shunted over on the grass, moving his book so that the two boys could sit down. "Training together, I mean – out in the far field."

"Not necessarily." Ryuu admitted, dropping down on the grass and fanning himself with his hand. "It's a hot day today, you know, out in the sun. Just since Father came here I've been reminded a little more of my own need to keep my skills sharp. Just in case there are people out there who really do intend on stealing my life."

"There almost certainly are." Kai said bluntly. "But I'm not one of them, and so that makes me a good training partner. Besides, I'm always game to spar or train, if it means keeping my own skills at their top level. If Ryuu wants to spar me, I don't have an objection. Seems common sense to me, given my class rank."

"What's unnatural about it is the two of you suddenly working together by choice, instead of by force, though." Shunsui reflected thoughtfully. "I didn't get to see Seiren-dono, unfortunately, because I was tied up with Nii-sama. But I heard he left the school in high dudgeon, and since then you've both been unusually friendly to one another. I have no clue what happened exactly – but I'm guessing it was some kind of a miracle."

"Not a miracle." Ryuu shook his head, casting Shunsui a faintly irritated look. "Don't be so foolish, Kyouraku. It's a matter of needs must. Shihouin and I are forced into each other's company a fair bit by Sensei's own instruction. It occurred to both of us that in this uncertain time we should utilise that fact – to strengthen other people's beliefs that neither I nor he are involved nor thrown off track by the events in District Six."

"Even if there's a Shihouin who's suspected in this." Kai added emphatically. "I suppose you could call it an alliance forged in adversity – but Kuchiki wants to slash holes in things at the moment. It's hard to tell, when you just see him sitting quietly like this – but when he's got his sword, he's angry. And I like angry…sparring angry is fun. I suggested we went down to train a while this morning…seeing as he's got a lot of angry to let out."

"I suppose it is like that." Ryuu acknowledged, glancing at his hands. "There is a lot of anger…and expunging that anger does make it easier to focus on the important things ahead, such as assessments and the like."

He reached over to pick up Juushirou's book.

"At least you seem to be studying, Ukitake. I won't even ask Kyouraku if he is – but I wonder if I might borrow this volume from you at some point this week? The library copy is missing a few pages and has been sent for re-binding, but I need to clarify some of those theories Uebashi is so fond of at present."

"Sure." Juushirou nodded. "If you want, you can come to the nest this evening and we'll go over them together. It might work better that way – I could use someone to bounce thoughts off, rather than just reading dry text, and you're good at seeing the intricacies of these things, so it would probably help."

"With pleasure." Ryuu inclined his head, setting the book back down. "After dinner, then? I have nothing else pressing then."

His gaze flitted to Kai, and to Shunsui's surprise, the Shihouin boy nodded.

"I have Kazoe's paper to finish writing up." He said casually. "I could use the peace and quiet too."

"You could have done it last evening, when I was penning mine." Ryuu pointed out archly, and Kai grinned.

"I know, but you had custody of the books, and I've learnt that touching your books when you're studying is only a level down from a declaration of war." He said wryly. "It's fine. I'm almost done – and I'll finish it tonight."

"It really is quite surreal." Shunsui sat back on his hands. "A disaster within the Kuchiki Clan has brought you two to civil terms, rather than split you further apart. I was worried when all of this began and the Shihouin name got bandied around but…I guess I didn't need to be. It's a little creepy, in fact – I keep waiting for the punchline."

"If Ryuu and Kai are getting along better, then that's a good thing." Juushirou scolded. "It means something positive has come out of all of this."

"A death bringing people together, huh." Ryuu's eyes became thoughtful, and Shunsui sent him a quizzical look.

"Ryuu?"

"Nothing." Ryuu shook his head. "I was just thinking…how true those words can be. And how it is a gamble…that death can divide people or it can bring them to the same understanding. When death occurs, nobody really knows which way things will go, do they?"

"What are you talking about now?" Kai arched his eyebrow, and Ryuu offered him a long-suffering glance.

"What I said." He said flatly. "Ribari-sama's death might have divided people. It certainly has divided my Uncle and my cousin, and it may have divided both my Uncles from each other. But it has not divided the Kuchiki and the Shihouin. Rather they are reaching out for mutual assistance. It has occurred to me that Ribari-sama's death may have been designed to create many divides, but the opposite effect could not be removed. And so…perhaps other deaths…which were intended to unite people…perhaps they too cause divides that cannot be prevented."

"You've lost me." Shunsui glanced at Juushirou, who shrugged his shoulders. "You're talking in tongues, Ryuu-kun. Death is a drastic solution to any problem – it should be avoided if possible, let's leave it at that."

_**Except if the person is Aizen Keitarou, perhaps?**_

Amaki's voice was soft and unexpected, and it was all Shunsui could do not to respond to the words out loud. Instead he frowned, interpreting the prickle of energy that had suddenly penetrated his consciousness.

_Perhaps. I don't know, yet. Where he's concerned…I don't know._

_**Death divides and death unites, huh.**_

That was Seibara.

_**Your Kuchiki friend is no fool, is he? You should bear that in mind too, Shunsui. Death brings challenges of all kinds, and so does life. Death isn't always a solution. Sometimes it begins more than it ends.**_

_I know. I didn't say I wanted to kill Keitarou, did I? Just I want him to leave Juu alone. His life or death is a matter for Council justice. So long as he leaves Juu alone…_

If he doesn't, then what?

_Then I suppose we'll find out what my true feelings are._

Shunsui let out a heavy sigh.

_Leave me alone, please, both of you. You've had far too much of my time of late, and you've expressed far too many of my own doubts back at me for me to be really comfortable with the lessons you're teaching me. Shadow tricks are all very well – but I can't always live in the darkness. Can I?_

_**That's up to you.**_

Seibara's voice was gentle, but there was no sympathy in her soft tones.

_**You decide whether the darkness or the light in your sword is stronger – and within you, too. **_

"There he goes again. Spacing out." Juushirou's voice penetrated his thoughts and as Kai reached out a sharp elbow to jab him in the ribs Shunsui started, gazing around him in surprise.

"No kidding." Kai laughed. "Wake up, Kyouraku. You can't go to sleep out here – go to the dorm if you're really that tired."

"I'm not tired. Just enjoying the sun." Shunsui recovered himself, shaking his head with a rueful smile. "It's bright today, and warm too. It reminds me of home – and that summer break is almost here."

"Summer break, huh." Kai looked thoughtful. "I hope that I can take a little bit of this weather back with me when I go see Neesama. I've heard she's in a generally foul temper about everything at the moment, since this Kuchiki business began. I'm hoping to get home and back in one piece, but I wouldn't guarantee it."

"Mitsuki and I will not be going home." Ryuu said archly. "Following my conversation with my Father of late, I am quite content with that arrangement. I should sooner stay in District One anyway – there is truly nothing at home to entice me to travel."

"I'm going to Eighth with Shunsui, so I'll remember to poke and prod him plenty to keep him on the same planet as the rest of us." Juushirou grinned, and Shunsui returned it, though with faint misgivings in his heart.

_You don't know the reasons why you're going with me, though. I lied to you then – or kept it from you. Maybe that's not fair. I suppose we'll soon see – it won't take you long to work out that there's more to the invitation than meets the eye._

"You'll get to play big brother with my nephew, then." He bantered out loud, keeping his tone light even as he glanced up at the bright summer sun.

_Sun and night. Shadow and light. One can't exist without the other. The brighter the sun, the darker the shadow – the denser the blackness, the deeper the abyss. Even on a bright day like today, there's nowhere that's immune from shade. Is that true of my soul as well? The darkness that lives there is always there, regardless of how bright and cheerful everything else seems to be?_

He gazed briefly at his fingers, watching the mottled pattern of the tree leaves dance against his fingers.

_I'm capable of killing Keitarou. That's what you want me to know. If I work hard, train hard…fight hard. One day I'll be strong enough to do that – and to do it without restraint. These hands are capable of bringing death – I've just not wanted to admit it._

His eyes flitted to Juushirou, who oblivious to his concerns was laughing at something Ryuu had said.

_But to protect the things that are important to me, I wonder. And if you would forgive me, Juushirou, for even thinking that way._

_

* * *

_

"How long are you going to watch the waves for, Shiki-chan?"

At the sound of Hiroyuki's voice, Shikiki turned, a melancholy expression in her aqua eyes as he sauntered across the sands towards her.

"He's long gone by now, you know. You won't see anything of him just by standing here like this."

"I know." Shikiki reached up to take her adopted brother's proffered hand, feeling faintly comforted by the older boy's squeezing of her fingers. "I just…I'm worried about him, Hiro-nii. I can't help but be – the coves are so dangerous."

"His path is entirely dangerous, with or without the boat ride." Hiroyuki said seriously. "But I think he understood the safest route to take and last night the weather was calm and clear. He had a good moon to follow, and by now he should be some distance into neutral waters. He's not an idiot – and I don't think he's going to die easily. Not when you went to so much trouble to save his life."

"Mm." Shikiki turned her gaze back towards the smooth surface of the sea water.

"You don't like it when people go, do you?" Hiroyuki asked her gently, and Shikiki shook her head.

"But if it means Shirogane-nii gets his family back, then it's all right." She murmured softly, leaning up against the taller boy as a faint sea breeze drifted gently around the cove. "Because Shirogane-nii loves his family, Hiro-nii. And we were able to help him a whole lot. But we can't be those people that he wants to be with – it just doesn't work that way."

"Do you have people like that, Shiki-chan?" Hiroyuki asked her, and Shikiki raised her gaze, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"Yes." She admitted. "But I don't know where they are – or they've already died and gone with the spirits and I won't see them until it's my turn to die too. People like my parents – people like Dai-nii and his family. And even…"

She pinkened, then,

"Even though he didn't want me, sometimes, Kei-nii." She whispered. "Because he saved me…and…I suppose…"

"That person hurt Shiro-nii, though, and did a lot of other bad things." Hiroyuki frowned, and Shikiki nodded.

"I know." She agreed sadly. "It's not that I want to go back to him, or anything like that. And even if I did see him, I know I wouldn't be able to change him. But…Kei-nii was a hurt person too, Hiro-nii. Someone I couldn't fix, but I knew it anyway. All kinds of bad things happened to him and he lost his family. That's why it matters to me to help Shirogane-nii find his. Losing people like that can make people go bad – even kind people."

She sighed heavily.

"Kei-nii had a nice person inside him too." She said matter-of-factly. "Kei-nii was a nice person who cared about me and who cried when Dai-nii was killed. But that nice person was swallowed up by hate because of the bad things that happened to him and to his family. I don't think that anyone can save him from that, now. It's too late. But…Shirogane-nii…"

"Shirogane-dono doesn't hate his people." Hiroyuki said firmly. "On the contrary, it's the opposite. It's like you said – he's worried for his family. And I'm sure they haven't really betrayed him – I'm sure that it will all be straightened out."

"Yes." Shikiki nodded resolutely. "Because Shirogane-nii's still alive, so he can sort them out."

She offered Hiroyuki a faint smile, tears glittering on her lashes.

"If I hadn't had Juu-nii, and Hiro-nii and everyone else, maybe I'd have grown up to be a bad person, too." She said unevenly. "Because when people die all the time, it starts to be all that you know about. That people dying…you stop caring so much about it. And eventually…maybe you start to want to make people die. Like Kei-nii. Maybe if I hadn't come here, I would be like that too. But I won't be – because I'm not alone any more. I have a place and I belong here and I know it isn't going to be taken away. I want…I want Shirogane-nii to have that too, Hiro-nii. With his family. Where he belongs."

"Me too." Hiroyuki ruffled his fingers absently through her thick curly hair. "But we've done all we can do for him now. It's up to him what happens next, Shiki-chan – all we can do is have faith and hope for the best."

* * *

**Author's Note: Happy Birthday, Juu!**

_Also, Happy Birthday Meifu's Gate - 2 years old today ;)_

_This will be the last chapter before Christmas - there will not be one on Saturday and it's today on account of it being Juu's birthday. _

_There will be a chapter sometime next week but I can't say yet when..._

_If you celebrate, have a good one. If not, have a good day regardless =D_


	42. Summer Break

**Chapter Forty One: Summer Break**

They would likely be here soon.

Chihiro rested her arms on the sill, gazing absently down the road towards the shadow of the great Kyouraku manor house that lay within view of the military village. Even from this distance it was an impressive sight, imposing its position and status on the surrounding landscape, but for Chihiro it was not a source of intimidation and fear. On the contrary, she reflected pensively, at the present time it was a case for anticipation, for she knew that in a short space of time she would see the carriages come over the hills to announce the arrival of the Clan leader's young brother and his guest to the estate.

_I wonder if Juu-nii knows anything about what's been going on here – or whether he's just coming because Shunsui asked him to._

She sighed, turning away from the view to cast her gaze on the room's other occupant. Curled up in the corner, ostensibly working on her stitching, but really gazing off into space was Riri, her pretty features drawn and troubled by recent events. She was still very pale, Chihiro noted, and though she had made sure that both Inori and Shizuka had eaten well since their arrival, her own appetite had been sporadic at best.

Chihiro knew from Takeshi's reports that the prostitute's presence in their home had been the cause of some speculation. That Tokutarou had accepted it as a form of witness protection had taken some of the pressure off them both, but Chihiro knew that it was only a matter of time before more probing questions were asked. Takeshi had told her that the Clan leader had already requisitioned the reports on the incidents in Teika – the fire at Momiji's house and the murder of Gaugen and his wife – and Chihiro was too smart not to realise that Tokutarou was probably investigating the mysterious Masaki.

That Riri would become a part of that investigation sooner or later was probably inevitable – and though for now she had been more or less left alone, Chihiro realised that it was only Tokutarou's good nature that had made it that way. If he ordered the girl to be brought before him in chains, it could be done with amazing and disconcerting speed – so more than anything Chihiro had been relieved by the arrival of Juushirou's letter telling her that he was coming to spend the summer week in District Eight.

Perhaps Riri would speak to her brother where she would not speak to the Clan.

"Riri, when Juu-nii comes, you will let me introduce you to him too, won't you?" She asked out loud now, and Riri raised her head, setting aside the barely touched sewing as if glad of something to distract her mind.

"Juushirou-san? Why? I can't imagine he'd have any reason to visit a prostitute like me. Surely he's coming to Eighth to see you most of all, Chihiro?"

"Yes, I think so." Chihiro nodded. "But you are a friend of mine, and so it wouldn't be good manners not to, especially since at the moment you're making this your home."

"That is a temporary state of affairs, though." Riri's expression darkened. "I don't intend on staying here like this forever. If not for the children, I would already have left – but…"

"If you did that, probably you'd be arrested." Chihiro decided to take the direct route, and Riri flinched, eying her friend warily. "You know that Tokutarou-sama knows you're here and he's only letting it alone because you're under the care of someone he trusts. That he's been looking into things more closely of late means that before too long he'll want to speak to you too. And if you really have no intention of doing that, then…probably he'll have you arrested and taken by force. You can't pretend you don't know that."

"I know, but it has nothing to do with your brother's coming." Riri shrugged her shoulders. "And I don't intend to be arrested by anyone. It'd do no good for Tokutarou-sama or the Clan to interrogate me – I'm not going to talk to them about anything, no matter what they ask me. It would've been better if they hadn't known about me at all."

"And have Takeshi disciplined for insubordination by refusing to report when rumours were placed before him?" Despite herself, Chihiro was frustrated. "That's not fair, Riri. He had to answer those questions – you should be happy that he didn't answer more of them."

"I'm already causing you trouble by being here." Riri frowned. "Perhaps it would be better if I left before your brother arrived."

"Like I'm going to let you go and fend for yourself when someone might be waiting to take your life." Chihiro got to her feet, coming to rest her hands gently on the other girl's shoulders. "If you were gone, who'd take care of Shizuka and Inori? Who'd fight so hard for them to have a proper future, and who'd feed, clothe and defend them in the way you do? They've already lost one mother – do you want them to lose another?"

"That's why I've stayed." Riri admitted. "Although it brings trouble to you and to Takeshi-dono, I've swallowed my pride and I've stayed. Those children were entrusted to me by someone dear – and I can't even take off and leave them for that reason. They are like my children, now – and so there's nothing for me to do but hide and hope that sooner or later Tokutarou-sama loses interest."

"I don't think he will." Chihiro admitted. "He's a fair man, Riri, and a kind one. But he's also a determined one. I don't think he'll give up till he gets what he wants to know. And probably if that's the case there's a reason for it. Maybe other people have been attacked – what you know might help save them."

"But I don't know those people." Riri said matter-of-factly. "Whereas Shizuka and Inori I know. And it's as you say. If I get into trouble, they suffer. And if Tokutarou-sama knew who I was, then I'd definitely be in trouble. There's no choice in the matter. I know you like this Clan – trust them, even. But that's because you have no direct tie to them. I'm something they can't acknowledge – and life is easier with them not knowing about me."

Chihiro sighed, settling herself down at Riri's feet and reaching up to take her friend's thin fingers in her own.

"You're losing weight, and you're pale. You'll become unwell." She said softly. "You're worried about Momiji and what happened to her, and you're worried about everything else. You need to talk to someone, Riri, and I think that you should. I understand that you can't talk directly to the Clan – but maybe…there's someone else who might be able to help."

"Someone else?" Riri's eyes narrowed. "Of what nature, someone else?"

"Juu-nii." Chihiro said frankly, and Riri frowned.

"Your brother? What on earth does he have to do with it?"

"Nothing. Which is why he's the best choice." Chihiro bit back her impatience, focusing her gaze intently on the other girl's tired features. "He's not a Kyouraku – just like me. But he is on very close terms with Tokutarou-sama's brother Shunsui. And because of that…"

"No."

"Riri, you're not even hearing me out."

"He's close to Shunsui-sama, which means that…"

"He's close to me, too." Chihiro cut across her friend, shaking her head in frustration. "Juu-nii is someone I trust with my life, Riri – beyond my life, in fact. I know him – I know the kind of person he is. I know he'd want to help. And listen to me, Riri. _Listen_. Juu-nii is not a Kyouraku. You could tell him everything and he'd be able to give you an objective view. But he is close friends with Shunsui, and he might be able to do something that you or I can't. It might be possible for Juu-nii to take your statement about the attack that night without the Kyouraku needing to meet you directly. And even if they did, if Juu-nii was involved, you nor the children would get hurt. Juu-nii would not allow it."

"You're suggesting your District brother can dictate the actions of Clans." Riri said, a humourless smile touching her lips, and Chihiro shrugged.

"No, but he and Shunsui are very good friends." She said reflectively. "And Shunsui listens to Juu-nii a lot. If Juu-nii protected you, Shunsui wouldn't act against you. And Tokutarou-sama wouldn't act against Shunsui. It's no secret that he thinks the world of his brother. Besides, Shunsui doesn't stand on ceremony. He might even understand…if you told him…all of it."

"All of it?" Riri slipped her fingers into the sash of her gown, pulling out the sword ornament with a sigh. "You mean…this?"

"Yes." Chihiro agreed. "I won't force you. I won't make you do anything. But think about it, Riri. At the very least, I'd like you to meet my brother. And if you could talk to him – then…"

"I'll think about it." Riri sighed again, but nodded her head in resignation. "I won't promise you anything, Chihiro – but I'll think it over."

"Then that's all I ask." Chihiro got to her feet, relief in her dark eyes. "All right. Then for now I'm going to start making lunch. I'm sure the carriages will arrive at the main house soon – and I intend on running up there to greet Juu-nii as soon as possible. I won't bring him back with me today, or anything. But if you decide you want to meet him, then I will make sure I invite him to visit us here at least once. All right?"

Riri was silent for a moment, then she nodded a second time.

"All right." She agreed pensively. "Then I suppose we'll see how things go."

* * *

"It seems a long time since I was last here."

Juushirou stepped down from the carriage, reaching up to stretch his arms over his head. "Perhaps not since Chi got married – but it doesn't look as though a lot has changed."

"No, although the place is somewhat noisier now Haru's on the move." Shunsui said with a grin, leaping deftly down from the carriage and Juushirou returned the grin as he saw the looks of dismay that the accompanying retainers exchanged. Shunsui had never been particularly concerned by etiquette, and normally it was Tokutarou's right hand man Yasuhiro who took the job of escorting the young shinigami, since the broad-built Sasakibe was very seldom ruffled by any of Shunsui's behaviour. Today it had been junior ranking officers, however, and from their reactions, Juushirou could tell that they had not had much to do with the former heir to the Kyouraku Clan.

"Shunsui-kun!"

The doors of the manor opened, revealing an attractive young woman in her early twenties, her thick dark hair bound back in the traditional style of a married Kyouraku lady and her robes in rich pinks and greys. In her arms was clutched a small boy – Juushirou estimated that he was about a year and a half old – robed in soft grey play kimono with a fuzz of chestnutty curls scattered across his head and two inquisitive brown eyes that stared out at everything with intensity and interest.

"Shunsui-kun! Juushirou-kun! You made good time – Tokutarou's been expecting you."

"Rae-chan." Shunsui strode across the cobbles, and to Juushirou's amusement the young boy started to squeal, clapping his hands in excitement at his uncle's approach. At the reaction, Shunsui laughed, skipping up the steps two at a time and reaching out to ruffle the young boy's already messy hair with a warm grin.

"And Haru-kun, too." He said playfully. "Well, were you waiting for me as well, trouble? Or are you just here because your nurses are trying to untangle your latest mess and Rae-chan finds it easier to have you where she can see you?"

"More or less all of the above." Rae looked rueful, turning her gaze to Juushirou. "Juushirou-kun, we're glad to have you stay with us again. I know Chihiro's looking forward to seeing you – and I think Tokutarou is as well. Though he's been closeted in his office for the last week or so, so I wouldn't like to guess what today's mood is."

"Things are busy here, huh?" Juushirou hurried to join them, not at all intimidated by the young woman's fine robes or the imposing nature of the manor house into which she was now welcoming them. The first time he had visited, it had blown his mind, but after a long and protracted convalescence in District Eight following their last encounter with Aizen Keitarou, Juushirou had learnt his way around, and in that short space of time had broken down any barriers that still existed between him and the ruling Clan. These days, despite his District roots, most of the Kyouraku retainers who knew him automatically referred to him as "Juushirou-sama", and though Juushirou had no real liking for all the pomp and finery of noble living, that this was his closest friend's home made all those kinds of things easy to overlook.

In short, when he was here, he was made to feel like an honorary member of the family.

"Tokutarou's been busy since his meeting with Guren-sama in Inner Seireitei, but he hasn't spoken to me much about that." Rae grimaced now, shifting the wriggling Haru into a more comfortable hold. "Shunsui, maybe you do – I know he came to speak to you not long afterwards."

"He did." Shunsui nodded, and Juushirou cast him a quizzical glance.

"Guren-sama met with Tokutarou-sama?" He asked curiously. "You didn't mention anything about that."

"I know, because school wasn't the place." Shunsui looked guilty. "You can yell at me if you like, Juu – but not too loudly, because you don't want to start Haru screeching, believe me. But part of the reason I invited you here this break was to do with that – or no, not so much to do with it as we hoped…you and Chihiro might be able to help us with a delicate area of investigation."

"A delicate area of…" Juushirou looked nonplussed, and Shunsui nodded.

"It's Nii-sama's idea, and I'll let him explain." He said hurriedly. "Before you get mad at me. I'm happy to have you here just for your company and for Chi-chan's sake, but…"

"It's all right." Juushirou shrugged. "You don't have to be cloak and dagger about it. If I can help Tokutarou-sama I don't mind – he's more than done enough for me in the past, and if you know about it, I doubt it's going to be something dangerous. But I don't know anything much about the Kuchiki situation, so I might be useless. Mitsuki and Ryuu have tried to keep me out of it, I think – in any case, I don't know a lot. Probably if he met with Guren-sama already, he knows more than I do."

"It's not to do with the Kuchiki, exactly." Shunsui shook his head. "Ah, you'll see. Nii-sama will explain it. For now, let's get in and settle."

"Ji-ue! Ji-ue!" Haru clapped his hands together again as they made to step past Rae and into the hall beyond, and Juushirou saw tiny fingers suddenly stretch out, grabbing Shunsui firmly by the sleeve of his white school _hakamashita _and tugging on it resolutely. Shunsui paused, eying his nephew pensively, and Haru giggled, reaching out his other hand to grab for Shunsui's growing hair.

"Ah-ah. No you don't." Shunsui was too quick for the infant, however, grasping his fingers loosely around the boy's wrists and offering him a conspiratorial grin. "You be nice, now, since we have a visitor. It's about time you outgrew hair-pulling – you'll never make girls like you if you greet folk like that."

"I don't know. I imagine quite a lot of girls would fawn around him quite easily." Juushirou laughed despite himself, reaching out to touch Haru's tiny fingers. "Hello, Haru-kun. I'm Juushirou and I'm a friend of your Uncle's. I'm going to be visiting with your family for a few days – I hope that's all right?"

Haru withdrew his fingers, placing them in his mouth and chewing on them, his eyes big as he took in Juushirou's unfamiliar features. Then he beamed, and Juushirou laughed.

"I think he looks like you, Shunsui." He teased. "He's got the same mischief in his eyes as you have when you're plotting something you shouldn't be."

"And when do I do that, these days?" Shunsui adopted a hurt look. "Stop misrepresenting me to my sister-in-law!"

"I already know you quite well enough, Shunsui-kun. Such a thing is not possible." Rae said lightly. "Since we've been expecting you, Kyouko's been instructed to have tea prepared in the day parlour and if you want to go on through to there, I'll make sure the servants see to your belongings. Tokutarou will send for you when he's ready, Shunsui – something's really bothering him at present, so I can't give you an idea of when that'll be, but it'll be sooner rather than later I imagine. In the meantime, try to relax and make yourself at home. Oh, one other thing."

She lifted her son up, holding him out to her bemused brother in law, who stared at her for a moment.

"Will you take Haru and give him to one of his nurses? It's about time for him to take a nap, and if I'm going to run around after these poor starstruck retainers for you, it'll be more difficult with a baby in my arms."

"And just like that, I'm roped in as babysitter." Shunsui sighed. "You know full well I don't know how to hold him when he's wriggling, Rae-chan – and besides, you should leave him with his nurse maids if that's the case. I swear I'd suspect you of bringing him here just so you could dump him on me – and just so you could enjoy the reaction when you did."

"Not quite." Rae grinned. "I did want you to see him, though. He's growing so fast and I want him to have good bonds with his father and his uncle. You're both good at escaping in one way or another – and that's no way to build future Clan bonds, now is it?"

"I can't argue with that." Shunsui groaned, casting Juushirou a resigned look and Juushirou grinned, shrugging his shoulders.

"Small children are something I'm more used to than you." He reflected. "I know how to hold him if you don't, Shunsui. We'll take him, Rae-hime. You can count on us."

"At least one of you is of some use." Rae carefully deposited her precious burden into Juushirou's waiting grip, and Juushirou eyed him thoughtfully, waiting to see if the youngster would cry. Haru did not seem in the least perturbed at being held by a stranger, however, and Shunsui offered him a sheepish smile.

"You're the one with all the experience." He admitted. "You make me look a terrible Uncle in comparison."

"You have a lot of younger siblings, don't you?" Rae eyed Juushirou thoughtfully, and Juushirou nodded.

"Seven, plus one adopted one these days." He agreed.

"Chihiro's mentioned them." Rae pursed her lips. "And you hold him as well as any of the senior nursemaids Yoshiko-sama recommended when Haru was born. I might have to remember that fact while you're here – make sure you teach Shunsui some of those skills, Juushirou-kun."

"I'll try." Juushirou laughed, and Shunsui grimaced, shaking his head.

"We're going inside." He said firmly, tapping Juushirou on the arm and gesturing towards the door. "Before Rae-chan thinks of something else for us to do."

"It's nice, though." As they walked through the hallways, Juushirou shot Shunsui a smile. "That she came out to meet you like she did. I'm sure she did it on purpose, you know."

"Mm. Probably." Shunsui looked rueful, nodding his head. "We're about the same age, though since Haru was born, you wouldn't know it. She's a lot more grown up than I am in a lot of ways, I suppose. But since she found out from Tokutarou-nii – well, to be honest, since that winter when you were ferried here to convalesce and she heard the whole story – she's been a bit like that. I think Nii-sama told her that I didn't have much of a warm family background growing up because of Uncle – or maybe it was something she and Mother talked about, I don't know. But since then she's made it her mission to make sure that this place is more of a home than just an estate where I happen to live. Nii-sama and I have a close bond, but Rae-chan's really settled into the role of lady of the house, and that includes fussing over me at times too. Or getting me to run errands. That's why she wants me to bond with Haru – because she's determined that her son's going to grow up in a different kind of household than the one I did."

"And Tokutarou-sama doesn't mind all of this?"

"He grew up in a pretty chaotic family in District Five, and Sora's people are warm and welcoming types." Shunsui responded simply. "It's just here…Father's indiscretions and Uncle's ambition created a void. But…I do kind of like it, though. Even though it means she catches me out or does things like this…it is nice. To have someone there to welcome us home like that…without political motivation to guide them. It's more informal than Clan manors are usually – and I find it better like that."

He cast a glance at Haru.

"You should be careful, by the way. The little one's not normally so quiet as this – you should watch where his fingers are going, because I don't think he's encountered anyone with white hair before. Yours is getting long now – and just because I thwarted him before doesn't mean anything at all."

"Thanks for the warning." Juushirou adjusted his grip, tucking his lank tail of white hair over his shoulder and out of Haru's immediate reach. "Where are we taking him to, anyway? He's not that heavy, but…"

"Just through here." Shunsui pushed back a divide, stepping over the threshold into the room beyond, and Juushirou followed suit, stopping as he registered the scene of semi-chaos that greeted him. Towels were strewn all across the floor, several of them soaked with water. Two young women were hard at work trying to clear up the mess and as Juushirou's gaze drifted to the overturned pail that lay against the far wall, a faint smile touched his lips.

"You've been busy, haven't you." He murmured, casting Haru a grin. "No wonder Rae-hime brought you to meet Shunsui. You must have inherited the family's mischievous gene."

"Shunsui-sama! Haru-sama!" At their entrance, the two servants set aside their implements, one of them hurrying to take the young boy from Juushirou's arms, and Juushirou relinquished him willingly, grinning as the young girl bowed her head towards him.

"Okyaku-sama, thank you for bringing him." She said very properly.

"It seems as though this room's been hit by a Haru hurricane." Shunsui surveyed the scene. "Let me guess – he found the bucket and thought he wanted to play at swimming?"

"He did." The second nursemaid sighed. "He was soaked, and the whole nursery too. The pails were waiting for us to take them to give him his bath, and there were originally three, but…"

"It seems he gave himself his bath." Juushirou laughed, and Haru cast him an innocent smile from the safety of his carer's grasp. "Rae-hime said that it was time for his nap, though – so we should bring him back to you."

"We'll leave you to it." Shunsui added. "You don't need us giving you any more work, so we'll go find Kyouko in the day parlour. Come on, Juu. Mission accomplished – let's go."

"Your nephew really is like you, somehow." Juushirou observed as they left the chamber, Shunsui pulling the door shut behind them. Through the divide the muffled sound of the nurse scolding the young boy in affectionate tones drifted through, and Shunsui sighed, spreading his hands.

"I take no responsibility." He said evenly. "But…maybe you're right. Well, never mind. I'm sure with Rae-chan, Tokutarou-nii and an army of nursemaids they'll manage to school him into someone presentable. So long as I don't teach him bad habits in the meantime."

"It's a little nostalgic, though, to walk in on a scene of baby bedlam." Juushirou reflected. "My youngest brother is ten now, so those kinds of scenes are a long time past. It'd be nice if Chi-chan had children of her own – or Hiro-kun when he and Hikari are finally married. I'd quite like to be an Uncle, I think – it seems like a job I'd be quite good at."

"Doubtless better at it than me." Shunsui pulled a graphic face. "But…I am fond of the kid. Just he's a little small for me to really know what to do with him yet."

He shrugged.

"You'd be a good father too, most probably." He reflected. "_Haibyou_ or otherwise – you know that, right?"

"There's no sense in dwelling on the impossible." Juushirou said matter-of-factly, but there was a slight twinge inside of him as he spoke the words. "And who knows? Maybe I'll find another like Shikiki who needs someone to protect them. But really, Shunsui, it's all right. I've made up my mind to the Gotei and that future now. It's why it's so important to me that I find a squad and become part of that squad in every way I can. Like we are at the Academy – I'd like it to be like that. Of course, maybe it won't be right away but…I want to belong to _one_ squad, not be chopped and changed around if I can help it. And then that'll be _like_ a family – and I won't be able to be lonely, will I?"

"You have a far too romanticised view of the Gotei, but I can't pretend I don't like it." Shunsui said ruefully. "Come on. Through here. Kyouko's probably aware the carriage has arrived, so she'll be waiting and ready."

As he spoke, he pushed open the door of the day parlour, ushering his companion inside. As Shunsui had surmised, a young woman of about their own age was waiting for them, neat and trim in the uniform of the Kyouraku household, and an excited glitter in her dark eyes. This was Kyouko, once a refugee from District One whose life had been saved by Shunsui some several years earlier. It was a standing joke among the Kyouraku staff that Kyouko idolised the young nobleman – a fact of which Shunsui was not oblivious – but to Juushirou, as he took in the healthy flush of colour in her cheeks and the eager way in which she greeted them, it was only too clear that her life in District Eight had become a happy one.

"Tokutarou-sama said that when you've taken tea, he would like to speak to you in his study." As Kyouko carefully poured the piping green liquid into expensive mugs, she cast Shunsui a shy smile. "I told him I'd tell you as soon as I could – I think he's been waiting for your return."

"He did? All right." Shunsui accepted the tea with a grin, settling himself more comfortably on the cushions by the window to drink it. "At least he's let me catch my breath first this time – which is unusual for him. How does he seem, Kyouko-chan? In a good mood or a bad one?"

"He seems…very busy with many things." Kyouko's expression became startled. "But to comment on the temper of the Lord is not my place to do, Shunsui-sama."

Her gaze flitted to Juushirou.

"Juushirou-sama should go to the study too, if you don't mind." She added softly. "Tokutarou-sama said that he wanted to see both of you – if it wasn't inconvenient."

"Me too, huh?" Juushirou's expression became pensive. "All right. I suppose this is whatever his motives are for bringing me here coming out, aren't they?"

"Sounds that way." Shunsui set his mug down with a resigned smile. "Thank you, Kyouko-chan. I know you've other things to get on with, so we'll try and leave things tidy for you here when we're done."

"Yes, sir." Kyouko bowed her head, withdrawing from the room with a second shy smile, and as she closed the door behind her, Juushirou picked up his own mug of tea, taking a sip. It was good quality, warm and rich in flavour, and he smiled, acknowledging to himself that the one thing the Clans really did do well was serve good tea.

"Oniisama is a Clan leader and Clan leaders often like ulterior motives." Shunsui was speaking again now, a pensive look on his face. "I really don't want you to think that I wanted you here just because of his whim, though, Juu. I genuinely wanted you to visit – if it was up to me, you'd visit much more of the time - so whatever he says to you, don't take it out on me."

"I already said I didn't mind." Juushirou grinned. "You're acting guilty, so I'm wondering now what to expect."

"At least if we're talking about that stuff, it won't be to do with class rankings."

Shunsui sent Juushirou a sheepish look. "I don't know if he knows anything about exam results yet, or if he even cares with everything else on his plate. But I won't raise the subject if you don't."

"I see." Juushirou laughed. "That's it, is it? Well, you don't need to worry about me. It's not my place to inform him of such things – so I won't be getting involved in that discussion."

"Good." Shunsui looked relieved. "I don't suppose he'd go completely ape about it, but he might have some things to say being that it's the last year before graduation. I told you though, didn't I? There's no guarantee I'm always going to rank top."

"True." Juushirou agreed, pursing his lips as he remembered the reactions the previous day. Assessment results had been posted late on this time, with most of the students already packing to go home with friends or to the homes of local relatives. For the most part thoughts had been turned towards the break, and so it had been with some surprise that the Senior Class had seen the little white sheet of paper pinned up between their timetable schedule and the various other duty lists. Unlike the other students, Senior rankings were never posted outside of the Senior annexe, for Genryuusai did not want to undermine the position of his oldest students by allowing the rest of the school to see their grades openly, and so it had been Sora who had first noticed the addition, letting out a shriek of surprise that had quickly alerted the others to its presence.

Juushirou had stared at it for a long while, a mixture of disbelief, excitement and regret all swirling through his head. For there, at the very top of the list had been not the name of his close friend, but his own name, written clearly and concisely in Genryuusai's familiar old fashioned script.

_1st Rank: Ukitake Juushirou.  
2nd Rank: Yamamoto Akira  
3rd Rank: Shihouin Kai_  
_4th Rank: Kyouraku Shunsui  
5th Rank: Kuchiki Ryuu_

Juushirou had not read much beyond that point, doubting his eyes as he had re-read the ranks over and over again.

_I was top for the first time since we began at this school. All the hard work I've put in lately – even though it was a matter of a mark and a half, I still managed to beat Yamamoto-kun. But I only intended to take back my 2__nd__ place. I didn't intend for Shunsui to be…and for him to slip down to fourth…_

Juushirou sighed, taking a sip of his tea.

"Your lack of sleep has taken its toll on your work." He murmured. "Falling asleep in Kidou class, too. You can't get complacent, Shunsui. If you don't sort your sleeping patterns out, you're going to lose more ground. Slipping three ranks when you've always been top is a big thing – Kai jumped right up over you, and Ryuu wasn't far behind. If he hadn't been still catching up with so much, it might've been worse. Hirata and Souryou-kun were each only a couple of marks below you, and Sora wasn't far off too."

"I don't mind not finishing top." Shunsui said matter-of-factly. "Providing I graduate with you all, and I will. But I have to admit, probably you're the only person I'm happy giving that top rank to. If it had been Yamamoto, maybe it would've jarred a little more. Because I know I joke about it, but I didn't drop marks on purpose. I did the best papers I could at the time."

He sighed, stretching his hands over his head.

"I suppose you might be right." He acknowledged. "I need to sleep better if I'm to respond at my usual level. It just goes to show that it's sleeping and not studying that's the key to getting good grades at the Academy! I have studied about as much as usual, but on less sleep."

"That only works in your case." Juushirou grinned. "I have mixed feelings about it, though. Taking your top spot…I feel like I cheated you somehow."

"No…it just says that you just worked harder. And you have." Shunsui observed. "But part of that's been because of avoiding having meaningful conversations with Mitsuki, and the other part is trying to overtake Akira. In the end you overshot your target – but it's fitting for Anideshi to be top of the school. That's what it means, Juu – and he'll rant and rage and gnash his teeth about it all summer break, most probably. But you pipped him by merit this time…game set and match to you."

"If only it was so easy." Juushirou finished his tea, letting out a sigh. "All right. Shall we go see your brother? Whatever he has to say, we shouldn't keep him waiting too long."

"Mm." Shunsui drained his own mug, getting to his feet. "If he's been locked in his office most of the week, it means he's probably got plenty he needs to say. Besides, I imagine Chi will come here too once she's aware that we've arrived. I don't expect her to hold back and wait if her adored older brother is in town."

"Adored may be an exaggeration." Juushirou laughed. "I am looking forward to seeing her, mind you. It's strange at home when she's not there. I've always been close especially to her and to Hiro, so I notice when she's gone."

"Just like they notice when you are, presumably." Shunsui's eyes twinkled and Juushirou nodded.

"They'll have to get used to that, though." He said frankly. "Since I don't know where I might be stationed come the end of this year."

"According to Sora, who probably found out from Kyouki-sama, there's some talk of squads having official base grounds in Inner Seireitei as well as in Districts." Shunsui reflected as they made their way down the hallway that led to Tokutarou's study. "It's something to do with having the non-Council squads in a place closer to the Council for ease of mobilisation. I don't know how long that will take to pan out, but if it happens, I won't be against it. I'm expecting us to be scattered across the various District squads come the end of this year, and it would be nicer if there was one home base ground for all of them rather than us all being flung miles apart."

"I suppose we'll see how that pans out." Juushirou said thoughtfully. "I don't imagine there'll be objections, though. The squads whose Captains aren't in the Council at the moment are still Clan connected, so it'll just mean reassigning some of each Clan's territory to make it happen. Right?"

"That's the theory." Shunsui agreed. "But in practice the Clans have a habit of making things far more complicated than they need to be. At the moment only the highest ranking Clan members are permitted to use the toll roads through Inner Seireitei and there are strict status regulations about other things too – for example, I couldn't go there and stay in Niisama's Council quarters without his being there or at the very least, his written authorisation. But it is a good idea, and I hope it becomes more than just talk."

At that moment they reached their destination, and Shunsui raised his hand, knocking sharply on the carved panel door. The next moment it swung back to reveal the broad-built Yasuhiro, and Juushirou realised that the reason he had not accompanied them from District One had been because he had been at Tokutarou's side, helping with whatever it was preoccupying the Clan leader's attention. The normally tidy desk was piled high with old books and sheafs of paper, and in the middle of it sat the young leader himself, writing brush in hand as he flicked through the never ending collection.

"Shunsui?" As they stepped into the room, Tokutarou glanced up from his desk, relief flickering in his clouded brown eyes as he set down his brush. "And Juushirou too. Good. I'm sorry to greet you like this – as you can see, I've been a little busy with all kinds of things of late."

"This looks scary." Shunsui gazed at the paperwork warily. "I'm going to remind you first and foremost that I'm on summer break, Nii-sama – please don't send any of this my way."

"You already know I have a job for you." Tokutarou sat back, gesturing to Yasuhiro to close the door and the tall retainer did so without comment. "Now you're both here, we can talk properly – Juushirou, has Shunsui told you anything about the reasons behind your sudden invitation to District Eight this summer?"

"No, only that you wanted my help with something." Juushirou settled himself down on one of the proffered cushions, watching as Shunsui dropped down onto the one beside him. "But more than that I've not heard. I don't know how I can be of use to you, Tokutarou-sama – but if I can, then…"

"Ah, he's so much more helpful than you are, Shunsui." Tokutarou shot his brother a wry smile, and Shunsui offered him a benign one in return. "Very well. How much are you aware of relating to the Kuchiki situation? I imagine with your family being in District Six, you can't be entirely oblivious."

"Ribari-sama was murdered and Nagoya-senpai has been sent into exile." Juushirou said gravely. "Ryuu and Mitsuki have indicated that other bad things have happened in District Six as well, but what exactly I'm not sure. They don't seem happy to disclose too many details – Ryuu in particular has been very closed up about it. I know there's a chance he'll be named as Guren-sama's heir, and we've all been notified that he might be a target for a future assassination. Also that the Shihouin…no, _a _Shihouin, but not the Clan as a whole – has been linked to this. That's about the most of my information. It's fleeting at best."

"But a good outline." Tokutarou reflected. "And enough that I don't have to do too much background explaining. Then another question – you're familiar I think with the Clan tradition of carrying the family emblem in the form of a chain, or ring, or something like that?"

"Yes." Juushirou's brows knitted together. "Shunsui has one – Hirata as well. In fact, I think probably most of them do at school – though I've never seen Ryuu's, now that I think of it."

"The Kuchiki tend to expect their status to be implicit, without the need for such things." Shunsui said dryly, and Tokutarou nodded.

"So I've heard it said, too." Tokutarou agreed. "But all things aside, you're familiar with the habit. In which case, if I was to show you this…you'd know what it was?"

He pulled out an old chain with a broken clasp, setting it down on top of one of the piles of paper so that Juushirou could see the pendant. The District boy gazed at it for a moment, then nodded his head.

"It belongs to your family." He said promptly. "It matches the crest held by Shunsui."

"Yes. It matches exactly, in fact." Tokutarou nodded. "If you were to put them side by side, you'd see that. But this chain belonged to our Father Matsuhara-sama – rather than to one of us. Shunsui carries an identical crest to his – which is why you're probably so easily familiar with it."

"To Matsuhara-sama." Juushirou reached out a finger to touch it. "I see. And this is important somehow?"

"A young girl who helped the Shihouin escape the prison in District Six carried this about her person." Tokutarou said grimly. "Guren-sama gave it to me, and when I saw it, I promised to look into it. Well, you can understand why, I'm sure. This was Father's – and so any slight to his name is a slight to Shunsui and I too."

"By the person who helped the Shihouin escape?" Juushirou stared at Tokutarou in dismay. "But…a Kyouraku is involved in that business?"

"No. One is not." Shunsui said categorically. "But someone is doing a good job of pretending to be and had the Kuchiki well fooled. Ryuu's Pa in particular, from what I understand. Whoever this girl is, she claimed to be a daughter of my Uncle and an exile. Uncle had no children, and that's not his crest – so Guren-sama's believed Niisama's explanations and has given it over to us to investigate. However…"

He faltered, meeting Tokutarou's gaze, and Tokutarou nodded.

"Without putting too much detail on it, some strange things have been unearthed here, too." He said quietly. "A murdered trader in precious metals, a missing prostitute whose family were also connected to that trade…and one who bore some resemblance to the girl in District Six, though we're fairly sure they're not the same. A Clansman who doesn't exist made an appearance and then disappeared at around the same time, carrying a lesser crest than the one carried by this so called 'Nanaki-hime'. And another prostitute was attacked – one who seemed to know the missing girl fairly well."

"And that's where you and I come in." Shunsui interjected.

"With a _prostitute_?" Juushirou was floored, and Shunsui chuckled.

"That face suits you." He teased. "But no, it's not that."

"This prostitute is currently in witness protection, shall we say." Tokutarou said evenly. "The people who are protecting her are known to you."

At his expression, Juushirou suddenly felt a cold chill sweep through his body.

"Chi-chan?" He whispered, and Tokutarou nodded.

"This girl – I don't recall her name – was a student of your sister's of some kind before all of this happened." He agreed quietly. "And so when she was attacked, she fled to Chihiro and Takeshi for protection. They've given it, but either the girl isn't giving up her secrets, or Takeshi isn't telling me them in full. Being that she's a prostitute, it's difficult for me to openly order her to be brought here. You can imagine how the Clan would view that and in any case, I get the feeling that if she doesn't want to talk, she won't. However, she may talk to Chihiro. And…"

"Chi might talk to me." Juushirou chewed down on his lip. "You want me to spy for you, in short, with my own sister?"

"The courtesan was attacked by a Shihouin, allegedly." Tokutarou nodded with a sigh. "But without her statement about what happened, it's difficult to know what really occurred and whether this is connected to the Kuchiki matter. My instinct tells me it is – but…"

"Lives are in danger so long as there are questions without answers." Shunsui sent Juushirou an apologetic look. "That's why I agreed to it – to you coming here like this and for this purpose. You'll probably be angry with me, but…there are still folk wanting to kill Ryuu and maybe other people too. And…Juu…both Tokutarou-nii and I are worried about the overall implications of this business. Because we think…the Shihouin that attacked this prostitute was Onoe Tomoyuki. The Council think that the one who attacked Guren-sama and who may have killed Ribari-sama was him, too. And that should be impossible…but…there's one way in which it wouldn't be. And if that way is the truth, then…"

"Keitarou-san's _zanpakutou_." Juushirou's features whitened, and Tokutarou's brows knitted together.

"Yes." He agreed. "So you've thought about this too?"

"No." Juushirou glanced at Shunsui, seeing the clouded look in his friend's gaze. "I haven't thought about it at all. But now, when you say things like that, I do. I know how Keitarou-san's sword works from my own experience – and it explains a lot. Kai-kun said that Onoe-kun's disappearance was essentially impossible – and the chances of him having left on his own are remote. But Keitarou-san's zanpakutou could do it. And it explains another thing, too. Why Shunsui's not been sleeping so well of late. Because you had that suspicion too, didn't you, Shunsui? You didn't tell me – or anyone – but you thought it. And that's…that's the reason it gave me a bad feeling, when you said things would be fine. Because I knew it meant you didn't really think so."

"Guilty." Shunsui held up his hands in apology. "But I had no proof. There is no proof. That's what we need to pin down, Juu. If this prostitute has information, then that might help the Council to do it. I don't want to face or fight Keitarou in person, but if I can help the Council nab him, then I'm happy to do that. If it is Aizen Keitarou behind all of this – it's not just Ryuu's family he's a threat to, but all kinds of other people too. Including you."

"Me?" Juushirou's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. "No…that's already something of the past. He may have bothered with me then, but I doubt he'd do so now. However, I take your point. I understand better than you how he thinks about things, I think – that his interest is in destroying the Clans and bringing them to their knees. I got the impression that he'd like to turn the world over and start a revolution if he could manage it."

"So you'll help?" Tokutarou asked softly. Juushirou nodded.

"I won't lie to Chi." He said matter-of-factly. "If I'm asking her questions, I will tell her why. But she's probably realised it, too. And hopefully, she will talk to me. I may not be able to find out what you need to know, Tokutarou-sama – but I'm willing to try. If it's Keitarou-san we're dealing with then whatever I can do to help, I will."

"That's what I hoped." Tokutarou let out his breath in a rush. "I'm sorry for it, but glad you're so quick to understand. And also…this business of Aizen Keitarou is top secret at present. Understand? From everyone outside of this room. Shunsui should not even know about it – but like you, he put the pieces together when we talked about this. No…possibly he had the pieces together before that, if I'm honest."

"Maybe I did." Shunsui admitted. "But truthfully I've been expecting him to resurface sooner or later."

A knock at the office door prevented Tokutarou from responding to his remarks, and the Clan leader cast Yasuhiro a glance. The retainer nodded, moving to pull back the divide. In the hall beyond was a young manservant, who bowed his head apologetically at the interruption.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Tokutarou-sama, but Chihiro-dono is in the entrance hall and is asking to see Juushirou-sama."

"Right on cue." Shunsui cast his friend a smile, and Juushirou nodded, eying Tokutarou quizzically.

"Shall I go now?" He asked softly, and Tokutarou nodded.

"Thank you." He said gratefully. "Whatever you can discover…even a little bit…will no doubt be of help."

"Then I guess I'm going to greet my sister." Juushirou got to his feet with a sigh. "And find out just what she's got herself into this time around."

* * *

So the Kyouraku were keeping their word.

Guren set aside the letter stamped with the distinctive seal of District Eight's Clan leader, pursing his lips pensively as he considered again the communication. It had been brief and there had been few details, but Guren was comforted by it anyhow. Tokutarou had reiterated his assurances to get to the bottom of the matter - and more than that, that he intended to open a brand new line of enquiry within a short space of time.

_If Aizen Keitarou is involved, and really was using District Eight as some kind of shelter or base, I imagine that man will find him. He really is a surprisingly reliable kind of man, the head of the Kyouraku._

He got to his feet, moving to the far wall where an old tapestry hung against the wood panels, its borders decorated with the petals of the Kuchiki's sacred sakura. It was old now, having belonged to Guren's grandfather, but the image in the centre was still unmistakeable - a faceless Kuchiki leader on a black horse, the cream and green robes of state flowing out behind him. His right hand was curled around the gold hilt of a sword, and his left hand was raised, gesturing towards the far side of the tapestry, where a hoard of indistinguishable misshapen figures lurked in a haze of darkness. In the man's slipstream cowered commoners and Clansfolk alike - and Guren knew what the tapestry was meant to signify.

The protection of the Clan leader towards his family and his peasants.

Well, he was working hard towards that end. Even though so far things had been unsatisfactory...

"Oniisama." The sound of the door sliding back brought him back to the present and he turned, his gaze flitting quickly to make sure that the letter from Tokutarou was folded shut and not easily visible. That he had had such an instinctive reaction brought a troubled smile to his lips, and he sighed, sinking down behind his desk as he gestured for his twin brother to enter the study.

"What is it, Seiren?" He asked quietly. "I had heard from Futsuki that you'd left the manor - and then I received a report from Shibata that you'd returned to your own family estate unexpectedly. Even he did not seem able to give me a clear reason why - I got the impression you'd gone without speaking even to him. Are you so afraid to stand before me since the last time we spoke? Being at crossed purposes is something we're both well familiar with - I didn't think it was enough to make you run away from my presence."

"I'm not running away from you, Guren-nii." Seiren stiffened, a flicker of anger stirring in his grey eyes. It was gone almost immediately, however, and Guren frowned, taking in the tension that filled his kinsman's lean frame.

"Something is on your mind." He observed. "Something that requires you to stand before me, even though I can tell things are far from resolved between us."

"On the contrary, I have no grievance to bear against you." Seiren moved to stand before the desk, and Guren was aware of the firmness in his brother's voice as he made this declaration. "I am your shadow, or did you forget that? As Father decreed it, so I am. That's why I came back here - a shadow never really leaves a person's side, no matter how bright the light."

"What are you talking about?" Guren's brows knitted together. "I don't understand this behaviour of late, Seiren. I don't know where you've been or what you've been doing, and that's something I've not been able to say since Otousama died. That you'd suddenly take off to your own estate without a word to anyone is concerning - no, it's out of character. I've spoken to both Futsuki and your own daughter Murasaki too in the interim, but neither one of them seemed to know what you were thinking. Now you stand here to tell me a shadow doesn't leave its master's side - but you've been gone from mine for almost a fortnight, I believe."

"Yes." To Guren's surprise, Seiren did not snap back, his shoulders slumping slightly as though resigned to the criticism. "It would be about that length of time."

"And...?" Guren's eyes narrowed. "Have you come before me to explain this conduct, or to tell me once again that I am foolish in my wish to give my nephew a fair trial?"

Seiren did not answer at first, but a pained look touched his grey eyes, and slowly he slipped his fingers into his _obi,_ pulling out two folded pieces of parchment. Without a word, he dropped them on the desk in front of his brother, and Guren frowned, reaching to pick up the nearest.

Seiren remained silent, watching in troubled silence as Guren unfolded the sheet, skimming his gaze over the contents. As he did so, his eyes widened, and he gazed up at his brother sharply.

"But these...are the same as...?"

"Yes, sir." Seiren's voice was soft, and Guren was struck by the sudden formality of his brother's words. "Just as the one we found addressed to you in Shirogane's chamber, these are the two letters I received before."

"The letters you said you'd burnt?" Guren's eyes became like slits, and Seiren inclined his head.

"Yes, sir. The same."

"You lied to me." Guren set down the letter, fixing Seiren with a searching gaze. "Why? And why bring them before me now, if I could not see them before?"

Seiren's lips thinned, and Guren could tell that his brother was fighting a battle within himself. When he spoke, however, it was not to answer the question. Instead he tapped the letters gently with his index finger.

"I would like to know who truly wrote those, Oniisama." He said gravely. "Whether it be Shirogane or whether it be not. I would like to know. And so I entrust them to you so that you can conduct a proper investigation."

"Whether it be..." Guren stared at Seiren in surprise. "Are you saying you no longer suspect Shirogane of involvement in this business?"

"I am saying I do not know." Seiren sighed, and Guren realised how weary his brother looked. His eyes were shadowy and unusually submissive, and from the gaunt look of his features Guren wondered if the other man had been getting enough sleep. "We need more evidence. And I am giving you what evidence I have. I will no longer pursue Shirogane until the question about who wrote those can be properly answered to everyone's satisfaction."

_He's pulling back._

Guren's eyes darkened suspiciously.

_Why? All of a sudden, why? To be so convinced of Shirogane's guilt...back-tracking is not a trait my brother possesses. And yet this...is as though..._

He paused, reading over the two short notes once again.

"Seiren, what do these mean?" He asked softly, and Seiren frowned, his brow creasing as though the question troubled him. He did not answer, however, and Guren picked them up, waving them in his brother's face.

"_What do they mean?_" He asked more deliberately. "I want to know the answer, Seiren. As your Clan leader I am asking you - what do they mean?"

"Perhaps the person who wrote them will be able to tell you that clearly." Seiren stepped back, bowing his head before the desk. "I no longer presume to know the answer to that question."

With that he made to leave the office, and Guren tossed the letters aside, getting to his feet and hurrying to block his brother's way, grabbing him firmly by the arms.

"Explain yourself." He said urgently, giving his companion a little shake. "This Seiren I do not know. The Seiren who shouts at me, resents me, points a sword at my throat - that Seiren I am well used to. But a Seiren who bows his head and submits to my words, this I do not. I want to know what troubles you so greatly, and how it impacts on the Clan! What do you know that I do not, Seiren? Because there is something, I am sure of it. And if you do not tell me..."

"If I do not tell you, nothing can come of it." Seiren said flatly, pulling himself free of his companion's hold and meeting Guren's gaze with a closed one of his own. In that moment, Guren was struck by the resemblance between Seiren and his son, for that same, closed up, respectful expression was the one that Ryuu generally adopted when dealing with the higher ranking members of Clan authority.

_Ryuu hides his heart too, and now Seiren is hiding his._

Guren's fingers closed around the hilt of his _zanpakutou_.

"This is an order." He said forcefully, pulling the weapon up an inch from its sheath and gazing at Seiren with a challenge in his eyes. "Tell me what you know. To disobey the one who holds power over this Clan is treason, Seiren - twin brother or not, you know that."

Seiren stared at him for a moment, then a faint, humourless smile touched the thin lips and a pale hand came out to close around Guren's sword hand, gently pushing the weapon back into its sheath.

"There are things that should not be said." He said softly. "For the sake of this Clan, and for your sake too, Oniisama."

He glanced towards the discarded notes, then,

"If Shirogane is guilty, I will kill him with my own hands." He added. "I will not forgive anyone who betrays the leader of this Clan. Myself included."

With that he bowed his head once more, withdrawing from the study and leaving Guren staring after him in nonplussed silence.

_We are strangers after all._

Slowly he released his hold on his sword hilt, letting out his breath in a rush as he turned back towards his desk. Picking up the nearest letter, he glanced at it thoughtfully.

_He did not want me to see these, but he's had a change of heart. You know something, my brother - but you won't reveal it, even if I threaten you with the full power of the Clan leader's wrath. Whatever your reasons for keeping it secret...should I try and pry that apart? Doubtless it has to do with Father's nikki and the fact Seiren didn't tell me pages had been taken from it when he clearly knew they had. I sometimes wish I had a better way to understand him the same way I can Futsuki. _

He chewed down on his lip, rummaging in his desk drawer for the letter that had been addressed to him and setting it down on the desk top with the other two. One by one he read them, trying to understand the cryptic nature of their words.

"_If you value your son's future, pay close attention to your Father's past. All secrets are known to me. I do not bluff"_

_"I know your secrets. I will extinguish every enemy in this Clan, so nobody can stand in my way. You should watch out for me, for I am watching you…and I won't stay silent forever."_

_"__Leader of the Clan you may be, but leader of the Clan you are not._"

"Your son's future relates to Ryuu. Hence you thought that he was being plotted against, and perhaps you are right." Guren sank back down behind the desk. "Father's past...the_ nikki_? Something from the..."

His gaze flitted to the place on the shelf where the old book was kept, but even without getting it down Guren was quite sure that he would not find what he was looking for between its fading pages.

_There was a snippet that Seiren thought was from the nikki in with the letter left for me. This last one. _Leader you may be but leader you are not_...but the piece of paper meant nothing at all to me. It meant something to Seiren, though._ I won't stay silent forever._ Silent about what? Something to do with Father, clearly - but what? Ah, this is no good! If Seiren knows something important, he should say it clearly and we can deal with it. This cloak and dagger behaviour is annoying...whatever it is, Father's long since dead now. Why would Father - or his nikki - be able to cause Seiren to act like this?_

He screwed up his gaze thoughtfully for a moment, then turned back to the desk, rummaging around for the scrap of faded, crumpled parchment that Seiren had identified as being from the _nikki_.

"_At that time, Kinnya was also summoned and a course of action was chosen for the greater benefit of the Kuchiki Clan. On this occasion, it seemed that…"_

Once more Guren read the words out loud, then,

"Kinnya-ojisama?"

_If I went to the coast and spoke to Ojiue, would he be able to answer these questions that Seiren's created?_

Guren pursed his lips, considering this for a moment. Then he got to his feet, gathering the letters together as he made up his mind.

_I'll make a trip to visit him, I think. He knew Father better than anyone - so if I should ask someone, it should be him. I don't know if that will answer the question of who wrote these and why, but it may put me a step further forward with understanding my brother's odd behaviour. And I need to understand that because I need him in his full capacity. If this starts to become a far more serious matter, I can't have Seiren drifting off on errands of his own nor bogging himself down in past events that don't matter. That he's given these to me means he's had doubts about Shirogane's guilt - but there's still more to this than I understand. What Seiren knows may help me resolve my son's murder - and so I have no choice but to go to the coast!_

_

* * *

_

"You know, when I first heard that you were coming to District Eight, I wondered if it was prophetic."

As they walked beneath the swaying willow trees that framed the Kyouraku-ke's extensive garden, Chihiro shot her brother a pensive glance. "I wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or not, Juu-nii - that you happened to come here just when I had something I needed to speak to you about."

"It's not really a coincidence, since I want to talk to you too." Juushirou sighed, shaking his head. "Tokutarou-sama invited me here for a particular purpose, it seems. Though I'm happy to be visiting Shunsui, and seeing you, I guess I didn't really expect..."

He faltered, and Chihiro frowned.

"You've come about Riri, haven't you?" She asked softly.

"Riri?" Juushirou cast her a quizzical look, and Chihiro nodded.

"Takeshi and my houseguest." She said matter-of-factly. "It's no secret that Tokutarou-sama would like to talk to her, and that he's tried to do so through various retainers, but hasn't had any luck. If he sent for you, then I'm guessing you're the next in his line of attack - because he thinks she has information he needs."

"It's not really a line of attack, Chi..." Juushirou began, but Chihiro smiled faintly, reaching up to take his hand in hers.

"It's all right." She assured him. "I want to talk to you about it. Only there's a lot I can't say...because I can't break promises. Riri...Riri is the one who has to make those decisions. But I think Tokutarou-sama is right. And Riri...probably does have things she could tell him that might help whatever he's looking into."

Juushirou sent her a keen glance.

"You think your friend should talk to him too?" He asked, relief in his tones, and Chihiro sighed.

"Riri is a courtesan." She said honestly. "And therefore by nature she doesn't trust authority. She's guardian to two small children, and if it wasn't for them, I don't think she'd even have come to me for help, for though she trusts me, Takeshi is...well, he's a retainer, and that's tied directly to the Clan. It's brought some confusion and complication, having her and the children staying with us, but I won't turn her out. Just...it's becoming a much bigger deal now that Tokutarou-sama is looking at the matter directly. And I worry that if she doesn't come forward of her own accord, he might try and have her arrested by force."

"Tokutarou-sama isn't really that kind of person, I don't think." Juushirou said thoughtfully. "But he does want to talk to her for good reason. He doesn't mean her harm, Chi - I'm certain of that. He just wants to know about the person who attacked her...that's all. According to him, it was someone who resembled a Shihouin. But without a clear statement from this...Riri-san? It's hard to pursue it any further."

"Mm." Chihiro fell silent, and for a while they just walked, the only sound the call of a bird wheeling high in the blue sky above their heads. Then, at length, Chihiro turned to meet her companion's gaze.

"Riri has her reasons for not wanting to go to the manor." She said gravely. "And I can't tell you what they are. Whatever you say to me, and however much we're siblings, this is something I've promised and I won't go against it. I know you understand that, Juu-nii. A promise has to be kept, even if it puts you in a situation you don't like."

"There's a chance, though, that if Riri-san doesn't come forward, people will get hurt. People may already have been." Juushirou pointed out. "This Shihouin may have killed a bunch of other people as well as attacking her - and..."

"I know. I've told her that too." Chihiro cut across him. "But Juu-nii, this is Riri's choice. Riri's secret. I can't reveal anything she hasn't given me permission to reveal. I can't. No matter what, I can't."

"I know." Juushirou sighed, dropping back against the trunk of one of the trees. "And I hate that our reunion is tied up in this kind of discussion rather than the normal kind of greetings and exchanges of news. I'm happy to see you, Chi-chan, and that you're healthy. Just..."

Chihiro pursed her lips, taking in the shadows in her brother's eyes.

"You think I'm in danger because I'm shielding Riri?" She asked quietly, and Juushirou shrugged.

"She's been attacked once, so it's possible." He admitted. "Even though you have Takeshi to protect you, I don't think that it's necessarily enough. Tokutarou-sama revealed something to me that I'm not allowed to talk about, too - but it implies that someone involved in this has a certain level of spirit power. Takeshi's sword is helpless against something like kidou or worse, a _zanpakutou_. And whilst I'm here, and Shunsui is, neither of us will let bad things happen to you. But we can't be here forever. They may have given up and left here, or they may be waiting for an opportunity. If they tried to kill Riri-san once, they might again. And you might be wrapped up in it too."

"I see." Chihiro dropped down onto the grass, indicating for her companion to join her. "I wondered. I thought you probably wouldn't get involved in this if you didn't have some other reason like that...and I can tell by your expression that you think this is serious. But even so, I can't break my promise to Riri. She has so few people she can trust - if I become one she doesn't, then..."

"You care a lot about this girl, don't you?" Juushirou observed, and Chihiro nodded.

"I've been teaching her letters and sewing for a while." She agreed. "Because of the children, she wanted to get out of the prostitution trade and be able to provide for them in a more stable way. But she's always seemed so self sufficient...until recently. Until Momiji disappeared. That was the moment it changed...and it hasn't really gone back. She needs someone she can trust at the moment...and I think I'm the only one who she can."

"Momiji-san." Juushirou echoed. "That's...the other prostitute, correct?"

"Yes." Chihiro picked absently at the petals of a daisy, nodding her head. "I only met her once, so I can't tell you much about her. Riri believes she's dead, because the alternative is that Momiji stole something of Riri's and fled with it, and Riri doesn't believe Momiji is capable of that. I have to admit, my impression of her was only fleeting. But I think...if Riri believes that strongly, so do I. Prostitutes form bonds, and Momiji was someone Riri considered like a sister. But she really did vanish. No body, nothing like that. Just fire damage at her home, and that's all."

"And the murder of the precious metal trader?"

"Gaugen?" Chihiro looked surprised. "You know about that too?"

"Yes." Juushirou admitted. "Tokutarou-sama thinks it's connected."

"So do I. And so does Takeshi." Chihiro agreed. "His death was suspicious in its timing. It all ties into..."

She frowned, pausing, and Juushirou shot her a searching look.

"Ties into?"

"A Clansman who claimed to be called Masaki." Chihiro looked troubled. "That's why Tokutarou-sama's become so interested, I think. Because of that. Since someone who had the crest appeared and disappeared within a few days. During the time he was in Teika, he met Momiji, and she disappeared. And he did business with Gaugen, and Gaugen died. After that, nothing. No sign, no trace, not even a whisper. None of the retainers seem to know who he is. Like a ghost, he doesn't seem to exist at all."

"He probably exists, Chi." Juushirou's expression darkened. "But that relates to something I'm not supposed to raise with you. And if you can't break your promise, nor can I break mine. So we'll have to leave that there. Only...you're probably right to connect those things together. Tokutarou-sama has too. And since Riri-san not only knew Momiji-san but was also attacked, she seems to be at the centre of it."

"I know." Chihiro ran her fingers through her thick dark hair. "And I will talk to her again. I want her to come and speak to you or Shunsui - maybe both - because I think if you knew her full story, you'd understand both her hesitation and what's been going on. More, you'd make her feel less threatened. I'll try again, when I get back. That's all I can do...but I'll try."

"Then try." Juushirou offered her a smile. "And for the time being, we'll leave it at that. If there's nothing more you can tell me, then there isn't."

"Thank you for understanding that much at least." Chihiro returned the smile. "And for understanding that I have to protect my word to my friend."

"Oh, believe me, that I understand only too well." Juushirou's expression became rueful. "It's usually the precursor for me getting myself into some trouble or other with one of the Clans."

"I guess I'm taking after you, then." Chihiro leant back on her hands, gazing up through the branches of the tree thoughtfully. "But I don't think it's a bad thing. Being like Juu-nii, I mean. If you believe in something, you should follow it through. Right?"

"Yes, but I can defend myself better than you can." Juushirou warned. "And Okaasama would cry if something happened to you."

"I know." Chihiro became serious. "But it's all right. I'll talk to Riri again, and do my best to persuade her. I think it would be better for everyone if she spoke to you, so promise me that if she does, you'll protect her rather than protecting me? Whether from Tokutarou-nii or from whatever else - make sure she's safe, all right?"

"I'll do my best to do that for both of you." Juushirou promised solemnly. "By helping Tokutarou-sama in whatever way I can to bring this business to a close."

* * *

**_Author's Note_**

_This seems an ironically titled chapter given the season..._


	43. Minstrel

**Chapter Forty Two: Minstrel**

It was a bright, breezy day, a stark contrast to the deluge of downpours from the day before.

Shirogane reached up to pull his rough fabric cloak down from the branch of the elm tree where it had hung overnight, a faint smile touching his lips as he registered that it was almost completely dry. His sandals too, though half caked with mud were less squelchy than they had been the evening before, and he picked them up, glancing at them pensively before sliding them onto his feet.

Ten days had passed since he had arrived on the shores of District Three, a wild tempest of a storm crashing his boat from the open sea into a river delta where the thick mud and rough current had forced him to run aground. Though he had studied the maps in Hiroyuki's old books before leaving, he had had absolutely no idea where he was, for the storm had made him lose his bearings completely, and he could not remember a river on the plans and diagrams he had memorised before setting sail. An inexperienced sailor anyhow, he had at first simply been glad of the thought of being once more on land, but as he had waded through the thick, cloying mud to drier ground, he had got a proper look at his surroundings.

Shirogane had never been to District Three before, and the bleak landscape that had greeted him had made him think fleetingly with regret of the sakura-speckled hills of the places he had left behind. He had soon schooled his thoughts in the direction of finding food and drink, however, for the rations that the Ukitake family had given him before his departure had long since run out, and once he had concealed the boat in heavy reeds at the water's edge he had gritted his teeth, forging on towards any sign of a local settlement where he might be able to beg food and shelter.

He had not known whether Shikiki's suggestion of using the flute to play for money was a joke or a serious one, but as he had stumbled over the rise and into a ramshackle coastal town, he had remembered it, and, safe in the knowledge that his current bedraggled appearance would make him unrecognisable as a Kuchiki, he had swallowed his pride, the hunger gnawing at his stomach no longer something he could ignore.

It had been then that he had fallen on some luck, for a group of traders travelling through the area had come to listen to him play. Impressed with his skill, they had given him coin and food, and invited him to join their party as they moved into District Two. In return for playing music to cheer their journey, Shirogane had obtained not only companionship but a form of protection – and his sharp brain had soon realised that, demeaning as it might be, moving in numbers would be less conspicuous than if he was to travel alone.

_Nobody would recognise this Shirogane as the boy who left the manor._

Shirogane wrapped his cloak around his body, enjoying the feel of the breeze against his cheeks. Wrapped in thick fabric beneath his clothing was Ginkyoujiki, the one precious companion he could not abandon, yet the one thing that could also give away his identity and put his life in danger. So far from District Six, he had relaxed his guard on his reiatsu a little – but he knew that it was not impossible for Urahara retainers to find him here – especially if Seiren's orders had spread to requests to other Clans.

Still, he might have been in a much worse state. After spending so long healing from his injury, Shirogane knew he was still not at full fitness and the long walk through the muddy, puddle-scattered roadways had taken its toll on his body even more. He had been grateful then for the hard regimes Guren had often inflicted on his shinigami squad, for without that background he was certain that he would never have been able to keep up with the traders, much less find air to play for them as they ate their evening meal. They were kind folk, if base and common, not merchants of high standing but barely literate individuals whose entire livelihood depended on them raising a few coins from selling their crafts town to town. Yet they were not stupid people – Shirogane had learnt that one was a wood carver, another a shoemaker, and a third had stitched cloth together to provide him with a cloak when she had seen him shivering through a windstorm at the beginning of their long walk. They had adopted him as one of their own, and Shirogane had understood that they saw him as one of them – a man living hand to mouth through his art, without firm home or shelter to call his own.

_People in the Districts are poor and wretched folk. Some have barely enough to feed themselves, yet they take me in and feed me regardless._

Leaning up against the trunk of the elm, he pulled Shikiki's cheap wooden flute from its resting place in his sash, putting it to his lips and playing a soft, contemplative tune as he watched his fellow travellers packing up their wares for the journey ahead.

_These people know nothing about me, nor do they ask questions about where I'm from or what I'm doing here. I expected them to recognise me as Kuchiki, but they have not. They are people who belong in their own strata of society, a million miles from my own. Yet I am indebted to them. To them and not to Clansfolk – for the second time._

"Gin! Gin, we're getting ready to leave!"

A middle aged man of about the same age as his Uncles ambled across the uneven ground towards him, a faint limp indicating that he had suffered injury in the past that had not had the chance to fully heal. There were no Kidou treatments for the poor, Shirogane had realised with a jolt – the man's wound had come from stepping into an animal trap, and only time and the fussing of those around him had allowed him back on his feet. Whether it still hurt him or not, Shirogane did not know – for despite the man's misfortune, he did not complain. Reminded of the Ukitake family and their pragmatic attitude to daily life, Shirogane could not help a but suppress a smile. He had thought that the Clans knew so much that the Districts did not – but he was realising day by day how lacking his knowledge truly was.

He had chosen the alter-ego of 'Gin', the alternative reading of his first name and the affectionate nickname that his cousin Meroka had given him when they had been small children. He had expected his companions to make the connection swiftly but they had not, leaving Shirogane to reflect on the fact that to the people in the Districts, reading and writing complicated kanji was sometimes a secondary concern in the battle to live day by day. Perhaps here, this far from District Six, the story of the fleeing Clansman had not even reached these people's ears.

_I am receiving a new kind of education since my altercation with Seiren-dono. Perhaps I should be grateful to him for allowing me a chance to really open my eyes to the world._

"Ah, your flute never gets old," the man – whose name was Saiji – reached the tree at that moment, eyes twinkling as the young nobleman lowered his instrument. "It was a piece of luck happening upon you in the village, you know. At the towns we've visited so far, your music has brought far more custom our way since folk want to know where the fairy song is coming from. You were a lucky find, for sure – are you certain you won't stay with us long-term?"

"I can't," Shirogane shook his head, sliding the instrument back into his grimy sash with a smile. "It's a good compliment you've paid me and I'm grateful for your letting me travel with you as far as you have, but I have things to do which I can't ignore."

"You've paid for yourself, like I said," Saiji grinned, clapping a warm hand down on his companion's shoulders. "Come on. We should reach the borderlands with District Two and One in a day or two, I think – that's where you said you were heading, wasn't it? See a kinsman or something like that?"

"Something like that," Shirogane agreed, nodding his head. "I don't have any other place to go to, so I need to cross that border and go find my kin. So if you can take me as far as the border, it would be…that'd be great."

He reddened slightly, swallowing the more formal, aloof turn of speech that more easily gave away his high birth. It was easy enough to conceal your appearance from people when they weren't really looking, he reflected ruefully. But the habits of a lifetime were somewhat different – and whilst he did not look like a Clansman, if he wasn't careful, he knew he could still sound like one.

_But I have spent a week with District children, and I have trained a District boy. True, Ukitake was well-spoken, and his siblings not unintelligent in their use of vocabulary. Still, it's all I have to go on – so I'll try and remember how they spoke to one another as well as I can._

"We need to feed you up some more before we part ways, Gin-kun."

As Shirogane and his companion rejoined the main group of six or seven others, an older woman cast him an amused grin. "You're far too skinny – you need to make a better meal. Picking at your food each night and sleeping like the dead – you can't travel on an empty stomach, and no wonder you're so easily tired!"

"It was hard for me to find food, before," Shirogane said, more than half truthfully, "and playing music doesn't guarantee you'll get fed. Some people just like to listen – they don't want to give."

"Some people stamp in your face and then laugh, just because they can," a young woman put in astutely. "That's why you're better off with us, Gin. On your own you look like you can't take care of yourself for a moment – you really should stick with us. We'll be going to District One eventually – we'd get you there in a month or two I s'pect."

"I can't wait so long as that," Shirogane shook his head. "I'm afraid my errand…my reason for going to First District is quite important."

"We can't meddle if it's family affairs, Funaho," Saiji said reproachfully. "You know how that is – family is private and Gin has reasons. We'll take him where we promised – though you'll play for us at market today, won't you, Gin-kun?"

At the trader's quizzical glance, Shirogane nodded.

"I promised that so long as I was with you, I'd do my bit," he agreed, tapping his hand against the flute with a smile. "I'll play and bring people to your stalls, don't worry. A promise is a promise and I won't break it."

"We'll be heading along the river road, today." The woman put her hand to her brow to shield her gaze from the morning sun, gesturing with her other hand towards the west. "There are three or four towns we might make coin at along that way, and then we'll be closing in on the border by tomorrow, I think. You'll keep up with us okay, Gin? Whenever I look at you I'm certain I should be giving you more of the food, else you'll pass out before we get there. You're far too pale beneath all that mud – it can't be healthy to be that fair, surely?"

Shirogane glanced at the bronzed skin of his companion, and smiled.

"I was ill for a time before we met," he admitted, "and not able to fend for myself. I'm a lot better than I was, thankfully, so please don't worry about me. I'll be fine – and I'm sure once I find my relative, everything will be all right."

_I hope I'll be able to do that, at least. If I can see Ryuu, or Mitsuki, or Sensei himself. So long as I can get to District One…but I don't know what reception will be waiting there. Still, this is all I can do at the moment. So I'll do it and hope for the best._

"I wish you were going to stay with us longer."

As they left the campsite and stepped onto the open road, Funaho fell into step with him, casting him a regretful look. "It's nice, having someone else round my own age travelling with the group. Since Father died, I've relied on the others for a lot of things. But they're all so much older – this is the first time that's been different."

"I'm sorry." Shirogane was taken aback at the sincerity in the girl's blue eyes, and Funaho laughed, swiping at his shoulder playfully.

"You look so serious when you say that," she teased. "It's all right. Like Saiji-san said, it can't be helped. You have your business and we have ours. Just it's nice, having someone else who's my age along for the walk. And your music is beautiful. I never heard anyone play as nicely as you do. We've eaten much better these last few days since you joined the group – no wonder everyone will miss you when you go."

"This is the last way I expected to be making my trip to First," Shirogane said truthfully, "but I can't say I dislike it. You've been helpful to me too – providing me with protection as much as anything else. Travelling alone is dangerous, especially through strange lands."

"You're not from District Three, are you?" Funaho's expression became thoughtful. "You're like us – a vagrant from elsewhere who just happened to find himself in the river province."

"Yes," Shirogane agreed, "though honestly I don't know where I'm from these days."

"I shouldn't ask you questions," Funaho pinkened. "Saiji-san would be cross – asking things isn't allowed, because people have pasts and they're not the same as the future, necessarily. But you…you look so tired in the evenings, yet you still play for us. It's as though you've been through a lot of things in that past. And…I don't know. I feel like you shouldn't have to go back to that, if it's just going to make you suffer more."

Shirogane stared at her in surprise, and Funaho grinned.

"Father and I left home originally because my mother was violent," she said honestly. "People don't believe it, but it's true. She was sick in the mind, somehow – I don't really know how. But she killed my older brother when he tried to defend us, and wounded my Pa so he couldn't see so good. I was frightened – we both were. So we left and that's how we wound up like this. I could sew, and Father, even with his bad sight, knew all the local legends and so would get coin telling stories in taverns to half-drunk customers. This life is a hard one, but I like it. I'm free…the past doesn't tie me down. Nobody asks me anything – I'm just Funaho, and that's all."

"Just Funaho, huh?" Shirogane pursed his lips, aware of Ginkyoujiki's faint throbbing at the back of his awareness. "It must be nice to be able to make that break, sometimes. But I'm not as free as you – I can't let go that easily. There are things I have to do."

He sent her a sad look.

"I don't think my past is as bad as you imagine it to be," he added softly. "I'm just not so strong as you in facing it and moving on."

"If it causes pain, it's bad enough. It doesn't have to be gauged with other people's," Funaho said matter-of-factly. "You should live your way and be happy that you can, that's all. Won't you stay a little longer with us, Gin? Even if you can't talk to us about those things – won't you stay and become part of the group for real? We wouldn't betray your or abandon you, and we'd always make sure you were fed, even if it's not a rich life."

"Everyone thinks I don't eat," Shirogane was amused despite himself, "but no. We part ways at the border. I must, Funaho-san. I don't have any other path that I can take but that one."

"Oh well." Funaho looked disappointed, but she nodded her head. "All right. Then walk with me today, at the very least? If we're going to be saying goodbye, I'd like it if you did."

"I already seem to be," Shirogane pointed out, and Funaho grinned.

"I know," she agreed, "but you have a tendency to wander along by yourself, half in a dream. I don't know if it's just because you're not used to being with all of us and don't feel completely safe yet, or if it's because you're one of these musical people whose brains are in the clouds rather than on a good meal and a straight track ahead – but I didn't want you to do it today."

"I suppose I'm quite solitary by nature." Shirogane was surprised. "I hadn't thought about it – but it certainly isn't a matter of trust. I'm indebted to you and the others for helping me how you have, so I would be stupid if I didn't trust you, wouldn't I?"

"No, you wouldn't," Funaho said evenly. "There are a lot of dangerous things in this world. You'd be stupid if you weren't suspicious of kindnesses, even if just a little."

She smiled.

"But I don't mean you harm," she added, "so I promise that you're safe enough, walking with me."

"I didn't doubt it." Shirogane's thoughts flitted to Ginkyoujiki, and despite himself he felt faintly guilty at having deceived her so much. "I'll walk with you with pleasure, Funaho-san – providing I don't slow you down. You keep a fierce pace – it's as much as I can do to keep up."

"We won't leave you behind," Funaho assured him. "It's dangerous to be out alone in remote areas like this."

She shrugged her shoulders, looking thoughtful.

"My family are from hereabouts originally. District Two, I mean," she added pensively. "Not exactly this part, but roughly the same kind of area. It wasn't a rich place to grow up, but it wasn't the worst, either. On our journeys through Seireitei I've heard stories, though – well, we all have – about land in other areas. Places where whole villages have been put to the sword over things like spirit power or just on the whim of the people ruling them. That kind of thing makes me always wary and watching for danger. It's why we move quickly, too. Retainers don't really like vagrant traders very much, so if an area is already unsettled…"

She trailed off, and Shirogane's eyes became grave. Slowly he nodded.

"I see," he murmured. "There are a lot of things in this world that can't easily be controlled."

"Yes. That exactly," Funaho nodded. "Not for people like us – we don't matter much to anyone. But that's also a good thing – we're not important, so so long as we keep to the rules, mostly we're just ignored by regional authority. Here in District Two it's normally all right, though."

Her eyes twinkled in amusement.

"I don't know, of course, it's just a rumour," she said, dropping her tones as though confiding some great secret in her companion. "Some folk say that it's because the head of the Clan hereabouts is so frightening nobody ever dares to cross her. It's said that she can change her appearance to look like anyone or anything, and her sword can kill without the blade even touching you, so her people aren't ever likely to disobey. She could be anyone or anything – so she's always watching."

Shirogane's lips twitched into a dry smile as he pictured the young leader of the Shihouin Clan, white _haori _framing the black and gold of her Clan's colours. He had only encountered her briefly on occasions when he had been inside Inner Seireitei waiting for his Clan leader to give him emergency commands, but even so, the piercing nature of the woman's eyes and the savage reputation she had garnered for herself following the swift execution of one of her Clan members made him understand the reasons for such exaggerated reports.

_But keeping District Two peaceful after the assassin cult of Kamuki-sama and his predecessors is probably not an easy task. Gaining control of so many powerful, indoctrinated Clansfolk with the death ethic foremost in their mind – perhaps she would approve of such rumours, if they helped her to keep her land safe._

He touched his hand absently to his cheek.

_Her people would not welcome me here. An exile I might be, but I have no permission to travel here, nor any alliance on which to fall back. I might be just as much in danger of my life here as I would be in Sixth – perhaps more so, if there are Shihouin involved in Ribari-sama's death. I suppose I should be using my time here to find clues – but for now all I can do is stay alive so that I can reach Ryuu and Mitsuki and get help of some form._

"Gin?" Funaho's worried voice brought him back to the present. "Did I frighten you, saying things like that? Have you clashed with Clan retainers before? The look on your face suggests you have."

"Yes," Shirogane said truthfully. "I've been attacked and left for dead by them before. But I'm not so easy to kill, apparently – and they didn't bother to make sure of the fact."

"I'm sorry." Funaho's eyes became sober. "I didn't think that you might have come from one of those Districts where people get attacked."

"Not normally, no," Shirogane sighed, "but things can change very quickly. That's the power the Clans have – I realised it then. If the Clans move, the people who depend on them are powerless to protect themselves."

"Such is life in Seireitei," Funaho was philosophical, "but most of the time we're beneath their notice. And I like to stay that way, if I can."

"There was a rumour buzzing through the glens of District Four as we came through the pass into Third – before we met you in the river province." Saiji limped up along Shirogane's other side, sending him a conspiratorial grin. "Four's a quiet place – not much happens – but we crossed with some of the nomadic peoples who travel between Third and Fourth on an annual basis, and heard some colourful stories, I'll tell you."

"Stories?" Shirogane's ears pricked up. "Clan stories?"

"We'd spent some time in Fourth, this time," Saiji reflected. "We were trying to decide on our next destination – whether to go to Fifth and Sixth for the sakura festivals, or whether to come this way to the summer markets in Second and First. We heard in some of the border towns that there were guards all over Sixth at present, though, and no flower festivals to be heard of. The nomads hear stories, and they like to share them with other travellers. The stories go that they're hunting some dangerous criminal in Sixth. An escaped Clan rogue with a sword that can split and slice you through and no qualms about using it. Someone who dared to challenge _that _Clan – that kind of a person's someone you wouldn't want to meet on a late night, now would you?"

"A dangerous criminal," Shirogane echoed the words, "in District Six?"

"Well, who really knows? It might all be fantasy," Saiji replied with a shrug, "but that's what's being said. In any case, there were no sakura festivities in Sixth this year. Memorials and mourning for some young kid instead – so not worth our trading time to go there."

"A District shrouded in death," Shirogane intoned softly, and Funaho eyed him sharply.

"Gin? Are you going off on one of your musical daydreams again?"

"Perhaps I am," Shirogane offered her a sad smile, "but the sakura are beautiful. It seems a shame, if nobody's there to watch them bloom."

"You've been to Sixth?" Saiji questioned, and Shirogane nodded.

"It's my birthplace," he said truthfully. "That seems like a long time ago, though, and truly, nobody there would recognise me now."

"You should be careful," Funaho teased. "The Shihouin might mistake you for the escaped criminal, if you've come from Sixth."

"They might," Shirogane agreed ironically. "But a _Clan_ rogue, Saiji-san said – do you think that someone of that level of birth and background would traipse through muddy puddles scraping together coin by the flute if he had any kind of power or influence to draw on?"

"The idea of it is a funny one," Saiji chuckled, clapping Shirogane hard on the back, and the young nobleman realised that despite their teasing, these people truly did not see him as anything other than the flute player Gin who they'd met in the river province of District Three. "Given the state of you from the march we did yesterday, I can't imagine anyone in their right mind would mistake you for a Clansman, Gin. Not even if you are from the same area of Seireitei. I thought you had an accent that was familiar to me – now I hear it again, it's a District Six accent, for sure. But I wouldn't worry. Even a drunk retainer wouldn't look your way, and if he did, we'd shield you from danger – wouldn't we Funaho?"

"Like anyone would bother about him or us," Funaho snorted. "Stop being foolish, Saiji-san. Gin's not like the rest of us – he's not immune to danger and he's not as strong as we are to the elements yet. You shouldn't get him frightened of retainers too. He can't help where he was born – you don't look at me and call me Shihouin for being born in Second, so you shouldn't play silly games with Gin for being born in Sixth."

"Ah, but there aren't any rogues loose in Second." Saiji's eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Saiji-san!" Funaho put her hands on her hips, and Shirogane smiled.

"It's all right, Funaho-san," he assured her. "I know that Saiji-san is teasing me – and I feel quite safe so long as I'm with you."

_Because it's true, isn't it, that a Clansman would never be seen like this._

He glanced down at his mud-spattered peasant robes ruefully.

_In the last ten days I've stopped shivering when it's cold and bleak – stopped wanting to shelter when it rains, and stopped worrying about the mud and grime that covers me from head to toe. My hair hasn't been brushed out for over a week, and the last time I was able to bath was before I left the Ukitake house. Yet these things have ceased to concern me. When did it happen, I wonder? When was it that I was content if there was a fire against the cold night, and when did I start to enjoy camping beneath the stars, watching the moon glittering overhead before I fell asleep? I don't even know myself, now. The reflection in the mirror that I saw when Miyabi first fastened back my hair was the face of a stranger – and more and more I'm feeling as though I'm becoming that stranger. When I get to District One, will even Mitsuki and Ryuu recognise me? Or have I changed too much?_

"Maybe I really am Gin," he murmured softly, and Funaho shot him a startled glance.

"Who else would you be?" she demanded, and Shirogane's head jerked up, realising that he had stopped in mid-pace and though Saiji had hobbled on ahead, Funaho had waited for him.

"Sometimes I wonder," he said with a sigh, offering her a sheepish smile. "If someone calls you by a name, is that who you are? If nobody's there to call you any name, do you even have a name at all?"

"You say some of the weirdest things sometimes," Funaho sighed, giving his grimy sleeve a little tug. "I guess it's because you're a musician. They're always a bit funny in the head – at least the ones I've met are."

"Maybe that's it," Shirogane agreed, his gaze flitting briefly to the flute at his waist. "It's comforting, you know, too. Travelling with a flute means you're not travelling alone, since the flute has a spirit too."

"I'll take your word for it." Funaho's expression was doubtful, but she shrugged her shoulders. "Come on. We're going to be left behind, and you did say you'd walk with me and not wander off."

"I did," Shirogane acknowledged, obediently picking up his pace once more. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stop dead like that."

"Well, you can't help it," Funaho sighed. "Musical people can't. Your flute is beautiful though. I've heard people play before, but never like you. Maybe your flute does have a spirit of some kind – I don't know."

"It's the spirit of someone who seeks to keep me alive." Shirogane's eyes softened as he remembered Shikiki's words the night she had entrusted the instrument to him. "Someone who was kind to me and to whom I owe my life. Therefore I want to carry it and play it and keep it safe from harm as much as I mean to get to my destination. I can't let that person or that belief down – she wouldn't forgive me if I did."

"She?" Funaho's ears pricked up. "There's a she, Gin? You have…there's a woman back in Sixth that you've left behind?"

"A woman?" Shirogane started, then laughed, shaking his head. "No. Not like that. She was a young girl – perhaps like a sister, only not really one. She saved my life after I was hurt by the soldiers, and we became friends. No, Funaho-san – I'm quite alone now. There's nobody that I've left behind me that's like that."

"Oh." For some reason Funaho looked relieved by this, slipping her arm into his and guiding him around a particularly big and messy looking puddle that spread across the track ahead. "Careful – you don't want wet feet again or you'll take a cold. And I'm glad, you know – that you haven't left a woman behind. Because I'd be cross with you, if you had. It's unforgivable – to go off on your own and leave someone to worry about you."

"Maybe that's true," Shirogane agreed, "but there's nobody like that in District Six. I told you, didn't I? I don't believe anyone there would recognise me easily now. It's not like that."

"Mm." Funaho paused for a moment, then, "Gin?"

"Yes?"

"When you've finished…I mean, when you've visited your relatives and stuff, what will you do then?"

"I don't know the answer to that till I get there," Shirogane admitted. "It's complicated."

"If you come back this way, will you look for us?" Funaho asked softly. Shirogane started, taking in the serious expression in the girl's face. "For the first time since Father died, I've been enjoying the journey. It's not been a chore and I haven't resented it – I've had your music to send me to sleep at night, and because you're so hopeless at walking in a straight line and you get so easily distracted, I've stopped thinking about Father and started making sure you're all right. So it's helped me a lot, travelling with you. And I'm not going to like it when you go away – so if you were coming back…"

"I don't know what the future will hold," Shirogane said quietly, his grey eyes serious. "That's the truth. I don't suppose I'll be able to come back."

"That sounds like someone who's going to face death," Funaho said apprehensively, and Shirogane shrugged.

"This world is dangerous," He replied matter-of-factly. "You can't take anything for granted. Not even life."

"No. True." Funaho's eyes clouded. "Father's life was like that. One day here, the next gone. Taken by a creature – as people are in this world, when there are no Clan people there to stop them."

"A creature?" Shirogane looked stricken. "A white masked creature, with gleaming eyes?"

"Red eyes." Funaho shivered. "You've seen them too?"

"Yes. I have," Shirogane said grimly. "Hollows, they call them where I come from. Beasts that you should keep well clear of, no matter what."

"It's not always easy, and there's no way to fight back," Funaho said with a sigh. "But enough of this. Talking about it won't reverse anything. Father's gone, and all I can do is keep pressing on and do my best."

She shrugged, forcing a smile, though Shirogane was aware of the sadness in her eyes.

"Let's talk about something else," she suggested. "Tell me how you learnt to play such pretty music, or something like that."

"My mother taught me." Shirogane looked surprised. "It was something we did together, but she was frail and she passed away when I was in my teens. I suppose I keep playing for her sake – or for her memory – something like that. To be honest I'd never really thought about that in detail till recently, but I'm sure it's something like that that makes me play."

"Your mother's spirit and a young girl both watching over you." Funaho looked thoughtful. "But nobody else? No wife, no abandoned lover lurking in the shadows?"

"No. Nothing like that." Shirogane shook his head. "I've never given a thought to things like that."

For a moment he frowned, as Mitsuki's face flitted briefly into his thoughts, but he pushed it away, turning his attention back to his companion.

"Me either." Funaho grinned, this time a genuine one. "I didn't have time for it. Father used to say it, of course – that he'd like to see me settled, but I wasn't interested. I like my freedom. Perhaps I'm solitary too?"

"I don't suppose so." Shirogane shook his head. "You seem quite sociable to me."

"Well, I guess that's a compliment," Funaho laughed. "Though I sort of believe you, Gin-kun, when you say you've not had much experience with women."

Despite himself Shirogane reddened, and Funaho slipped her arms around him, giving him a playful hug.

"Don't look like that. It's one of the things I like about you," she assured him. "You don't know a lot about this world even though you walk through it every day. It's like you're not tainted by it, and I like that a lot."

"Not tainted, huh?" Shirogane frowned, then carefully detached her hold, shaking his head. "No. I can't say that's true. I'm as tainted by this world as you'd have me, I'm afraid – even if there are things I don't know about being a travelling trader."

"You've not killed anyone, though, have you?" Funaho eyed him keenly, and Shirogane shook his head.

"No. I never have," he agreed. "I won't say I've never fought for my own life – but I've never taken a life myself."

"Then you're not a bad person." Funaho said with certainty. "A bad person would kill those who came to kill him, regardless of their reasons. If you didn't, that means you're not bad."

"Or I'm weak." Shirogane said darkly. "One or the other."

"You have to look at the positive side." Funaho scolded. "And we're almost at our first location. I hope you've still got air in your lungs to play, Gin."

"I think so." Shirogane nodded. "Don't worry. I want to eat tonight as well – I won't let you down."

_Especially since tonight is probably my last night._

He pulled the flute from his sash, eying it pensively.

_I need to eat what I can in case I don't eat for another day or two after that. Who knows what awaits me in First District? Hopefully Sensei will help me, but if not…I had better be prepared for whatever greets me over the other side._

_

* * *

_

"Chihiro-neesan, are you going out again?"

As Chihiro paused to slip her sandals onto her feet, she felt a little tug at the edge of her kimono and she turned, meeting the curious gaze of Riri's younger charge. Neither Inori nor Shizuka had greatly questioned the reasons for their coming to Chihiro's home, for they were both young enough to adapt to such things easily and to gloss over the real reasons for why they had been uprooted from the village with no warning at all. As she gazed at the young girl's open, innocent brown eyes, Chihiro realised that Shizuka did not understand the danger that had faced them that night - and as she registered that fact, she found herself feeling relieved.

She nodded now, patting the young girl gently on the shoulder.

"My brother's come to stay with a friend of his near here, and I'm going to go see him," she said gently. "Well, both of them - I suppose his friend has sort of become a friend of the family in recent years. Since I haven't seen him for a while, I want to take what chances I can to see Juu-nii while he's here."

"Chihiro-neesan's oniisan." Shizuka's small features became thoughtful. "But why can't you see him often, Chihiro-nee? Inori's my brother an' I see him all the time."

"I know," Chihiro laughed, giving the small girl a hug, "and that used to be true for me, too. But when I got married, I came to live here. My family home is a long way from this place - a very long way, further than you've ever been."

"Further even than Teika-chou?" Shizuka's eyes became wide, and Chihiro nodded, holding her companion at arm's length.

"Much further," she agreed. "It's not easy for me to see Juu-nii very often now. That's why I'm going to go see him while he's staying nearby."

She sighed, chewing down on her lip, then,

"Shizuka-chan, you're not scared, are you?" she asked softly, and Shizuka looked startled, shaking her head.

"Why?" she asked curiously, and Chihiro got to her feet, patting the young girl on the head absently.

"I just wondered, since you had to come so suddenly to our home."

"But Chihiro-neesan is nice." Shizuka beamed. "Besides, Inori-nii said Riri-nee was sick an' you were looking after her. That's what Takeshi-san said too. That you were helping Riri-nee, an' so we had to stay here for a while."

She tilted her head on one side, eying Chihiro for a moment, then,

"Riri-nee is okay, isn't she?"

"She'll be fine," Chihiro nodded. "But you're right, she does have to stay here a while and you two do too. But so long as you don't mind, it's all all right."

She grinned.

"I'll see you later. I promised Oniisama I'd be at the manor early and he'll be wondering where I am."

"If you'll wait a few more moments to leave, Chihiro, we'll come along with you."

The sound of Riri's voice made her start and she swung around, her eyes widening as she registered the fact that the courtesan was not only risen but properly dressed, her own worn sandals on her feet and a light shawl wrapped around her shoulders. The temperature outside was warm by Chihiro's standards, but for a District Eight native there was a light breeze, and more than once Takeshi had complained about how cool this summer was proving to be. Riri too was a native of Eighth District, and at the sight of her in this attire, Chihiro's heart leapt.

"You're coming...with me?"

"Shizuka and Inori will have to come too, since there's nobody here to watch them," Riri nodded her head. "But if that's all right by your brother, then yes, I will."

"It'll be fine by him. He likes children...well, he's had enough of us to help mentor over the years." Chihiro's eyes shone. "But...are you just coming to meet him? Or...?"

"Shizuka-chan, Inori's got your slippers ready!" Riri cut across her friend's question, casting the young girl a faint smile. "Run and get them from him, all right? He'll help you put them on. We're going to take a little walk, since it's a clear morning and the air will do us all good."

"Yes, Riri-nee!" Shizuka's eyes lit up and she darted off to do as she was bidden, leaving the two adults alone. Once she was gone, Chihiro cast Riri a quizzical glance.

"Why are you coming?" she asked softly. "You're welcome, you know that, but..."

"I want to meet your brother," Riri said levelly.

"And?"

"And that's all."

Riri sighed, glancing at her hands. "I won't promise more, Chihiro. I can't. But if I feel...that I can tell him, then I will. I just...can't judge whether I can trust someone until I meet them. Even if he's a kinsman of yours - he's a stranger to me. And he's connected to that Clan through his friendships, so I have to be careful what I do."

"I suppose that's fair," Chihiro nodded, "and it's all right that way. I'm not going to break my promises to you - whatever you choose to say will be up to you. Just, from what Juu-nii said to me about the bigger situation, you might still be in danger if you don't talk about it. The children too. Even Takeshi and I. Juu-nii thinks someone with spiritual power is involved - and if that's the case, Takeshi is no protection at all. Juu-nii and Shunsui on the other hand...both of them have spiritual power. They'd know a way to protect all of us - and you said you wanted to protect the children most, didn't you?"

"It's for their sake I'm coming now," Riri agreed, as the patter of small footsteps told them that the junior members of the house were ready. "All right? Inori, take Shizuka's hand. We're going to stick close to Chihiro because she knows where we're heading - try to keep up with us, all right?"

"Yes, Riri-nee!" Inori reached out to take Shizuka's tiny paw in his own, and Riri cast Chihiro a glance.

"Well? It seems we're ready," she said softly. "Shall we go?"

For a while they walked in silence through the cluster of buildings that were designated as family homes for members of Tokutarou's military guard. They were none of them big houses, and all identical in size and shape, but although they had been built as a spill-over from barracks for those officers with wives and family, to Chihiro it was almost like a village in its own right. A few of the wives of men she knew bowed their head in greeting to her as they passed, but Riri received several thoughtful glances, and Chihiro knew that the rumours of the prostitute lodging in their home had spread far and wide.

_Oh well. It's true, so I can't really refute it. Best to say as little as possible._

Soon they reached the gate, Chihiro greeting the guard on duty warmly before gesturing to Riri to follow her down the woodland path that led to the manor grounds. The military village was within close proximity to the main house, separated only by the natural rise and fall of ancient forest that none of the Kyouraku lords had seen fit to destroy. Tokutarou was the same, for had Chihiro but known it, on his first arrival in District Eight he had found the walk both peaceful and beautiful, and so the old trees stood firm for another generation, casting shade onto the path and making the distance a pleasant few minutes stroll.

"Chi!" As they reached the end of the path, a voice hailed them, and Chihiro paused, seeing her brother striding towards them. Shunsui was with him, but as they registered the fact Chihiro was not alone, both paused, exchanging glances as though passing some unspoken message between them. Riri too had stopped mid-step, holding her hands out automatically to the children, who obediently huddled at her side, watching proceedings with curiosity rather than with fear.

Chihiro frowned, then hurried forward to grasp Juushirou's hands in her own.

"Juu-nii, I have someone I need to introduce to you," she said softly. "She came to meet you - and the children too. Will you come greet her with me?"

"Just me?" Juushirou cast Shunsui another quizzical glance, and Shunsui smiled, holding up his hands.

"Family first," he said evenly. "It's all right, Chi. I'll wait my turn."

"Thank you." Relief flickered across Chihiro's features. "Then Juu-nii, please come with me."

Taking her brother by the hand, she led her companion the hundred or so metres that divided them from the apprehensive courtesan, and at their approach, Riri bowed her head. Juushirou's eyes registered surprise at the girl's formality, but he followed her example, then held out his hand, offering her a warm smile.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Riri-dono," he said softly. "Chi-chan seems to think a lot of you - so I'm glad to have a chance to speak to you at last."

* * *

"So the prostitute has finally left her sanctuary, has she?"

Tokutarou frowned, casting Yasuhiro a pensive look.

"Do you suppose that's a good sign?"

"According to the barracks guard, Chihiro-dono was with her," Yasuhiro said quietly. "I'm fairly certain that Shunsui-sama planned to meet with her this morning, along with Juushirou-sama. It may well be that your wishes are answered, Tokutarou-sama - if you give them a little time to talk."

"At the very least, the girl's no longer holed away inside that house," Tokutarou sighed, "though I don't want any harm to befall her. Particularly not until I know what the situation is. If Juushirou and Shunsui are with her, she's probably safe enough - I'm not fool enough to think the power I have as Clan leader surpasses the strength they carry in those spirit blades of theirs. So for the time being...I think we can leave it to them. Don't you?"

"Courtesans are never ones to easily reveal their secrets to authority," Yasuhiro said wisely. "I believe it would be best left to Shunsui-sama and his friend. In circumstances such as this, Shunsui-sama's casual nature is a benefit, and not a hindrance. It's very likely this courtesan won't see him as Clan - and perhaps between them they can ascertain what we've not been able to."

"The clear link to Aizen Keitarou, huh?" Tokutarou grimaced. "I'm not sure if I hope they do or they don't. But at least this is progress. Very well, Yasuhiro. Return to your normal duties. I'll leave this in Shunsui's hands - and hope for the best."

* * *

For a moment there was silence, then Riri raised her gaze, meeting Juushirou's properly for the first time. Juushirou's eyes widened as he took in the girl's features, for though she was simply dressed, there was no hiding the fact that Chihiro's friend was a creature of some beauty. Her thick dark hair was tightly wound back in a long, wavy tail, but wisps of it had worked loose, framing her face and softening the effect considerably. Her eyes were troubled, yet Juushirou could tell that intelligence burnt in those dark brown eyes, and despite himself he had the strangest feeling that he had met her somewhere before.

Try as he might, though, he could not place where or why.

"I'm pleased to meet you too, Juushirou-san." At length Riri spoke, her tones touched with the local District accent, but her words clear and well-spoken nonetheless. "And that you'd take time to meet me, given that you can't be oblivious to my profession."

"If you're a friend of Chihiro's, then such things don't really matter to me." Juushirou was surprised. "She has good judgement - so if she trusts you, I'm sure that makes you someone worth trusting."

"Perhaps you're the same." Riri pursed her lips. "I'm sorry. You must think me wary, awkward and suspicious - more, rude for standing so much on ceremony. But I know as well, Juushirou-san, that you have questions you want to ask me. Chihiro's told me that, but even if she hadn't, I'd have realised it once I knew you were associated in some way with the Clan."

"Chi won't reveal your secrets, and I won't force them from you." Juushirou's tones became gentle as he took in the genuine anxiety in his companion's tones. "Just, sometimes when something happens, it's difficult to see the clear picture without all of the information. I know you've been through a terrible ordeal - that your life was threatened and it was frightening. Especially since you aren't on your own."

He cast his glance down at the youngsters, who were staring up at him in shy confusion.

"Chi-chan mentioned these two, too," he added. "Will you tell me their names?"

"Inori and Shizuka." A faint smile touched Riri's lips, and Juushirou realised that although they shared no blood bond, the prostitute cared as much for these children as if they were her own. "They are children of a dear friend of mine who died - I promised that I would protect them, and so I've done my best."

"Inori-kun and Shizuka-chan, huh." Juushirou knelt down, holding out his hand solemnly, and Inori stared at him, putting himself automatically in front of his sister as if to protect her from any unexpected attacks. Juushirou laughed, however, merely taking Inori's hand and shaking it gently.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Inori-kun," he said softly, "and to see that you'll protect your sister, too. It's the job of a big brother to protect his little sister - so I'm glad you understand that already."

He glanced across at Chihiro.

"Do you protect Chihiro-neesan?" Shizuka piped in. "Cos she said you were her brother...we were going to meet her brother, so that must be you?"

"Yes, Chihiro's my sister," Juushirou agreed, and at this, Inori visibly relaxed. "And I suppose that being oniichan is something I still take seriously. So yes, Shizuka-chan. I'll always protect Chi, even if we live a long way apart. It's the reason I have this."

He patted the hilt of his sword, and at the sight of it, Inori's eyes became big.

"You have a sword, like Takeshi-dono!" he exclaimed, and Juushirou grinned.

"Yes, though it's not quite like Takeshi-dono's," he responded. "It's not something that can be played with, so I won't be able to show it to you. But it exists to protect people - people like Chi, people like you and like Riri-dono, too. It's a very special kind of sword, and I hope it's going to help make this world a safer place."

"You are an idealist," Riri sighed, and Juushirou stood upright, casting her a smile as he nodded his head.

"I am," he agreed honestly, "and I refuse to stop being one, even if I've encountered bad things in the past. If I stop believing in things, then I won't ever achieve anything. So I'm going to keep believing in that future, even if at some point along the way it becomes impossible to achieve."

"Some might call that foolish." Riri pursed her lips.

"Some might," Juushirou agreed evenly, "but then you might say the people who do have lost hope or belief."

"An intelligent fool." Despite herself, a smile touched Riri's expression. "Somehow that fits the brother I imagined Chihiro to have. She can be idealistic, too...but perhaps it's not a bad thing, if if gives you something worth fighting for."

"Riri-dono, we want to stop the people who hurt you - the ones who probably took your friend," Juushirou said gravely. "Not just me, but Shunsui, Tokutarou-sama - and other people besides. Your life is probably still in danger - if they realised you hadn't been killed. I don't know their reasons for attacking you, but..."

Riri sighed, casting Chihiro a resigned glance. Then she nodded, sliding her hand into her sash and pulling out the sword ornament. Slowly she held it out to him, and as Juushirou took it, his eyebrows disappeared into his floppy white fringe.

"But this...this carries..."

"You recognise that emblem?"

"I do." Juushirou bit his lip, casting a troubled glance across the grass to where Shunsui was idly lounging against a tree, just out of earshot. "Riri-dono, how did you come by this?"

"It was given to me," Riri said simply. "I didn't steal it or beg for it or find it lying in the road. It was given to me as mine by right...it and another thing. Something I entrusted to a good friend of mine - a friend who is now missing, along with the item I gave her."

"Item?" Juushirou's heart skipped a beat, then, "A...pendant?"

"Yes." Now it was Riri's turn to look surprised. "But...how?"

Juushirou was silent for a moment, his thoughts swirling as he gazed at the piece of metal in his hand. It was well forged, and though he did not understand the Clan traditions, he could tell that it was no fake. He turned it over, his heart stilling a second time as he made out the character for 'plum' scribed into the back. It was not the only character, though, and his brows knitted together as he absorbed this information.

"Riri-dono, will you let Shunsui see this?" he asked quietly. "I know that you don't want trouble with the Clan and I appreciate that fact. But this is to do with his family and...and I think this crest belongs to someone very important to him and his brother. He won't hurt you, I promise - Shunsui isn't that way. But he should see this. Please, let me call him - let me show him what you've shown me."

"Riri?" Chihiro sent her friend a quizzical look, and Riri sighed, slowly nodding her head in resignation.

"I want Shizuka and Inori to have gentle, peaceful lives," she said quietly, her tones trembling slightly as she gazed from the young boy to his small sister, and as Juushirou followed her gaze he realised that the two small members of the party had lost interest in their companion's serious conversation, settling down on the grass a few feet away to play a game of their own. Their innocence in the midst of all this turmoil struck him especially, and he remembered with a pang his own younger siblings and the darkness that had touched their lives the night their father had died.

"All children should be allowed that," he said gravely, and Riri nodded.

"But it's easier for some than for others," she said pragmatically. "For the children of prostitutes, born without a father to protect them, such a path is hard to find. But I want it for them anyway. To be able to live honestly and to have positions where they can be respected, not reviled by the community or considered less worthy. I want that more than anything, Juushirou-san - and for that purpose I've done my best to protect them. Chihiro's taught me to letter and they're learning too - I want a better life for them than their mother had, and a better one than mine."

Her eyes became clouded once more.

"But if I got involved with the Clan, I was afraid of where it might lead," she continued pensively. "That's the reason why I've not spoken to anyone about these things yet – and why I wasn't sure I ever would. Although they're things I've always known, I didn't want trouble to come their way. They already lost their mother, and the name of their father – perhaps fathers – she took to her grave. They only have me to depend on and what befalls me also befalls them. So when I share these things with you, please understand that I don't mean to thwart Tokutarou-sama's investigation nor protect criminals who are acting against the law. I just want to make sure Shizuka and Inori have safe and untainted futures. To protect their innocence is important to me."

"Yes, I believe it is," Juushirou nodded, acknowledging to himself the sad sincerity that burned in those dark brown eyes. "And you're right. Children should be allowed to have that innocence for as long as possible – though sometimes this world doesn't like for them to have it."

"Your words suggest you've seen that first hand," Riri murmured, and Juushirou offered her a faint smile.

"Few in the Districts have not, in one way or another," he said pragmatically. "I'm a shinigami now, but I haven't forgotten my family or my roots, Riri-dono. I would want to protect them as much as you protect those two – so trust me that I share your feelings. If my siblings' lives were at stake…I would keep secrets too."

"Chihiro said you would understand," Riri admitted. "But you haven't heard everything yet, and you may change your mind. Being that you have ties to this Clan – I wanted you to know that my secrecy has been for their sake more than my own. Please...remember that."

Juushirou nodded.

"I give you my word that no harm will befall them from this conversation," he said quietly. "I'll do everything in my power to ensure that promise is kept, even if it means going to Tokutarou-sama directly to make sure that it is."

"I believe you." Riri offered another faint smile. "Perhaps I'm becoming the fool now."

"Then it's a good kind of fool." Chihiro reached over to squeeze her friend's hand. "Shunsui is a kind person, though. An understanding one. He won't hurt you either, Riri. I'm sure of that."

"Shunsui!" Juushirou raised his voice, and at the summons Shunsui raised his head, a question in his dark eyes. In that moment Juushirou was struck once again by a strange sense of familiarity. It was something he could not quite put his finger on, but something significant all the same, and it nagged away at the back of his mind.

Still, now was not the time for random musings about nothing.

He nodded his head, raising his hand to gesture his friend over, and Shunsui grinned, ambling across the grass in his usual nonchalant manner. At his approach, Riri dropped to the ground, bowing low before him and Shunsui pursed his lips, reaching out to tap her on the shoulder.

"It's Riri, isn't it?" he said softly. "Don't bow to me - this isn't a formal conversation. I'm here to ask for your help - not to subjugate you before me."

Riri raised her gaze hesitantly, and Shunsui's grin widened.

"It makes me feel pretty stupid, when people bow to me," he added honestly, "because it makes me think I ought to be doing something more responsible, and most of the time that's a hopeless ask."

"Another fool has arrived," Chihiro muttered under her breath, and Juushirou laughed, some of the tension in the air dissipating at his sister's off-hand comment.

"Shunsui, I want you to see this," he said now, holding out the sword ornament that Riri had given to him a few moments earlier. At the sight of it, Shunsui's smile froze on his lips, colour draining from his features as he reached out his fingers slowly to take it.

"This is..." he murmured, then, "Juu…how?"

"Riri-dono brought it." Juushirou was disconcerted by his friend's sudden dismay. "Shunsui, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Mm." Shunsui did not answer clearly, instead fixing the courtesan with a searching look.

"Riri-dono, where did you get this? Can you tell me who gave this to you? It's important that I know."

"You don't think I stole it?" Riri asked softly, and Shunsui frowned, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't think that someone would steal something like this. I don't think anyone would be able to, in fact," he said gravely, "because of where it was...where it came from before. It's been a long time but I know...what sword this was designed for. The person who parted with this must have done so himself. I don't suppose anyone else would have been able to do so."

"There's kanji on the back, Shunsui. Like with the pendant Tokutarou-sama has," Juushirou pointed out, and Riri's eyes widened.

"Tokutarou-sama has my pendant?"

"_Your_ pendant?" Shunsui eyed her sharply, and Riri nodded, her expression becoming wary as she took a step back from her companion.

"It was given to me the same time as I received that," she said quietly, "from a man who was my father, to my mother for my sake. They're the only keepsakes I have of my father, for he died when I was four. But he left those with me. The ornament and the pendant."

"Your…_father_?" It was impossible for Shunsui to go any whiter, and Juushirou stared at him in concern, half wondering if his friend was all right.

"Shunsui?"

"Riri's pendant was given to Momiji to get the clasp fixed," Chihiro said soberly, "but it disappeared when she did. It was the only other thing that did. Now you say that Tokutarou-sama has it..."

"Actually, he doesn't." Shunsui pulled himself together, shaking his head slightly as if trying to clear something from his thoughts. He reached into his broad cobalt _obi_, pulling out the glittering pendant and setting it down against the sword ornament in his other hand with a sigh. As he did so, Juushirou could see clearly the resemblance between the two insignia, and his brow creased thoughtfully as he interpreted this information.

"He passed it to me because he's entrusted this business to me in full. But it came to Oniisama by way of District Six," Shunsui continued. "Someone there who was involved in the assassination of a young Kuchiki nobleman was wearing it - and was claiming descent from my Clan by using it."

"In District Six?" Chihiro's expression became alarmed. "The death of Ribari-sama...with _Riri_'s pendant?"

"We don't quite know how or why," Juushirou grimaced, nodding his head, "just that that's the truth. That pendant was taken off a serving girl calling herself Nanaki. She used it to prove to the Kuchiki a false lineage to the Kyouraku - which has been entirely dispelled."

"Oniisama said that the girl in District Six resembled the missing prostitute in District Eight," Shunsui added, and Riri's eyes narrowed.

"Momiji it was not," she said darkly. "Momiji is most likely dead. She would not steal from me - my friend is murdered, not a suspect in your case."

"I think so too," Shunsui assured her. "So does Oniisama. We think that we were meant to make the connection, but actually that's just lead us to you, rather than to suspecting her. Riri-dono, you didn't answer my question. How did you come by those items - who gave them to you?"

"I answered," Riri said stiffly. "My father gave them to me."

"Your father," Juushirou murmured, taking in the troubled expression that flickered once more through Shunsui's eyes. He frowned, pursing his lips.

"The kanji on the back," he mused, "can be read as 'Riri', Shunsui. You must see that...this sword ornament is much clearer than the pendant. It says 'Riri'."

"Riri is your real name?" Shunsui cast the courtesan a glance, and Riri smiled hollowly.

"Few prostitutes use their real names in active business. Especially ones like me," she said simply. "So no, it isn't. But Chihiro said that the kanji there could be read as 'Riri'. I was told it said something else - that my name had been scribed there by my father the night he came to us. I don't read kanji very well yet, and so I wasn't sure. I recognise the character for plum, but otherwise..."

"What is your real name, Riri-dono?" Juushirou asked quietly, and Riri hesitated, casting Chihiro an uncertain look. Chihiro nodded her head.

"Trust them," she said simply. "Tell them what you can."

"Magaki Sumomo." Riri let out her breath in a rush. "Magaki was my mother's name. Sumomo because I was born as the plum blossoms flowered."

"Magaki Sumomo." Shunsui twisted the sword ornament around again, and Juushirou could see the characters glinting in the light. "Or, as Chi correctly read it, "Riri."

He bit his lip, handing the ornament back.

"I believe you," he added. "The kanji for 'plum' was written on the back of the pendant, but I could not make out what the other kanji was. Now I've seen it on this, I know for sure. They are a pair and they are yours."

His eyes darkened.

"And the one who gave them to you..."

"Someone involved in the Kyouraku Clan somewhere," Juushirou reflected. "I've seen Tokutarou-sama's badge on Yasuhiro-dono's clothing, both yesterday in his office and before that, too. Takeshi also wears his badge, doesn't he? Clan retainers tend to do that all across Seireitei – I suppose as a badge of office. So it makes sense that Riri-dono's father was involved with the Clan when your Father was alive, Shunsui – doesn't it? Someone of high rank and status in his retinue, maybe – like Yasuhiro-dono is to Tokutarou-sama?"

"Naïve." Shunsui's eyes narrowed and he shook his head, closing his fingers tightly around the pendant. "Riri-dono, I'm sorry, but I can't return this to you while it remains evidence in a case against a potential assassin's accomplice. But I give you my word that if it's in my power to do so when things are over, then I will. However, I want you to confirm something clearly for me, too. The identity of the man who gave you these."

"Do you need to know that for the sake of your investigation?" Riri's expression became just as cautious, and Juushirou's brows knitted together.

"Why am I naïve?" he objected. "It makes good sense to me, if you think it through. Given what we know…"

"Who is your grandfather, Juushirou?" Shunsui's tones were hard-edged and sharp, unlike his usual casual air, and Juushirou bristled, staring at him in faint annoyance.

"What has that to do with anything?"

"Answer me."

"Kuchiki Kinnya-sama." Juushirou's expression became one of frustration. "But I don't see what that has to do with…"

"This pendant was my Father's, Juu. Tokutarou-nii already told you so." Shunsui cut across his protestations, fixing him with a piercing gaze. "But that could have been stolen and used by a close ranking retainer as a gift for a loved one – or a woman he considered dear. In that way, it could have fallen into Riri's mother's hands. However…"

He sighed, closing his eyes as the tension coursed out of his body.

"However, the sword ornament is different," he said softly, opening his eyes and meeting Juushirou's startled gaze with a troubled one of his own. "_That_ could only have been crafted for Father's own sword, and I have seen it at least once before. This came from Tensonshin. Remember, I was there when Father died, and every memory of that day is still etched vividly into my memories, even now. This ornament was not fixed to that sword when he was killed, but more than once before that day I crept through the same passages and saw Tensonshin hanging above the mantle in his study. Those times, there was definitely a Clan crest attached. As a child the significance didn't dawn on me - as an adult I assumed he was so sickened by the Clan that he chose to discard it. It seems instead it was given to Riri's mother - but the fact remains that, since it went missing during Father's lifetime, the _only _person who would have been able to remove it would have been Otousama himself."

"_What?_" Juushirou's eyes widened, and he gazed from Shunsui to the wary looking Riri, horror and realisation growing inside of him as he realised in that moment what it was that had bothered him the first time he had met Riri's gaze.

_Their eyes. It's the eyes. Riri stared at me…with Shunsui's eyes._

He swallowed hard, and Riri sighed, taking a deep breath into her lungs.

"My father was Kyouraku Matsuhara-sama," she said softly. "My mother was one of his common mistresses. I don't believe he loved her – I'm not such a fool that I believe in such things as romance between noblemen and common village wenches. But somehow he discovered that their meeting had spawned me. And so he came, only once, when I was about four years old. And he gave my mother the pendant and the sword ornament for me."

"He acknowledged you as his daughter," Juushirou realised, and Riri nodded.

"But then he didn't ever come back," she said with a shrug. "That was the first and the last time he paid interest in me."

Shunsui was silent for a moment, then,

"At least he paid interest in you," he said softly. "That's something at least you should take note of."

"Only because he had accidentally brought me about and didn't know what to do about it," Riri said ruefully. "My mother was nothing, and I also. He could have ignored us, but for his faults, Mother said he was kind. He didn't want to abandon us completely, yet he did not come a second time. I was angry growing up, but when Mother died I found out Father had died not long after our meeting, and so I couldn't blame him for abandoning us. Yet even so, I think...he was foolish. Kind but foolish. And...in the end...probably that foolishness killed him."

"Foolishness can't kill people," Chihiro objected, but Shunsui shook his head.

"It can. It does," he said frankly, "and Riri is right. In this case, it did."

He buried his head in his hands, and for a moment there was an uneasy silence. Then he seemed to get a hold of himself, sliding the pendant back into his _obi_ and raising his gaze to meet his companion's.

"You are my sister," He reflected, "and that's why you've not approached the Clan. Not because you've crossed it in some way, or because your trade is one you think our retainers would condemn you for. It's that fact in itself, isn't it? That you were born of my father – albeit illegitimately – and you thought that Tokutarou-nii or I might take action against you rather than risk the shame of the Clan knowing such a thing?"

"Yes. Exactly that." Riri was well on her guard now, and despite himself, Juushirou felt sorry for her.

"I don't suppose Tokutarou-sama would do anything like that," He began. "Since…"

"Juu, I told you already once. You're naïve," Shunsui snapped at him, and Juushirou stopped dead, unsettled once more by the tone in his friend's voice. "Tokutarou-nii hasn't come here to question Riri and hasn't summoned her to the manor _because she's a prostitute_. That reason alone has kept him apart from her. Riri's right to be cautious. Just because you and I are friends doesn't mean the Kyouraku Clan is a safe haven or that such a thing would be accepted. Father did a lot of things in his life that I regret – including abandoning Tokutarou-nii and I to deal with our Uncle and the aftermath of his rebellion. But this is…"

"I should not have come." Riri made to leave, but before she could, Shunsui reached out to grasp her around the wrist, shaking his head.

"I am not Tokutarou-nii," he said frankly. "I'm not head of this Clan, nor its heir. And if you think you're going to run away and hide again now I know all of this, you're wrong."

"You seek to arrest me, then? For being tainted blood?" Riri reacted like a wildcat cornered against the wall of a house, and Shunsui shook his head impatiently, reaching his other hand up to touch her thick dark hair.

"This was Father's. Your eyes, too." He spoke in low tones, and Juushirou could hear the emotion in his words. "When I first saw you, I noticed them – but I didn't realise…how close they were to being like mine. I don't resemble Father, except by my eyes and my hair. You don't either – except for the same reason."

"Let me go!" Riri exclaimed, and Shunsui's eyes narrowed.

"Not a chance," he said matter-of-factly.

"Shunsui, stop it!" Juushirou tried to intervene, but Shunsui shot him a dark look.

"Do you think I'm going to let her run away and hide when people might be hunting her in order to take her life?" he demanded. "Would you do that to a sister of yours, regardless of the circumstances surrounding it? Would you do it to _Shikiki_, dammit, if she was in danger? Riri's life has been threatened once. Now I know she exists, I _won't_ let it happen again. Do you understand?"

He turned his gaze back on the startled prostitute, who despite her strong personality seemed to wilt back a little under the strength of Shunsui's stare.

"I am _not_ going to let you get killed,." he said softly, loosening his hold on her wrist and lowering his hand from her face. "I'm not my brother, so I don't have to worry about what the Clan thinks. So long as I graduate and take my _haori _like a good Kyouraku shinigami, they're fine. But _you are my sister_. If you think I'll walk away and forget that, you're wrong."

"Shunsui." Chihiro's eyes were huge. "But…you…this…"

"I knew it was possible," Shunsui murmured, and Juushirou was startled to see the genuine emotion in his friend's features, "but I didn't really expect to encounter it face to face, so I don't know how I should think or feel now. But I am absolutely certain on one thing. You can hate me if you like, but I _will_ protect you. And I'll make sure Oniisama protects you, too."

"I don't want anything from your Clan." Riri's words were cold. "If I had, I would've come to you a long time ago. I have no intention of revealing our connection or shaming your family, so there's no need for you to…"

"Who said anything about shaming the family?" Shunsui cut across her. "I just told you, didn't I? I don't have to worry about what the Clan thinks – and even if I did, I generally don't. If you don't want the Kyouraku to support you, then they won't. If you don't want them to acknowledge you or pay attention to you, then they won't. I agree that might put you in a dangerous situation, especially with the little ones to take into consideration. I wasn't talking to you on behalf of the Kyouraku. I was talking to you on _my own behalf_."

"Shunsui-sama…"

"I was an only child growing up," Shunsui said quietly. "Father died when I was six, and most of the time he didn't even remember my name - if he acknowledged you, it's more than I ever remember him doing for me. I was taken from my mother when he died, and I saw for myself that this Clan is full of things I don't like. I still exist in it because people I care about are here – and because I'm part of it, I can use my skills to try and change the things that this world doesn't need."

He paused, swallowing hard, and Juushirou thought for a brief instant he saw the glitter of tears against his friend's lashes.

"I spent most of my time growing up playing with a District girl who was my only friend and the only person I could trust," he said evenly. "I didn't consider her beneath me then, and I don't consider you beneath me now. Whatever your life has been, I'm sure mine is nothing that makes me able to look down on you. And besides…"

He reached out to touch her cheek again, and this time Riri did not flinch back.

"I have a sister," he murmured. "I've never ever had a sister before. But I do. And I can't promise to be an ideal brother, or that we'll have any kind of family relationship in the future, because of the way things are. Still, though…brothers are meant to look after their sisters, aren't they?"

He glanced at Juushirou.

"Isn't that right? Brothers protect their sisters? Their…their _little _sisters? No matter what?"

"They do." It was Chihiro who answered, for Juushirou was completely lost for words at his friend's sudden and unexpected display of emotion. "They do, Shunsui. And Riri, you should let him. Shunsui's someone who _can_ protect you – and Inori and Shizuka, too. Even if that's all you ever let him do – you should trust him with this."

Riri gazed at Shunsui for a moment, and there was a long silence, punctuated only by Shizuka's giggles as she and Inori tried to catch a butterfly that flitted between the flowers. Then she pursed her lips.

"The one who attacked me was robed in black," she said quietly. "I only saw his eyes clearly, and they were golden. I heard that was a sign he was a Shihouin, but I truly didn't see more than just that. A demon in the darkness trying to stifle the life out of me."

"Riri-dono." Juushirou murmured, and Riri shot him a faint smile.

"I can't identify the person who attacked my home," she admitted, "so I'm not much good as a witness. But his mode of attack was…strange. His eyes too. Empty. Glassy, maybe. They glittered in the moonlight as though he didn't think anything at all of what he was doing."

"He didn't speak to you?" Shunsui asked, and Riri shook her head.

"He didn't speak at all," she responded. "He was just there, and then he was gone."

"What are you going to do now?" Chihiro cast Shunsui a questioning glance. "You will make sure Riri is safe, won't you? And the children – you will…"

"Chi-chan, I already told you that I have no intention on letting harm come to any of them," Shunsui said frankly. "I'll have to report this to Nii-sama – every bit of it, Riri, including the identity of your Father. I believe you – I can see it from those eyes even if you didn't have the trinkets to back it up. He may or he may not – but I have to tell him. However, I don't expect he'll acknowledge you. He has a hard enough time of it already where the Clan is concerned, and they probably wouldn't tolerate his soft-heartedness in that area."

"He's kind to me," Juushirou objected, and Shunsui offered him a rueful grin.

"That's why I say you're naïve," He said fondly. "You're a shinigami, Juu, and you're moving in circles much different from most District people already. The Clan may not entirely understand why Tokutarou-nii likes you, but they realise that you're the protégée of Yamamoto Genryuusai, and that therefore makes you acceptable company, even despite your background. Riri's different. They wouldn't accept her. To keep Eighth peaceful, the wider Clan have to be kept quiet. Nii-sama spends a considerable amount of time putting up with their idiocy – but rocking the boat after several years of peace and prosperity is not in his or the District's interests. Not even for the sake of a half-sister – I know my brother and I know the way he feels."

"District Eight's people matter to him, do they?" Riri looked thoughtful, and Shunsui nodded.

"It might not always seem so," He responded, "but yes. If anyone cares about the people here, it's him."

"And you?"

"Me, huh?" Shunsui paused for a moment, then, "I care about them too. No, I care about them more, maybe, than I care about my Clan. Aside from my immediate family, none of my kin are people I consider worth spending time with. But I like District people. They're real folk with real lives and they're not tied up in gold-plated fantasy about how the world is."

"That's why you're friends with Juushirou-san?"

"Yes."

"And why Chihiro calls you without honorific, as though your birth was equal?"

"Yes. All of the Ukitake family do that."

"And why you told me not to bow to you?"

"Precisely." Shunsui nodded. "Why should you bow to me? What have I done to make you bow before me? That's why I don't like it. Your life is as valuable as my life, and now I know half our blood is the same. Why should you grovel at my feet just because my side of it was legitimate and yours wasn't? I'm fairly certain that Otousama didn't stop and plan those things out, and it seems stupid to start practicing etiquette over what was really a lottery of birth."

There was something of the nobleman's usual insouciance in this last phrase, and Juushirou smiled, relieved to hear it.

Riri's dark eyes became speculative, then she smiled, and very purposefully dropped back down to her knees, bowing her head once more before her companion.

"Hey, didn't I just tell you that there was no need for…" Shunsui protested, holding up his hands, but before he could finish his sentence, Riri snapped her head up, meeting his dismayed look with purposeful brown eyes.

"This is my apology," she said simply, "for misjudging the Clan who are my kin by my father's blood."

"For misjudging…" Shunsui was lost, and Riri reached out to take his hand, using it to pull herself upright once more.

"I accept your help, Shunsui-sama," she said gravely, "in protecting my life and the life of those close to me. I don't ask anything of the Kyouraku – I have no connection to it and Father did not live long enough for me to gain one, even if I had wanted it. I do not acknowledge them or their blood connection to me. But I…I will acknowledge you, as one person to another who shares blood."

Her eyes twinkled slightly.

"I bowed in apology for misjudging your attitude towards me and the lifestyle I lead," she added. "Since you didn't offer me help as a Clansman, I needn't view you as one to accept it, do I?"

"Yes, she's undoubtedly your sister," Juushirou sighed, rolling his eyes skywards as the tension that had ripped through the area began to slip away little by little. "Swinging things around like that – I see the resemblance even more now than I did before."

"You think we're alike?" Shunsui blinked, and Juushirou grinned, nodding his head.

"I think so," he agreed. "Riri-dono is possibly a little more quick off the mark though when it comes to gaining ground. I guess her survival instincts are sharper – but yes, there's a definite likeness there."

"I see it too," Chihiro was amused, "and I'm glad. I didn't know how it would be, if Riri told you – but I thought it would be all right. That you'd understand and you'd try to help."

"Being caught between Clan and District is difficult. Especially in circumstances like this," Juushirou agreed. "I've realised it with the problems in the Kuchiki. I'm somewhat like you, Riri-dono – my parents were married, but my maternal grandfather is a Clansman within the degrees of the main line, whilst my grandmother was a serving girl and they were quite definitely not married when Hahaue was born. Whether Guren-sama knows it or not, I'm really not sure. But it's not acknowledged – and I don't know what would happen if it was. So I understand why you've held back. Just…I also know Shunsui."

He reached across to pat his friend on the shoulder.

"And I know that if it's him you're dealing with, you've nothing to worry about. He's lazy, informal to the point of rude, falls asleep in class and does the least amount of work that he needs to do the rest of the time. He drives almost everyone who's ever known him completely spare with the things he thinks and says. But…"

"Hey!" Shunsui objected, though there was a smile on his lips, and Juushirou grimaced in his direction.

"You called me naïve. It's my turn now," he said unrepentantly. "Besides, I was going to say…he's all of those things, _but_ he's loyal and someone you can count on in a crisis. So you should count on him – and on me, as much as I can help – to try and get to the bottom of this. Tokutarou-sama will take it before the Council and the people responsible will doubtless be caught. Then you and the children will all be safe."

"I hope it's going to be that simple," Shunsui said pensively, "but at least we know some things we didn't know before, and that's a start."

"Then we'll head back, for now," Chihiro suggested. "Riri and I, and let you take on board everything that's been said. I won't take her into the manor grounds now, so Tokutarou-sama won't be inconvenienced. We've done what we came to do – Riri, is there anything else you want Shunsui and Juu-nii to know?"

"Mm-mm." Riri shook her head. "I don't think…there's any more I can say. Not about this particular affair, anyway. Just if you catch the one who attacked me – you will let me know?"

"I promise," Shunsui said solemnly. "In the meantime, I want you to stay in the barracks with Chihiro and Takeshi. There is no native shinigami squad here in Eighth at the present time, and I'm not a Captain yet, so I can't command shinigami to guard you against spiritual attacks. But I will ask Tokutarou-nii to authorise extra protection orders for you and for those around you – that bypass the normal chain of command if necessary."

He patted his _obi_.

"And if I can retrieve this for you properly after the investigations are over, I will," he said, a slightly wistful note in his voice. "Since it's something Father wanted you to have, and it should go back to you."

"Shunsui-sama, what did Father leave to you?" Riri asked softly, and Shunsui shrugged his shoulders.

"Spirit power," he said thoughtfully. "Lessons on how not to live my life. I don't really know what else. A memory of death, maybe? That's all. But I feel close to him, even though I wasn't. Because everyone says I'm like him…and sometimes it frightens me how much that's true. I took his crest as mine, when Nii-sama spoke to me about having one. But I don't suppose Father will ever really be more than a ghost in my awareness. No matter how much I think on it or want it otherwise, I didn't ever know the Father other people knew – before everything fell apart."

He spread his hands, resignation in his gaze.

"That's life," he concluded sadly, "but material things aren't very important to me – so I suppose it's all right that it's this way."

"Shunsui-sama…"

"I don't want you to call me that." Shunsui held up his hand. "Shunsui is fine. No ~sama. Understood? You said you weren't going to see me as Clan, so…"

He grinned.

"You might call me Oniisama," He suggested playfully. "What do you think?"

"I think that we're strangers who share blood," Riri said pragmatically, "but you're right. I did say that. Shunsui, then."

She inclined her head slightly.

"We'll go," she added. "We'll meet again, I suppose, when you return my pendant and bring me news that things are over. Shizuka, Inori – we're heading back now."

"Me too." Chihiro reached out to squeeze her brother by the hand. "Thank you, Juu-nii. I'll try and come up to see you at least once more before you go home – and we can properly catch up on news."

"All right," Juushirou agreed. "Take care, Chi. You too, Riri-dono. It was nice to meet you."

As the girls left, the two small ones trotting hand-in-hand between them, Shunsui let out a heavy sigh.

"Sister, huh?" Juushirou pursed his lips. "I didn't see that coming…but you did, didn't you?"

"Not until I saw that sword ornament and she said it was given her by her father," Shunsui said grimly. "At that moment it was like a bolt of lightning through my brain. I knew that even if a servant could have stolen the pendant, only Father would have had that sword piece."

"Your eyes are the same. I realised it too," Juushirou murmured. "When she and Chi first arrived, I had this feeling I'd met Riri-dono before, and that's why. It was because she had your eyes - Matsuhara-sama's eyes."

"Mm." Shunsui chewed on his lip. "It doesn't seem to have brought her much luck."

"Are you...all right?"

"Yeah. I'm all right." Shunsui nodded his head slowly. "My family have had a past track record of springing surprises on me, and this one is more pleasant than most. In fact, in comparison to watching my father die in a sword duel, seeing my brother and my uncle facing off with swords and then my Uncle committing suicide...I'd say it ranks a little better on the shock scale."

"You don't have to brush it off like that." Juushirou frowned. "There's no need to make a joke of it. It's something serious."

"Yes. Yes it is, isn't it?" Shunsui turned back to glance in the direction that the two girls had gone. "But somehow it's easier to joke about things when they're especially serious. I don't want to think about this too deeply. At least...not until it's sunk in."

"Shunsui..."

"For the time being, other things are more important, though." Shunsui held up his hands to prevent Juushirou from continuing. "I dare say we'll come back to this business later, but right now we don't have the time to worry about those things. I'll report to Nii-sama, of course, but then we have to focus back on the reason we came to speak to Riri in the first place. We have a mystery to look into, and I vote we begin with the true identity of the mysterious 'Nanaki'."


	44. A Shinigami's Duty

**Chapter Forty Three: A Shinigami's Duty**

"It's very late for you to be making a call of this nature, Guren."

As Keiichi led the Clan leader into the front room of the old coastal manor, bowing his head in deference to the man's status, the room's other occupant got stiffly to his feet, propping himself up on his walnut cane as he crossed the room to greet his guest. His eyes were grave, but not overly surprised, and Guren's own eyes became slits as he processed this information.

"It is, but you seem as though you've expected me to come, Ojiue," he said softly, inclining his head slightly. Kinnya smiled, gesturing for Keiichi to leave them alone, and the old man bowed once more, obediently withdrawing from the chamber without a word or a backward glance. As the door shut behind him, Guren sighed, fixing his Uncle with a keen, scrutinous gaze.

"I've come to seek your advice," he admitted, "as I've so often done before."

"Oh, I wouldn't put it that way." Kinnya's eyes twinkled with amusement as he returned to his seat, indicating for his companion to make himself comfortable. "You come to see me once each year to make sure an old man doesn't fade away from loneliness. I'm grateful for that kindness – and for your humouring me whenever I choose to speak of the past."

Guren's expression became rueful and he shook his head, settling himself on one of the ornately patterned cushions as though he were still a small boy waiting to hear his Uncle's lesson for the next day. Kinnya had always hid his talents well, but Guren was not fooled. He knew that despite his self-imposed exile, his companion's wits were as sharp and shrewd as ever, and that on many prior occasions he had let Guren air his own doubts and hesitations about a particular policy or plan of action, putting forward his own advice at intervals. Kinnya was a natural politician, but one who had not enjoyed being at the centre of Clan politics, and this dichotomy had allowed him to conceal his true abilities from the majority of the modern Kuchiki court. Yet it had been Kinnya who had tutored both Guren and Seiren rigidly and relentlessly in logic and other skills Senaya had felt it important for his sons to learn, and whilst Seiren had largely resented the man's involvement, Guren had developed a deep respect for his slightly unconventional Uncle.

"Whichever way it is, I appreciate the chance to visit a kinsman who doesn't choose to visit me," he said now, smoothing his thick Clan robes as he gazed up at the old man. "Today's visit was somewhat at short notice, though. On a matter I consider of some urgency – if you'll humour me and hear me out."

"Mm." Kinnya's eyes became sober and he nodded. "Before that, I must offer you my apologies."

"For…?" Guren was startled, and Kinnya sighed.

"I did not come to pay respect to Ribari," he said quietly, and Guren could see the guilt in his eyes. "That was a failing on my part and I should have done it. I am sorry, Guren. I did not mean to disrespect your son's honour in such a way."

"Your health is not what it was. It's all right. I don't hold any grudge for it." Guren dismissed the man's concern with a sad smile. "Ribari was a stranger to you, too. I did not expect you to leave here on his account – your words now are enough. You understand the feelings I have better than most other people, I think – and for that reason too, I know you chose not to come."

"Ah." Kinnya pursed his lips, then nodded. "It is probably the case. I probably did remember Raiko – but there are seldom few days I don't think of her, if I'm truthful."

"We haven't spoken of her for a long time, Ojiue."

"No. By my request, we have not." Kinnya tapped his fingers idly against the uneven surface of his cane. "That was my failing too – since I have recently learnt that her son did not die, but lives and trains as a shinigami with Genryuusai-sensei at his Academy."

"Indeed." Guren nodded. "I saw him when he came to ratify his _zanpakutou_. He has elements of Raiko about him, for sure, though he is a District child in all respects."

He tilted his head slightly, eying his companion ruminatively.

"Should I have told you of that myself, when it occurred?"

"I don't know," Kinnya admitted. "But since I asked you not to speak of Raiko, I am not cross that you did not."

He stretched out his arms in front of him.

"However, that news seems to have done wonders for my health," he added. "Even though there seems little chance of me meeting the boy, to know he lives means that Raiko's life was not wasted. Perhaps for the first time I'm able to accept her death with more equanimity after more than twenty years. It is a good thing, I think, to think of something other than just the long wait for death to come."

"You do seem in better spirits than I've seen you in for a while," Guren agreed, "and I'm glad. What I have to speak to you about is something of a delicate nature – something regarding Seiren."

"Seiren? I see." Kinnya's expression became one of comprehension, and Guren's eyes narrowed.

"You still don't seem surprised," he observed. "I have no idea how, but I get the feeling you know the reasons for my coming before I've even arrived."

"Seiren is a difficult character at the best of times," Kinnya sighed. "He was dealt a difficult hand from the moment you were both born. His weak body and unruly spirit power meant desperate choices were made that he has had to live with. That I think exacerbates his stubborn character and makes him all the more troublesome to handle at times. But my own views of the man aside – tell me how he has troubled you of late?"

"His actions since Ribari died have been unusual," Guren admitted. "You've probably heard of his pursuing my other nephew Shirogane…probably out of District Six."

"I have, and spoken to his men." Kinnya's expression became knowing. "I reminded them of their legal rights and encouraged them to move on elsewhere."

"I see." Guren digested this carefully. "That's why you expected my coming. You thought Seiren was overreaching his authority and that I might take it amiss."

"Something like that," Kinnya agreed. "Seiren is that type – the overzealous type who will run himself into the ground following a particular belief or conviction. But if you're concerned that he has treasonous thoughts towards you…I would set that concern aside. Seiren is a loyal Kuchiki, and that means he is loyal to you."

"I don't suppose I doubt that," Guren reflected, "but his actions are perturbing to say the least. Furthermore, he seems to have information that I don't have."

He produced the three letters, smoothing them and then holding them out to his companion, who took them with a quizzical expression in his eyes.

"Two were sent to him and one to me, by hands unknown," Guren added. "Seiren believed Shirogane sent them, hence his hunt for the boy – but now he's charged me with finding out who wrote them and why, as if he doubts his own convictions all of a sudden. It's true there's no evidence that Shirogane did send them, and the witness who claimed Shirogane to be involved in wrongdoing has since been discredited."

Kinnya skimmed his gaze over the letters one by one, his expression becoming more and more grave as he reached the final one.

"Seiren gave these to you?" he asked quietly. Guren nodded.

"There was also this enclosed with the letter to me," he added, holding out the torn fragment of old parchment. "Seiren thought it was from Father's _nikki_, but didn't really want to give me more information than that. Having inspected the _nikki_, I did discover missing pages, but…"

"I removed a number on your Father's death," Kinnya said simply, setting the papers aside. "Some were records concerning political discussions, others involving me and concerning Raiko. Both Senaya-nii and I decided they were not relevant to remain."

He took the fragment, his brows knitting together.

"But not this page," he acknowledged. "This was not in the book when I took custody of it. Senaya-nii must have decided it irrelevant and removed it himself long before he was killed."

"You know what was removed so well that you can tell it at a glance?" Guren's eyes widened, and Kinnya nodded.

"Everything I removed was after careful discussion with Senaya-nii," he agreed. "He would probably have moved it himself, but he didn't get the chance. You know what he was – everything had to appear perfect. These were discussions or political proceedings he felt he less wanted to leave an account of for posterity – the Clan minutes have the bare essentials, but occasionally Senaya-nii let his emotions get the better of him when he made entries in the _nikki_. Those things are what I removed. In order for him to leave a perfect record – he asked me that when he died, I remove those sections and I did."

"You did a good job of it," Guren remarked, and Kinnya's lips twitched into a smile.

"I did whatever Senaya-nii required of me and I did it to the best of my ability," he said simply. "That's what a Clan leader's right hand man does. We create the Clan the leader wants."

"A shadow?" Guren asked sharply, and Kinnya nodded.

"Yes. Something like that."

"Seiren said that to me. A shadow doesn't leave its master." Guren frowned. "Despite that, he's withdrawn from the centre of the Clan these past few weeks. He came to give me those letters and seemed very unlike himself – and then he left. Futsuki said he returned to his manor – and even his most trusted retainers don't seem to know what his thinking is at present."

"Mm." Kinnya's eyes became contemplative. "You're worried about him?"

"I suppose I am, as well as frustrated by him. I'm unable to rely on him when I need him the most." Guren clenched and unclenched his fists. "Ojiue, if you understand what those letters mean, please tell me. If there's something that I can do to settle things with my brother…especially with the Clan how it is…"

"I can't tell you anything about Seiren's behaviour. He and I never did have a particularly good rapport." Kinnya shook his head. "But I do believe that your brother cares for the Clan and for your position as its leader."

"Do you?" Guren grimaced. "I wish I knew the same. Ribari is gone…and little by little those around me…"

He sighed.

"You and Father argued often, yet I know you were the person he trusted most," he said wearily. "When Seiren and I argue, it's potentially the end of any fragile truce between us. I still don't understand him or his motives, even now. And with the issue of Ryuu as well..."

"Seiren loves his son a good deal, I imagine."

"Yes. I believe he does," Guren agreed. "I think what happened to Ribari probably frightened him about Ryuu's safety. But to act like this…and those letters…what about Father? Kinnya-ojisama, you must know…"

"Your Father is dead, Guren," Kinnya cut across him, holding up his hands in a placatory gesture. "There are things he took to his grave that are best left buried with him. The family has a strong Clan leader, and it is not without candidates to lead it forward for the future. Seiren will settle. You are a good leader and the Clan will look to you for strength. Don't doubt in the ones closest to you. Frustrating as he is, Seiren understands what it is to be a Kuchiki. And he will not let that go easily."

"To be a Kuchiki," Guren sighed. "All right. Then there's nothing else you can say?"

"Find out who wrote these letters." Kinnya handed them back. "That would be my advice. I think it's unlikely to be the nephew you're so fond of. It's a well educated style and neat and proper in its layout, which suggests a high level of learning. But this is quite a feminine hand, if you want my opinion – I would find it more logical if a young girl had written these notes, not a young man."

"A girl?"

Guren's heart stilled in his chest, and Kinnya's expression took on a curious look.

"That gaze makes me think you have a suspect in mind already," he murmured, and Guren swallowed hard, remembering again the young girl as she had stood battered and bruised before his desk describing her encounters with his missing nephew.

"Kyouraku Nanaki," he muttered, clenching his fists again as anger seared through him. "Is it her, playing us all for fools? The girl with the District Eight pendant who set free the assassin from my jail. Has she concocted all of this as well? For what purpose?"

"Probably the one achieved," Kinnya said softly. "Seiren and Shirogane are not on terms. Shirogane is missing. Guren, he is a shinigami of some skill, I believe, this Shirogane?"

"He is." Guren gritted his teeth. "But it's not just that. I'm fond of him, Ojiue. You know that I am – I've mentioned him before, I'm sure I have. And…"

"Masane was a smart girl, asking you to take charge of her son when she could no longer do it herself," Kinnya reflected. "She knew your kind heart would not refuse to do so, even if Seiren would have stood against him."

"Seiren never did like Shirogane, but it got worse when Masane died," Guren nodded. "Shirogane couldn't cry for his mother's loss, and Seiren found that hard to accept. Seiren was very fond of Masane – she had a bond with both of us, but I often thought her the only person who really understood how he saw things. Quite often she'd stand between us in an argument to play peacemaker, and the more ill she got, it was Seiren and not me who was able to spend more time keeping her company. I think he saw how much she doted on Shirogane, and then to see the boy stand silent and tearless at her memorial bothered him. He didn't understand that grief is a very individual thing. I've never doubted Shirogane's love for Masane – just that he had a different way of handling it than Seiren understood."

"Guren, I will tell you something," Kinnya said softly. "I have made no promises not to, therefore I feel safe in sharing this information with you. But first – you believe your nephew innocent of any crime, don't you?"

"I do."

"You still trust in him despite all allegations to the contrary?"

"Yes," Guren nodded, realising as he did so that he meant it unreservedly. "Shirogane became like another son to me – like a brother to Ribari. Though they had different status, Ribari even said it to me once – that Shirogane had become like a brother more than a cousin, and that he felt glad of it. I don't believe ill of that boy – even if he was with Ribari the night that he died. On the contrary, that fact alone I think hurt Shirogane most of all. But Seiren saw his behaviour as erratic – that he showed grief for Ribari but not Masane maybe made him think of a guilty conscience rather than true raw emotion. But for me, I want to know where Shirogane is. What has befallen him. If he lives. Whether he is safe from the assassins, or whether…"

"He was alive when he left the Coastal Province, two weeks or so ago now," Kinnya said quietly, and Guren stopped in mid flow, staring at his Uncle in undisguised astonishment.

"Ojiue! You mean you..?"

"I did not shelter him," Kinnya shook his head. "Others did. But I did not interfere in his progress. Or maybe that should be rephrased – I did not choose to take him captive, nor did I choose to let Seiren's men do the same."

"You let him flee the District." Guren's expression was one of disbelief. "He came here, and you…"

"You believe him innocent." Kinnya shrugged. "I believe him so too. He didn't meet or speak to me, but I heard his words and I believed them. Guren, the future of the Kuchiki Clan and its unity is something your Father entrusted to me on his deathbed. Not to you or to Seiren, but to me to oversee you and ensure stability continued. I wasn't needed until now – but that promise still holds good. This Clan doesn't just end with you or Seiren. It moves beyond that point towards the future. Shirogane is Ryuu's ally – not his enemy. I do not know Seiren's son, but from what others have told me, I believe him to be an intelligent boy. It strikes me that they together will forge the stable future of the Kuchiki – and that one will need the other to move the Clan past this current crisis. Ribari can't be brought back and I'm sorry for it. I do not like to see such grief in your eyes, especially knowing that this leaves you almost as alone as I was without Raiko. But as Clan leader, my brother used to say, your own happiness is nothing compared with the family's contentment. You feel that too, don't you? So long as everything becomes stable, you will bear your grief and move on."

"I suppose I will," Guren sighed, nodding his head. "And I…I should be angry that you didn't send word of this to me, but actually I'm relieved. Futsuki believes Shirogane would not be safe in District Six at present, even if Seiren was to acknowledge him innocent. There is the danger of factions beginning at the Kuchiki court over those who believe him innocent and those who don't, and there are still assassins lurking in shadows. I do not want to lose him as well – if he left this District safely, I will trust that he arrived elsewhere in one piece. And if he is not here, I cannot summon him to the main house."

"His current situation I can't tell you." Kinnya shook his head regretfully. "But remember what I've said most of all, Guren. Seiren, Shirogane, Ryuu – Futsuki too. They are all important pieces in the Clan puzzle and none of them must be discarded or ignored. Your Father began things that he believed were for the best – now perhaps we'll discover whether or not they were. But most of all this family needs you to be strong – can you do that, even when everything else is uncertain?"

"I must, so I can." Guren got to his feet, nodding his head. "I still feel there are things I haven't been told – but I'll trust them to silence for the time being and return. For now the things right in front of me matter the most of all."

"That's why Senaya-nii knew you would be able to lead this Clan." Kinnya offered him a smile. "And why I felt it safe to retire from my position and spend my days idly here."

"But you really are in stronger health, Ojiue," Guren reflected. "I'm glad to see it. I find myself hoping it's some time before I lose another family member – and I am as fond of you now as I was when I was young."

"The affection is a mutual one." Kinnya got to his feet once more, coming to rest a thin hand on his nephew's shoulder. "I have great faith in you and always have had. We all have secrets – Seiren as well – and we're all allowed a little privacy in which to mull them over. Give him that time – I'm sure all will be well."

"Perhaps you're right," Guren agreed doubtfully. "It's strange but…I suppose at the bottom of it, I am actually worried about my brother. Though we hated each other so much as boys, now I've become accustomed to him being in my shadow. Now I'm keeping secrets from him, and him from me…"

"Share yours with him, and see if he doesn't share his with you," Kinnya suggested softly. "To get trust you must give it. You know that lesson from your very early childhood – it applies now just as it did then."

"I suppose it does." Guren looked rueful. "To you I'm still a young boy sometimes, aren't I?"

"Yes." Kinnya smiled. "But that's no bad thing. To the Clan you're something else – and that matters more than the opinion of a closeted away hermit like me."

"Mm." Guren hesitated for a moment, then, "Ojiue, what do you intend to do about Ukitake Juushirou?"

"Raiko's son?" Kinnya's eyes softened, and Guren nodded his head.

"You seem to have an interest in him," he observed. "That being so…"

"I am an old man with sins to my name that should probably not taint a young one just starting out in his life." Kinnya's tones were full of regrets. "I don't know. Perhaps I will have the fortune to meet him, or perhaps he will choose not to meet me at all. At present I have other responsibilities to concern me, and so I'll focus on them."

"But knowing he's alive has given you hope, hasn't it?"

"Yes," Kinnya agreed. "Even if we never meet, it has."

"He's a funny young boy," Guren mused. "He can have this effect even on those who haven't yet met him."

He smiled.

"I'm grateful for your counsel, as always," He added, bowing his head as though it were still Kinnya and not he who held the highest family status. "And I hope in return that if there's anything I can do in the case of Ukitake Juushirou, you'll tell me so. I _have_ met the boy but once, but I know that he is a close friend of young Ryuu's, and so…"

"I won't force the past on the future," Kinnya shook his head. "But thank you, Guren. Ride safely back to the manor."

"I'm sure I will," Guren agreed. "All right. Take care of yourself too, Ojiue. I expect to see you in just as good health or better the next time we meet."

With that he pulled back the door of the chamber, stepping out into the hallway and glancing for a moment at the faded carvings and tapestries that decorated the old family home.

_Raiko hasn't lived here for a long time, and the last time I saw Ojiue, he seemed to lack interest in all things. Now I see life in his eyes and his bearings – even his movement. Plus one other thing, too._

His eyes narrowed.

_His reiatsu was more steady and even than it's been for a long time. Each year I've come here, I've worried about it growing more feeble – but this time it seemed strong and resolute. Is that because of his promise to Father or because of Raiko's son? I wonder. Whichever it is, though, I'm glad. I don't want another funeral any time soon._

He sighed, making his way slowly to retrieve his horse and rejoin the cluster of elite retainers who had accompanied him on the long ride across Kuchiki territory to the Coastal manor.

_And Seiren…I don't know what to do about that. Leave it and hope for the best, maybe. Wait to find out what Tokutarou-dono has to say about the leads in District Eight. And most of all, hold my Clan together no matter what._

_

* * *

_

Midnight.

Shunsui pulled his night robe more tightly around his body, perching on the wide sill of his bedroom window as he gazed thoughtfully out across the peaceful grounds of the District Eight. It was a clear night, despite the temperate weather, and something about the faint twinkling of the stars overhead made him feel a little comforted to be back home.

_**We're not training tonight, Shunsui?**_

Seibara's voice drifted softly through his thoughts, and he shook his head, leaning up against the wood panelling and folding his arms across his chest.

_Not here. Juu would pick it up too quickly, and I don't want to draw Hollows to Nii-sama and the manor. The Academy is different – but there's Haru to think about as well here. _

_**That's not the real reason, is it?**_

Though he could not see her, Shunsui knew that the nymph-like spirit was gazing at him with anxious eyes, and had she been stood in front of him, he felt sure that her tiny hand would have come out to touch his as though trying to ease his shaken spirits.

_**You're worried about the girl – and about other things connected to it.**_

_I can't lie to you, can I?_

_**No. Not even if you can lie to yourself.**_

_Then you shouldn't need to ask me._

Shunsui sighed, burying his head in his hands.

_I should be sleeping this evening, if I'm not working with you two. But I'm restless. What Riri said has sunk in on a new level now. _

_**Your reaction to it was unexpected – even your friend thought it was out of character.**_

Seibara sounded thoughtful.

_**You've spent a lifetime joking about the possibility, but the reality was hard for you to take, wasn't it?**_

_It's not so much that._

Shunsui raised his head, his lips thinning as he remembered Riri's demeanour and the sharp, quick way she had responded to him.

_There's a part of me which is angry at Father. And a part of me that isn't. Even in other things, that's true – Otousama is still the most confusing presence in my thoughts, although he's been dead as long as this. A man I didn't know but a man I resemble quite closely. A man who ran away, but a man who disliked causing harm. A man whose dislike for causing harm caused untold damage to himself and to his family – a man who killed the person he loved most, and yet abandoned those who needed him. Speaking to Riri makes me wonder…how much of that man I am too._

_**Amaki and I understand you best of all.**_

Seibara's words were thoughtful and soothing.

_**You aren't Matsuhara-sama. Neither Amaki nor I fear being abandoned now like Tensonshin was. Your path hasn't been an easy one, but we haven't mollycoddled you and we probably won't from this point on either. Just in this one thing you are like your Father. You look back at mistakes far more than you do at achievements, and by doing so you sometimes fail to look forward. **_

_Perhaps I'm afraid of what lies ahead._

_**Perhaps you are.**_

_It's not just that, though. I've thought those things through and I've made up my mind regarding this business with Riri. _

Shunsui's brows knitted together.

_You're the one who likes teaching me resolution, so you should be glad. _

_**You intend on making sure she's protected, don't you?**_

_I do. Would you have me do anything else? I'd do it myself only I won't be here to, so…_

_**I was with you when you spoke to Tokutarou-sama, unless you'd forgotten. Amaki and I hear everything you say or think and see everything you do. I know you spent three hours in his office arguing the business out with him until he agreed to make sure she was kept safe. Despite the risks to his reputation here, you've decided that she's your sister, haven't you?**_

_I have. Though she doesn't seem to think of it the same way._

A sad smile touched Shunsui's lips.

_I would have liked to have had a sister, I think._

_**More likely that's your sentiment for that black haired girl coming out.**_

This time it was Amaki, and Shunsui's expression became rueful.

_Saku? Perhaps you're right. She was like Oneesan to me for a long time. Maybe I have an idealised view of what it would have been like._

_**You're afraid of being lonely, even though you know that sometimes you seek to be alone.**_

Seibara let out a heavy sigh.

_**You like to make life difficult for yourself. What happens with the girl is unimportant for now. Probably she's in no further danger. On the other hand…**_

_Juu might be._

_**Yes, Shunsui. He might.**_

_You think this is Keitarou too?_

_**Perhaps.**_

_Seibara, you and I faced that man's manipulative magic in the worst possible way. Even if I'm paranoid, I can't not think that way. That's why we've been training. I told you – I have resolve in that area too. If it is him or if it isn't, I'm ready. And I won't back away from the challenge._

_**Even to kill him?**_

_To protect Juu?_

Shunsui's eyes narrowed as he considered this.

_I'd sooner he didn't know about it…but…maybe. I'm not sure, yet. I don't want to…but if it meant protecting the things that matter to me…_

_**You have learnt a lot.**_

Amaki sounded approving.

_**That's why you carry our swords and their name. Don't forget it. To protect the things that matter to you, whatever the cost to yourself.**_

_There are things that I can't protect, though._

Shunsui's eyes became clouded, and once more he felt the gentle brush of something against his senses, as though Seibara was trying to comfort his uncertainty.

_**You don't know that it's the case. You shouldn't worry about things you don't know for sure.**_

_No, but not knowing them for sure makes me worried._

Shunsui bit his lip.

_Meeting Riri made the possibility clearer in my head. Therefore I can't not think about it. And more than anything I can't abandon her the way Father did, even if…_

"Are you really all right?"

At the sound of Juushirou's voice, Shunsui glanced up, his inner conversation broken by the unexpected interruption. He turned, seeing his friend silhouetted in the doorway of the chamber, and he sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"You should be asleep," he said softly, and Juushirou smiled.

"So should you," he agreed evenly, "but for some reason, I didn't think that you were. I hope you don't mind a late night invasion, but I wanted to come check on you. I wanted to see if today had sunk in...and if it had, whether you needed some company."

"I don't mind." Shunsui shook his head. "I was only talking to Seibara and Amaki, anyway."

_**Dismiss us, why don't you?**_

Amaki snorted, and a wry smile touched Shunsui's lips.

_**Let him.**_

That was Seibara.

_**We're always here when Shunsui needs us. Right now Juushirou is probably the one who he needs to talk to more.**_

_You say you don't mollycoddle me, but sometimes I think you do._

Shunsui reached out to pat his swords pensively.

_Thank you, both of you. Even though I'm a pain to live with, I'm grateful that you're there._

"I'm sorry, Katen Kyoukotsu." Juushirou's gaze flitted to the sheathed blades and he bowed his head in their direction. "I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation."

_**Your friend has better manners than you do.**_

Amaki sounded resigned.

_**All right. We'll pull back for now. I'll listen to Seibara, this time – just don't start crying or anything stupid, all right? I won't stand for that.**_

With a flicker of spiritual energy Shunsui felt the _zanpakutou_ spirits withdraw from his awareness, and he smiled faintly, gesturing to Juushirou to come into the room fully.

"They're gone," he said frankly, as the District boy obediently stepped into the well-appointed bedchamber, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

"Riri's story bothered you, didn't it?"

"Lots of things are bothering me at the moment. We'll just add that one to the list."

"Do you want to talk about them?"

"I don't know," Shunsui grimaced, running his fingers through his messy brown hair. "On the surface of it, what Riri said makes sense. I mean, I honestly do believe her. Everything she's said – I believe it. But I suppose the reality of it is now starting to hit me. I joked about it before – you know I did, that maybe Father had illegitimate children of secret trysts around District Eight. But to see actual proof of it standing before me…"

"Riri's the missing link in the chain, isn't she?" Juushirou said quietly. "The Kyouraku pendant belongs to her, it was given her by your father, Sumomo is her name's other reading – her real name, in fact. Momiji took the pendant to be fixed and was probably killed by Tokutarou-sama's mysterious Masaki. Masaki is…almost certainly Aizen Keitarou, and that's how everything ties up together."

"Riri was attacked because we weren't supposed to find her," Shunsui supplemented gloomily. "But she had the will to fight back and live, and whoever was sent to finish her off was less careful than the person who killed the Kuchiki boy. For that reason, we know all the things we now do. I'm not happy, you know. I had worried about Keitarou – but this almost certainly confirms it in my mind. That and the fact that the person who had this pendant is a black haired blue eyed Clan educated young woman using a pseudonym with a cryptic meaning. It doesn't take rocket science to put those things together and make an assumption – whether she's acting under Keitarou's influence or not, Eiraki-hime is probably also involved."

"Eiraki-hime…as Nanaki, you mean?" Juushirou's eyes became slits, and Shunsui nodded.

"It's clutching at straws," he admitted. "But it occurred to me that Nanaki might be one of Keitarou's mind games – he likes to do things in plain sight to prove he's superior to everyone else, doesn't he? Nana is seven. Ki might be _hime_. Hence Seventh's missing princess – Endou Eiraki."

"I see," Juushirou nodded with a sigh. "That makes sense."

"It's very obvious, really," Shunsui agreed, "but nobody's suspected it because a lot of people believe Eiraki-hime is dead. Not Hirata, I have to admit, but…apparently Misashi-dono and Sumire-dono both think she's been killed and her body disposed of, rather like this Momiji probably was."

"If Eiraki-hime is involved, she might be being forced into it," Juushirou pointed out.

"True," Shunsui agreed. "I was looking over Tokutarou-nii's notes earlier, and apparently Guren-sama reported she'd been beaten or assaulted in some way when the Kuchiki first found her. That implies coercion of some form or other."

"It doesn't seem like him," Juushirou said unwillingly. "Strange as he is, to beat an ally…it doesn't. But I suppose if it was desperate, or she was fighting him, Keitarou-san might have done that to her. Or it could have been the Shihouin that's dogging this business from start to finish."

"It might be better if it was that way," Shunsui admitted. "Not that I like the idea of a girl being beaten, but if she's being forced into it…it will be easier on Hirata, if and when this whole thing comes to light."

He sank down onto his bed, gesturing for Juushirou to join him.

"That's only one of the things that's bothering me at the moment, though," he owned. "From Riri's description, the Shihouin _is_ probably the missing Onoe. That's not even a mystery any more, given what techniques Aizen Keitarou's sword has. I'd like to leave Keitarou to the Council if possible. Just…"

"Riri's life may still be in danger?"

"Not just hers, but yes." Shunsui leant back against the wall. "A half sister that I never knew about…from the opposite side of society. As a Clansman, that should horrify me – it horrified Nii-sama when I broke it to him, and it took me a long time to convince him that it'd be all right, if his men protected her."

"Tokutarou-sama didn't accept it?" Juushirou was surprised.

"Like I said before, District Eight comes first and that means pandering to the Clan," Shunsui said pragmatically. "Besides, he also knew Father and respected him. It's probably more of a shock to him than it is to me that we have a half-sister and that she's a courtesan in the local town. Deep down I think he feels responsible in some way – that he should have known or done something to provide her with a more discreet line of work without causing him or the family any further problems. But outwardly he has to stand firm against it. It's only because I pestered him so hard that he's given in – he's issued the instructions in my name, not his own."

"I suppose I understand." Juushirou looked thoughtful. "In those terms, perhaps I was a little naïve."

"That's one of your better traits, though." Despite himself, Shunsui offered a smile. ". But I feel differently about it, I think. I don't want her to get hurt because I feel as though she's already been hurt enough. Even if it will be hard to build real bonds with her as my sister, since I realised she was, I don't think I can see her as anything else. She's my kinswoman and I don't want harm to befall her."

"Your father giving her that pendant and shield indicates he really did intend to acknowledge her, doesn't it?" Juushirou asked, and Shunsui nodded.

"Then he died, so nobody ever knew," he agreed, "but I think, despite all his sins, Father cared about what he'd done. When he found out she'd been born – he didn't mean to let her struggle in the way she has. He was just careless…reckless…stupid. His decisions in the last few months of his life were especially haphazard, and he really didn't think."

His eyes clouded.

"That's the thing that bothers me most about this," he admitted. "I'm guilty of the same carelessness."

"You…" Juushirou's eyes widened, and Shunsui shot him a helpless look.

"For a year after Saku and I parted, I lost all sense of reason," he murmured. "I drank, I strayed, and I slept around. I don't know how many nights I was away from the manor – I don't clearly remember every encounter because of the haze of alcohol I was always submerged in during that time. But there were…women like Riri. Probably several, if I'm honest. Women from Teika and the local areas – a past generation of courtesans and tavern wenches whose names I didn't know. They all resembled Saku in some way – that's all I remember. I forgot about them…drifted on…fell back into the same trap when my depression got the better of me and I couldn't deal with it any more. For that year, Father's vices were my vices too, Juu. I've told you that before, but…right now…I'm thinking of it in a whole new light."

"You think you might…like Matsuhara-sama…like Riri?" Juushirou whispered, and Shunsui groaned.

"I don't know," he admitted, "but if Riri exists, then it's not impossible and I can't help but wonder. True, Father was far worse than I was and for far longer. But it doesn't take…I mean, in a year…I never thought of the effect I had on them, Juu. I was so wrapped up in my problems and my gloom that I didn't even stop and think that I might have such a drastic influence on their lives. They were girls who were already struggling to get by – one or two stole coin from me when I slept in order that they'd be able to eat the next day. Yet till now I never even gave a thought to it - all I did was meander about my own feelings, rather than the consequences of indulging my depression in the way that I did. I am Father's son, and i very well might have done the same as Father. Somewhere…there might easily be a kid of four or five like Riri - a kid with a struggling Mama and no Papa because of my stupidity."

"Shunsui." Juushirou's expression was stricken, and Shunsui nodded.

"It doesn't make for nice listening, does it," he murmured. "I didn't have my Father, because he was a wastrel, a drunk and spiralled out of control until he put himself in the way of Uncle's sword. Riri's future could have been changed if he'd lived, but he didn't care enough to do that. Mine could have been different, too – but he didn't bother most days to even remember what name to call me by. Tokutarou-nii grew up in foreign land because Father could only see his own pain and misery, not anyone else's. And I might have done the same, Juu. I might have done the same."

He clenched and unclenched his fists.

"I won't abandon Riri," he added simply, "because I don't know how to find out whether I made the same mistakes or if I didn't. All I can do is help put right Father's, and hope that there's someone in the future who can do the same for mine if that situation arises. It makes me feel like a bad person - no, a despicable one, to be truthful. But there's nothing else that I can do than that."

"You're not a bad person," Juushirou said thoughtfully. "A foolish one, maybe, during that period of time. But you broke out of that cycle and you moved on."

"It might already be too late, though. I mean, if I have…"

He trailed off, and Juushirou frowned, getting to his feet and coming to stand in front of his companion. Grabbing him firmly by the shoulders, he gave the other boy a little shake.

"Stop it," he said frankly. "You can't change what's already happened. You've already said that you want to make amends – well, by helping Riri, you will be making some amends. You've already learned from the mistake and you won't let it happen again. Besides, unlike Matsuhara-sama, you're not depressed and you're not suicidal. You intend on living, right? Not dying. I don't know whether your recklessness created a life or whether it didn't – but Shunsui, whilst you're alive, you can change how things are. Isn't it you who said that to Kai that first year when he was floundering over his Clan's actions? You should take that advice and roll with it. More than that, Matsuhara-sama ran away from being a Shinigami. He ran from protecting people like Riri. You're not running. You'll take the _haori_ and you'll use it to protect them. Even if there _is_ a child somewhere…even if its life is hard and its father isn't there, you'll still be doing something to protect it by taking your sword and killing Hollows. You noticed it, didn't you? She isn't using it, but Riri has spirit power. Just like Riri, a child of yours would doubtless have it too. And so that's something you can do, isn't it? Instead of worrying about the things you can't."

"I suppose you're right." Shunsui chewed on his lip. "At the moment it doesn't make me feel better, but you are. Just…I wish there was a way to know, because if there was, like Father, I'd like to do…something. I don't even know what, just _something_. But if Tokutarou-nii found out, I think he'd brain me. He didn't say anything, but Nii-sama's also pretty smart, and I wouldn't be surprised if it occurred to him too, given that we now know about Riri. I'm certain I left him wondering whether there are more illegitimate siblings, and whether there are other illegitimate Kyouraku floating around District Eight. He'd never be able to ask me a question like that, probably, and I'm not sure I know how to raise it with him either, not considering all the things I've already put him and Okaasama through. Something not being said, though, doesn't necessarily mean it isn't being thought about - and Nii-sama does a lot of thinking."

"Well, maybe when you're a Captain, and you have resources of your own, you can find out the answers to some of these questions and put your mind at rest," Juushirou said sensibly. "_Right now_, though, Riri is right here and in need of support. She's your sister, and even if you have no kind of relationship now, if you're patient and give it time, that can always change. You've more or less said that you don't want to push her away, so don't. Focus on doing what you can for her and the little ones for now. Whether as a Kyouraku or just as Shunsui, you can acknowledge her in Matsuhara-sama's place, like you said. Things will figure themselves out in the long run – there's nothing else you can do but that at the moment."

"That makes it worse, but all right," Shunsui agreed. "At least there is one thing. I _won't _make those mistakes again. Even if I drink, or flirt, or mess around, I won't ever follow Father's example again."

"Of course you won't," Juushirou said matter-of-factly. "I won't let you, so that's pretty much for sure."

"You're going to be my minder, then, are you?"

"Perhaps," Juushirou grinned. "Though it's a tough job, someone's gotta do it."

"Mm." Shunsui raised a faint smile in return. "Somehow that's comforting, even though I know you just insulted me."

"That's also part of my duty," Juushirou said lightly, tapping his companion lightly on the shoulder. "Now stop worrying about it and get some sleep, all right? It's late, and at this rate you'll become a full blown insomniac."

"I'll sleep now," Shunsui assured him, even as the white haired boy got to his feet. "Thanks, Juu. I'm glad you came back here this summer – even if it was manipulated by my brother."

"Me too. It's given me a complete break from the things bothering me, and for once I feel like I've been able to listen and help rather than just burdening you with my problems," Juushirou admitted. "It should go both ways – you should take advantage of me more."

"If I wasn't tired, I'd find an inappropriate comment to go with that remark," Shunsui stifled a yawn, "but it looks like you're off the hook for now."

"Silly." Juushirou pulled a face. "Just go to sleep already. I'll see you in the morning."

"Or afternoon, depending how long I sleep for," Shunsui said reflectively. "Night, Juu. Sweet dreams."

"You too." Juushirou cast him a final grin, before disappearing back to his own guest room, and Shunsui flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling with a frown.

_Even though you hate being protected, Nii-sama said that protecting a friend because you value that friendship doesn't mean you think them weak._

He pursed his lips.

_I'm the one who's weak, because I need to have you around. If I didn't, I'd probably fall over myself and slip back, despite all my good intentions to the contrary. I fell into that trap before because I was alone and I didn't have anyone who could put things into perspective for me. I've never been good at talking about things even to those people right around me, and I don't suppose that's going to change any time soon._

_You're always there though, Juu. The friend I needed when I was growing up – and I don't intend on letting you fall into danger again if I can help it._

He closed his eyes.

_I already know what it feels like to lose you, and I haven't forgiven Keitarou for that. I never will. If he keeps away from you, I'll let the Council deal with him in the proper way. But if he comes for you…if he does…I can't guarantee I'll stay out of it. Not this time. You might not like that it's that way, but I won't let that scientist interfere in the things that I hold dear any more than he already has. Regardless of what that means I have to do._

_

* * *

_

Across District Eight, in the small parlour room of the barracks house, Riri too was pensively gazing at the stars, watching them twinkle boldly against the velvet blue of the night sky.

"Oniisama…huh?"

Softly she murmured the words, a wry expression touching her lips.

"Foolishness seems to be catching."

She turned to gaze at the sleeping forms of the two small children, huddled up together beneath a thick blanket as they lay oblivious to their guardians thoughts.

_But Chihiro was right about one thing. Shunsui is kind. Whatever background I have and whatever the complications it throws up, he seemed sincere._

She sank down beside them, reaching out to brush a wisp of stray hair from Shizuka's brow as the small girl let out an involuntary murmur.

_Maybe it's because he calls a District boy his good friend, or maybe it's because he really is soft-heartedly foolish, just like Father. But Takeshi-dono said that Tokutarou-sama had issued an order for increased guard at the barracks, in Shunsui's name. Takeshi-dono said it seemed unlikely that Tokutarou-sama would want to speak to me again in any capacity, and that he'd handed the matter to his brother. That means that his interest in us is satisfied – and we shouldn't be afraid any longer._

She ran her fingers absently over Shizuka's dark brown hair.

_For the both of you, I want a safe future. I've sacrificed enough for that already, and I'll sacrifice more. If Shunsui can help me to ensure you both have that future…I will sacrifice even my pride to him. Your mother was a prostitute, and I'm one too. But I won't have that for you, Shizuka-chan. If I can break the cycle, I will. For your sake and for Inori's, I'll do my best._

She bent to kiss the sleeping child's brow, then,

_For Momiji too. I feel today vindicated her a little bit, too. Whoever took her and killed her…she was my trusted friend to the last. I believe that now more than ever. My pendant got you killed, Momiji – and for that I'm sorry. But maybe by trusting Shunsui and Chihiro's brother, your killer will find some justice. Since that's all I can try to give you, I will._

She sat back, glancing at the moon once more.

_Takeshi-dono said Tokutarou-sama had officially referred to the incidents in Teika as murder. Gaugen _and _Momiji – both killed by a man masquerading as a member of the Clan. He acknowledged that you weren't a thief, but a victim, and my heart is a little bit at rest because of it. Maybe justice does exist for prostitutes here in District Eight. Perhaps I've misjudged my noble kinsfolk with the same prejudice I've believed them guilty of. Perhaps from now on that fact will change._

_Shunsui was kind, and I liked him. But to call him brother…is too soon. Too unwise. There is too much space between us._

She gazed at her fingers pensively.

_Still, it had a nice ring to it. And his voice did too. He wasn't repulsed by me, but instead protective of me…in a way nobody ever has been before. Perhaps we will meet again when you return my pendant to me, Shunsui. Perhaps that will be the end of it. _

She slipped her hand across to tuck Inori's small fist more securely beneath the blanket.

_Or who knows? Perhaps it won't._

_

* * *

_

The clouds were heavy over District Two that night, making the sky seem claustrophobic and stifled as Shirogane made his way carefully and quietly through the trackways that lay between the open stretches of swamp that lay near the District One border. The moon was almost full that night, but its hazy glow was mostly hidden by the heavy weather, and Shirogane pursed his lips, wondering if they were going to have another deluge of rain like the one that had hit them a few days earlier.

_I hope not._

He shivered as a sharp breeze whipped around him, pulling the rough cloak more firmly around his undernourished frame as he soldiered steadily on. At this time of night, he knew the border patrols would likely be on a minimum of staff, and if he could reach the divide before the dawn, he might even be able to slip past the guards on duty and into District One without having to resort to any kind of shinigami magic. Though he had felt Ginkyoujiki's presence more clearly in the last few days, he was not fool enough to think that the demanding trek from District Three to his current location had allowed his already fatigued body any time or space to heal, and so he had resolved to use as little magic as possible, knowing that keeping his reiatsu to a bare minimum was far more important if he was to remain unnoticed.

District Two had been surprisingly peaceful, and Shirogane had been struck by the prosperity of the local communities as they had travelled from town to town. In several locations they had received good coin for their wares, and in the last several young children had gathered to listen to Shirogane's flute, begging him to play tune after tune until Saiji had announced it was time for them to leave. Shirogane had been strangely reminded of Shikiki and the Ukitake children, and had startled himself by obliging the young ones with a repertoire of simple, light-hearted tunes he had learnt as a boy. As he reflected on it now he once more mused ruefully that had they stopped and stared at him in the street, even his closest kin would probably not have managed to pick him out.

_Shirogane has taken second place to Gin – but from hereon in, Gin will have to vanish._

As he reached the furthermost point of the path, where the swamps gave way to rocky mountain terrain, Shirogane turned to glance back with a feeling of regret to where the rest of his travel party were currently gathered, sleeping peacefully under the closed sky.

_I'm sorry that when you wake up, I'll not be with you any more. It's been fun to be Gin for a while, but he's not who I really am. Nagoya Shirogane is who I have to be now – and hope that I can find a way to gain allies here where I couldn't gain them at home._

The checkpoint was another _ri_ walk ahead, but Shirogane was a good navigator, even at night, and though he had refrained from using shunpo to conserve his energy, he felt confident that he would be able to cover the distance before the sun began to rise over the hills of District One. Beyond that, he estimated it would be maybe a half day's walk to the vicinity of the Academy – providing he did not get waylaid on the way by Yamamoto retainers looking for trouble. He had no way of knowing whether Guren had contacted his old teacher or vice versa – but in times like this, pragmatism came to the fore. He could not know, therefore he would keep going.

_I have to return Orihime to Shikiki, therefore I can't be killed. If I can't be killed, I won't let myself get into a situation like I did with those guards. Therefore I'll be all right – and somehow I'll reach Ryuu and Mitsuki before anyone else catches up with me. I made a promise and I must keep it – so in order that I can, I won't be caught._

With this thought uppermost in his mind, he regathered his resolve, striding forward once more towards the familiar peaks of District One.

"You know, I thought you at least had the honour to say goodbye."

The voice, coming as it did so suddenly out of the blackness made him jump, and frightened for a moment he swung around, trying to make out the speaker in the gloom. The next moment a thin white hand shot out of the darkness, closing itself around his wrist and yanking him off the path into some low scrubland, and Shirogane found himself gaze to gaze with an indignant trader's daughter.

"Funaho-san," he whispered, and Funaho's eyes narrowed as she glared at him coldly. There was hurt and anger both in her expression, Shirogane realised, and with a jolt he understood that though he had thought all of his fellow travellers were sleeping, not all of them had been.

_Once again I'm fooled by a lack of clear spirit power. I was too focused on my thoughts to pick up her feeble reiatsu behind me, and now…and now…_

"We said we'd take you to the border." Funaho's grip around his arm tightened, and she gave him a little shake. "And yet you choose to creep off in the dead of night, like you don't want us to see where you go. Are you really going to District One, Gin? Or is there something else you're hiding from us – something you've maybe taken with you as a token of your time with our group?"

Her other hand automatically went towards his ragged sash and, mindful of the fact Ginkyoujiki was concealed beneath it, Shirogane hopped back, pushing her away.

"I haven't stolen anything," he said hotly. "I'm not a common thief. I have my own reasons for leaving at night – they're not your business. Go back to the others, Funaho-san. You've no business coming after me like this."

"If you've nothing to hide, why won't you let me search you?" Funaho's eyes became suspicious. "Was the nice gentle flute player all an act? Have you duped all of us?"

"If I have, and I'm really a travelling rogue out for profit, you've done yourself no favours separating yourself from allies to trail me," Shirogane pointed out archly. "I might just as easily slit your throat, or rape you, or both – since there's no witnesses here to protect you."

"Rape…me?" Despite herself, Funaho took a step back, and Shirogane snorted, shaking his head.

"I'm not the kind of man who assaults a woman," he said flatly. "Not even if she accuses me of being a thief. I wanted to cross the border in darkness because there will be less people there guarding it. That's all."

"That didn't bother you when we crossed from Third to Second," Funaho snapped. "You were quite happy to play your flute even, as we went through the checks."

"But I won't be crossing this time with you," Shirogane said sensibly. "We'll part ways. And I won't have that protection, will I?"

"…Oh." Despite herself, Funaho looked disconcerted. "But you didn't even say goodbye. If you were going to leave this evening…"

She faltered, glancing at her hands.

"I wanted to at least see you off," she murmured, "because I've liked having you with us. And it's cold, Gin. To just sneak away like this. It's bad manners – you should always say goodbye because you may never meet someone again."

"I suppose that's true," Shirogane acknowledged. "I'm sorry. I didn't think of it that way."

His gaze flitted towards the mountain path.

"There are people in District One who may not want me to get through the barriers," he said honestly. "They might be looking for me to stop me. I didn't want to involve anyone else in my family's problems – or get anyone else hurt. You people have been kind to me – the kindest thing I thought I could do was leave you so that if anyone asked you about me, you couldn't answer them."

"That sounds as though you're wanted by someone," Funaho's eyes narrowed. "As though you're in trouble of some kind, Gin. And you just haven't told us about it."

Shirogane shrugged, beginning to walk away down the path to the mountains.

"Everyone has things they don't talk about," he said softly. "Even you do, Funaho-san. Goodbye. I wish you and your companions safe travel beyond here – probably we won't meet again."

"Gin!"

Funaho called him back, but Shirogane did not heed her shout, taking one purposeful step after another as he put more and more distance between them.

_Gin is gone. Gin doesn't exist. Shirogane will cross the border, and Shirogane has no business with you or your friends. He'll only bring them trouble - so go back to them and forget about Gin the flute player. _

There was no further sound, and Shirogane sighed, rubbing his temples. He did not stop moving, however, nor did he look back, for despite the necessity of the parting and the shortness of the acquaintance, he had become accustomed to the kind words and friendly banter that had occupied his daily routine since his departure from the Ukitake farm.

No, he corrected himself. Before that. From the moment Shikiki and her companions had found him and ferried him back to their home, he had been surrounded by warmth and gentle kindness. And yet all of that kindness had come from District hands.

_As though somebody wished this karma on me to make me understand that they are people._

Shirogane bit his lip, tasting blood on his tongue.

_I have ridiculed them, dismissed them, insulted them in every possible way since I can remember. And yet in my time of crisis, it is District people who have helped me. Without questioning me, and even when their own supplies are low, they took me in, sheltered me and enabled me to go on. If I can make any difference at all to my Clan's future, it's because of the District people. Not because of those born of noble blood. You idiot, Shirogane. The world is changing and you thought you could remain above it. But Genryuusai-sensei is right. He was always right. The Districts have value. And we should...we should be making the most of that value before it's too late for this world._

At that moment, an ear-splitting shriek pierced the night sky and the shinigami froze, stopping dead in his tracks as he realised from where the sound had come.

"Funaho-san!" He muttered, and then the next second he felt it - the dull, twisted hum of dark reiatsu that was only too familiar to his Gotei-honed senses.

_Hollow._

He cursed, turning on his heel and hastening back the way he had just come, not even stopping to think about what he was doing or why. As he reached the place where the mountain path began, he saw that Funaho was huddled on the ground, her eyes two black pools in a chalk white face as she stared up in horror at the beast that lumbered over her. Her reiatsu was not significant, and by Shirogane's standards, not even worth mentioning. But of the travelling tradespeople it was easily the most potent - and with Shirogane's own kept at base minimum, it had been Funaho whom the beast had sought out.

She was shaking, visibly trembling with fear, and the monster let out a roar, raising a club-like paw and swinging it down in her direction.

_"Hadou no Sanjuu San! Soukatsui!"_

Before Shirogane even knew what he was doing, the words were out of his mouth, a blue barrage of fire-hot energy rocketing across the uneven terrain on a direct course for the creature's outstretched hand. It made contact, exploding against the Hollow's arm and knocking the unwieldy limb free at the elbow, sending it disintegrating into the night air.

The beast howled, lumbering around to face the person who had suddenly attacked it, and Shirogane drew breath into his lungs, the blue light still prickling against his finger tips as he realised he had now drawn the monster towards him instead.

_But that might be better. _

Funaho forgotten for the moment, he slipped his right hand beneath the worn peasant sash, groping for the wrap of cloth that concealed his precious _zanpakutou._ Ginkyoujiki was humming with impatience and anticipation, and as the Hollow lunged forward, teeth bared in an attempt to decapitate the shinigami where he stood, Shirogane pulled the glittering weapon out into the night air, his eyes narrowing as he fell easily into the habits he had been trained in for so long.

The beast's other limb came down, but Shirogane was ready for it, parrying it back with Ginkyoujiki's sealed blade as he contemplated his best course of action. The Hollow was not one of the strongest, but nor was it a weakling - and Shirogane's own strength was still somewhat compromised. Yet he knew he could not risk the arrival of other shinigami on the scene, and so in a split-second he made his decision, thrusting his sword out in front of him as _reiryoku_ swirled through his travel-worn body.

"_Saite, Ginkyoujiki_!" He commanded, and immediately the weapon was coated in a haze of silver light, splitting into petals of spinning shrapnel that shot out across the night sky like shooting stars. They embedded themselves in the Hollow - some in his body, some in his remaining arm, and a few lodged in the skull like mask that cloaked his face, causing him to shriek and groan in pain and fright. Shirogane's eyes became slits, and he drew down the hilt of his weapon, allowing the natural magnetism of his blade's magic to pull the shards back together, cleaving them through the Hollow's thick skin and heavy mask as they did so.

As the silver petals broke apart the Hollow's lumbering form, Shirogane watched with an almost detached air, the pieces of the creature dissipating into black wisps like shadows before disappearing completely into the ether.

Breathing heavily, Shirogane gave his sword hilt a little shake, and one by one the stray fragments of his _zanpakutou_'s blade returned to their proper positions, allowing him to seal the weapon back into its normal sleeping form. It had taken some effort to release his sword this time - but he had managed to do it, and to control it, also.

_I'm almost better, then. Almost fully recovered, even despite the last two weeks travel. So much to the good...I suppose this body is stronger than I gave it credit for. Either that or it's become obstinate. It doesn't want to die._

"G...Gin?"

Funaho's wavery voice brought him back to the present, and with a jolt of dismay he turned to face her, remembering all too late the reason that the Hollow had emerged in the first place.

"Funaho-san," he whispered, and at the sound of her name, Funaho scrambled unsteadily to her feet, taking a step or two back towards the swamplands and away from the man who stood before her, sword still glittering faintly in the dim light.

"What...who...how..." It was clear that the girl could not form coherent words, and for a moment Shirogane stared at her, uncertain whether to conceal himself and flee, or whether he should even attempt to take her with him, for he could not let someone roam free who had seen him release his sword. If he wasn't careful, connections might be made, and if they were, here in the Shadow Cat's District Two...

Shirogane sighed, the adrenalin seeping out of him as he sank to the ground, taking a deep breath of air into his lungs. Funaho had not fled, but stood still some distance away, her gaze fixed fearfully on the weapon that he still held in his hand.

"Who are you?" she murmured, and Shirogane gazed at her hopelessly, knowing that even if he had wanted to silence her, he would not be able to do it.

_Assaulting a woman is something I do not do. Not even to protect myself. Which leaves only one avenue open to me. _

"That thing...what...did you do?"

At Shirogane's continued silence, Funaho took a nervous step forward, faltering the moment she saw the shinigami's sword move. Shirogane pursed his lips, wrapping Ginkyoujiki once more in the tattered fabric that had concealed him, and meeting Funaho's gaze with a grave one of his own.

"The Hollow is gone. You're safe," he said quietly, "but you now hold my life in your hands. Since I just saved you - I hope you'll return the favour by not telling anyone about this. If you do - it may mean my death."

"Your..death?" Funaho looked stricken. "But...because you killed that monster? Someone would kill you, because you...?"

"Because I'm not meant to be here." Shirogane got slowly to his feet, dusting himself down. "And if it was to be found that I was...I don't know what might happen. If people found me, perhaps they would kill me."

He closed his eyes briefly for a moment, then,

"In this land especially, since I'm not authorised to release my sword in District Two, and I doubt the Shadow Cat would look on me doing so with kindness."

"Release your...your sword?" Funaho took another hesitant step towards him. "You...that's...a shinigami...sword? It is, isn't it? To kill monsters with...that's what it is, isn't it?"

"Yes. Yes it is."

"But why...why do you have one, Gin? Why could you make the whole area explode into blue flame...how...?"

She was almost within reach of him now, still shaking from the fear of her close shave, and instinctively Shirogane reached out to take her hands, meeting her gaze head on with a sombre one of his own.

"Because I'm a shinigami," he said gravely. "And that's why I'm going to District One."

"A shinigami?" Funaho echoed faintly. "But...if that's true then...why...Gin...with us...why...?"

Shirogane paused for a moment, gathering his wits. Then he nodded.

"If I tell you, then my life really will be in your hands," he said quietly. "You might think that's an exaggeration, but it's not. I've already had my life threatened at least once in the last few weeks, and it's not impossible that I'll be arrested the moment I cross into District One. But it's a risk I have to take, because I have kin there I need to see. A cousin of mine was murdered, and I have to find out why."

"A cousin of yours?" Funaho was slowly regaining her wits. "And the people who killed him...might come to kill you?"

"I don't know. I don't know much at all," Shirogane admitted, frustration clear in his gaze. "My family believe me guilty - of something, maybe even murder - but I was framed, and forced to flee. Since then I've been dodging the retainers and hiding where I can. I'm not a travelling musician, Funaho-san. That was a lie and I'm sorry for it. It was a lie that got me safely from District Three to Two - and closer to my goal."

"A lie." Funaho bit her lip. "But you play the flute so beautifully. How can that be a lie? You've spent two weeks with us, near enough. Are you saying all of that was a lie? Talking together, laughing together, sharing jokes at the market - that too?"

"No." Despite himself, Shirogane smiled, shaking his head. "No, that wasn't. On the contrary, you and your friends taught me a lot of things. Things I didn't know about the Districts, and how kind the people are there. Things that make me ashamed of some of the things I've always believed. You and your friends are people to whom I owe a debt I can't repay. So at the very least I didn't want to involve you in my situation any further. That's why I left in the dead of night. Because my problems aren't yours to contend with, I don't want to return kindness with bringing people into harm's way."

"District people." Funaho's brow creased, and she stared at him as if seeing him anew. "But that means...you're Clan? Oh God, of course you are. Of course, a shinigami..."

She pulled back from his hold, horror and embarrassment in her dark eyes.

"And the way I've spoken to you, and all of those things..."

"You spoke to me as a friend and an ally," Shirogane shook his head. "As Gin's ally. You have no idea how much that has helped me."

"Gin's ally." Funaho let out a small sigh. "Gin...isn't your real name, though, is it?"

Shirogane shrugged.

"Yes and no," he admitted. "My true name is Shirogane. Shirogane means silver, just like Gin. Therefore my name is Gin. From when I was small, a cousin of mine called me 'Gin', so it's a name that belongs to me too."

"Shirogane...dono." Funaho spoke the words softly, and Shirogane nodded.

"And you came from District Six." Funaho's eyes suddenly widened and she grabbed him by the sleeves, alarm in her expression.

"The rogue that Saiji-san was talking about! The criminal from District Six - it_ is_ you! Even though we were so casually talking - we were talking about _you_, and none of us even realised it! That the person himself was right there among us...hiding...hiding among us..."

"Do you believe me to be a criminal?" Shirogane asked evenly, and Funaho started, staring at him uncertainly. Then she exhaled slowly, shaking her head.

"You just saved my life," she said unsteadily. "You risked my seeing your true self, and not only that - on others seeing it too. But you still saved me. I know you came back because of that, didn't you?"

"A shinigami's duty is to save people from Hollows," Shirogane said matter-of-factly. "Nobody who bears a blade stands back and watches someone die when they could save them. Nobody with honour of any kind could act in that way, and especially not anyone who considers themselves even a fragment a part of the Kuchiki Clan."

He reached out to touch Funaho on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I didn't want you to see behind Gin's facade, or bring you into danger because you did. But what I've told you is serious information. If you tell anyone...even a little bit of it..."

"I won't." Funaho's gaze became resolute and she shook her head, dark tail of hair swinging out behind her. "You saved me and I'll return the favour. Just as you asked me to. But..."

She frowned, and Shirogane caught the wistful look in her expression.

"I wish Gin had been real," she admitted. "I might have managed to meet him again, one day, if he was. And though two weeks is too short to know it for sure...I think if he had been real, I might have...come to like him much more than I do already. Perhaps we would have been close. But you...you're not Gin. Not really. And...there's probably a _hime_ who's waiting for you when all of this dies down."

"There's no _hime_." Shirogane was taken aback. "But Funaho-san..."

"It's all right." Funaho offered him a faint smile, though Shirogane was horrified to see the glimmer of tears against her lashes. "I'll go back to the others and I'll go to sleep. When they wake, I'll tell them you left in the night and I didn't see or hear anything. I'll keep your secret, I promise. As a favour to Gin, because his flute made me happy. For a while, it made me forget losing Father. And I'm grateful for that at least."

"I'll walk you back," Shirogane suggested, but Funaho shook her head.

"You'll lose time. You wanted to cross the border by dawn, didn't you?" she reminded him. "I'll be all right. The Hollow's gone now, so I'm safe, and I know my way. But..."

She paused, ferreting in her sash for something small and square which she pulled out, taking Shirogane's hand and pressing it awkwardly into his palm.

"Use this to cross the border," she murmured, "as thanks for Gin's flute playing. You'll find it easier that way."

"Funaho-san...but this is..." Shirogane glanced at the border token, his eyes widening in surprise. "This is yours! You need it to travel, how..."

"I can get another, and most border guards don't take any notice of a peasant woman travelling here or there trying to drum up trade," Funaho said wryly. "When we travel in a group, often it's only Saiji-san whose token gets us through. You've seen that yourself once already. So take it. Use it to pass through. I don't need it back. It's my thanks for everything - my life and everything. And my apology...for suspecting you of theft."

"I've been accused of worse, lately." Shirogane pulled a face, but obediently slipped the token into his own sash, alongside Shikiki's flute. "But I appreciate it. It will make my passage easier, so thank you."

He eyed her for a moment, then,

"Stay safe," he said softly. "Perhaps the next time you and your friends visit Sixth's sakura festivals, all will be peaceful with my Clan once more."

With that he turned on his heel for the last time, making his way slowly back along the path towards the border with District One.

Although he didn't turn back, he knew that she was still there, watching him until he disappeared from her line of sight. Though he didn't see her face, he knew that the tears that had lingered on her lashes had probably started to fall, and with a lurching sense of guilt, he realised he had unwittingly stolen her heart.

_Or Gin did. Shirogane did not. _

He gazed down at his left hand, rubbing the residue from the Kidou spell from his finger tips.

_And Shirogane is the one who's going to District One. I have no choice now. No looking back. If I don't cross soon, people may come here to find me. I can't waste any more time - the sooner I get to the border crossing, the better._


	45. Kuchiki Conviction

**Chapter Forty Four: Kuchiki Conviction**

"You sent for me, Genryuusai-sensei?"

Ryuu stood before the desk of his headmaster's study, a questioning look in his grey eyes as he met the old man's thoughtful gaze. To any casual observer, the Kuchiki was impeccably turned out, his unform clean and neatly fastened and his hair pulled properly back into the white ties that befitted a student of some breeding and character. His words were soft spoken, respectful and polite, yet Genryuusai had not taught generations of this family for nothing. As he gazed at his student, he reflected pensively that Ryuu was at his core no different from other proud Kuchiki – keeping his cards close to his chest and cloaking his real feelings in a haze of good manners.

He could not put off this conversation any longer. Today was the penultimate day of the summer break, and before too long, other students would begin to return to the school for the autumn semester. Though the number of students present at the school had no real bearing on his decisions, Genryuusai had felt it better to consult Ryuu's opinion before the news of the Senior mission became public knowledge.

And given that, among the students who had stayed behind were those like Sora whose ears were always close to the grapevine, now was as good a time as any other.

"I did." He broke the silence now, offering the boy a smile. "Summer break has almost ended, and so I thought to speak to you before your fellows return."

"Just me, Sensei?" Ryuu's expression registered wary surprise, and Genryuusai inclined his head slightly in confirmation.

"For now, yes. It is information your classmates will also receive, but in your case I felt it important to make a special exception," he said lightly. "It relates to the Senior curriculum for the coming term."

"Oh." Ryuu visibly relaxed at these words, and Genryuusai knew he had feared more bad news from home. "I thought that maybe Guren-sama or Father had been contacting you again, and I was afraid…"

"To my knowledge, nothing untoward has happened in District Six since your Father's visit here some weeks ago." Genryuusai shook his head. "Whether it is calm before a storm or whether it isn't is yet to be seen – but in any respect, your family do not seem to have suffered any more hardship in the meantime."

"Thank goodness," Ryuu murmured. "Since Guren-sama was attacked, and then all this fuss about the Shihouin…"

"Tell me, Ryuu, what you believe to be the truth?" Genryuusai asked softly, and Ryuu started, immediately on his guard.

"Sensei? I thought this was about…"

"It is. But my question has relevance, as you'll come to see." Genryuusai sat back, gauging his young companion's demeanour carefully. Ryuu was particularly talented at concealing his feelings, but the old man could sense the anger and frustration rippling just beneath the boy's detached appearance. "Will you share with me your thoughts? I know you have told me on several occasions that you believe in your cousin's innocence. Is that still the case?"

"Shirogane-senpai? Of course." Ryuu was taken aback. "I've no reason to suspect him of anything, except for getting too close to danger."

"Yes. I believe that is probably true." Genryuusai stroked his moustache thoughtfully. "He is hot tempered and principled, your cousin – but most dangerous of all to an enemy, he has a quick and clever brain. I imagine that forcing him into exile has allowed the assassins a little more breathing space in District Six, for Guren-sama is tied up in Clan concerns and your Father…"

He trailed off, noting the flicker of something in Ryuu's grey eyes, and he pursed his lips.

"I see," he said softly. "You're not so convinced of Seiren-dono's innocence in this matter, are you?"

"I…I don't know," Ryuu admitted awkwardly. "But to have such doubts in my own Father – Sensei, it must be wrong, but yet I can't completely shake it from my mind."

"You have reasons to suppose your Father would harm young Ribari?"

"He…has me," Ryuu said sadly. "I'm his motive, Sensei. If he wanted to act against Guren-sama and Ribari-sama, I would be the reason why."

"To give you the Clan?"

Ryuu nodded.

"Then that's why you're so reluctant to accept such a proposition?"

"No," Ryuu sighed heavily. "Sensei, I…I really don't want to lead the Kuchiki Clan. Support it, yes. But I'm not…I don't…"

He paused, rubbing his temples, and Genryuusai waited for him to gather his thoughts, knowing that such confessions were not characteristic of his difficult, awkward student.

"I don't understand people well enough to lead the Clan." At length Ryuu raised his gaze, and Genryuusai saw a hopelessness deep in his eyes. "All I have to recommend me is Father's bloodline, no skills or talents worth speaking of. The Kuchiki deserves a leader who can appreciate the things I cannot."

"Learning about people is the same as learning about your studies, surely?" Genryuusai asked softly, and Ryuu shook his head.

"There are conditional factors involved," he replied frankly. "A person does not always react in the same way. A book, on the other hand, always contains the same contents regardless of when you choose to read it. I like such stable boundaries."

"But the only certainty in life is change, and change begins with instability," Genryuusai pointed out.

"Indeed. Which is precisely why I feel I would not make a good Clan leader," Ryuu responded quietly. "Before I came to the Academy, Mitsuki was probably the only person who I considered close to me, and I know now that that was because of the way her gift makes her understand even things that are not said. Here, it's true, I've managed to forge bonds with people and created friendships I hope to keep for the rest of my life. But those friendships were not really forged by me, Sensei. They were forged by the others around me choosing to include me in their activities. Before I knew it, I had become comfortable with that arrangement – but I did not instigate it, nor can I tell you how it came about. A Clan leader can't be reactive in that manner. He must be able to take the initiative and forge the bonds himself. And I confess…such a thing is beyond my limited scope of human understanding. I would administrate the Clan to a high level, and I have confidence in my sword skills. But I am not born to lead people and understand them. And I would bring the Kuchiki Clan to harm."

"You've spent much time thinking on this, haven't you?" Genryuusai realised, and Ryuu nodded.

"Yes, sir. I have."

"Then you've thought around all the possibilities, realising that you remain the one most likely to be named Clan heir?"

"Yes sir."

"All right then." Genryuusai rubbed his beard pensively. "Then for the time being we'll return to the matter of other people - your belief in your senpai, and your doubts about your Father. It's my personal belief that neither one of them are your enemy, but there is one way we can try to know for sure."

"Sensei?" Ryuu blinked, and Genryuusai smiled.

"This must not be circulated to your companions, even Mitsuki," he said quietly. "In Guren-dono's absence and in light of your current position within the Clan, I'm sharing this with you and you alone. I have heard from your cousin Shirogane since he left the main estate."

"From Shirogane-senpai?" Ryuu's eyes lit up with a mixture of relief and hope, then, "He is safe?"

"I believe so." Genryuusai nodded, his mind flitting to the faint flicker of familiar spirit power that had crossed the District border early that morning. "Though of course his current whereabouts aren't known for sure. However, in his letter to me, Shirogane shared some information of his own. And he also expressed clearly that _he _believes Seiren-dono to be innocent of any crime."

"Senpai did?" Ryuu's eyes registered shock, then they clouded.

"But if he knew the things I do…" he murmured, more than half to himself. Genryuusai gazed at him for a moment, but decided not to press that issue any further.

"I called you here today to find out how your thoughts were," he said instead. "It's traditional for my Senior class to spend some time in the Real World before they graduate. The trip is not supervised, and unlike your camp in second year, it is not strictly regimented, either. It is plunging you into an area with known Hollow activity of a medium to basic level and allowing you to use the skills you've learnt in a real environment for the first time. It's my intention to send your class on the same trip as I have previous years. My only question is…whether or not you will go too."

Ryuu's expression had become one of first excitement then incredulity, and then at last, dismay as he registered the last part of his companion's words.

"Not go?" he echoed. "But why? Sensei, why should I be kept behind?"

"There is a possibility that the people who are hurting your Clan are using the Real World as a base for their operations. That's how they're able to escape so completely – no one Clan nor the Council has full jurisdiction over the Real World, and therefore exiles there are hard to hunt down," Genryuusai said gravely. "Your life might be put in increasing amounts of danger if you were to go. Your family would probably not approve of you going at all, given the current circumstances."

Ryuu's brows knitted together as he considered this.

"If I did go, however, I may lure these assassins out of hiding," he murmured, and Genryuusai could see the boy's clever brain at work as he thought through the problem in his usual methodological fashion. "In which case, there is a benefit to sending me, isn't there?"

"That has also been considered," Genryuusai agreed. "I'm not asking District Six to make this judgement, Ryuu. I'm asking it of you. I'm of the belief Shirogane and your Father are both innocents and that they are being used by more dangerous people as pawns to satisfy some aim or goal unconnected with your Clan's hierarchy. But without evidence, I cannot safely offer Shirogane sanctuary here because it might risk incurring the wrath of your kinsfolk. At best they would probably withdraw you from my care, if he is really considered a suspect in this."

"Make me leave?" Ryuu's eyes reflected horror. "Before graduating?"

"Your Father's concern for your safety indicates that isn't an impossibility, with things being as they are."

"I have already told him…I've said…"

Ryuu clenched his fists, anger crossing his proud features.

"Sensei, I don't want Father interfering in my education," he said flatly. "On no terms whatsoever should you consider his requests – whether they be major, minor, or perceived to be for my benefit. I am an adult now and able to decide for myself what path to take. I am going to graduate with my fellows in the spring."

"That is your resolve?"

"Yes, sir. It is."

Ryuu's eyes flashed with a sudden determination that took even Genryuusai a little aback.

"And with your permission, Sensei, I should like to accompany my classmates to the Real World. If I bring danger to me, I will just have to face that danger. But if it helps unmask those who seek to hurt people close to me, I will go. That is the duty of a shinigami, is it not? To enter situations and encounter personal risk in order to protect others?"

"It is indeed." Genryuusai's lips spread into a warm smile and he nodded his head. "You have grown a good deal in the time I've known you, Ryuu – and I am proud of the answer you just gave. Very well. I shall continue to make arrangements accordingly. I have the consent of the most high ranking Kuchiki I have easy access to reach, and therefore I can proceed."

"Thank you." Ryuu's expression became grave. "My Clan has caused you considerable disruption already since the year began. I would like to help offset that by proving of some material use."

"Don't underestimate yourself," Genryuusai told him softly. "Your life is not a bargaining chip that can be thrown away. Dangerous though this errand is, I want you back alive. Understand? You aren't there to sacrifice yourself for your Clan's sake."

"I have no interest in dying, Sensei," Ryuu said firmly. "Dead people make even worse Clan heirs than live ones of my calibre, and therefore I will not risk death."

Despite himself, Genryuusai was amused by his student's blunt appraisal of the situation, and he nodded.

"Good," he said approvingly, "then there's no more I have to say to you. Your classmates will begin returning the day after tomorrow – please keep this mission a secret from them until I choose to tell them about it directly. I am trusting you – understand?"

Ryuu bowed his head, and Genryuusai knew that the student understood he had been trusted with more than just the keeping of a secret.

_But such trust seems to have lightened the burden that hangs over you. I'm glad I made the choice I did. Ryuu is the kind who likes control – and likes to be useful, not helpless on the sidelines. This gives him a purpose and a test for his future. It's a gamble, but I believe he will come back alive. And that it might be the gamble we need to lure that mad scientist out. _

_

* * *

_It was going to be a nice day.

Shirogane paused at the top of the mountain path, turning to gaze back down pensively at the ground he had already covered. Though he remembered the layout of District One quite well from his time as a student here, he was still struck by the length of the track from the border to the familiar mountain range where he and his fellows had carried out various training exercises, and he let out a little sigh, dropping back against the sheer rock face in relief.

There had been no rain, and though there were dark clouds in the direction of District Two, the sun was already gleaming brightly over the land of the Yamamoto. This was both a blessing and a curse, however, for the mud-spattered peasant robes that had been his disguise since leaving the Ukitake home were all the more heavy for their dishevilled state, and he knew that the landscape hereabouts was likely to be unforgiving for some distance ahead.

_The peaks of District One are dry and exposed...but at least there's no mist and I can see my path ahead with some clarity. _

He stifled a yawn, reflecting pensively on the group of traders he'd left behind. Had Funaho rejoined them safely? He hoped so. That she would keep his secret, he had no doubts - but despite himself, he felt a faint flicker of regret at the manner of their parting.

_If she'd never seen Shirogane, it would've been better. I destroyed her illusion, and that was not my intention._

A bird wheeled overhead, letting out a raucous shriek as though warning its fellows of his presence, and Shirogane cast it a rueful grin.

"You're safe enough," he said aloud. "I'm tired and I'm hungry, but firing Kidou to bring you down would alert people to the fact I'm here, and I can't do that right at the moment. There aren't as many guards as I thought there'd be, but I won't make them any more suspicious than they already are."

His stomach growled faintly, and he pushed the thought away, turning back towards the path that led in the direction of the Academy.

_When I was a second year, we camped near here. There was a lake of some size, if I remember correctly - a lake of clear water in which one could bathe without fear of disturbance. I can wash the mud free from my body, even if it would be too risky to try and clean my clothes. The morning heat has made me sweat and the cheap fabric is sticking to me. Being unrecogniseable may have its advantages, but I'm not sure I can show that face to the people I know here. They might not believe that it's me - and explaining may take time._

He ran his fingers pensively against the rough rock face, judging how far along the mountain path he had come. As a student, he had often strayed beyond the immediate borders of the school's most local town, preferring to spend time by himself in relative quiet when he wanted to study or practice swings with his sword. It had been this fondness for solitary pursuits that had inspired Genryuusai to hold him back from graduating in the first instance, for he had managed to evade most all of the necessary duties with the junior students in his first spell as a Senior, but as he found his way off the mountain path and onto the track that led to the lake he remembered, he reminded himself that his life now was somewhat thanks to his having taken a _deshi_.

_The Ukitake-ke took me in because of that service. Funny how things work out...though I imagine they wouldn't seem so coincidental to Sensei. I underestimated him and the way in which he sees the world - but thinking on it now, he'd be a frightening person to have as an enemy. I hope I can convince him that I'm innocent. If he's shielding me, there'll be no danger. But if not..._

He stepped into the clearing, pausing to watch the gently rippling surface of the lake water for a moment. It was deceptively peaceful in these parts, for there were no settlements in this rough terrain, and it was for that reason that the second years usually held their camp in this particular region of District One. Yet though there were signs that people had been here within the past few months, Shirogane was relieved to see no immediate signs of student activity, and he let out his breath in a rush, reaching to unfasten the mud-thick sash that was knotted about his waist.

Stripping down to his underclothes, he set the remainder of his dirty clothing in a neat pile on the bank. Concealing Ginkyoujiki and Shikiki's flute beneath the folds of fabric, he dove deep beneath the slick, cool water, enjoying its feel against his skin. He had roughed it with equanimity, but there was no mistaking the feeling of being clean, and as the gentle water teased his thick dark hair loose from its rigid ties, Shirogane allowed himself to truly relax, closing his eyes against the glare of the bright morning sun as his body floated naturally to the surface.

But he could not spend forever here.

Reluctantly he left the water, his ebony curls dripping loose around his shoulders as he stepped onto the bank. The thick, coarse fabric of his undergarments felt heavy against his skin, but he no longer felt so caked in grime, and he smiled grimly, realising that he had washed away the last of Gin's existence with his quick, impromptu bath.

Gathering up the remainder of his clothing, and tucking both the flute and the still wrapped Ginkyoujiki under his arm, he started back towards the main path, knowing that a brisk walk in the bright light would soon dry both his wet hair and his dripping underclothes. It was not the kind of appearance that, a few weeks earlier, he would have willingly chosen to show the world, but Shirogane had learnt much during his exile and he didn't even give it a thought. Instead he felt only refreshed by his dip, enjoying the caressing touch of the warm sunlight against his bare skin.

_Unless I miss my guess, this path also leads into the part of the mountains where bears used to live. I remember Sensei telling us that the creatures no longer came this close to shinigami activity, but there were caves and other places in this vicinity. If that's true, I might be able to find somewhere I can conceal myself for a little while._

He stifled another yawn.

_It's hot, I'm tired, and I didn't sleep at all last night thanks to my long trek. Funaho-san's token meant nobody even looked at me when I crossed the border, and though there might be investigations into the disturbance last evening, I'm well away from it now. Nothing's happened this side of the border, so District Two will likely be looking into that as an isolated incident if they even bother to care. It doesn't seem as though anybody's stationed in this area to find me - so Sensei's either kept my letter to himself, or has decided not to have me so easily arrested. _

He glanced down at his mud-caked sandals, reflecting pensively that whilst it would be nicer to walk barefoot, the uneven surface of the path would likely render his feet to ribbons.

_What you gave me has stood the journey well though, Kamikura-dono. And thanks to Miyabi and Shikiki, my guise as a travelling musician has been perfect. A few hours sleep should not hurt me - if I can find a suitable cave to shelter in._

He ducked beneath a trailing vine, pushing back the branches of several bushes as he took a short-cut between the sheer faces of the mountains to the path that led to the caves. He had used this path before, to slip easily and quickly into more open terrain, but now he used it in reverse, racking his memory as he did so to pinpoint the location of the former bear hiding places. They were largely hidden from open view, several overgrown by heavy greenery in the temperate District One climate, and he had never really tried to find them before. However, his persistence eventually paid dividends, and he ripped apart the curtain of leaves and trailing stems, stepping with some relief into the dry coolness beyond.

The cave had not been used for some long time, and Shirogane found himself glad to be out of the sun. Even in the short space of time, his body had dried, and though his dark hair was still damp, he took the soiled sash from his clothing, tying the curls mercilessly and swiftly back out of his face.

Resisting the temptation to flicker a spell from his fingers to better light the cave, instead he made do in the gloom, feeling his way carefully as he moved deeper inside the mountain. At the very end of the tunnel was a slightly more open area, a result of a natural seam in the rock, and dead leaf matter lay strewn about it, discarded and dusty from several years in this secluded location.

Shirogane bent to touch the leaves with a thoughtful look on his face. Then, carefully and deftly, he gathered the scattered matter together, unfolding the bundle of clothing and spreading the hakamashita out across the makeshift pile with the cleaner side facing up. Slipping the flute and then Ginkyoujiki down at his side, within easy reach in the case of trouble, he dropped down onto the haphazard bedding, realising with approval that though it was far from perfect, it would shield him from the cold of the stone and the hardness of the uneven cave floor.

_And I'm too tired to be fussy about where I sleep. A fire might be nice, in here, being that it's so far from the outside sun - but there's a nice coolness to the air, and smoke would only make it hard to breathe._

Shirogane curled up on the worn fabric, closing his eyes.

_Just a few hours to sleep and regain my strength before I work out how to try and get to the Academy. Just a few more hours...and then my journey will go on._

_

* * *

_"How long, exactly, are you planning on lingering around here for?"

Seiren glanced up from his seat by the window, setting aside the book he had only been pretending to read at the sound of his wife's voice. Since he had returned home to the manor his Father had given him on the event of his marriage, there had been little conversation between the couple, but as he raised his grey eyes to meet Shouko's accusing ones, Seiren knew that that state of affairs had about reached their limit.

He sighed, taking in his wife's appearance with a look of resignation in his gaze.

_As if my head isn't already aching enough._

When he had first withdrawn to his manor, following his conversation with Kinnya, it had been mostly in order to think over his Uncle's words and to detach himself from the frenzy of suspicion surrounding his surviving nephew. But there had been another reason too – since his confrontation with Ryuu, he had struggled to sleep at the central manor, and had hoped that by coming home he might be able to get past this and rest.

However, being constantly in his wife's presence had never been conducive to Seiren's relaxation, and the tension of this manor had hardly been superseded by the tension at Guren's. Consequently he had slept badly again the previous night, the dull throbbing ache across his temples telling him that he would have done better not getting up at all. He knew that it was stress, and that as a small child his body had often reacted this way, for his naturally weak physical constitution and highly strung disposition had only been overcome by hard hours training with a sword among the rank and file soldiers. Determination had made him stronger – but at times like this, when political pressure loomed, his body was prone to slipping back into old bad habits. Consequently his patience was at a minimum and his tolerance for Shouko's company at its thinnest.

At least if he had remained in his chamber, he thought darkly to himself, it was almost a guarantee that his wife would not visit him. They had not shared the same bedchamber since the birth of their youngest daughter Miouko – an event which had coincided with the birth of Guren's only son Ribari by a matter of days. Though most outside of Seiren's immediate circle believed that the couple had drifted apart once it became clear Shouko was not willing to bear any more children, Seiren knew that the truth was something else – and thinking about that fact too only made his head ache further.

This morning, as every morning, Shouko was the image of the Kuchiki lady, her black hair wound back from her face in a traditional Clan style and her lips touched by a rich red veneer that Seiren was sure had probably been imported from foreign lands. It accentuated her delicate, pale complexion, but there was nothing particularly delicate in Shouko's needle-sharp silver eyes, and although she had always been considered a great Clan beauty, Seiren could not see her as anything more than a painted figurine.

She wore a delicate cream kimono crafted by the finest tailors in Sixth District and from the most expensive woven silk. The gentle green _obi_ at her waist was embroided with sakura blossoms, and in her hand she held a carved fan which, had it been unfolded, Seiren knew would match the rest of the outfit to perfection. When they had been courting, Seiren had soon learnt of Shouko's fondness for fans of different styles and woods, and he had spent a good deal of money on having several specially made to suit her exact tastes. That had been a different time, and they had been different people - but Shouko's material interests had not waned as easily as her marital ones, and as her eyes became piercing now, Seiren knew that they were probably about to have another of the disagreements that had rent their marriage into little more than a political farce.

"This is my manor, Shouko," he spoke quietly now, watching as the fan flicked open and shut to indicate the lady's displeasure. "I can therefore come and go as I please. As you well know, I've given over most of the place to you whilst I'm at the central court...but this is still my land and my holding and I can do with it as I see fit."

"The Kuchiki court is where you should be now," Shouko strode across the room, flipping her fan around to jab her husband in the shoulder. "You know that that's the case. Ryuu's claim will fall and fade if you're not there to push it, and with things how they are, the family needs strength and unity. For you to choose now to take a holiday of all times - what is playing across your brain this time, husband?"

"Politics are no province of women, and especially not of you." Seiren's brows twitched together in annoyance at her peremptory tone, and Shouko snorted, jabbing him with her fan a second time as she bent her head low to meet his gaze. A wave of perfume washed over him, and Seiren frowned, recognising the scent too as an expensive imported fragrance.

"If I hadn't married such a useless shell of a man, perhaps I wouldn't need to pay any attention to it," she said now, her voice scathing, "but somebody needs to do something. At this rate, the standing of this family will slip into dust, and I didn't marry you so that you could discard your duties and slip away into shadow on your own whims."

"Surprising as it may be to you, but your opinion is neither wanted nor required." Seiren pushed her arm aside, getting to his feet and forcing her to take a step or two back. "As my wife, you have no purpose in this Clan other than to be mother to my children. Since you're quite capable of exploiting all the other advantages of being the sister-in-law of the Clan leader, I'm surprised you can find time from experimenting with the latest expensive products to pay attention to anything else."

"Do you think I would have married you, if you weren't Guren-sama's brother?" Shouko's retort was derisive. "You always like to pretend you have importance, Seiren, but the reality of it has always been quite different. Do you think I would have settled so easily for marrying you if I hadn't seen the other possibilities involved? I am the mother of your children, including your only son. And unlike you, my son is not useless."

Her eyes narrowed.

"But you want to hurt his position anyway, because it's something you can never attain to?"

"On the contrary, I want the best for Ryuu as well, just as you do." Seiren shook his head impatiently. "This conversation holds no purpose, Shouko. You and I both know we have nothing to say to one another, and it's infinitely better when we don't."

"Then go back to being Guren-sama's shadow," Shouko spat out, opening her fan and holding it up like a shield between them, fluttering it casually before her face. "That's the only thing you've ever been any use for - answering your brother's demands with dull-minded obedience."

"Guren-sama is head of the Clan," Seiren snapped, and Shouko laughed, shutting the fan again with a snap.

"Yes. Yes he is," she said quietly. "And I should have married him when I had the chance."

"You never had a chance of marrying him," Seiren snorted. "You played your suit at his door, but Father's mind was already made up as to how things were going to be. Nobody stood a chance against Father when he had a decision made. I was no happier about it than you, but I at least thought we'd reached a tolerable understanding about our future. I would always provide for you and give you the quality of life you demanded, and in return..."

"I would bear you a son," Shouko hissed, her eyes like slits. "I kept my side of the bargain."

"And I've kept mine," Seiren returned neatly, reaching out to take the fan from her hands and examining it with a cursitory glance. "This is new. You've been spending my money again, as you're so good at doing - on unecessary accessories to pretty up your aging body. You're not the young _hime_ you used to be, you know - there's only so long you can conceal such things from the outside world with costly fabrics, clever toys and cosmetics."

"A gentleman never makes such comments about a lady, let alone about his wife." Shouko snatched the fan back, ire glittering in her grey eyes. "But this is all I should expect from you. This is all the man I married has to offer. I should never have accepted Senaya-sama's terms...I should never have agreed to enter into this bond at all."

"That goes for us both." Seiren's eyes hardened and he turned away from her. "But since there's no option around it until the day one of us dies, there's nothing to do but put up with it."

"Yes. Until one of us dies," Shouko sighed, leaning back against the chamber wall as she lazily fanned herself. "You're lucky, Seiren. I haven't tried to put an end to you, because I know that the moment I do, this house and all the things that go with it will be taken from me and given to Ryuu's care. While I live as your wife, and you spend so much time away from here, I have the life I want. I can bear the inconvenience of being your consort, and so I haven't resorted to trying to kill you. But that shouldn't deceive you into thinking I have any latent affection for you. Any fondness I may have had died a long time ago - when I realised that I married a man without a spine."

"What are you talking about now, you foolish woman?" Seiren was annoyed. "I have enough things already on my mind without meaningless discourse with you, so if you have a point to make, make it. Ryuu's situation is something I'll settle and your involvement would do him no good at all. I am not ignorant to my duty where my son is concerned - you should remember your position in this family and keep your painted claws out of things you have no place interfering in."

"It's a mother's place to seek the best for her son," Shouko said thoughtfully, "and that's the other reason I've spent so long putting up with you and your pointlessness. I want to see Ryuu inherit this Clan. When I married you, I intended to birth the next Clan leader. Now that possibility is right in front of us - you should be at the forefront, spearheading his claim and making sure there is no room for doubt."

"I have already written to get confirmation of support from across District Six," Seiren retorted. "I have not simply been standing back and waiting."

"You've done that these past nineteen years." Shouko wheeled around on him, glaring at him with angry, feline eyes. "Dithered and lingered and done nothing of any use whilst your son was time after time discarded in favour of a whelp born of your sister and some low born soldier Kuchiki and the boy Guren-sama thought so much of. Ryuu's education has constantly been dogged by your inadequacy, and his position in the Clan overshadowed by your inability to assert yourself in the way you should. That's why I say you lack a spine - because undoubtedly you do."

"Speak sense!" Seiren exclaimed, pushing her away. "You expected me to rebel against my brother when his son was born? You make it sound as though you were glad to see Ribari-sama sent to his grave!"

"Ribari-_sama_." Shouko echoed his words, a mocking note in her voice. "Well, maybe I was. I didn't plot to kill him, Seiren, but no, I wasn't sad to see him die. He was an inconvenience - a disruption in a perfectly formulated future plan. _Ryuu_ was born to inherit this Clan. Why else did we name him for the dragon? Ribari's death was an indication from the Gods that Guren-sama's son was never going to be Lord of this Clan. The succession lies in a different direction. It belongs to Ryuu. And now is the most precious time of all."

"You've always been like this," Seiren sighed, turning back to the window as a sense of hopelessness washed over his body. "Ever since Ribari-sama was born, you've been this way."

"Of course I have!" Shouko shot back. "What else would you expect! Your young son was right there, in a position where he might have been acknowledged as Guren-sama's successor! Had he been anointed and presented to the Clan, it would've been hard for even a son of Guren-sama's to take over without a lot of fight and fuss, but you hesitated! You talked about waiting till Ryuu's majority, and then..."

Her eyes darkened.

"When _that boy _was born, you were the first to bow your head and swear loyalty to him," she said, disgust clear in her tones. "You betrayed your own son and your duty to him to pander to Guren's offspring instead."

"The son of the Clan leader is the heir to the Clan, Shouko - though I don't expect someone unconnected to politics to understand that." Seiren did not even look at her, aware that she was bristling with righteous indignation at his every word. "Besides, it was the right thing to do. I liked the boy - and I would have served and supported him as I do my brother, had he come to inherit the Clan in my lifetime."

"That's why I say you're weak," Shouko muttered. "Because you so easily lurk in the shadows, instead of taking the initiative and doing as you should have done. I tolerated it for a while, but when Ribari was born, that was the end of it for me. You lack the spine or the guts to do what you know to be right - instead you listened to your Father's rhetoric about supporting the family. To your son's detriment, Seiren. To this family's detriment. You have never done as you should have long ago done."

"Shouko?" Despite himself, Seiren shot his wife a troubled look, and at his expression, Shouko laughed hollowly.

"I didn't marry you because I wasn't able to marry Guren," she said quietly, her eyes glinting with something that made Seiren suddenly uneasy. "I'm not a fool, and you know that. You used to compliment me on it, when we were forced into each other's company as young ones. I married you because I understood what that would mean. I knew who I was marrying...and what my duty to the Clan would then be. To birth the child who would inherit it, one day. I kept that promise to myself, and I married you. Even despite the way you act, I've stuck to that resolve. Ryuu is the next leader of the Kuchiki Clan. The only one who can destroy that now is you - by doing unnecessary things to pander to status that was never even real in the first place!"

"What do you know?" Seiren's words were soft, his features paling at her expression, and Shouko smiled.

"What you think I know," she said lightly. "The reason I married you lies in that knowledge. And when you were young, I felt your resentment towards Guren-sama so much more strongly. I never imagined you'd cow to him so completely. I knew you knew...and I assumed you were biding your time, waiting to act. I was excited, then. When Ryuu was born...I was excited to think how the future might be. But then you bowed your head to Guren-sama's son, and then..."

"Stop it," Seiren cut across her, holding up his hands. "Stop it now, before you say things that amount to treason. I don't know how you found out about all of this, Shouko, but the past is the past. Things have moved on beyond then, and..."

"That's why I say you have no spine," Shouko sighed. "If you were a proper Kuchiki man, you would have pushed Guren-sama aside when Ribari was born, and taken what was rightfully yours. If not in your name, then in Ryuu's. Nobody would have been able to challenge you, if you'd have produced the evidence that I know you have, locked away in this manor somewhere. I always waited for you to reveal it...but even now, you have not."

"Evidence..." Seiren's mind flitted to the _nikki,_ and the torn page that had changed his understanding of the world forever. He shook his head.

"I don't have any evidence," he said quietly. "And nor do you, which is why you've never said anything before. Going through my belongings is a nasty habit in a wife, but to do it before we were even married..."

"Idiot," Shouko snorted. "I didn't go through your belongings. I went through your Father's. He was quite sweet on me, if you remember. And _I_ was the one who encouraged you to sort his papers when he died...because I wanted you to know what I knew. I wanted you to take it and act on it, but instead you allied yourself all the more strongly to Guren-sama's cause. I was certain if you knew you'd become angry - that your pride would make you fight it. But you did nothing, and then I realised...you could do nothing, until you had a son. So I tried hard and eventually I gave you one. Things looked like they would go in our favour. But..."

She let out a sigh of disgust.

"I married a shadow," she said blackly, "who lacked conviction, and who let his own son's prospects languish. This was your Clan - it was Ryuu's Clan - for the taking. And instead you took the easy path."

"I never had any intention of rebelling against my brother, Shouko," Seiren turned to face her, discarding the clear derision that glimmered in her silver eyes. "Nor did I ever give you an assurance of doing so. If Ryuu is named heir to this family, it will be by Guren-sama and Guren-sama alone. Understand me? I have no interest in breaking up this Clan, _e__specially_ since I discovered things that should have been left secret. Father kept it from us for a reason, and I intend to leave it buried. He gave me a task to fulfil – my duty is to fulfil it and that is all."

"Then go back to the Kuchiki court," Shouko said flatly. "I have no time for your company around here."

She made to leave, but Seiren reached out to grasp her loosely by the arm.

"This is _my_ home," he said quietly. "I was given it when we married and formally inherited it by right when Father died. Whatever my position in the Clan, this estate will always be mine. You live here by my will and my permission, but I can cast you out of it if I so choose. I have not done so, but if you start talking about dangerous, treasonous things, I will turn you over to Guren-sama and let him wreak what justice on you he sees fit."

"You really are his lapdog, aren't you, these days?" Shouko wrenched her arm free, shooting him with a malicious glare. "They didn't seal your spirit power when you were born - they sealed your courage."

With that she was gone, sliding screen door banging shut behind her, and Seiren let out his breath in a rush.

_An unexpected complication. I never thought that Shouko knew so much, but it's just another thing I have to be careful of. Ryuu's claim is still a strong one, and so long as his life is safe, everything should go smoothly in that regard. But Ojiue's words still linger with me. The evidence is in unknown hands - not mine, not Shouko's, perhaps not even within this Clan. _

He rubbed his temples, realising that his head ache was worse now than it had been before.

_If I could send her away, God knows I would. But there are some things that a husband can't do to his wife, regardless of how unpleasant her company may be. Just like Father, my family are proving to be my weakness. I only hope that Kinnya-sama's words don't become prophetic. I want to help Guren catch Ribari's killer, but at this rate it seems only a matter of time before everything Father kept so neatly tied away is unravelled. And if Guren knew the truth...what would he do - to me, or...to Ryuu?_

_

* * *

_"Summer break is almost over."

Sora let out a heavy sigh, casting a glance up at the blue sky overhead.

"It seems to have gone far too quickly this time around, Mi-chan. We've barely had a moment to think about it before term is on us again. Do you think it was shorter this year, or am I just feeling as though our last year at the Academy is speeding by whether we want it to or not?"

It was just past lunchtime, and as the sun rose in the sky over District One, the two girls had taken advantage of the relative quiet to leave the school building and walk the short distance that separated the old manor from the local town. Sora had heard that a special market was being held there over that extended weekend, and, as much to bring Mitsuki from her pensiveness as for her own benefit she had suggested they make a trip to visit it, since their holiday was almost at an end.

From Sora's perspective, it was also a chance to get her friend alone, for although she was not the most perceptive member of Senior Class, the young Shiba knew only too well when those she cared about were under pressure. Mitsuki's oft-clouded eyes and return to the quietness she had exhibited in the first year were only symptoms of a much deeper problem, and so as they walked together through the gaily laid out streets of the little town, Sora cast her companion a sidelong glance, hoping to see some sign of brightness cross her friend's face.

"No, I feel that way too." Mitsuki offered her friend a smile at the glance, nodding her head as she answered Sora's question. "A lot of things will happen after this year is over - I'm not anxious for it to come in some ways, you know. So you're not alone at all."

"You and Naoko are still at odds." Sora chewed down on her lip. "Is that going to be a permanent state of affairs, Mitsuki? I mean, it's your business and all, but it makes life difficult for me, trying to exist between the two of you. And though you know I wouldn't choose sides against you, Nao-chan is my friend still."

"I'm not telling you not to be friends with her, am I?" Mitsuki looked startled, and Sora shook her head.

"No. But it is awkward. Truthfully Naoko thinks I'm entirely on your side - and whilst that's possibly true, it's not that I'm against her. I don't like being in the midst of a feud - arguing with people isn't something I do well, and so..."

"I'm sorry." Mitsuki looked contrite. "I know I've been a lot of trouble for you since I came back - maybe it would've been better in some ways if I hadn't."

"Do you really feel that way?" Sora was stricken, and Mitsuki sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't know," she confessed, turning to glance absently at a brightly decorated stall of various trinkets and cheap jewellery offerings that one of the local tradesmen was doing his best to tout. "A lot happened at home and I was glad to come back here. But since I've been here, things have been funny too. I'm worrying about things and the more I try not to worry about them, the more focused I become on them instead."

"Things...like what happened to Ribari-sama?"

"Somewhat." Mitsuki inclined her head, turning to offer Sora a sad smile. "But most of all...Senpai."

"All right, tell me something absolutely upfront and honest." Sora frowned, grabbing her friend by the shoulders unexpectedly and wheeling the other girl around so that they were facing each other, mindless of the disruption their sudden stop mid-street had caused to other market goers in the meantime. "This worry you have for Nagoya...you can tell me, and I won't betray it to anyone. But the amount you're thinking about him makes me wonder if you really do have feelings for him. I mean, other than just as a healer."

"Who knows?" Mitsuki sighed, gently detaching herself from Sora's hold and leading her friend across to one side of the trackway so that other people could pass. "And we're getting in everyone's way, so don't do that all of a sudden. I'm not sure how to explain how I feel where Senpai's concerned, if you want the truth. It isn't something that goes easily into words."

"Mitsuki." Sora's eyes became big. "But what about Juushirou? I mean, I know that you both say you're friends...but...have I imagined the fact you guys really haven't spoken a whole lot in the last few weeks?"

Mitsuki exhaled slowly, and Sora could see her friend thinking over her response carefully, a pensive expression in her clouded grey eyes.

"I'm in love with Juushirou," she said softly. "That's the only thing right now I'm sure of. I'm still in love with him, even though we've never been able to move it beyond friendship."

"Then...Nagoya?" Sora's brows creased together in confusion, and Mitsuki shrugged her shoulders.

"Like I said, it's hard to put it into words," she said helplessly. "I think it's a thing that people like me - healers - feel but other people can only really understand if they can feel it too. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, Sora - but I don't know really how to put it other than that."

She glanced at her hands.

"As for the fact Juushirou and I haven't really talked much lately, that's down to him, not me," she said with a resigned smile. "I haven't been avoiding him. I'm not sure he's been avoiding me, either - just he was working super hard for the final exams and I know he wanted to take his place back from Yamamoto-kun."

"Really?" Sora arched an eyebrow. "It looked to me like you were putting a river between you because you neither one of you knew what things to say."

"I have a feeling Naoko spoke to him about something," Mitsuki admitted. "I did ask him if she had, but he told me not. Still...since then, I don't know. I don't want to say he lied to me, but if I ask him again, it will make him feel as though I do think he lied. He's not a good liar...and honestly, Sora, I think he did lie to me that day. But..."

"Hang on." Sora held up her hands. "You don't want Juushirou to think you think he lied to you, but you think he lied to you anyway?"

"Something like that." Mitsuki managed a feeble smile. "And so I've left it alone. I haven't pressed him. But there is a gap...it's like a vacuum of unsaid things that neither of us have worked out how to say. I know how he feels about me, and he should know how I feel about him. But this year isn't like other years. At the end of this year, things will change. And at the moment I don't know how."

"All right, I suppose that's true." Sora frowned. "You'll probably get an assignment in Fourth Squad, since Unohana-sensei is so fond of you. And Juushirou - if nothing else, Shunsui's saying he'll have him in Eighth, so I can't imagine he won't get a placement of some kind."

"Sensei will probably try and ensure it, though I wonder if he'll succeed." Mitsuki's eyes became thoughtful. "Retsu-sama said to me that normally it was something Clansfolk did for their kin - and the same problem applies for me as well in some regards. I have to have the consent and support of my Clan to place in Fourth Division. Much as I dislike the idea, I feel as though Naoko's predictions may be founded in some truth."

"Then why are you mad at her?"

"Perhaps because of that fact?" Mitsuki spread her hands. "She wasn't right in all respects though. I'm still hoping that the rules will be changed - Retsu-sama says that Genryuusai-sensei's been moving behind the scenes to try and remove the need for a shinigami candidate to have a Clan backer before they can enter a squad. It's what's kept so many squads Clan-specific and he wants to change that and broaden the horizons of the Gotei. But these things take time. It may be I have to go back to Sixth for a while after graduation, if Guren-sama commands me to do so."

"In which time, someone might see a use for you and convince you to marry?"

"Well, there's a secret weapon in all of this." Mitsuki eyed her friend ruefully. "If Ryuu becomes Clan heir, his status will be enough to override everyone but Guren-sama and it might be that he'll be able to give me the consent I need to join up with Retsu-sama's people. I don't mind starting at the bottom and proving myself - Naoko doesn't think I have it in me to do that, but I know after what happened at home recently that I do. It's all a matter of politics, though. For Juushirou and for me both, I think."

"You've kept him out of most of the stuff that your family's been dealing with," Sora reflected thoughtfully as they paused to buy _o-dango_ at a small stall, stopping to finish them before moving on. "This is the reason for that too, is it? Because his gaining squad placement might be just as complicated?"

"That and the fact his own bloodline is mixed up in this," Mitsuki agreed. "If his illegitimate ancestry had been any other family, it might not have mattered. But Juushirou's grandfather is Guren-sama's uncle - and that...might prove a stalling block, given the current state of things."

"You really do care about him, don't you?" Sora reflected, and Mitsuki nodded.

"I do," she acknowledged. "And there isn't anyone else like that in my mind. I mean, I don't intend to get married or anything like that...being a healer can be dangerous and problematic and probably becoming a Clan _hime_ with a household to run won't ever be my future. But if _Juushirou_ was the one asking me..."

She pinkened, and Sora grinned, patting her gently on the head.

"That's more the Mitsuki I like to see," she said, relieved. "One who's mooning over that silly idiot and blushing over him at the same time. I'm glad, though. Even though you probably can't ever...that you still think that way, I'm glad."

"Yes." Mitsuki recovered herself, nodding her head. "But if I told him that, or if we talked about those things, it might put him in a difficult place. I think he sees that too. Probably that's why there's some distance opening between us. Maybe we're protecting each other, but most likely we both know things we don't want to say out loud about the way things are going to pan out. Graduation probably means Juushirou and I will part ways...such is life."

"Mm." Sora's expression became sombre. "I suppose that's the divide, isn't it, between Clan and District?"

"I am a Kuchiki, and there are people I care for in that family." Mitsuki tapped the _dango_ stick gently against her other hand. "But I would probably still turn my back on it if I had to, in order to pursue my own goals and be happy. Just...if I did that to be with Juushirou, it would have repercussions. And our end targets aren't the same thing. If I was deployed to Fourth Squad, it wouldn't be the same as Juushirou getting a Gotei placement because being a healer is different. So I don't know. Right now it's stalemate."

"All right then," Sora relented with a smile. "You've put my mind a little at rest, though. I really thought maybe you were starting to have feelings for that stuck up _bocchan_ who whipped Juushirou's sword into him a few years back."

"I do have feelings for him," Mitsuki said pensively, and Sora stared at her.

"But you just said..."

"I'm not in love with him," Mitsuki shook her head quickly. "Not those feelings. But I _am _worried about him. Protective in some parts. Concerned in others. Angry that things are the way they are. Lots of conflicting things culminating in the fact I know he's innocent. Like I said, Sora, it's hard to explain to someone who isn't a healer. But it's not the same as my feelings for Juushirou."

"You want to_ protect _Nagoya?" Sora was incredulous. "I don't see him letting you do that."

"I think he needed us to protect him, and Ryuu and I weren't there when he did," Mitsuki said gravely.

"You might have saved his life once, but Mi-chan...hey, what is it?"

As Mitsuki's expression changed, her gaze suddenly flitting to the west and the mountain peaks that loomed over the horizon.

"It can't be..." she murmured, and Sora frowned, grasping her companion and giving her a little shake.

"Oi, Mi-chan, snap out of it! You're the one creating a blockage in the pathway now, stopping dead like that mid-walk! What's gotten into you?"

Mitsuki did not reply for a moment, then she frowned, grabbing Sora unexpectedly around the wrist and pulling her towards the town gates. Taken completely off guard, Sora could only fight to keep up with her friend's sudden dash from the centre of the busy market out into the surrounding area, for though she struggled to pull herself free, Mitsuki held firm.

"Mitsuki, what the hell has gotten into you!"

At length they stopped, and as Sora struggled to catch her breath, she cast her friend an accusatory look. "Taking off like that like some mad woman - what's got you going now?"

"Shh." Mitsuki held up her hands, and as Sora watched in bewilderment, the young Kuchiki girl stepped cautiously around the clearing in which they now found themselves, as though checking to make sure nobody else was about. As Sora gazed around her, she realised that she knew the area they had halted - it was not far from the place they had camped as Second years, at the edge of the mountains that separated First and Second District. If they were to walk much further along this path, they would reach the lake and the campsite they had spent a turbulent week in those years earlier - but Mitsuki did not seem interested in revisiting old haunts. Instead she seemed to be casing the area, almost furtive in her actions as she checked each and every possible vantage point.

"No guards." At length relief flickered into the girl's grey eyes. "They haven't realised then. Only I have."

"Mi-chan, explain yourself." Sora leant up against the sheer stone face, sending her a concerned look. "You haven't had a flight of fancy like this in a long time - is someone hurt or something? Why did we leave the town so suddenly like that - I don't understand."

Mitsuki's eyes became clouded and she put a finger to her lips, beckoning for her friend to join her beside a thick cluster of green vines and leaves that hung heavy against the mountain rock. Sora sighed, but obediently did so, and as she drew closer Mitsuki pushed the heavy greenery aside, revealing an opening in the stone just big enough for a person to go through.

"Mi-chan?" Sora cast her friend a confused look, and Mitsuki's eyes narrowed. She did not speak, however, and instead Sora saw the faint glimmer of white energy flare around her friend's hands, casting light into the dim tunnel ahead. She beckoned again, and Sora grimaced, but ducked her head into the cavern, following her companion unwillingly through the cold stone passage.

"Sometimes being your friend is really high maintenance, you know that?" she murmured, but Mitsuki did not answer, nor did she hesitate for one moment. They walked in silence for a little while, then, as the tunnel opened out around them into a wider chamber, the young healer dropped to her knees beside what from Sora's angle first seemed like an abandoned pile of rags and leaf litter.

As she drew closer, however, the light of Mitsuki's gentle Kidou spell made the surroundings clearer, and Sora's eyes widened as her hand flew to her mouth.

Curled up in a ball, barely dressed in more than ragged undergarments and with his thick, beautiful hair wrenched back out of his face by a dirty scrap of fabric was the sleeping form of the Kuchiki fugitive.

"Nagoya...senpai?" she whispered, sinking down beside her friend, and Mitsuki nodded her head.

"I felt him," she murmured, hovering her hand gently above Shirogane's body as if reading the flickering of the young man's aura. "I think he was shielding himself by suppressing his reiatsu, but as he fell more deeply asleep, his shield faltered too. I'm more aware of his spirit since I saved his life, and so I felt it, even from the village."

She cast Sora a look of relief, and Sora could see the tears glittering in her friend's eyes.

"He was safe and he made it here." She whispered. "Even despite everything...he's safe."

"Woah there. Don't cry all over him, or you'll wake him up," Sora warned, crouching down to peer at the oblivious figure more closely. "You know, I'm surprised that I even recognised him at all, to be honest. Dressed like this, looking like this..."

"But this is Ginkyoujiki." Mitsuki's fingers brushed against the wrapped sheath of the sleeping _zanpakutou_ with a smile. "And something else...a flute?"

"Looks like a flute to me." Sora picked up the wooden implement thoughtfully. "Nagoya played the flute, didn't he?"

"He did. Does," Mitsuki agreed. "Though that isn't his flute. Still, maybe that explains how he was able to get here. Disguised and acting as a travelling musician, maybe nobody even looked at him clearly."

Her gaze drifted back to the sleeping shinigami.

"He's exhausted," she observed. "That's why I felt his spirit most of all. It's not that he's in pain or injured, but just...tired. He's lost weight too - I imagine he's probably hungry."

At Mitsuki's words, Sora suddenly became uneasy, and she bit her lip, casting her companion a quizzical glance.

"Mi-chan, what are we going to do now?" she asked softly. "It sounds as though you intend to help him, but..."

"I promised Ryuu and I promised myself, that if he came here, I would," Mitsuki nodded. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought you here too, though. I've involved you now - I wasn't thinking, but I should have..."

"I won't tell anyone, if that's what you're worried about," Sora sighed, dropping back against the cave wall. "Just, isn't it dangerous? I know you believe him to be innocent, but..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the sleeping shinigami's eyelids flickered and then opened, confusion flooding his gaze followed by fear and alarm as he registered the fact he was no longer alone. His fingers were already half around Ginkyoujiki's covered sheath before he realised who was kneeling at his side, and as recognition flooded his features he exhaled, releasing his grasp on his weapon.

"Mitsuki."

The word was soft-spoken, unlike the peremptory tones that Sora remembered from the proud and unforgiving student that had once been Juushirou's _shishou_, but as Shirogane drew himself into a more upright position, she realised that there was no mistake. Though he was dressed simply, his hair messy and his eyes still bleary from sleep, there was no denying that this was the missing Kuchiki exile and that somehow he had managed to break through the borders and reach District One.

"I sensed your spirit." Mitsuki kept her tones muted, reaching out to brush her fingers against his brow. "Though I didn't mean to wake you."

She frowned, eying him accusingly.

"Senpai! Your skin is freezing cold and your hair is damp! You're hardly dressed for sleeping in a cave like this - if you're not careful, you'll start a fever!"

"I doubt it," Shirogane said dryly, gently pushing her hand away. "I took a brief swim in the lake, and the sun was quite bright when I came here, so the coolness was refreshing. I appreciate your concern, though. I suppose that means you still believe as you did before - and don't intend on betraying me to anyone who might be looking."

"Idiot, of course not." Sora's eyes widened at the impatience in Mitsuki's tones, her incredulity growing as Shirogane merely laughed, shaking his head. "I was worried and so I came here. I'm not going to tell anyone else - but you can't stay like this with nothing to wear or eat or drink. Even if you're all right at the moment, too much time in chilled conditions won't do you any good. You've lost weight too - haven't you been eating?"

"When I've been able." Shirogane frowned, his gaze flitting for the first time to Sora, and the young Shiba saw the tension in his slim frame increase as he realised that his cousin had not come to the cave alone.

"It's all right. She's my friend." Mitsuki seemed to read his hesitation, for she smiled, reaching out to pat Sora on the arm. "Shiba Sora - I trust her. She won't tell anyone that you're here if I ask her not to - I know that much for a fact."

"Shiba...huh." Shirogane's eyes became slits. "You're sure of that, Mitsuki? Because the Kuchiki have never had particular relations with the neighbours in District Five, and..."

"I'm Mitsuki's friend, like she said." Sora could not take it any more, and she glared at him, putting her hands on her hips. "Of course I won't betray any secrets of hers - what do you take me for, an idiot? I wouldn't get Mi-chan into trouble, even if she does insist on dragging me through the mountainside to come poke and prod at you like this. I don't know what you came here for, Nagoya-senpai, but judging by the way you're dressed, you don't really look like someone who can ask questions of anyone who's willing to help him. So if I were you I'd swallow your pride and be glad Mitsuki came at all - since as I understand it, you're rather short on allies at the present time."

"Sora..." Mitsuki sent her a beseeching glance, but to Sora's surprise, Shirogane laughed.

"Your friend is right," he admitted, holding up his hands in a gesture of submission. "I've no right to question anyone. I'm sorry, Sora-dono. Mitsuki, I apologise to you too for judging the integrity of your friend so amiss. Clearly she's someone who cares for you a good deal - and if you trust her, so will I."

Sora's eyes narrowed, taking in the expression in the shinigami's eyes, then the one in her young friend's and chewing down hard on her lip as she interpreted what they meant.

_Mitsuki cares about him. Has feelings for him. But I believe her when she says they're not love. This...is like she is with Ryuu. Protective. Caring. Wanting to help, as she always does. But...in his case..._

Her gaze flitted back to Shirogane.

_Is it just because he's on his own, and she's the only one who's come to rescue him? I'm not Shunsui, so I can't pinpoint things as clearly as he can. But if I didn't know better, I'd wonder just how much he thinks of her. That look...didn't seem like the look of a grateful fugitive greeting his rescuer. It looked like...it seemed like something else._

Out loud she said,

"So what are we going to do? We can't take him back to the school. So far as I know, there's still a warrant out for Nagoya-senpai's arrest and even if Sensei was willing to protect him, it might bring him and the school into bad blood with the Kuchiki if everyone knew Senpai was here."

"That was my fear, too," Shirogane sighed, picking up the rumpled _hakamashita_ and wrapping it loosely around his shoulders. "That even if I arrived in First, it might be difficult to make contact with anyone. You finding me may be a stroke of luck, or it may bring both of you into something more murky. I'm not really sure at the moment."

He sighed again, sinking back against the wall of the cave.

"I'm tired and I'm hungry. I've not eaten since yesterday, and I've only had whatever little sleep I managed before you came here." He admitted, stifling a yawn. "Plus last night I was attacked by a Hollow, so I had to use more of my energy than I had hoped. I've been trying to conserve it since I left District Six, but that hasn't necessarily always worked the way I intended."

"For the time being, you should stay here," Mitsuki decided. "Sora and I...well, maybe it would better if not you, Sora, but I at least...will bring you something warmer and softer so you can sleep here without taking a chill, and I'll find a way to bring you food, too. Ryuu's determined to do what he can to resolve your position - he and Seiren-dono aren't exactly seeing eye to eye at the moment, so perhaps things will change soon. A lot is happening - Guren-sama's been seeking help from the Shihouin and the Kyouraku in an attempt to get to the bottom of things, so...Senpai?"

"The Kyouraku, too…" Shirogane rubbed his chin pensively. "Then Guren-sama also suspects the young girl. Good. Maybe then everything will become clear."

He sighed.

"It seems I have no choice but to agree with your suggestion. For now," he agreed. "I took an injury in Sixth District and though I had help and care to heal it, I'm not as strong as I should be. I've lost weight and body strength in my trek to get here."

"Help in District Six?" Sora murmured, and Shirogane nodded.

"Ukitake Juushirou is a classmate of yours, isn't he?" he reflected, and Sora and Mitsuki exchanged glances, nodding their heads.

"Yes he is. Why?"

"He of all people must not know I'm here." Shirogane's eyes became grave. "The ones who shielded and helped me to escape Sixth District - the ones who saved me from my injury at the hands of Seiren-dono's guards - were Ukitake's family. If that were to be discovered, it might bring danger down on their heads and on his. Promise me, Mitsuki, that of all people, you do not talk to Ukitake of my being here, or of anything else that might possess such a hot-headed idiot to get involved in our family's problems."

"I've already resolved not to involve him, so that's fine," Mitsuki said matter-of-factly. "I don't even know if I'll tell Ryuu, yet. It might be dangerous for him too, so I'll see."

"You can't take care of this on your own, Mi-chan," Sora protested, and Mitsuki smiled slightly.

"My kinsman is in trouble," she said simply, "and he's asked me for help. As a healer, I should be able to do that, shouldn't I?"

"Then at least let me help too." Sora made up her mind, reaching out to her friend and pulling her to her feet. "If we both feed him, then it'll be easier to spread the secret between us, won't it? People will be less suspicious that way."

"Are you sure?" Shirogane stared at her in surprise. "It may bring you into trouble, if your family were to know..."

"My mother taught me to do what I believed in," Sora said pragmatically. "I don't know about you, but I believe in Mi-chan. She needs my help, so I'll help her. That's all there is to it, really."

She flashed the startled Mitsuki a warm grin.

"Well? We have food and blankets to acquire, don't we? We don't have to be back at the school for a while so nobody will miss us - while we've an opportunity, let's go!"

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_  
_I know someone's going to ask me this. Shirogane is not walking up the mountain nude xD._

_Also…though I'm not going to say clearly at the moment how, I need to apologise to some people to whom I believe I may have fibbed. It wasn't a deliberate fib, but something I said would be impossible in this story in response to a couple of reviews actually turns out to not be impossible after all. This…is entirely the fault of the characters and therefore was not foreseen by me – but when it occurs, I apologise to those people to whom I said it never would._

_I think those people will know it when they read it._

_With which cryptic observation…on to the next chapter! _


	46. Shin Gakki

**Chapter Forty Five: Shin Gakki**

"Well, here we are again."

Shunsui dropped down on the floor of the Great Hall with a sigh, casting his companion a rueful grin as he settled himself more comfortably up against the wall. "Summer break sure flew by, didn't it? I suppose when you're having fun, that old adage about time going more quickly is true. I feel as though we've barely left before we're back again."

"Are you sure about that?" Juushirou sank down opposite him, casting him a pensive glance. "You've said nothing at all about it since we had that little chat about Riri - but you don't fool me. I know you're thinking about it - and her - and everything else we discussed with Tokutarou-sama. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were glad to be back at school because it means you're well away from all of the intrigue and investigation."

"Ah, you know me too well," Shunsui admitted with a sheepish smile. "Although I'm worried about Riri, I don't really know how else to deal with that at the moment except in the way that I have. Much as it bothers me, Chihiro's the best person to help her with the things she really needs right now. So long as Oniisama can keep her safe...I guess it's too soon to worry about anything else."

He rested his chin in his hands, tilting his head to look at his friend.

"I suppose I don't need to tell you to keep that a secret for the time being, do I?" he asked softly. "I know you'll keep everything that Oniisama told you to yourself, but we never discussed the matter of Riri. However..."

"It's not my business and I don't gossip about other people's lives or families, you know," Juushirou snorted. "I only raised it now because there's just the two of us - but I didn't intend to do so again. Whilst you know I'm here if you want to discuss it, I don't intend on prying into it any more than I already have by being Chi's brother. I understand...what it means to have siblings. But this is a different kind of situation, so..."

"She's like your mother," Shunsui mused. "She's half Clan and half not. But Raiko-dono found a happy and secure life outside of the Clan that she maybe didn't have within it, if the information Ryuu and Mitsuki found out for you is true. I can't say the same of Riri and it's just another failing of my family that I feel the need to put right. It might not be any more than that, and she might not let me even try to - but I suppose I'll keep thinking about it and doubtless come to some conclusion or other. At the very least, if I can do something to help her make life better for those two chibis of hers, it will be a step in the right direction. My family has money – it might as well be put to some material use, and Riri might accept charity for them more easily than for herself."

"Riri really does have a recogniseable amount spirit power, you know," Juushirou murmured. "Chi and the others wouldn't notice it, and she's never used it at all, probably, so whether even she realises it I'm not sure. It isn't like yours, not by a long way, but it's definitely there. Having it might also make her a target from...other things than just...you know who."

"I know." Shunsui frowned. "Thankfully it's _not_ the same level as mine or yours, else we'd have a real problem. But yes, it's considerable enough to be noticed if she wasn't safely ensconced in a place that at a moment's notice shinigami can be called to to police. Because of his good relationship with Nii-sama, Hakubei's squad often patrols around that locale, getting rid of nasty spirit beasties. Probably that's why nothing's ever gone after Riri before. But...I did wonder about the little girl, too. Shizuka...was it? I think she might also have spirit power. It's another reason I hope I'll be able to do something to make life better for them. And…if I'm right about the kid…it might be that in future they'll need more help from me than they do now."

"Shizuka's very young to know something like that about," Juushirou reflected, "but it's all right. You know about things now, so when Eighth Squad is revived..."

"Shunsui-taichou to the rescue, huh?" Shunsui grinned. Juushirou shrugged, a wicked twinkle entering his hazel eyes.

"I was thinking more along the lines of _Uncle _Shunsui, since Riri considers those children like her own," he teased. "You already have Haru - one or two more won't hurt, surely?"

"Uncle Shunsui?" Shunsui's expression became rueful. "Who knows? Maybe."

He gestured towards the door.

"Meantime we have company, so change the subject," he added lazily. "Why do you suppose Yama-jii sent for us to come to the hall like this when we've only just come back? Senior Class errands again? Everyone else has a free day today - why are we hauled into the Great Hall of all places when we've barely even unpacked?"

"I don't know." Juushirou's expression became serious. "I hope it doesn't mean more bad news has come this way."

"You didn't go to meet up with Mitsuki yet, did you?" Shunsui asked, and Juushirou sighed, shaking his head.

"Haven't had time," he admitted. "Like you said, we got called here right away. But if she and Ryuu were here all break, surely they're both fine."

"You don't need to have concern for us, Ukitake. Mitsuki and I are both quite well."

Ryuu's own voice broke through the conversation at that moment, and Juushirou turned, seeing the Kuchiki, Hirata and Enishi in tow. "I have not however seen the Shihouin member of our class, so I wonder whether he managed to survive his break in the company of an angry Shadow Cat."

"Sora and Mitsuki aren't here either. Even though they should be, since they had no distance to travel." Shunsui's brows knitted together. "Did Mitsuki get Sora to help out in the Healing Bay over the holiday or something?"

"Truthfully, I am not sure," Ryuu admitted, as the trio sat down. "I spent most of the break in the library, and Hirata and I went over quite a few interesting study principles during that time. I didn't spend much time with Mitsuki - she and Sora went to the local town's market, I believe, but otherwise I've barely had a chance to see her. Girls seem to have girl things they do, and since she seemed happier doing them, I left well alone."

He shrugged.

"The stress and increased security has all been because of my presence here, not hers," he added. "I have not been allowed to leave the school all break, even if I had wanted to - but in her case, there is no such restriction and I saw no reason to try and hold her back."

"But nothing has happened," Hirata added, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "It's been completely quiet on all fronts here."

"Nothing's happened in other parts of District One, either," Enishi sighed, lounging back on his hands as he tried to squeeze his broad frame more comfortably into the group. "Budge up, Kyouraku. Some of us aren't midgets like Hirata."

"If you ask me, you stole some of his share of body mass," Shunsui retorted neatly, but obediently shuffled up to allow his companion more breathing space. "There. How's that?"

"Better." Unperturbed, Enishi flashed him a grin. "Anyhow, like I was saying, I stopped at Aneue's house this break, since it's closer than going right back home. My brother in law is involved in the security for this District, and they've been on heightened alert. But nothing's happened, and Hashihiko-sama relaxed the guard a few days back. It's as though things are beginning to settle. I wonder if it means the Council have leads. _We_ won't know about those things, of course - but it might mean you guys aren't in danger any more, Kuchiki."

"That would be nice," Ryuu's expression became haunted. "But I somehow have my doubts."

"There's every possibility the opposite is true," Shunsui agreed. "The Yamamoto guards may have been reduced on purpose because it's so quiet."

"In order to lure the culprits in and then ambush them?" Hirata looked thoughtful, and Shunsui nodded.

"It's not impossible," he agreed. "If you were on better terms with Akira, Juu, we might ask him if he's heard anything, since he's so fond of telling us about being Hashihiko-sama's son – but I don't suppose he'd tell us those details even if he knew."

"I'd say that was a vain hope," Juushirou stole a look across the chamber to where Akira and Kanshi were sitting a good distance away from them. "If we never speak to each other, then that's probably as promising as it gets. Even if I asked him nicely, he wouldn't tell me things concerning his family's arrangements."

"Akira doesn't know anything, though," Enishi shook his head. "I asked him this morning, since as it worked out his family's carriage brought me back to the school. He told me that his Father's been in a lot of meetings, but hasn't spoken to anyone outside about them. Oh, and he'd had communication from Genryuusai-sensei – but what about, nobody seems sure. Still, he didn't seem that worried about it. He said the guards had been pulled back by Hashihiko-sama's direct order, so that must mean they have leads and things will soon be resolved."

"I forgot that you and he were on decent terms," Shunsui acknowledged, shooting Enishi a rueful grin. "I suppose if it's something top secret, the head of the Yamamoto might not even tell his nearest and dearest."

"It depends on the nature of that secret," Hirata pursed his lips. "Some secrets are more dangerous the more people know about them. Maybe Hashihiko-sama wants to protect Yamamoto-kun and his other close kinsmen and expects it to be handled directly by the Council. It's not the job of the Yamamoto to arrest people molesting the Kuchiki, so perhaps that's the real reason why."

Juushirou shot his bespectacled friend a troubled look, unable to read the expression in his friend's clever pale eyes.

Did Hirata know already the things that Tokutarou and the Council suspected? He did not often mention his missing sister, but somehow Juushirou knew that it was not that he did not think about her. Just remembering her was painful for his parents who believed her dead, and so to protect them he had not raised the subject more than was necessary. Still, Hirata was smart, and though he didn't always say the things he reasoned out, Juushirou was certain this didn't mean he hadn't considered them.

_Eiraki-hime might be working with Keitarou-san, if it really is him who is behind this. Or she might be being manipulated…which means her life is in danger. I wonder if Hirata's made that connection – or if Misashi-sama has told him all the things that the Council suspect. He didn't go home to District Seven for the break, which suggests that Misashi-sama wants to keep him away from trouble as much as possible. But is that because of Eiraki-hime, or has that connection only been made so far by Shunsui and I?_

His brows knitted together.

_We didn't even raise that thought with Tokutarou-sama, since it was he who let Eiraki-hime go back to District Seven without charge after Keitarou-san took me prisoner two and a half years ago. I wonder if that was the right or the wrong thing to do – but without any real evidence that the mysterious hime in District Six was or wasn't Eiraki-hime, what else could we do? _

"More likely the culprits just aren't in District One," Ryuu said categorically now. "There is therefore no point in wasting time and effort on men trying to locate them here. Such things could be better served elsewhere - perhaps through different methods completely."

"That sounds like someone who knows something we don't know!" Kai descended on them at that moment, putting an arm unexpectedly around Ryuu's shoulders and almost pulling him off balance. "Wow, your guard was completely down. You should be more aware of danger, Kuchiki - I might not be a friendly Shihouin."

"You might be a dead one if you don't stop horsing around." Ryuu shook himself free, shooting his roommate a glare. "Just because I can tolerate your company more these days doesn't mean that you can touch me at will."

Shunsui smirked.

"So you survived Midori-sama's rage?" he asked Kai, who groaned, nodding his head.

"By keeping mostly out of her way and taking over the lion's share of the training regimes," he said heavily, settling down between Ryuu and Hirata and folding his arms thoughtfully across his chest. "I've never seen her like that. Something happened close to the border with District One during the break and you should've seen the speed with which she dispatched people to investigate. Someone made a report of an unauthorised _zanpakutou _release but when they reached the scene, everything was inconclusive and none of the local people had seen or heard anything. Now she has District Two swarming with spies and undercover people, looking for anyone who might be out to sabotage our Clan…even though most probably this was just one of Second practicing new techniques in secret without proper authorisation."

"The Shihouin are innocent," Ryuu murmured, more than half to himself, and Juushirou shot him a quizzical glance.

"You still feel that way, huh?" he asked, and Ryuu nodded.

"I am quite certain of it," he agreed. "Midori-sama should not be so panicked. This is not the same as when Senaya-sama died."

"Sensei's here," Hirata observed at that point. "So I suppose we'll find out soon why we've been called here."

He cast Ryuu a glance.

"Do you think it's to do with whatever it was he spoke to you about the other day?" he asked curiously. "You said that we'd all know about it soon enough, so maybe…?"

"Hey, you know what this is about?" Shunsui arched an eyebrow in Ryuu's direction, and the Kuchiki nodded.

"Possibly," he agreed, "but Sensei told me that it was something I should not speak of to anyone until he had everybody together. He didn't want rumours to start, I suppose."

"This is relating to the Kuchiki?" Kai asked, and Ryuu shook his head.

"No. It's relating to us," he said frankly, "as Seniors. It is nothing to do with my Clan – but you will see the reasons why he spoke to me of it first when he explains. Pipe down and have patience, Shihouin. You will all know soon enough."

"Mitsuki and Sora still aren't here," Juushirou frowned. "Shikibu-san is though, which suggests she and Mitsuki still haven't made up their fight."

"Mitsuki doesn't seem to have any intention of doing that," Ryuu sighed. "If you want my advice, I'd stay out of it, Ukitake. Girls fight in illogical ways and trying to understand their reasoning will only make you more confused in the long run."

"Good advice," Shunsui murmured. "But it's not like them to be late for a meeting. Everyone else is here, and it's not as though either of them went home this summer break."

At that moment the door of the hall was flung back and a breathless Sora, an equally dishevelled Mitsuki in tow scrambled into the hall, Mitsuki flushing bright red as she registered the fact they were late and that now all eyes were on them.

"We're sorry we were late, Sensei," Sora gasped out, as both girls bowed hastily towards their teacher. "We lost track of…of time and then lost our…our way back to the school."

"I see," Genryuusai gazed at them for a moment, as if taking in their unusually haphazard and flustered appearances. Then he nodded, gesturing for them to sit down. "Now you're all here, I can begin."

"He didn't say anything," Shunsui murmured, pursing his lips. "They both look like scarecrows – Sora even has leaves in her hair – and yet ol' Yama just waved them by. He must be in a good mood."

"Maybe what he has to say is more important," Juushirou frowned, his gaze darting to Mitsuki and then to Sora as the two girls sank down sheepishly against the far wall, exchanging guilty looks with one another. Shunsui was right, he realised, and as he thought on it more, it perturbed him. Though it wasn't uncommon for Sora to be rushing around like a mad thing, nor for her to appear a little worse for wear, Mitsuki was another matter – yet wherever they had been, they had obviously been there together.

He sighed.

"Perhaps he's being lenient since it's first day back."

"But being first day back, and presumably knowing we have a meeting, do you normally go wandering in the forests on a whim?" Shunsui was sceptical. "I don't think you do."

"Silence, please, everyone."

Genryuusai's voice prevented Juushirou from responding, and instead the white haired boy turned his attention to the dais. As the hum of chatter ceased, the old man's moustache twitched to indicate a smile, and he slowly nodded his head.

"Welcome back, Seniors," he said softly. "I trust that you all had a relaxing summer break."

The students exchanged confused looks, and Genryuusai's eyes twinkled with amusement.

"You're wondering why I've called you here just to ask you that, I can see," he reflected, "but it's important to me that you've all come back with the will and enthusiasm for the term ahead. Some of you may already have realised the reason you've been called here – for others, it may come as a complete surprise. But what I have to discuss with you now is something that is the province of all Senior Classes at this Academy. Completing this exercise is fundamental to being able to graduate as a shinigami and join a squad. Therefore this unit – perhaps above all others – is vital for your development and your awareness as young _zanpakutou_ users."

He paused, and despite himself, Juushirou forgot about the other things that had been troubling him, curiosity and anticipation burning in his heart.

"It's traditional for members of the Senior Class to be dispatched to the Real World for a period of time," Genryuusai's voice was soft in a room in which you could have heard a pin drop. "Your year especially are promising candidates for this, since all of you have a _zanpakutou_ at a good enough stage to be considered ready."

"The Real World?" Enishi's eyes became huge. "You're really going to send us out there, Sensei? All…all of us?"

"I am." Genryuusai nodded his head. "Over the break I've spoken to my colleagues and already arrangements are being made. In approximately three or four weeks from now, you will be sent to the Real World, and so all preparation for the trip must be completed to my satisfaction before that time. Any student whose preparation is considered lacking _will not go_ – and consequently, _will not graduate_ from the Academy this spring."

"What kind of preparation, Sensei?" Aoi asked curiously, and Genryuusai smiled.

"This is not like the camping that some of you did as Second years," he said evenly. "There is no protective shield to keep danger at bay, and we will not be there to guard you. Your protection will be in your own skills and in each other – your ability to function in teams will be extremely important if you are to complete your errand successfully. Therefore over the next few weeks, as well as honing your individual abilities, I will expect you to do a lot of strategic planning on how best to face the challenges the Real World offers. As well as your usual Sakusen classes, I will be holding lectures one evening each week relating specifically to Real World conditions and situations, and the other staff will also tailor their teaching to help you be as ready as possible for what you might encounter on the other side."

"How will we get there?" Naoko raised her hand. "Will we be using a _Senkaimon_, Sensei?"

"Yes," Genryuusai agreed. "I'm already arranging for one to be set up and stabilised so as to allow you access to the Real World as smoothly and quickly as possible. It will also act as an escape route in the case of extreme danger – I will make sure each one of you knows how to use it before you go and you will be tested on these emergency procedures also before you are allowed to leave. Though none of you yet have swords developed enough to open a modern _Senkaimon_, this gate will be adapted for student use and so you needn't worry about your skills not being enough."

His gaze fell on Ryuu as he spoke, and Juushirou was aware of a flicker of resolution in the Kuchiki boy's grey eyes.

"What will we be expected to do in the Real World, Sensei?" That was Akira, his smooth, slightly arrogant tones ringing out around the high-ceilinged chamber. "Do we have a specified plan of action, or…?"

"For a period of about a week - perhaps two weeks, depending on activity – you will be assigned in groups to patrol a particular region of the Real World in just the same way as a normal squad group would," Genryuusai said gravely. "It's an area with low to moderate Hollow activity and there should be nothing beyond your capabilities. How you organise yourselves will largely be up to you. Although I will be appointing two people to act as immediate group leaders, I will expect you to discuss and reason out your activities and to listen to one another, since you all have different talents to offer. The people in the Real World are not like the people in Seireitei – and your job will not simply be to destroy Hollows. You may even for the first time carry out _konsou,_ or 'soul burial' – something which I know none of you have ever done before."

"Soul burial?" Sora shivered. "That doesn't sound very nice, Sensei."

"It's the method by which souls are sent from the Real World to Rukongai, and it's the most humane method of transferring them there," Genryuusai explained. "It's not currently safe to let students roam in Rukongai – especially since the _Sekkiseki_ wall between Seireitei and Rukongai is still being renovated – but souls left in the Real World without _konsou_ almost inevitably become Hollow at some point. Therefore it's as important for a shinigami to be able to send souls to Rukongai before they make that transition as well as being able to purify them afterwards."

His fingers tightened around the wood of his cane, and Juushirou wondered if he was remembering expeditions of his own to do just that very thing.

"You'll have a lecture on soul burial tomorrow afternoon in your usual Sakusen chamber, and another one at the beginning of next week in the Kidou theory classroom," he concluded. "I won't waste time on the science of it now. Your final examinations will require a written report to be done of your time in the Real World and a two thousand word summary of the applications of _konsou _on top of all the other things you are already studying – so bear it in mind that although they are not officially timetabled on your normal schedule, these lectures are _not_ optional. Even if they eat into your free study time – you will find them of use."

His eyes narrowed for a moment, then,

"Within your groups you will also be assigned a partner for the duration of the exercise and that partner will be your 'buddy' in the respect that you are responsible for one another's safety," he said quietly, "whilst I'm sure some of you are seeing this as an adventure, let me be blunt. Students have died undertaking this exercise before. Those who are careless and who don't take their duties seriously are the most at risk. Your year are a particularly exceptional one, and so I have hopes of all of you graduating. But you mustn't rest on your laurels and assume it will be easy. This is a test of everything, not just your academic ability. Please don't let me down."

"That makes it sound really appealing, Sensei," Shunsui observed, and Genryuusai nodded.

"You especially should take note of this," he said acerbically, "because your responsibilities come the spring may involve the lives of many people, not just yourself."

He gestured to the board behind him.

"You've already been assigned your partners – there is an odd number, so there will be one group of three and the rest pairs. You will of course operate in the bigger groups – but for safety's sake these are the people you must not easily lose sight of. Changing partners will cause inconvenience to everyone, so I've done my best to assign pairs which I believe will work successfully. You are now free to talk and to check the lists – I expect to see you all at the lecture tomorrow."

"It's not safe to let students roam in Rukongai, but casting us out into the Real World is fine." As the old man left the dais, Shunsui rolled his eyes, casting Juushirou a wry smile. "I had a bad feeling this year was going to result in work – and it looks like I was right."

"I think it sounds exciting," Juushirou admitted. "Even if it is dangerous, it's a taste of how things really will be if we make it into squads."

"Will _you_ go?" Kai shot Ryuu a questioning look, and Ryuu nodded his head.

"I've already told Sensei I will," he said quietly.

"_That's_ why he spoke to you in advance," Hirata realised. "Did he contact the Kuchiki and ask…"

"No. He asked me to make the decision, and I made it," Ryuu said simply. "As the highest ranking Kuchiki in District One, my decision will be upheld. Sensei said so – that it was entirely up to me to choose what I should do."

"If you don't go, you can't graduate," Enishi murmured. "It's a harsh choice."

"It would probably not matter to my Clan if I did or didn't. I have my sword," Ryuu reflected, "but I _want_ to graduate. Besides, Sensei didn't expressly tell me that if I didn't go, I would not graduate. What he said was that if things became complicated my Clan might choose to remove me from the school anyway. I'm not willing to accept that."

"And so you'll go to the Real World without asking them?" Shunsui's eyes became slits. "How do those two things connect?"

"I am taking initiative, because I want to bring things to a head," Ryuu stretched out his hands pensively in front of him. "I am tired of existing in this limbo."

"So?"

"There's a chance my going with you could create further danger," Ryuu admitted. "We do not know how seriously I am targeted, and if I leave Genryuusai-sensei's protection, then…"

"I see. Without Sensei watching over you, someone might take a chance to strike at you?" Juushirou looked thoughtful, and Ryuu nodded.

"Both Sensei and I see a benefit in that fact," he replied evenly.

"You might lure the assassins out?" Shunsui looked worried. "Steady on, Ryuu. You – we – nobody knows who we're messing with, but whoever the enemy really is, it's someone who's smart enough to kill in front of witnesses and still escape without leaving a clue."

"Sensei told me not to risk my life foolishly. He expects and wants me to return in one piece," Ryuu said calmly. "I have no intention of being killed, either. But on the other hand, if I can help to break the stalemate, then that is also my duty. Whether as heir to the Clan or simply as a Kuchiki, I have a responsibility to my family. I should not simply sit back and be protected. My position means I should be someone who protects – and so that means I must go to the Real World. Whatever the danger, that is my choice."

He paused, eying his friends doubtfully.

"Unless…you would rather not be with me, given that situation exists?"

"It will be dangerous anyway." Juushirou offered him a grin. "You shouldn't worry about things like that, Ryuu."

"We're a team, aren't we?" Enishi got to his feet, hauling the startled Kuchiki up with him and clapping him warmly on the back. "So stop thinking and saying stupid things and instead let's go find out what Sensei's got in mind for us. Akira and the others are already crowding the lists – but I reckon I can see over them, if need be."

"Then it's settled." Hirata pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Let's do that. Sensei said we should be able to work in these pairs, so I don't suppose Yamamoto-kun will be paired with Juushirou-kun or anything like that."

"Shunsui! Mitsuki and I are with you guys!" As they approached the board, Sora descended on them, excitement in her green eyes. "Sensei's split us into the two groups already, and Mi-chan and I are with you!"

"You have leaves in your hair, Sora." Shunsui reached across to pluck the stray greenery from his friend's muzzy curls. "Here. You should try brushing that before you come to class meetings. Or maybe you should try sleeping in the dorm instead of in the forest."

"We went for a walk early this morning." Sora pinkened, glancing at the leaf with a shrug. "And we lost track of time. It's really beautiful at this time of year, District One – but I'd totally forgotten about this and then Mitsuki yelped and so we ran back."

She shrugged, dismissing it with a grin.

"In any case, that's not important," she said briskly. "What is is that we're going to the Real World!"

"Did you know about this before?" Juushirou asked, and Sora pursed her lips.

"I sort of thought we might, but I didn't know for certain," she admitted. "Father did mention it over the spring break, before we came back to school but…nobody said anything since then so I wasn't sure."

"Looks like it's a sure thing now though," Shunsui reflected, hopping nimbly up onto the dais, squinting at the list. "And she's right, Juu. You and I are pairs, and Mitsuki and Sora are with us."

"Let's see." Juushirou clambered up beside him, pausing to scan his gaze across the lists of names.

The board read as follows:

_**Group One**__  
Edogawa Mitsuki – Shiba Sora_

_Kuchiki Ryuu – Houjou Enishi_

_Kyouraku Shunsui – Ukitake Juushirou_

_**Group Two**_

_Shihouin Kai – Endou Hirata_

_Amai Suzuno – Shikibu Naoko_

_Yamamoto Akira – Michihashi Aoi – Souryou Kanshi._

"He really was playing to keep the peace, wasn't he?" Kai's voice from behind him made him start and he turned, nodding his head.

"Yamamoto-kun and I are apart," he agreed, "and so are Mitsuki and Shikibu-san. Plus you and Ryuu – if that even matters any more."

"Probably it's by design, so that there's nobody connected with the Shihouin in my immediate vicinity," Ryuu said acidly, turning his own grey gaze on the board. "Having Mitsuki and I together also makes sense, and there is no political implication I can see of having a Shiba or a Kyouraku among my fellows. Ukitake's kin is an irrelevance in this – and Houjou is a Yamamoto, so also not a risk."

"Mm." Juushirou glanced at the list again.

_Even though a Kyouraku hime allegedly appeared in District Six, Shunsui's with Ryuu. But Hirata isn't. Is that because other people suspect Eiraki-hime might be involved in this somewhere? I can't imagine Sensei doesn't know that Keitarou-san could be involved. Does he even know that far as well?_

"I guess assigning Enishi to work with you is an extension of the Yamamoto's promise to keep you safe," Shunsui said now, his own dark eyes thoughtful. "I think he's made the best choice, too. As bodyguards go, it'd take some to mess with Enishi."

"Houjou is my partner, he is _not_ my bodyguard," Ryuu said stiffly, "and I have not asked him or anybody for specific protection."

"But Shunsui's right," Kai's eyes twinkled. "You won't let anything happen to Kuchiki, will you, Houjou?"

"Damn right I won't," Enishi said frankly. "Sensei said that we were responsible for each other, so that means I'll be paying attention. I'm not your bodyguard, Kuchiki – you outrank me in class in all ways and so that'd be stupid. But they might think twice about killing a Yamamoto if they want to keep Sensei out of their business. So if I'm with you, probably you're less in danger than you would be with Edogawa or someone else like Shihouin."

"I suppose that's true," Ryuu let out a heavy sigh. "All right. I did not mean to be rude, in any case. I have no objections to partnering you, Houjou – nor do I consider your abilities deficient when it comes to practical assignments. I just did not want people to think I intended to either rely on you for my safety, or put you in jeopardy on my behalf. It would be irresponsible of me and I would not do it."

"I guess I know that," Enishi grinned, reaching out to clasp Ryuu's hand in his and shaking it firmly. "Well? I look forward to working with you – and us both coming back safe and sound with our mission complete."

"Houjou has a way of making everything sound simple," Sora reflected with a sigh, "but I can't pretend I'm not glad it's this way. Mitsuki and Naoko…that isn't a good combination at the moment."

"I'm glad too," Mitsuki herself joined them at that moment, offering them a smile, though Juushirou was quick to notice the preoccupation in her grey eyes. "I'm with Sora and with Ryuu, so that suits me fine."

"_And_ with Juushirou," Shunsui said wickedly. Mitsuki raised her gaze to his, and there was a moment of hesitation before she nodded.

"That's true too," She agreed cautiously. "I don't suppose that's anything more than accidental on Sensei's behalf. Each group needs a healer and so it's got one – Amai-san is in the other group and I'm in this. That's all."

"You sound as though you'd rather not be teamed up with me at all," Juushirou had not meant to say it out loud, but the words slipped from his lips before he could stop them. At this Mitsuki looked stricken, but before she could speak, Sora rested a hand on her arm.

"Mitsuki doesn't want you put in danger, idiot," she said disparagingly, casting Juushirou a long-suffering look. "Whichever group Kuchiki's in is obviously going to be the one that has the most risk attached. It's fine for folk like us who aren't connected, but you're part Kuchiki and someone might see to involving you because of that."

Mitsuki shot her friend a grateful look, nodding her head.

"The last thing I want to do is bring you into our mess, Juushirou," she said softly. "That's the truth of it. It's not that I don't want to be with you – but I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened and you got killed."

"Then I'll echo what Ryuu said earlier." Despite himself, something about this rankled against Juushirou's pride. "I don't need a bodyguard either. If Anideshi needs protecting then surely he's not fit to be Anideshi and I should resign my rank immediately."

"Juu…" Shunsui frowned, and Mitsuki let out a heavy sigh.

"You're not Clan," she said quietly, "and you don't need to be. Remember that's true, all right? It's not about protecting you as a person, but about protecting what you're here to do. Whether you like it or not, a lot of us care whether you get hurt. And just because the Clan world might shudder and react if Ryuu were to be killed, please try and remember that your death would be just as devastating for each one of us as losing him would be."

She reached out to take his hands in hers, and despite himself Juushirou felt a little guilty as he saw the emotion in her soft grey eyes.

"Protecting something means you think it's valuable, not that you think it's weak," she added gently. "A healer's job is to protect life. So whether you like it or not, it's my duty to protect you and everyone else when we go to the Real World. Retsu-sama's said this before – that a healer must be able to protect herself and those around her because she's the only one who can give life to those near death. When we're on assignment, there'll be no Retsu-sama to fall back on. So you'll have to let me do my job too, Juushirou."

"I suppose so." With a sigh, Juushirou slipped his hands free of her hold. "I'm sorry, Mitsuki. Just it sounded odd, how you said it. I suppose when you put it that way…"

"_Anideshi _sometimes has too much pride for his own good." Shunsui ruffled his fingers playfully through the lank white hair, causing his friend to push him away with an exclamation of protest. "But Sensei wants us to think of this as a team effort, so that means we all look out for each other. I'm your buddy, buddy. I'm licensed to protect you whether you like it or not."

"I wonder if that means I'm licensed to batter you over the head with Sougyo no Kotowari if you refuse to wake up in the morning." Juushirou eyed him speculatively, and Shunsui laughed.

"Ask Hirata. He's a professional at getting me out of bed now," he said lazily, and Hirata pulled a graphic face.

"I never knew anyone so good at going back to sleep," he agreed wearily. "I've even tipped cups of water over him before and he's just pulled the covers over his head and settled back down."

"That's why it was raining in my dream one night…and why I woke up with damp blankets." Shunsui looked pensive. "Another mystery solved."

"Kyouraku…" Kai let out a snort of amusement. "Poor Hirata. I guess he's had a quiet time with you away back home."

"In District Eight, Shunsui was getting up quite early," Juushirou reflected.

"That's because Haru's chamber is near enough to mine that I hear him shrieking when they try to get him up," Shunsui sighed heavily. "I come back to school for a lie in – but I still have training with Kaoru to rearrange and now this too. More work."

"You weren't sleeping right before the break, though," Hirata remembered. "Are you now?"

"Mm. I think so," Shunsui nodded. "I think I just needed to go home and unwind for a few days – so far as that goes in a house with a renegade infant on the loose."

"Haru-kun is very sweet and just like his Uncle. Full of trouble and mischief," Juushirou laughed, his spirits lightening at the memory. "Plus he has a bright, innocent smile he reserves especially for his naughtiest adventures. I think something certainly got passed down there – the little mite's constantly keeping his nurses busy."

"I probably did the same." Shunsui rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Ah well. It's a sign of good Kyouraku breeding, I suppose, if you can fluster a few womenfolk before breakfast."

"I'll have to write to Tokutarou-niisama and send him my condolences, if it's like that," Sora teased, and Shunsui chuckled.

"Good plan," he said good-naturedly. "I'm sure he'd appreciate your kind thoughts, Sora-chan. Or maybe next break you can come back to District Eight instead – and help with the babysitting."

"Uh-uh. Not a chance," Sora shook her head determinedly. "I don't do small children."

She sighed, reaching up to touch the ends of her hair absently.

"I suppose Mi-chan and I should go make ourselves look less like we've been climbing trees," she added. "Since we're Seniors and all, I suppose it matters."

"Retsu-sama will scold me if I turn up to the Healing Bay like this," Mitsuki agreed. "Now we've heard Sensei's talk, we should be okay to go back and change."

"Will you eat dinner with us?" Juushirou asked hesitantly, and Mitsuki started, staring at him in surprise. Slowly she nodded.

"That should be all right," she agreed, "if you want us to."

"It would be nice since we're all back together again," Shunsui reflected. "So it's decided then. We'll see you girls at dinner time?"

"You will." Sora winked, slipping her arm through her companion's. "Come on, Mi-chan. Let's go make ourselves pretty."

With that they were gone, and Juushirou sighed, leaning up against the wall.

"She didn't sound very much like she wanted to spend time with me, did she?" he murmured, and Shunsui frowned, resting his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Juu…"

"No, don't. Whatever it is, don't." Juushirou shook his head. "I saw it…the hesitation in her eyes. It wasn't like that before Summer Break."

"Though even before the break you both seemed to spend less time together," Hirata murmured. Juushirou nodded.

"I know," he admitted, "but this is even more than before. It's as though she doesn't want to go to the Real World, or with me, or anything like that. And then all those things about being a healer and whatever…it sounded…like she was trying to tell me something else."

"Like what?" Enishi looked blank, and Juushirou rubbed his temples.

"Like we're too far apart," he said at length, "and growing further that way all the time. Since things went wrong at the Kuchiki manor, since Guren-sama acknowledged her…I don't really know what the future holds. And I don't like the gap between us – but I can't pretend it isn't there."

"Maybe the Real World will change that," Hirata said thoughtfully. "But if you feel like that, you should just talk it out with her, shouldn't you?"

"Probably I'm afraid of what she'll say," Juushirou groaned. "Besides, for now I have other things to do. I need to unpack everything I took to District Eight and then go see about the schedules for this term's duties. For the time being, Mitsuki can wait."

* * *

"That was a close call."

As they reached their chamber, Sora let out a heavy sigh, sliding the door of the small room firmly shut behind them. "Juushirou's not stupid, Mi-chan. He's going to work out that something's up and he'll do it where you're concerned quickest of all."

"I know," Mitsuki groaned, dropping down onto her bed and burying her face in the blankets. "But I'm not really good at lying to people I care about. He looked…sort of hurt, didn't he? I felt so guilty."

"Well, I think he accepted what you said," Sora sat down beside her, reaching over to pat her companion on the back. "But seriously, Mi-chan, what are you going to do? We're keeping a pretty big secret and in holiday time it's one thing but with all these extra lectures and all…"

"I can't abandon Senpai." Mitsuki turned her face to meet her friend's gaze. "I promised and I won't. Without our help he doesn't have anything, and right at the moment I'm the only member of the Clan he knows is his ally. I daren't even tell Ryuu in case it brings him into danger, and so for the time being, there's nothing I can do but try and help."

She sighed, rolling over onto her back.

"But if you don't want to go to the cave again, I won't blame you," She added. "It's not your problem."

"It became my problem when it started being yours." Sora shook her head. "We're friends, so that's par for the course. Besides, he's a miserable creature at the moment, your cousin. Feeding him and bringing him better bedding is really a long way from the kind of thing he's used to. I will give him credit for one thing, however. He hasn't complained once about any of what we've managed to beg, borrow or steal for him."

"Yeah, I know." Mitsuki pursed her lips. "But he's a graduate of Sensei's school too, and I suppose he's had the same survival training we've had, so it's not so surprising. Plus I'm not quite sure how he made the journey to District One, and I don't want to ask too many questions of how he ended up with Juushirou's family, really – but I get the impression it wasn't the normal noble storming of the borders technique."

"Much more like he slipped by the divides incognito," Sora agreed. "I didn't know he had it in him. Though it's tricky for us too. Getting hold of things without attracting suspicion of smart people like Shunsui is going to be difficult to do."

"Nabbing something warm for him to use as bedding was the hardest," Mitsuki grimaced. "I'd hoped we could pinch some clothing too, but I think that would have been too risky. Stealing from the school supplies and hoping nobody notices us is a bad thing for Seniors right off the bat – if we didn't have such good school records I don't suppose we'd ever get away with it."

"True enough," Sora mused. "Compared with Juushirou and the others, I suppose we both have pretty blameless records. It's lucky for Nagoya that we found him – I guess people will be less suspicious of us. Especially of you – you still look far too innocent to be concealing wanted fugitives."

"I really thought that Sensei was going to ask us why we were late to the meeting, too," Mitsuki sighed. "He didn't, though, so apparently we made it in time to avoid his suspicions. Food is easier to come by because money isn't a problem and we can buy things in the local town rather than take things from here – but you're right, classes and other duties mean that might get harder as well."

"You're going to break curfew, aren't you?"

"It'll probably come to that." Mitsuki rubbed her temples. "Although he hasn't complained, Sora, I'm worried about him being in that cold draughty cave. Even with the blankets we brought, it's not good at night – and I feel I have to check on him each day to make sure he's okay. He didn't let me check, but I think this morning he had the signs of a slight fever. This evening I'll take him some medicine to stave it off, and hopefully a night's sleep will see to the rest. I'd like to take him something else to do – books and the like, so he stays put and doesn't venture out too much. But it's not that bright in there without Kidou, even during the day. Using his magic would be risky – so I'm not sure I will."

"I thought he looked a little better coloured actually, this morning," Sora admitted. "But maybe it was just a fevered flush instead. I'm not a healer so I really can't tell."

"But I'm glad you're here and that I have someone I can talk to about it." Mitsuki's expression became grateful. "You're a good friend, Sora-chan. Whatever happens after graduation, it'll always stay that way, won't it?"

"Yes, but that makes me wonder what you're planning after graduation." Sora's eyes narrowed. "Want to share that with me while we're talking?"

"I don't know, yet. It depends if I can get permission to join Fourth squad and that's not for sure." Mitsuki shrugged her shoulders. "But Retsu-sama has mentioned the possibility of a stationed post in Rukongai with a regiment from the squad. It will be a chance for me to prove my abilities without people accusing me of currying favour, and there is a lot of bad stuff in Rukongai, since Hollows are there and souls are being hurt all the time. Seireitei's done relatively little to protect those people so far, but Retsu-sama doesn't agree with that and so she's been working to get permission to deploy people there. It looks like, come the spring, she'll have the permissions she needs to do it – so if I'm able to be part of the squad, she's suggested I might go along too."

"Rukongai, huh." Sora's eyes became grave. "Does Juushirou know that?"

"No. I'm not going to tell him anything until it's definite, since it depends on my Clan too." Mitsuki shook her head. "I'm also a little afraid of it, to be honest – treating people in Seireitei is one thing, but even Sensei said that Rukongai was more dangerous for students like us than the Real World, which means it's really not a good place to be."

She spread her hands.

"In any case, right now Senpai is foremost in my thoughts," she added, "and what's going to happen to him when we go to the Real World."

"Yeah, I hadn't thought of that," Sora admitted. "We won't be able to feed him then."

"I suppose we'll have to cross that bridge when we reach it," Mitsuki grimaced. "For now, we should both get changed and then I'll see about mixing something to tackle a light fever. Hopefully if he's sensible and keeps himself warm, he shouldn't take any serious harm from it. He's not weak physically, thank goodness."

"No, he's quite good physically," Sora giggled, and Mitsuki snorted, leaning up to thwap her friend playfully on the arm.

"You're not supposed to be looking at him that way," she scolded. "He's a refugee, if you hadn't forgotten."

"But a half-dressed refugee with a nice physique is a bonus," Sora laughed. "Come on, Mi-chan. See the bright side of it. Just because you're not in love with him doesn't mean that he's not worth looking at."

"Mm. Senpai is handsome." Mitsuki pulled herself into a sitting position. "I just don't see him that way. That's all. And you can't pretend you do, since I know you still have a soft spot for Tokutarou-sama."

"True," Sora grimaced. "But that's beside the point."

She looked pensive.

"Maybe Nagoya's being so patient and accepting of everything is because _he _likes _you_, though," she suggested, and Mitsuki snorted, shaking her head.

"You sound like Naoko," Sshe scolded. "We're friends, that's all."

"You might want to tell him that." Sora's eyes twinkled mischievously. "You did save his life once, and now you're his angel of mercy once again. Men are feeble creatures when it comes to women. Okaasama's said it time and time again. It doesn't take much to lure them in, and you're plenty pretty yourself these days."

"You're an idiot," Mitsuki said frankly, but there was humour in her own grey eyes. "If you're just going to be silly, shut up, all right? I have to find some fresh clothes and then I have a remedy to prepare and I'd like to make sure I get the measurements right."

"Honestly though, Mi-chan, I think it's a good thing Juushirou doesn't know about any of this." Sora became serious, resting her chin in her hands as she watched her friend get to her feet, padding across the chamber to where her spare uniform was hanging neatly against the wall. "I'm not sure he'd understand your mercy mission in quite the same way."

"Why not?" Mitsuki eyed her friend quizzically. "Senpai was Juushirou's _shishou_. He'd want him to be safe too."

"Ye-e-es," Sora agreed thoughtfully. "But even so, I still don't think he'd like it very much."

"Well, it's an academic point. He isn't going to know." Mitsuki shrugged. "Senpai asked it of me and I wasn't going to drag anyone else into it in any case. Juushirou's future relies on him staying untainted by Clan intrigue a little while longer. He might not want to be protected – but this is one of those cases where doing so is for his own good."

* * *

**_Author's Note: An Apology...and..._**

_With various things going on hereabouts, I'm behind on my review replies again. Please forgive me *grovels*. Work is very insane at the moment, with meetings and consultations and other stuff about redeployment on top of the normal workload, so I come home and often just 'flop' xD. I do read and appreciate every review, so please don't think otherwise. I will try to keep up, but I'll make this advance warning of my spasmodic responses over the next few weeks._

_In response to one reviewer's remark last week, the thing I meant as regards to plot will probably first be highlighted in the next chapter. However, I felt it important to reassure those concerned that I've no intention of making this a shounen-ai/yaoi tale, don't worry xD._

_I'm quite okay with people wanting to read it and Juu and Shun's bond that way if they want to. It doesn't particularly offend me if anyone feels that way. Personally, though, I've never had the plan to cross the line of close fraternal friendship and attempt to make their bond more than that.  
_


	47. Seiren's Soul

**Chapter Forty Six: Seiren's Soul**

"Why is it that an extra class these days means getting up early in the morning?"

Thus Shunsui as he and his companions trailed down the steps that led to one of the bigger Sakusen classrooms, a plaintive expression on his face. It was three weeks into the new term, and the Seniors had soon realised that preparation for the Real World mission was nothing like the few meetings they had had relating to their camp experience in the Second Year. Whereas then there had always been the school and the staff to fall back on, this time they were expected to grasp everything for themselves and, with their departure date growing ever nearer, there was a faint buzz of excitement around all of the students in the Senior class. In less than a week they would be screened to go – and nobody wanted to be left behind.

That it would be dangerous was something none of them had forgotten. As a result, despite the frequent and sudden additions to their study timetable, none of the thirteen students in the top class had dared to slack even for a moment. This had brought a temporary peace to the animosity between Akira and Juushirou, since even if the Yamamoto boy had wanted to stir up a fight, there was no longer the time in the day in which to do it. They were, as Genryuusai had dubbed them, a good year – but there were still many things they had to learn before they were ready to be shinigami.

This morning's class had been summoned almost at the last minute through a memo read out at the evening meal the night before. That morning was supposedly a free period for the Seniors – a time some students set aside for writing up their assignments or notes and when those like Shunsui allowed themselves to sleep in – so it had been with mixed feelings that they had risen and dressed early to meet for a special class on _konsou _practice.

"At the very least he could've made it an hour or two later," Shunsui continued now, letting out a heavy sigh. "I don't mind sleeping through breakfast if it means getting an extra couple of hours rest, but sudden class announcements are a low blow. We've had so many extra meetings and things lately, and with Kaoru too I've barely felt like any time has been my own since we came back. I should have known having this morning would be too good to be true. Bu-u-u-ut I daren't skip any of the extra classes because of how scary he made out all this Real World stuff to be. Still, I'm not happy about it. Nii-sama will kill me himself, probably, if I don't graduate with you all in the spring, so I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place."

He stifled a yawn.

"And it's not a very comfortable place to sleep."

"Something tells me your sleep patterns are getting back to normal." Juushirou offered him a grin as he fell into step with his friend, reaching up to tie a loose band into his straggly white hair. "Though as it happens I almost forgot about it this morning, too. I was re—reading my notes from the last couple of lectures when Hirata came and knocked on my door – otherwise I'd probably still be in the Nest now."

"That does explain why you're doing your hair en route," Shunsui chuckled. "All right. I suppose it took everyone by surprise. But I thought we'd already absorbed all the details of this _konsou_ business from those lectures at the start of term. We can't exactly do anything with it until we go to the Real World, can we? So…what's with the special class all of a sudden?"

"Maybe Sensei's going to get us to soul bury each other." Kai came up on Shunsui's other side, offering him a conspiratorial wink. "If I accidentally send you to Rukongai, Kyouraku, I'll send someone to find you, all right?"

"Depends if it's a place with pretty girls or not," Shunsui replied casually, and Juushirou snorted, elbowing his friend playfully in the ribs.

"That would probably be classed as a fail," he warned. "Stop it. I thought you were resolved to be responsible now you're a Senior and in charge of a _deshi _like Nagasata-san – have you forgotten that already?"

"No, but innocently talking to pretty girls and asking them the way back to Seireitei isn't a bad idea," Shunsui said simply, offering his friend a benign smile. "Besides, I don't suppose that's what Yama-jii's got in mind. I got the feeling that it would be too risky to start messing around with _konsou_ in Seireitei just on a whim. Otherwise why would we only be learning it now, right before we go to the Real World?"

"Because it's something we don't need in Seireitei?" Juushirou frowned. "_Konsou_ only works in the Real World – right? So what point would there be in knowing it if all we were going to do was flit around here?"

"But for the most part that _is _what we'll do, isn't it?" Hirata's voice made the trio jump, and he grinned, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "Sorry. I didn't mean to butt in. But the shinigami squads don't seem to go to the Real World a lot at the moment. That being the case…"

"_At present_ it is the case, but in the long run, perhaps not." As they reached the door of the classroom, Ryuu paused, his hand against the metal handle as he turned to give his view. "I don't know this for certain, but I have heard that with the recent developments the Urahara have done in _Senkaimon,_ a time when squads are sent to the Real World regularly is not such a far-fetched concept. I don't know whether it will happen in the next year or two – maybe not in the next fifty. But perhaps in our shinigami lives we will see something of it – and hence Sensei wishes us to have not only the experience but the knowledge in case such a time should come."

"The Real World _is_ a problem," Kai acknowledged. "Kuchiki, stop blocking the door and let us in, all right? Nee-sama's talked about it too. There are a lot of Hollows in this world now, but that wasn't always the case. More than that, though, the reason there are so many Hollows here is partly because of an overspill of some kind in the Real World."

"A broken balance," Juushirou murmured, as Ryuu sent his roommate a reproachful look, but obediently pushed back the door to lead the way into the study chamber beyond. "Something like that, isn't it? That balance needs to be restored else this world and that one might wind up in a really bad state."

"Something like that," Kai nodded. "That's one of the reasons the Academy is here, I think. And…what is going on in here? What happened to the desks?"

"Maybe someone soul buried them," Shunsui smirked. "Perhaps they sent them all to Rukongai and there are now a bunch of confused Plus souls scrabbling around wondering what these funny wooden things are for."

"Do you think the people in Rukongai don't know how to read or write?" Juushirou looked surprised. "People in the Real World…don't they learn those things?"

"Possibly they do, but who knows?" Shunsui shrugged. "Besides, if a bunch of school desks suddenly materialised in front of your house, you'd be a little concerned by it, wouldn't you?"

"Raining classroom furniture," Kai chuckled. "Though I'm not sure how developed Rukongai is. I've heard that the Plus souls lose their memories when they're sent across – that's one of the reasons _konsou_ is dangerous. They forget their past lives in the Real World – it's something to do with severing their existence in that plane."

"That sounds like something Ryuu would read a book on," Shunsui cast Kai a stern look. "Don't you begin to mimic him, else we'll be having words."

"As a matter of fact, I have read a book on that subject." Ryuu looked thoughtful, apparently oblivious to any implied insult on Shunsui's part. "And Kai is correct. I am not certain exactly of the scientific process, but it is a fascinating concept to consider. To think a soul from that world can be severed and transferred intact to this one in such an efficient manner. I should like to spend more time studying it – but there has been far too much for me to catch up on and so I have not yet been able to."

"Kuchiki, you're talking in a language I don't understand again." Enishi came up behind the young Kuchiki at that moment, clapping his hands down on the boy's shoulders and making him visibly jump.

"Houjou!" he exclaimed, and Enishi started, looking at his companion in surprise.

"You can't say you didn't know I was here, surely?" he asked. "My sister reckons these feet are so big you could hear them coming a mile away – don't say I actually startled you?"

"Being grabbed by a gorilla is enough to startle anyone," Ryuu muttered, but there was no malice in his tones, and Enishi chuckled, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "I wondered where you were – what took you so long?"

"I had a Kidou meeting right before this. Kazoe just let me go, and only because I begged and pleaded on account of this lesson," Enishi sighed. "Kazoe's stricter on me more than he is on any of you, I swear – but he let me come, so here I am."

"But we have no places to sit." Juushirou stepped cautiously into the middle of the classroom floor, glancing cautiously around him. "Joking aside, what has happened to the desks in here? It's looking more like an Ouyoudou practice room right now – but there's no physical combat involved in this _konsou_ business, right? At least, not the soul transferring part."

"No." Ryuu shook his head. "It's a matter of making contact with the psyche of the soul and your own psyche – usually through the hilt of your _zanpakutou_."

"Things _have_ been going missing lately, though." Hirata looked thoughtful. "I heard a couple of the maids talking the other week and they were saying that odd food supplies kept disappearing, or they kept being scolded for miscounting one or the other box of items. Perhaps someone took the desks as well."

"Who would steal _desks_?" Sora, who had just entered with Mitsuki at that moment overheard the end of the younger boy's words and snorted, shaking her head in derision. "That's just crazy, Hirata – there aren't any sneak thieves at the Academy, unless you want to blame this on giant sized mice."

"Hollow rodents, maybe?" Shunsui asked blithely. "What do _you_ think happened to the desks then, Sora? Because they're not here."

"Probably they got moved out for the purpose of the class. Duh," Sora said bluntly. "Stop trying to see mystery in everything – Sensei summoned us here, so that's got to be the reason why."

Shunsui's gaze flitted to Mitsuki for a moment, taking in the suddenly guilt-stricken expression in her grey eyes as Hirata had mentioned the stolen food, and his own brow creased thoughtfully. He said nothing, however, turning his attention back to his Shiba classmate.

"You're very dull this morning," he observed. "We were just trying to lighten the mood, since none of us want to be up and studying this early."

"Speak for yourself, Kyouraku," Ryuu said disparagingly. "I have no problem with rising early for class – and by this point, you should not either."

"What are you people all flapping about?"

Kanshi pushed back the door, gazing around him in surprise. "Hey, who nabbed all the tables? Where are we meant to write things, on the floor?"

"Your guess is as good as ours," Juushirou shrugged. "I s'pose for now we're meant to just squat and wait for Sensei to appear."

"He did say to bring our swords." Aoi remembered. "Maybe we won't be writing this lesson. Perhaps it's something else."

"Either way, we don't need to all be on top of each other," Akira said frankly. "Amai and Shikibu are already settling down in that far corner, so we'll go join them over there. Shihouin, Endou – you're with our group, so unless you really can't manage without holding your roommates' hands, I suggest you come with us. It'll save time later, since we're still supposed to be going over preparation work for when we leave."

"Thanks for the warm and friendly invite, Yamamoto." Kai cast Hirata a resigned glance, then shrugged. "All right. We're coming. You're probably right – the last few Sakusen classes we've had Sensei's split us himself, so we might as well do the job for him."

"I suppose so," Hirata sighed. "We'll talk to you guys later, Juushirou-kun."

"And then there were six." As their two companions headed off to join their group, Shunsui dropped down onto the _tatami _mat floor with a sigh. "Well, Anideshi? It looks like we're following your advice and squatting. I think I hear Sensei coming, so let's at least pretend to look industrious."

"I suppose so." Juushirou followed suit, gesturing for the rest to do likewise. "Though what we're meant to be industrising about I'm not sure. We didn't have anything left over to discuss, did we?"

"Industrising is not a word, Ukitake," Ryuu said reprovingly.

"But you know what I mean," Juushirou was not to be swayed. "There's only so much theorising we can do anyway. We did safety drill training yesterday, and that was straight forward. But until we're actually there, none of us really know what we're going to be facing."

"And so long as you keep that idea in mind, Juushirou, I think you'll find the task ahead an easier one to manage."

Genryuusai's voice prevented any of the rest of the group from responding, and he cast the suddenly discomfited Juushirou a wry smile, padding slowly and carefully between the two groups to the front of the room. "Ah, I see that the desks have been moved, just as I instructed. Good, good. We won't have to waste time."

"Sensei, what is this morning's class about, please?" Naoko put in from her place beneath the window. "Are we having another lecture on konsou? Why did the desks need to be moved, if that's the case?"

"This morning's class is not a lecture. I believe I told you that it would be a practical lesson of sorts," Genryuusai said calmly.

"We really are going to soul bury each other!" Hirata and Kai exchanged looks, and Genryuusai laughed.

"No. Not exactly," he said with a smile. "Konsou is a technique which should only ever be used on Plus souls and then only in the Real World. There are very strict regulations guiding us in these areas, because we're dealing with the fundamental make up of more than one world. You've all realised I think from the lectures so far that this technique is an important one – but not one you should be messing around with foolhardily. It's objective is to transfer spirit matter from the Real World to Seireitei."

"Sensei, how does that really help the balance, though?" Enishi's brows knitted together. "Surely if all we do is send souls here, this world is gonna get really heavy and outweigh the other one. And when that happens…won't they all crash together?"

"If you think about it logically, Enishi, you'll realise that's not the case."

Genryuusai hovered his hands briefly around the wooden stick that was always at his side, and a few gasps went up from around the classroom as the wooden veneer shimmered and disappeared, revealing the hard hilt and shimmering blade of a pristine _zanpakutou_. "If a soul dies in the real world, then that spirit is transferred to this one. When a soul dies in this world, it becomes spirit matter and therefore breaks down and becomes part of our surroundings. This world can regenerate spirit matter very easily – and the vast majority of its make up is comprised of reiatsu-based molecules of one sort or another. Some are static and some are not. However."

He tapped Ryuujinjakka pensively on the ground for a moment, then,

"In the Real World, there is no such way of generating spirit matter," he said softly. "Unlike this world, that one is based on mineral compounds instead. This means that without our world, that world cannot continue to exist. When a life is about to be born into that world, spirit matter is drawn from this world to form that new life. And then when that life ends, the spirit matter must be returned here in order for the cycle to start again."

He fixed Enishi with a thoughtful look.

"That was one of the things we touched on briefly in Sakusen last semester," he added, "but now you're coming to learn this technique, understanding the importance of that balance is even more important."

He swung Ryuujinjakka around so that the hilt of the sword was facing out towards the class.

"All of you are aware, I think, of what this is," he said quietly. "I have no intention of releasing my sword even to its most basic unsealed form, because to do so would cause all of you a good deal of danger. However, I don't need to release Ryuujinjakka to demonstrate today's class. Please, all of you, draw your swords from their sheaths and lay them across your lap – just as you did the first time you were encouraged to meditate with your spirit in order to forge a stronger bond of communication with them."

"Sensei, what about me?" Shunsui asked ruefully. "I've only two blades, and only so much lap to give."

"Hrm." Genryuusai's eyes narrowed beneath the heavy bristles of his snow white brows, then he nodded, setting his own sword aside and moving across the chamber to where Shunsui sat.

"Please give them to me," he said quietly, and Shunsui obliged, sliding first Seibara and then Amaki from their sheaths and holding them out.

The old man took them carefully in his expert grip, running a wizened finger over the ends of the sword hilts and then handing them back.

"In your case, it doesn't seem to matter which sword you choose to use," he reflected. "You are unique in this regard, Shunsui, so the manner in which you bury souls may prove to be different again when you come to actually reach the real world. However, from what I can tell, both your swords have the potential to carry out a successful _konsou_. You don't need to have the weapon released in order to complete this task – so for the time being, you might want to just choose one."

"If it's all right, I'll keep both out," Shunsui shook his head. "I don't think I could stand the headache if one thought I was giving favouritism to the other."

"Very well," Genryuusai seemed amused. "They are your swords, so I'll leave it up to you. However, you might find it more difficult to focus on the both of them at once."

He turned back towards the class as a whole, retrieving Ryuujinjakka and re-taking his place at the front of the room.

"_Konsou_ is not a combat technique," he said simply. "It requires other skills – skills of focus and concentration, as well as a good grasp of your own spiritual energy. A _zanpakutou_ does not have to have a shikai form to be able to complete _konsou_, but the person wielding it must have absolute control over their own aura before trying to interfere with another soul's. The majority of spirits you'll send to Rukongai will be far weaker than you in both aura and density. For that reason, there is a very great risk of polluting that spirit if you're careless."

"Polluting? How so, polluting?" Akira asked.

"A fluctuating shinigami aura is something that can be extremely dangerous in the Real World," Genryuusai said firmly. "All shinigami with a power rank above a certain degree have elements of their _reiryoku_ sealed before they are allowed to travel there. The Real World is lacking in spiritual power of its own, yet requires it in order to properly function. As a result, the risk of stray spiritual energy tainting or changing things there is greater than you might at first think. This is especially true in the case of Plus souls, where you have an entity that has already been reduced to its component spirit parts."

"So in fact stray emissions from our own reiatsu might interfere with the emissions from the Plus we are trying to bury?" Ryuu asked thoughtfully, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Yes, Kuchiki. It is exactly as you say."

"Which is why we don't learn it till now," Juushirou murmured, running his fingers pensively over Sougyo no Kotowari's shining silver blade. "We have to have a good level of control ourselves before we start messing around with other people's spirits."

"Quite right, Juushirou," Genryuusai agreed, "but _zanpakutou _are clever beings. Unlike ordinary swords, the _zanpakutou_ has a thinking capacity of its own – a fact of which I'm sure you're all more than aware. For the most part, too, the swords don't want to taint or be tainted by another person's spiritual presence. For that reason, many of them won't allow _konsou_ to be carried out unless they are completely certain that their master or mistress is operating within their spiritual boundaries. If you look at the hilt of your swords at present, you won't see anything there. When a sword is about to carry out _konsou_, that changes. A particular motif appears at the base of the hilt – and that 'stamp' or seal is the key to sending the Plus to Rukongai successfully."

He smiled, hovering his hand briefly over Ryuujinjakka's hilt, and as he moved it away, Shunsui could see the glittering patterns of red energy that seemed to be carved into the base of his sword.

"The motif that manifests can vary from blade to blade," he added. "Ryuujinjakka is very old fashioned, therefore I would be surprised if any of you held swords with quite such an ornate mark. However, whatever form this seal takes, the important thing is its purpose, not its appearance."

He brought his hand across Ryuujinjakka again, and the red light disappeared, leaving it once more a normal looking sword hilt.

"Today's class, therefore, is about finding the focus and concentration to persuade_ your_ swords to show you that mark," he concluded benignly. "It sounds easy, but with no Plus souls here and in a class environment, I don't suppose it will be. Each of you have your own unique ways of communicating with your _zanpakutou_, so for each of you that method might be different. However, I want to see it from each of you before you're sent to the Real World – the _monshou_ of the soul burial on the ends of your swords."

_Great._

Shunsui sighed, crossing his swords over his knees and resting his hands gently across their intersected blades.

_So I have to school this into two of you, not just the one?_

_**It's not us that needs the schooling, Shunsui.**_

Seibara sounded reproachful.

_**We're able to do this any time we like. It's you who has to find the way to make us.**_

_You don't think I have enough control over my spirit power to persuade you that it's safe?_

_**You have a habit of leaving things half done.**_

That was Amaki.

_**We have to be sure. Sometimes flickers of stray energy seep out after you've been training with us – you've noticed it, haven't you? We've been working on a particular technique of late, and as a result at times shadows behave in a way you don't expect, even when we're not released. Those are the fragments the old man means. If you can't keep them quiet while your sword is sealed, it would be dangerous for you to try and bury a soul.**_

_What would happen, if I did?_

_**If we let you? Probably part of your spirit power would be transferred to that soul. If it wasn't strong enough to handle it, it might even become a Hollow. You might fail to bury it properly, and instead create a good amount of distress to the original soul. **_

_**Your spirit power is frighteningly strong, Shunsui.**_

Seibara added.

_**Of a level even you don't fully realise, yet. Perhaps you're not on a par with the old man's firebird, but you are strong. People with strong reiatsu should be especially careful when dealing with those who have little or no spiritual aura at all. You'd effectively be poisoning them – and I know you don't want that.**_

_No. I don't._

Shunsui's brows knitted together and he slowly closed his eyes.

_All right then. I understand and I'll do my best. Give me some help, both of you – and let's see if we can work out the best way to do this right._

_

* * *

_"This morning's class was a heavy one."

Mitsuki flopped back against the wall of the school building, casting her companion a pensive smile. It was some hours later and, following the impromptu class on _konsou_ the Seniors had been dismissed at last to their own devices, each one of their heads spinning with the theory and the spiritual concentration that they'd had drummed into them.

"I see why it has to be so perfect, but even so, my head's aching some. Yuuyugo doesn't seem too keen on burying souls. I think she'd prefer to heal them outright than send them somewhere else."

"But you did persuade her to make the image appear, even if for a little while," Sora pointed out with a sigh. "Hotarue and I are still not agreeing on how and when to use this thing. She's being flighty and difficult, as usual – she'd rather play around than focus on something this important."

"We don't have many days left till we go to the Real World, either," Mitsuki looked concerned. "What if you don't manage to make her show it before we do – will Sensei keep you back?"

"No…he said that it was a matter of time and practice and I'd probably be all right in the long run." Sora responded with a shrug. "Hotarue is high maintenance and keeping her concentrating on anything for more than a short time takes a lot of my energy. I'll keep working on it though. This isn't something that's particularly dangerous, so I might do some evening practice in our room, if you don't mind me occasionally yelling at her to shut up and focus."

"I don't mind." Mitsuki giggled despite herself. "I'll help, if I can. We are partners, remember – so it's sort of my job."

"Speaking of partners and of jobs, are you really serious about doing _this_?"

Sora peered tentatively around the wall of the school building, watching as the maids ran here and there carrying out errands that kept the Academy running behind the scenes on a daily basis.

"You heard Hirata this morning – they've started to notice the disappearing food, and I'm sure they're aware that there's already one blanket less than usual in the stores. Do you think we should lie low for a little bit? Shunsui gave you a very thoughtful look in class."

"It can't be helped," Mitsuki grimaced. "I'll have to take the risk. Even if people are noticing – when we're in the Real World, I want to be sure that he's at least safe and secure, even if I can't guarantee being able to bring him food."

"And although it's risky, for some reason I'm here ready to help you," Sora groaned. "If we're caught, Mi-chan, we're going to have some really tricky explaining to do. Aside from telling Sensei you've suddenly developed a blanket hoarding compulsion, I'm not sure what we'll be able to say."

"I did say you didn't have to come this time." From behind her friend, Mitsuki's words were soft spoken and she reached out to grasp Sora's arm. "It's okay if you don't – I'll go on my own. I don't intend to get you into trouble too on my – our – behalf."

"No, it's all right," Sora sighed, shaking her head. "I told you already that I'd help if I could, so I will. I'm in this up to my neck already anyway. I'm still amazed that nobody realised it was me who stole the fish from the kitchens yesterday. My hands smelt of salmon all evening, but even when Hirata started talking about stolen food, nobody started pointing at me and yelling 'Fish Fingers!"

She sniffed her skin tentatively.

"They still do smell of it, a little. And I've had two baths since then."

"Guilty evidence!" Despite herself, Mitsuki giggled. "But thank you. I couldn't avoid that extra class with Retsu-sama, and well, you know who still needed to eat. He's very hungry at the moment and hardly eating enough to rebuild his spirit power as much as he needs to. The injury he took in District Six must have been a serious one, because his body's still trying to make spiritual repairs and it's not able to get enough nutrients to do it properly."

"Mm." Sora's expression became serious, and she turned to face her friend.

"It's been at least three weeks," she said quietly. "How much more time can we keep this a secret? At this rate I expected something to have happened decisively within your Clan that would mean he could come out of hiding and go see Sensei…but so far, nothing's happened at all. I have no idea what's going on or why everything's gone so quiet but…"

"Senpai isn't guilty, you know," Mitsuki frowned. "Just because he's stuck in a cave and things have died down doesn't mean that."

"I didn't mean to suggest it did," Sora grimaced. "I don't think he's done anything either. But I do worry about what will happen to you if your family find out you've been shielding someone they want to ask questions."

"If they throw me out, they do," Mitsuki shrugged. "Now shh. We haven't much time to do this in. I know they did a fresh round of laundry yesterday, and I've learnt that the woman in charge takes a break about this time every day. For a short few minutes the room should be open – and hopefully that'll be enough time for us to grab a couple more warm blankets and a night robe without being seen."

"Hopefully," Sora echoed pensively. "All right. I'm ready when you are. Give the signal and we'll go."

"Mm." Mitsuki's eyes narrowed, and Sora could tell that her friend was not just checking out the area by sight but also by her senses. As a healer, Sora knew that Mitsuki's wits were far sharper than most of the other students in their year, and whilst she herself could not detect anything from the servants' buildings, her young friend was able to pinpoint with frightening accuracy how many people were in which place at any one time.

Being an old manor house, many of the areas inhabited by the school's serving staff were located at the bottom of the building, in the cellars and basement where they had originally been at the time the Yamamoto had used it as a family estate. However, Genryuusai had made a few adjustments when he had begun to turn the place into an academy, and as a result additional areas for the menial staff had been set aside on the far side the archway under which Sora and Mitsuki were now lurking. That arch, a relic from the manor's old days and a gateway that had led to the former stables – now towards the gymnasium and training grounds – was the essential dividing line between the parts of the manor where the students studied, ate and slept and the clockwork routines of those who kept the place moving. In the heart of this area were two of significance – the laundry and the kitchens.

For the most part, the students did not venture into these areas. There had never been a hard rule set in place about it, since when the school had begun its students had all been from noble houses who would not have even dreamed of venturing into serving quarters. On occasion students had been assigned punishment duties inside one or other of these busy bustling hubs of activity, but in general the serving staff were able to get on with their work without too many interruptions from the young folk who populated the rest of the estate.

Except, of course, when those young folk had other errands on their mind.

"Now." Mitsuki grabbed Sora by the hand, pulling her firmly towards the back door of the scullery. Sora stifled a yelp, almost falling headlong, but she recovered herself, and as the two girls sidled into the main building, they pressed back against the wall, listening to the sounds of merry chatter as two or three young maidservants set about their daily routine.

Soon the hallway fell quiet, and Mitsuki turned to glance at her companion, nodding her head firmly. With a resigned grin, Sora obediently followed her companion past the identical wooden doors to the wide double door at the furthest end of the corridor. Mitsuki put her hands gently against the wood, pausing for a moment as if screening the area beyond for any signs of life. Then she gave a nod of satisfaction, pushing the door carefully back so that it opened with the minimum of noise.

The chamber beyond was large and humid, with a vague scent of something almost herbal that reminded Sora of the fresh smell that lingered in the dorms after the maids had done their weekly change of the school bedding. It was a nice, somewhat comforting smell, but Mitsuki was already hurrying to the far side of the room and Sora gathered her wits, trailing across after her to where big wooden slats divided one area of the wall into a huge stack of shelves. Each shelf was labelled with a floor number and beyond that, the numbers for particular bedrooms, and Sora stifled faint flicker of guilt as she surveyed them.

"These are for tomorrow, I think," Mitsuki murmured, standing alongside her and glancing the shelves up and down pensively. "Which means they're dry. If we take one from this pile and one from that – it probably won't be so easily noticed."

"Won't that mean someone will go without tomorrow?" Sora questioned, even as she began to help her friend haul the heavy underblanket down from the first shelf. "Because if these are counted out and stuff…"

"I found out that they always have one or two spare in case of emergencies," Mitsuki shook her head, offering Sora a sheepish grin. "It's all right. They may notice one's missing here and another there, but they probably will just assume someone needed it for some other floor. Besides…"

She paused, only just stopping herself from crying out as the blanket came free with a sudden jerk, sending both girls tumbling onto the floor. The heavy fabric flopped on top of them, and Sora laughed, pushing it back and scrambling to her feet. She reached down to grab Mitsuki's hand, pulling her upright, and Mitsuki sighed, gazing at the blanket pensively.

"They're heavy enough," She murmured, "but the floor in the cave is so cold. If we can manage two, Sora…it would be best."

"We can. Come on. That one's hanging down slightly." Sora indicated one on the next shelf along. "I can't reach it, quite, but you should be able to. You pull and I'll stop it from falling on you like the last one – all right? Then we'll worry about how to carry them to the cave."

"All right," Mitsuki nodded, stretching up on tip-toes to grab the edge of the cream blanket. She gave it a little tug, and as it slipped free, Sora leapt up to catch it, bringing it down far more neatly than the last.

"You're really worried about him, aren't you?" she observed, as they folded the blankets up into smaller piles. "I've not seen you break rules so wholesale before."

"He hasn't got anyone but us at the moment," Mitsuki agreed. "And there's something else. The cave is cold and like I said, he isn't…quite right. Plus I know he's slipped out a couple of times to swim in the lake. I told him off about it the last time because he went back with his hair still damp and it's not as if he needs any help to make the conditions he's living in worse on his body. He's lost weight and he's been under a good deal of strain – even though he's holding up from it pretty well, there's still the matter of his fever."

"It still hasn't gone?" Sora eyed her friend in surprise, and Mitsuki shrugged.

"Each time I think it's going, it comes back," she said helplessly. "He may have a couple of days respite, but then there's a cold night or he insists on going swimming or something happens and then he's warm again. It's not a bad fever, Sora – but it's persistent and that can put a strain on the body too. In fact, I think it might be that very thing – because he's trying to rebuild his spirit power, his body's working to the maximum on limited resources. On top of that, he told me himself that he doesn't really feel that confident releasing his sword if there's trouble. He did it once to fight back a Hollow, but it took a good deal of his strength to be able to release Ginkyoujiki at all. My suspicion is he left Sixth before he was fit enough to, and it's not been an easy journey, so he's not had time to recuperate then, either. It might just be that this on-off fever is his body's way of protesting about everything he's putting it through – but I hope that if we can put extra blankets down on the floor and across the cave entrance to keep out the cold, it might help."

"And you said a robe as well, didn't you?" Sora lifted the lid off one of the large wicker bins, rummaging around inside before pulling out a generic white robe. "These are the things that Unohana-sensei uses with patients in the Healing Bay, right? One shouldn't be missed, and if she uses them, they must be good for sick people."

"I don't know about that," Mitsuki eyed it doubtfully, "but we'll take it with us. The clothing he had when he arrived here is filthy and even though I've tried to wash it in the lake, it's effectively wrecked. What he's wearing is fine in the daytime and in the sun, but it's not much against evening cold and autumn is coming. So a robe would be better – can you manage that and the blanket or do you want me to take it?"

"I'm fine." Sora dropped the robe onto her pile, hoisting the lot up with a grin. "I'm not tall, but I am strong. I can carry a lot more than this – probably more than you can, so don't worry."

"That's probably true," Mitsuki acknowledged with a sheepish smile. "That's what growing up with older brothers does for you, huh? An only child like can't compete."

"No kidding," Sora laughed. "The number of times Haku-nii threw me up into a tree and told me I had to get down by myself…I lost count, to be honest. And if I couldn't hold my own in a wrestling match, I'd have been dumped in the river a fair few times, too."

"District Five is harsh," Mitsuki reflected, and Sora shrugged.

"I don't mind. I liked it that way," she said reflectively. "And you're right. Being the youngest and a girl meant I had to work hard and toughen up. Otherwise I'd have probably got properly hurt. Nobody intended to hurt me – but you know, kids are like that. I always thought if I worked specially hard one day I'd get to dump Haku-nii in the river – but it hasn't happened yet."

"Haku-nii as in Hakubei-dono, the Captain of the Tenth Squad." Mitsuki eyed her friend speculatively, and Sora nodded.

"I'm really hoping I don't get farmed out to his jurisdiction when I graduate," she said expressively. "I'd take on almost anything else but that."

"Someone's coming." Mitsuki's brows knitted together all of a sudden. "They're heading this way. We shouldn't be hanging around chatting like this – if they catch us here…"

"Quick. This way!" Sora tossed the blankets onto the nearest shelf, grabbing her friend and pulling her onto the wooden ledge alongside them. "Lie down and don't move. It'll be kinda stuffy for a moment – so don't squeak or cough or giggle or anything. Okay?"

"What are you going to…" Mitsuki began, but before she could finish Sora had grasped hold of the blankets once more, pulling the thick cloth firmly over both girls' heads. Dropping down onto her stomach, she was relieved to see Mitsuki follow suit, and as the door of the laundry opened she held her breath, ears straining for anything that might tell them that whoever was out there knew they were around.

"Stupid girl." The voice of one of the laundry maids drifted through the heavy fabric, slightly muffled by the thick weave. "She'd leave her head somewhere if it wasn't screwed on – I swear, I'd get my rounds done far more quickly if it wasn't for idiots leaving their lists behind."

There was the rustle of paper, and then the swish of a uniform as someone padded over towards the shelves where Mitsuki and Sora were hiding. For a terrible moment, Sora thought that the woman might tug down the blanket that was concealing them from view, but just as she was sure she would suffocate, she heard footsteps moving to the next shelf, and then the sound of the servant leaving. As the door slid shut behind her, Sora gasped air into her lungs, fighting to push back the blankets. Alongside her, her dark hair muzzy and tousled and her face red from warmth and lack of oxygen, Mitsuki flopped over the cloth, taking a deep breath.

"That was close," She gasped, and Sora nodded, reaching over to help her friend up.

"But funny," she admitted, a mischievous twinkle in her green eyes. "Come on. Let's not linger here any more. Grab what you need and we'll go out the back way. I think I can lever that window up, and it'll be quicker then to shunpo down to the back gate."

"Who's on gate duty?" Mitsuki pushed back her hair, fumbling for the ribbon that had come loose in their frantic attempt to hide.

"Nobody, at the moment," Sora responded. "We should be good to go, so long as we're quick."

"Nobody?" Mitsuki was surprised, and Sora shrugged.

"Don't look at me. It isn't my shift," she said airily, "but there's nobody there. Maybe it's Houjou's – and Kazoe collared him again to finish off his Kidou training from this morning."

"That seems likely," Mitsuki sighed. "Poor Houjou-kun. Sometimes I think he's working harder than any of us this year."

"He'll be fine." Sora deftly leapt down from the shelf, moving to prop open the window before returning for her precious goods. "Houjou's lousy with classwork, but he's fine in the field. That's what'll count, in the final evaluation. Whether he can hold it together when called on to actually do things. Nobody purifies a Hollow by writing an essay about it."

She clambered out of the window, dropping her own burden on the grass and reaching out to help Mitsuki negotiate her own. "Quickly, before someone comes by and sees us."

"That's true," Mitsuki acknowledged. "Okay, I'm out now. And you're right. I'm sort of comforted that Sensei assigned Houjou-kun with Ryuu. I'm not really sure Ryuu should be going to the Real World, but I do understand why he wants to. It's just a risk…that's all."

"No bigger than the one you're taking," Sora pointed out. "Both of you are doing what you're doing for the sake of the family, right? Just in different ways. If Kuchiki can lure out the predator, then Nagoya's innocence will be proven, won't it? Then he can go to the school and speak to Sensei – and everything will start to settle down."

"Providing Ryuu isn't hurt in the meantime," Mitsuki's eyes narrowed. "It worries me what kind of enemy we're dealing with, Sora. Everything's gone so horribly quiet, just like you said. It's as though they're waiting for something."

"For Kuchiki to step through the barrier and out of Sensei's protection?" As they hurried through the forestland that led towards the mountain, Sora voiced the question, and Mitsuki nodded.

"That's what I'm afraid of," she admitted. "I think our trip to the Real World is really taking second place to the Kuchiki Clan's current crisis – and lives might be sacrificed because of it. I don't want Ryuu hurt – or anyone else, for that matter."

"Like Juushirou?" Sora's brows knitted together, and Mitsuki pinkened, nodding her head.

"Like Juushirou," she admitted. "I have a bad feeling about it, that's all. He's never yet been able to keep his nose out of trouble since I've known him – and this is exactly the kind of trouble he'd be stupid enough to throw himself into."

"But so far he hasn't got killed by this trouble-throwing habit of his," Sora reflected. "And besides, even he knows that he can't mess with the Kuchiki. He's too close to this one – by blood as well as because of where his family are. He won't put them into danger."

"But it sounds like they've already done their fair bit of putting themselves into danger," Mitsuki sighed. "If they helped Senpai to escape and that was found out somehow…"

"Nagoya's innocent, though. And soon, hopefully, they'll be able to prove it," Sora pointed out. Mitsuki shrugged.

"I think whoever's involved in this is pretty clever," she said uneasily. "Maybe they won't be so easily lured out – perhaps they won't be revealed after all. Perhaps they'll find a way to make Senpai's situation even more difficult – who knows what the future holds?"

"Even if they do, though, you'll stand by Nagoya, won't you?" Sora paused at the edge of the clearing, and Mitsuki dropped back alongside her, nodding her head.

"Even if nobody else does, I will," she said firmly. "I believe in this, Sora, and I'm going to see it through. I agreed to be Senpai's ally and that won't change. Whatever I need to do to help him clear his name and stay safe, I'll do. If it will help keep Ryuu safe in the meantime too, even better. Those are the things I have to focus on now."

"Well, don't go hunting demons in the Real World on a whim of your own," Sora instructed. "Advice from your buddy – keep out of it. Hopefully Sensei doesn't really intend on sending us there without someone to watch and wait to pick up incriminatory evidence, so maybe it'll be all right. Still, you don't want them hurt. I don't want you hurt. So remember that, all right?"

"I'll remember." Mitsuki shot her companion a grin. "And I appreciate it, Sora. You're putting up with a lot of my whims at the moment – thank you."

"That's what best friends are for," Sora sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Come on. Let's go deliver our stolen goods to the fugitive, and see what he has to say for himself today."

* * *

Night had fallen, and in the sky above, an owl hooted, its shadowy wings cloaking the glow of the silvery midnight moon.

"So this is how the other half lives in District Six, is it."

Keitarou pulled his cloak more tightly around his body, gazing up at the manor house with thoughtful, calculating eyes.

He had waited patiently, watching and observing and considering every outcome in painstaking detail. For more than three weeks he had sheltered in the Real World, not drawing any attention to him or his companions as he waited for the furore over his gold-eyed companion's escape to die down and fade. They were all lulled into a false sense of security now, for the extra guards that had been roaming the District the night they had left were no longer as numerous. He had taken the travel token Eiraki had received from Seiren, but he had only had to use it once, and it had really seemed as though the people in the Kuchiki District were no longer interested in finding Ribari's killer.

Most likely they believed the assassins long gone to a place beyond this one. They had not thought that those killers would come back.

Such narrow lines of thought were unappealing to a mind like Keitarou's, but he did not allow them to hold him back. It was time to begin the next part of his plan, and so he had returned to Seireitei, his scientific instincts prickling as he debated the encounter ahead.

He was alone that evening, having decided that it would be far too risky for him to bring either of his companions this far into enemy territory. His own being here was enough of a gamble, for though he felt fairly secure in his ability to kill spiritless guardsmen or insignificant serving staff, he did not want to leave a trail of blood in his wake. Violence would suggest confrontation, and it was not confrontation that had brought him here this evening. On the contrary, it was something else.

Negotiation.

He slid his fingers beneath the folds of his cloak, pulling out the torn piece of parchment that Eiraki had given to him before he had left their safe camp in the Real World and had used the _Senkaimon_ to return here. In the dim glow of the moon, he could not read the words written there – but he already knew the contents enough by heart and besides, it was the existence of such evidence that mattered most.

He smiled, returning the precious document to its hiding place. Doubtless it too would have a purpose that night.

He raised his gaze once more to the manor, his keen senses picking out the members of the household as they went about their business. He had never been here before, and nor had Eiraki, so he was somewhat hampered in his ability to navigate what was a truly opulent and sprawling estate. It had once belonged to the Kuchiki Lord, Senaya – but now it was the home and residence of that man's shadow son, Seiren – and Keitarou had been quick to notice as he had approached the property that his target's chief of staff was himself patrolling the main gate.

It was a key indication that the Lord himself was at home.

Keitarou smiled ironically, moving swiftly and silently across the courtyard beneath his thin veil of Kidou magic. He had not even had to try to conceal his reiatsu to the normal degree, since this place was full of those dead to spiritual power of any time, and Keitarou found himself wondering absently if that decision had been an act of resentment on Seiren's part – that if he could not have _reiryoku_, nor could any who served him.

Obtaining entry without a clear knowledge of his final destination was more tricky, since pinpointing Seiren's faint, flickering reiatsu was not as easy as locking into a more gifted member of his family – but Keitarou had been born with patience and opportunism in abundance and once again this paid dividends. As a serving girl left the property briefly to empty a water basin, he took his chance to slip inside, judging the layout of the manor carefully as he slipped through the web of tunnels that designated the serving quarters.

Seiren's study was probably some floors up, and so he mounted each staircase he found, noticing the improvement in the decoration and the brightness of the Kidou lamps as he went. Seiren was not famous for his acknowledgement of District rights, yet Keitarou had had to acknowledge grudgingly that the spirit among the menial staff was no lower here than in other places of similar status – and in comparison to the abject fear of the former Endou regimes, it was almost cheerful. Yet the most ornately decorated and patterned halls were reserved for the family themselves, and as Keitarou stood back to let a couple of young servants pass him, he sensed for the first time the fragile presence of his target's reiatsu.

The rumour was true, then. Seiren was at home, and Shibata guarded the gate to make sure nobody who should not enter, did. But they had not counted on the spirit power of one like him, and it was with a glitter of amusement in his cold brown eyes that Keitarou made his way slowly and leisurely towards the man's study, all the time reading the signals around him for anything that might bring him into danger.

There was none. Seiren was alone in his study, and as Keitarou reached the door, he was surprised to find no guardsman stationed outside it.

_So he's not as paranoid for his safety as I thought he might be. That's interesting. _

He frowned, sliding back the door with a gloved hand and stepping silently into the chamber.

At the sound of the door's movement, Seiren's head shot up from his desk, his eyes narrowing as he scanned his surroundings for any sign of an intruder. Keitarou's lips twitched in amusement at the man's spiritual blindness, and gently he closed the door behind him, taking a step and then another step towards the Kuchiki lord's desk.

If he so wanted, he could kill Seiren now and be gone without a clue or trace leading back to him. Keitarou's fingers hovered over his _zanpakutou_'s hilt, tempted for the briefest of moments to act on that impulse and cause an assassination that would lead to further Kuchiki outcry. But just as he had begun to remove Chudokuga from its secure hiding place beneath his heavy cloak, Seiren spoke.

"Draw your weapon and I'll draw mine," he said softly, and Keitarou started, staring at his companion with a measure of surprise.

_Can he see me?_

Seiren got to his feet, hand tightly curled around his sword's hilt, and Keitarou frowned, gauging the situation carefully.

_But this one has no spirit power, does he? The Kidou I used is a weak level because more than the barest touch would be unnecessary – at least, so I thought._

At his hesitation, Seiren's eyes became slits.

"Who are you and what do you want with me?" he asked quietly. "You might think I don't know you're there, but I do. Even if I don't see you clearly, I'm aware of where you are. Your spell is feeble and your cover broken. Explain yourself – or I will draw my sword and kill you where you stand."

"That's such an unfriendly greeting for one who came here simply to discuss a reasonable business proposition." Keitarou obediently released his grip on Chudokuga, flicking his fingers to disperse the haze of magic that had shielded him at least partially from his companion's view. "I am surprised, Seiren-dono. That you should see through my spell is unexpected. I was under the impression you lacked any spiritual awareness – have I misunderstood?"

"That matter is no concern of someone who enters my quarters uninvited and unannounced." Seiren bristled at this, and Keitarou's expression became one of amusement as he registered the fact that this was a sore point even so many years on. "Who are you and what do you want with me! State your name or I will summon my guard to deal with you!"

"Your guard would not be able to handle me." Keitarou reached up to push back the hood of his cloak, stepping forward towards the desk until he stood within striking distance of the wary Kuchiki Lord. "I walked right past them without a single one of them noticing me. It's unwise to keep your manor guarded by people who are ignorant of spiritual ability, Seiren-dono. Unwanted visitors might slip through the cracks unnoticed at any time."

"Unwanted visitors like you, perhaps?" Seiren's voice was cold, but Keitarou did not sense fear in the other man's demeanour. "I'll ask you again. Who are you and what do you want with me? If you came here to kill me, you'll find that even if I'm not a shinigami, I won't easily drop my sword and die."

"No. You and your brother share that characteristic," Keitarou said regretfully, and Seiren's eyes narrowed.

"You were involved in the attack on Guren-niisama?"

"Guren-_niisama_?" Keitarou repeated the word mockingly, shaking his head. "No. No, I don't think that style of address suits you or him, Seiren-dono. I don't think it suits the situation at all."

Seiren whitened, and Keitarou almost thought he felt the faintest stir of something deep within the man's soul as indignation began to shift towards apprehension and unease.

"What are you talking about?" He somehow managed to keep his voice level, and Keitarou shrugged, extending his arm slowly and deliberately to dangle the ripped sheet of parchment paper before Seiren's nose. At the sight of it, the other man cursed, reaching out to grab it, but there was no comparison in speed between Keitarou's skilful Hohou abilities and Seiren's own movements, and the scientist hopped neatly back out of reach, folding the sheet carefully before returning it to its hiding place.

"Where did you get that?"

"Maybe it came from Senaya-sama." Keitarou lounged back against the wall, folding his arms lazily across his chest as he gauged with interest the plethora of emotions that flooded through his opponent's eyes. "Perhaps he entrusted it to me before he died."

"Liar." Seiren's eyes were the colour of a thunderstorm. "Father would not have entrusted anything to anyone outside of the family, and besides, when he died, it was still in the Clan's possession. Whoever you are, you are not one who was in his trust."

"So you saw it _after_ he died, then," Keitarou processed this carefully, "and yet you've kept it a secret. Out of support for your dear brother, maybe? I wonder."

"I swore an oath of loyalty to this Clan – to my Father and to my brother, neither one of which I intend on breaking," Seiren said stiffly. "This conversation is finished. Whatever your reason for being here…"

"Does Guren-dono know about the rather interesting piece of paternal testimony Senaya-sama left behind?" Keitarou's tones were pleasant and relaxed, and he made no attempt to leave the study, despite the growing unease flickering in Seiren's aura. "No, I didn't think so. You needn't even speak – I can see in your eyes that he does not. You swore an oath of loyalty to someone yet lied to them. I wonder how he would see things if that fact was to come to light."

A malicious smile played around the corners of his mouth.

"Maybe he'd see it as a motive for killing Ribari-dono. Ambition is a violent master and especially bitter in one who's always been kept down in the way you have."

"I didn't kill Ribari-sama," Seiren snapped, "and you can't frighten me with threats. I'm innocent, therefore you can't try and persuade me that I'm guilty. Guren-niisama knows it too – that I would never have hurt that boy, no matter what the provocation."

"I know," Keitarou's response was matter-of-fact. "I know who killed Ribari-dono. I sent them with that errand and they completed it to perfection. Therefore you don't need to protest your innocence with me, Seiren-dono. I'm sure that…woah there!"

For at his words Seiren had sprung forward, half vaulting his desk to reach the visitor with his weapon drawn fully from its sheath. His hand shaking with anger, he pointed it towards Keitarou's throat, and the scientist sighed.

"You have a hot temper," he remarked softly, and Seiren's brows knitted together, clear anger and hatred in his gaze.

"By your own words you killed my nephew," he said blackly. "I will hear your reasoning and then I will take you as my prisoner."

"I don't think you will." Keitarou lifted his left hand, lazily pushing back the sword with a weak Kidou spell. "You can't touch me. I told you. Nobody here can. You're the only person in the whole manor who seems able to even see me when I choose to use my Kidou. That fact makes me wonder if you've been lying. Maybe you _do_ have spirit power. Perhaps you've been biding your time."

He shrugged his shoulders dismissively.

"Whatever the truth, the boy's death is to your advantage. In essence, my people did you a favour," he said candidly. "I'm not stupid – I know that you have a son too, and that he is now the heir to the Kuchiki Clan by a process of default. We should not be arguing about things, Seiren-dono. It would be far better if we were to ally with one another. I would ensure that Ryuu-dono's position in the Clan was beyond doubt –I am perfectly able of ridding you of the nephew that you weren't able to arrest. And I'm sure that, if you so wished, I could even help you remove your brother from the equation. This Clan does not belong to him, and you know it as well as I do. If you trusted it to me, I could eliminate him, too. Nobody would ever connect it to you."

"What kind of a person do you perceive I am?" It was impossible for Seiren to be any more angry by this point, his face red and his eyes blazing with indignation. "I already told you where my loyalty lies! Ryuu will be heir to this Clan, perhaps – but I do not seek to take advantage of anyone's murder in order to make personal gain!"

"And yet you will, won't you?" Keitarou said calmly. "By pushing Ryuu's claim, it's already what you're doing. I know, Seiren-dono. I've been watching very carefully. You can't pretend otherwise. You chased your other nephew away and into exile. That's the action of a lord serious about putting his son forward for the family inheritance."

He patted his cloak.

"And _this _evidence might be enough to depose Guren in Ryuu's favour, if you were to work with me," he said, his voice carrying a slightly cold edge. "But it would also be enough to suggest you're guilty of conspiracy. Whether you choose to work with me or don't, the same thing applies. I have the evidence to make you look a traitor, even if you do not want to be one. Your sensible choice would be to exploit the opportunity– rather than simply be used and discarded for being uncooperative. I don't like subjects who have no use or purpose – so think very carefully before refusing me again."

"There is nothing to think of. I don't negotiate with a man who makes threats against my family, who confesses to involvement in a kinsman's murder and more, who does not clearly state his name!" Seiren snapped back. "I will tell Guren-nii myself the truth that you hold in that document – and then you will have no evidence on which to plant suspicions in people's minds. I am not a dishonourable man and I cannot be bought or blackmailed. You should not have come here. You will regret that I saw your face."

"I suppose we'll see who regrets what," Keitarou murmured softly. "You may not realise it, but you have already played quite beautifully into my hands. You trusted implicitly in the young maiden I sent to beguile you and win over your trust, didn't you? Nanaki reported to me most faithfully about the help and support you gave her in escaping the manor. You believed her words about your nephew because you wanted to believe him bad – and you let your personal ambition and fear blind you to the reality."

"Nanaki-hime was…" Seiren blanched, and Keitarou nodded.

"Connected to me," he agreed lightly. "And it's only a matter of time before Guren makes that connection too. Conspiring with my allies is like conspiring with me, and I hold evidence that could lose you everything. I'll ask you again, Seiren-dono. What will you choose to do?"

Despite himself, Seiren was struck speechless, and Keitarou reached down to take the sword from the stunned nobleman's grip, glancing at it and then setting it down on the desk.

"A normal katana? I'm somewhat disappointed. When you managed to see through my weak _Kyokkou_ I thought that might be something more, but I can see that it's not."

His eyes narrowed.

"I will tell you my name, Seiren-dono," he said softly, "and then you'll understand exactly what kind of a web you've stumbled into. There is no escape from me except if I choose to let you go – and I can wait hundreds of years if necessary to exact my revenge. I am not someone you can easily defy, nor am I someone you can stop. The wise work with me. The foolish regret it for the rest of their sorry lives. And I like to keep them alive – in order that they can regret it fully."

Seiren stared at him blankly, and a thin, humourless smile appeared on Keitarou's lips.

"Aizen Keitarou," he murmured, speaking the syllables slowly and clearly so that his companion could not make any mistake. "So now you know me as I know you, don't you? And perhaps we can dispense with this silliness and discuss the path ahead."

For a moment Seiren just stood there, numb and unresponsive. Then, as if something had drawn a curtain back from his eyes he reacted, horror and dismay flooding his features as he took a step back from his cloaked intruder.

"Yes. You understand." Keitarou was pleased. "You know that I'm not exaggerating when I say that I can remove Guren if need be with the minimum of fuss. I did the same service for Endou Seimaru a few years ago – unfortunately he was foolish and wasted the opportunities I gave him. But you aren't foolish, are you? You care for Ryuu a good deal and you want to see him successful."

He stepped forward, pressing his hand against Seiren's chest, and a flicker of Kidou light danced from his skin, strong enough to render the nobleman unable to move, yet not enough to actually cause him harm.

"I am a puppet master. I can make puppets of anyone I choose," he continued evenly. "Even great men like Endou Shouichi. I convinced him to take his own life. Maybe your brother would do the same, unable to handle the grief of losing his only son. I know deep down that you resent how things are. Your life was overshadowed and altered by the actions of your Father and those who surrounded them. Because of that, what was rightfully yours was stolen away – your spirit power and your status within this Clan. Why should you swear loyalty to them? They have all betrayed you by not even questioning how things are. Your father was the first – but there are others who knew and who kept quiet, I'm sure. Those who favoured Guren and ignored you. Would you not like to be in a position where people no longer considered you the shadow?"

His eyes narrowed as he detected the faint, flickering strands of spiritual energy, divided and lost deep within his companion's soul. A sudden surge of excitement rushed through him as he realised what he was sensing - the meandering vapours of another's spiritual identity, cast adrift from its anchor in a sea of black.

_Interesting. I had heard his power was removed, but it seems not. It's been sealed, but not severed - I suppose rendering a Clansman no better than a man of Rukongai rankled against the great Senaya's pride. More, that ancient seal is already beginning to fray and come apart. I wonder whether that's just the natural time limitation of such a spell, or if something else has happened to break its hold. But that's why he could see me. A tiny leak of spiritual energy that allowed him to detect my presence. Well, if things are that way I might as well use that to my advantage too, seeing as it makes the game all the more interesting to play._

"They told you that your spirit power was gone, didn't they?" he said quietly. "That was another lie. They sealed it away inside of you, and told you there was nothing there to seek, when in fact it's been there all the time. I can feel it, Seiren-dono. It's humming and dancing, but doesn't know how to reach out and connect with the rest of your body."

"Let…go…of…me." Somehow Seiren managed to part his lips, fear in his eyes. "Whatever you say, I'm not…going to cooperate…with you – so either…kill me now…or let me go. I don't…intend on further…discussion with a…wanted outlaw of…Seireitei!"

"Cold words," Keitarou tut-tutted, and the glimmer of light around his fingers grew stronger. Seiren took a sudden intake of breath. Pain reflected across his features as he struggled to fight free of the Kidou hold, but Keitarou paid his attempts no attention, closing his eyes and focusing instead on his own aura and the gentle barrier of spiritual energy that coated every part of his being. channeling his thoughts, he slipped his fingers through the fabric of Seiren's clothing and into the flesh and bone beneath. Seiren's expression twisted, his mouth opening as if in pain, but no sound came out, and Keitarou's fingers prickled with energy as for a moment he allowed the threads of his spiderlike reiatsu to link together inside of Seiren's chest.

The next moment he withdrew his hold completely, and Seiren collapsed to his knees, heaving great gasps of air into his lungs. He fumbled clumsily about his chest, as though trying to discover whether his body was still in one piece or in working order, and something about the instinctive reaction to survive told Keitarou that whatever he might say, Seiren was not a man resolved towards death.

_Which means in order to let him live, I might yet use him. Good. _

"I didn't kill you, you foolish man," he said aloud. "I did you a favour. You're not head of the Kuchiki Clan because you don't have spirit power. That's always been the official version that everyone's believed. But it isn't true. You _do_ have it. The threads I've placed inside of your body are spiritual ones – bit by bit they'll erode the seal that your kinsfolk put around your magic."

_Or help it along, since it's already starting to go that way. Though you don't need to know that._

"Why?" Seiren managed to gasp out hoarsely, and Keitarou let out a chuckle.

"Because surely only someone like me _could_ break a seal like that one," he lied. "The only reason I would do so without hurting you suggests again that you've been complying with me. Nanaki, your father's careless writings, and now your spirit power – it's only a matter of time before that awakens and returns to you the power by which you can claim this Clan. You can say what you like to Guren – the more incriminating evidence is stacking up against you."

"Was that always your intention? To…make me…your scapegoat?" Seiren demanded, and Keitarou shook his head.

"My plan has always revolved to bring down the Clans, beginning with yours," he said pleasantly. "I had thought you worthless to me except as a pawn soon disposed of, but now I've met you, I've been pleasantly surprised. The scientist in me is always looking for something new and unexpected - especially if it could be used to my advantage."

He smiled carelessly.

"Having a puppet take control of one or several of the Clans would be just as satisfying," he added. "It would allow me just as much scope for changing this rotten world into one where those who have the power use it and those who don't are cast aside. The best way to destabilise the Kuchiki was discovered by accident by Nanaki when she found the evidence I now carry with me. Oh, and there's another thing you ought to know about that. The one she saw reading it was your own son. Ryuu-dono has seen this document. I wonder what _he_ believes?"

Seiren's expression flickered suddenly, and Keitarou's grin widened.

_That was a clever guess. It seems Father and son_ have_ clashed already in some way. This family is far too easy to predict. I wonder that they've existed so long considering all their outmoded conventions. All they do is fall into the same boring patterns as each other generation after generation. Doubtless the son is the same as the father, and probably the living nephew the same as the dead. Really it doesn't matter who is killed and who is not. They're starting to appear much the same to me._

Out loud he said,

"Well? Your own spirit power will probably take a little while to resurface, and in the meantime, you need to plan what to do about it. With your own _reiryoku_, you don't need Ryuu as your security, do you? If he knows too much…I can remove him too."

"You lay a finger on my son and I'll…" Seiren's threat dissolved into a fit of coughing, and Keitarou bent at his side, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Take it easy," he said mockingly. "There's no sense in getting angry. You'll only flare up things your body isn't used to dealing with. Better to take it slowly – you're out of shape and it will take time. The seal will break down bit by bit so that you don't get overwhelmed. You should watch your temper in the meantime – since it might have an adverse effect on you."

"I will go to Guren and I will tell him you came here. Tell him everything." Seiren managed to raise his gaze to Keitarou's, though the scientist could tell that it was an effort. "And then demand he take my life and place my estate and all other things in the hands…of my son. You won't control me, Aizen. I'm not here for your convenience and I won't betray my Clan."

"I don't think you will." Keitarou sat back on his heels, looking thoughtful. "I had thought you wanted to live. Did I misjudge you for that?"

"No Kuchiki wants to live…if living means betraying the Clan."

"Tsch. How dull and noble of you," Keitarou wrinkled his nose disparagingly. "Very well. If protecting your own life is not important to you, I'll weigh in something else that is. Your son's life. Ryuu's life. How about that?"

"_Aizen!"_

In that instant Keitarou knew that if Seiren had not still been suffering from the after effects of the Kidou spell, he would have likely lunged for his opponent even bare handed, for his eyes were full of killing instinct, making him look quite unlike the man who had been at Guren's right hand for such a long stretch of time..

"_At the moment_ he's safe and sound – in the protection of the old Sensei of District One," the Urahara said evenly, "but that can't happen forever. Ryuu will become vulnerable, and unlike you, _he_ doesn't know who his enemies are. He may even believe that the person behind this is you, or he may believe it's his cousin, Shirogane. Either way, he doesn't suspect me and he doesn't suspect those who work _with_ me. Therefore he'll have his guard down. And I can kill him too, Seiren-dono. Don't make the mistake of thinking otherwise."

Seiren stared at him, and Keitarou got to his feet.

"Think about it for a few days," he said simply. "I'll be watching you and seeing what occurs. I wouldn't try to test whether or not I'm bluffing, though – if you go to Guren and you speak to him or anyone else about this meeting, your son's life will be snuffed out like a candle flame in a storm. It doesn't matter to me if the whole of the Kuchiki is wiped out. I've simply offered you a chance to take control of things, since you've begun to interest me. I can as easily dispense with the lot of you – that works too."

He cast the nobleman a cold smile.

"Remember Endou Shouichi," he said lightly. "We'll speak again."

With that he was gone, slipping into shunpo as he moved swiftly through the estate and back out into the cool night air. Once there, he paused, remembering again the expression in Seiren's eyes.

_His son is his weakness. Not his life. His _son's_ life._

He pursed his lips thoughtfully, leaning up against the wall of the manor and pulling Chudokuga from his sash, raising it to tilt its blade against the light of the moon. It flickered slightly as the beam caught on the place the tiny missing fragment should be, and he sighed, running his finger over the silver surface with a look of regret.

_If you would hear me call you, I could so easily utilise a man like that. Now I know what Seiren's potential really is, you make me regret that I had to leave there with only words and seal broken - such a puppet is less reliable even than Onoe. With his spirit power awoken, he has the right and the bloodline to inherit the Clan. Guren could be removed and through that puppet I could control the Kuchiki and destroy it from the inside, without anyone even needing to know. All of the blame for all of the recent events could fall on his head, and I could use him to declare wars on other Districts and bring them to their knees. But you won't let me, will you, Chudokuga? No matter how much I ask you, you won't let me release your Bankai into the heart of anyone any more._

He closed his eyes, as in the darkness of his mind a faint silvery apparition began to take shape, long shimmering strands of thread elongating and focusing into eight gossamer legs. Shimmering blue eyes gazed out from a finely furred argent head, and Keitarou frowned, allowing the spider to strengthen its presence inside of his mind.

_You should obey my commands. I'm your master, it's not the other way around._

_**This world has rules, Keitarou.**_

Chudokuga did not move to acknowledge his words, yet its thoughts resounded through Keitarou's brain as though spoken out loud.

_**My power also has rules. I have given you all of it, so long as you comply with its terms.**_

_I know._

Keitarou's eyes snapped open.

_But in the past, withdrawing your spirit has happened automatically when someone's died. Yet although I can use my shikai to control Onoe – and probably to control or kill a thousand others if I wanted, I can't use the highest level of manipulation that I need to win this fight._

_**You know why.**_

_The boy?_

_**Yes.**_

_He died but he did not die._

Keitarou grimaced.

_And you're still inside of him, aren't you?_

_**Yes.**_

_But you can't reach out to him and control him?_

_**No. Just fragments sealed away – but enough to prevent me from ever using Bankai again. You must kill him, Keitarou. Either that or…**_

_Bring him back on side?_

_**Whilst he doesn't remember, you won't be able to do that. My power can't awaken, because it has nothing to latch onto. It's dead and floating - but while he lives with fragments of my spell inside his body, your Bankai will remain asleep.**_

_I see. He doesn't remember being manipulated by me before? Is that Genryuusai's doing? Or…?_

_**No. It's not anyone outside. It's that sword, Keitarou. The sword is doing it itself. Even the boy probably doesn't know it.**_

_The sword._

Keitarou's eyes glittered in the bright moonlight.

_Sougyo no Kotowari? That zanpakutou of his that I liked playing with so much is the thing that's defying you and I both now?_

_**It is. **_

_It has some nerve. Such a young sword fighting to contain one like you._

_**I cannot break through so long as the boy doesn't remember.**_

Chudokuga seemed to be losing interest in the conversation.

_**Find a way to change that fact, and maybe we'll find a way through. Till then, don't speak to me of Bankai. You have other methods. Use them instead. **_

_I will._

Keitarou slashed the _tantou_ knife through the air, opening the _Senkaimon_ and stepping into it with a sigh.

_Perhaps it won't just be the Kuchiki bocchan I'll be seeking in the real world. I still have an interest in Juushirou - perhaps at last it will be time for us to meet again. If Sougyo no Kotowari has become strong enough to fight against Chudokuga within his soul, then it's a zanpakutou worth my continued study. And I like a challenge._

He turned to take one last glance at the Kuchiki manor before the darkness swallowed him up completely.

_This way makes life interesting. All right, Chudokuga. I accept your challenge. I'll make Juushirou remember. And when I do, we'll see what kind of puppet games we can play!_

**_

* * *

_**

_**Author's Note: That thing I fibbed about...**_

_This chapter has the start of that thing I said wouldn't happen but...erm...apparently is happening, thanks to my characters' meddling around. I promise that when I told people nothing would happen with Seiren, I didn't know I was telling a fib. Unfortunately Seiren and Keitarou had other ideas, and so, erm, I renege on my promise that nothing will happen relating to Seiren's spirit power. I hope those who I fibbed to will forgive me my lack of foresight. I don't have the power to see even into my own characters' future, it seems..._

_**and...The Interlude...**_

_This week there are two chapters, but the second chapter should be seen as an "interlude", rather than a full chapter. It follows this chapter and explains things that some of you have been suspecting for a while.  
_

_The interlude is a skip back in time and will feature a character who has been often mentioned but who has never yet had a scene in the story. I'm sure that it won't be hard for anyone to guess who I mean when I say that the Interlude links to the Kuchiki family, and an event a century and a half before this story opens that changed the face of District Six irrevocably._

_...On we go, back briefly into Kuchiki past once more ;)_


	48. Interlude : 150 Years Ago

**~Interlude : 150 Years Ago~  
=The Kuchiki Manor, District Six=**

_Night was falling._

_Silhouetted by the light of the setting sun, the figure stood alone against the carved edge of the balcony, wisps of his dark hair teasing around his face as the evening breeze began to pick up across the manor grounds. The heavy colours of his Clan robes seemed only to be weighing him down this time, and as he raised his gaze to the faint blue of light that he knew was the rising moon, he let out his breath in a heavy sigh._

_"Senaya-nii."_

_The voice of his brother broke the unsettled quiet of the balmy evening, and at the sound of it the figure turned, interpreting the clouded look in Kinnya's eyes that reflected the identical one in his own. They disagreed about many things, but this was one of those times when they were entirely in accord. Different as they were, Senaya knew that Kinnya could read his heart and more, that he understood his older brother's pain and indecision._

_Indecision was not a characteristic that usually blighted his thoughts._

_"What news?" His words were soft, barely audible on the evening breeze, yet Kinnya heard them, and bowed his head slightly as he made his report._

_"It has ended, Oniisama." The younger man's tones were even and measured. "Kiriko-neesama has been safely delivered of your second born child."_

_"And?"_

_"The child is also a boy."_

_Senaya's brows knitted together in consternation, a mixture of emotions flitting through his mind._

_"A boy. I see."_

_He sighed, turning his gaze back to the sunset. As he did so, he heard the soft sound of footsteps, and then felt his brother's hand on his shoulder, gentle yet unescapeable. Kinnya did not speak, but he did not have to. Senaya understood without even looking at him the question his companion wanted to ask._

_But it was too soon. All too soon. All too..._

_"I suppose they're waiting for me to give my decision, aren't they?" he asked sadly, meeting Kinnya's gaze with a pensive one of his own. "They hope I'll make this into another perfect illusion and sweep away all of their doubts."_

_"With respect, Oniisama, nothing has yet been reported to the Kuchiki court," Kinnya responded quietly. "On my orders, the notification has been delayed. Keiichi is seeing to it that nobody who does not need to know gets to hear anything that they should not."_

_"And the menials who delivered the child? What of them?" Senaya arched an eyebrow. "Gossip spreads quickly. We won't hide it. It's not possible to hide it when the Clan Lord's heir is born."_

_Kinnya was silent for a moment, and Senaya knew that his brother understood._

_"I don't approve," he said finally. "It will create too big a fuss, if people surrounding this incident are to suddenly disappear. If that were to happen then..."_

_"Then what would you do?" Senaya demanded, for once lacking in his usual composure as he wheeled on his companion. "If this was you, Kinnya, what would you do?"_

_"What I did do, I imagine." Kinnya cast him a rueful smile. "There isn't a single person in this estate, whether kinsman or other who doesn't know that Raiko is my daughter and that her mother was a serving maid. Some secrets are too big to be kept."_

_"Then?"_

_"There are other ways to deal with the situation," Kinnya's eyes narrowed. "I don't know yet what your final decision will be, Oniisama, but as regards the menials, it seems better that they be paid off with rewards for their hard work in safely delivering both children alive into the world. That there's something amiss is probably beyond their understanding at present - and neither child has so far been named. If Senaya-nii was to be benevolent and to reward them handsomely and send them to the corners of the District, nobody would be surprised. This is a time of joy, not sadness. People would expect such a grand gesture from one such as you."_

_"There's sarcasm in your tones, Kinnya," Senaya sighed, "but I see your point and I acknowledge it. Very well. Both babies were breathing, then, when you left to report to me?"_

_"Indeed," Kinnya nodded, "but you shouldn't delay any longer. A decision must be made, and quickly...else that situation must change."_

_"You expect me to save him?" Senaya's eyes flitted to his brother in surprise, and Kinnya shrugged._

_"I know the traditions like you do. The superstitions and so forth," he said lightly, "but I also know your heart, Oniisama. You can put all kinds of people to the sword - but I doubt you could put a child of your own making to death quite so easily. Not if he is simply a helpless, squealing baby, unable to defend himself in any regard."_

_"You know me too well. It's an irritation." Senaya pushed Kinnya aside, turning to make his way along the long walkway that led to the secluded annexe where his wife had spent her confinement leading up to the birth. "If I could, sometimes I'd slice off your head and present it to the court as a ceremonial gift - you do realise that, I hope?"_

_"I realise it, but I'd probably take yours first." Kinnya was unconcerned, patting the hilt of his sheathed weapon with a smile. "That's why you'll never risk it - because you don't know for sure that you can draw your sword more quickly than I can draw mine."_

_"Kinnya, tell me honestly," As they reached the entrance to the annexe, Senaya paused, casting his companion a frown, "if I was to...somehow...flaunt convention and decide to keep this child alive, would you support me? Even if the court had doubts...what would you do?"_

_"I'm here to support you, even when I disagree." Kinnya's eyes twinkled slightly. "But you needn't worry. In this particular instance, I happen to agree with preserving the child's life. Providing, of course, such a thing is possible."_

_"His condition was as feeble as that?" Senaya looked troubled, and Kinnya nodded his head._

_"He was struggling badly for breath, and from initial inspections, it looks as though the Unohana's judgement on this matter is correct." He said gravely. "There is just too much reiryoku flowing through his body. She said it happens, sometimes, with twins. One of them gets the lion's share, and then cannot cope. But this is reiryoku of an unusually impure and unstable level. Perhaps even destructive."_

_"The other child is without?" Senaya asked sharply, and Kinnya shook his head._

_"No," he replied sadly. "The other child is normal and healthy, which is what makes the situation all the more troublesome for all concerned. He is in possession of a steady and considerable level of spirit power which remains under perfect natural control. He is still only a few minutes old, but in the brief moment I saw him, I felt that fact very strongly. That baby is your heir, Senaya-nii. That one is the one who will inherit your Clan."_

_"Even though he is the younger of the two?"_

_"That doesn't have to be known by anyone else, though, does it?" Kinnya offered him a smile. "You want to keep these children. Like as not you've already named them, in that sentimental way you have. If the court knew how soft-hearted you really were, they'd fall apart around you - it's a good thing you have me to prevent them ever seeing that side. But your answer in that case is simple. The older child's spirit power is dangerous and the infant himself is weak. Probably he will never learn to control it, let alone wield it in a blade to protect this Clan. The Unohana said that there's every likelihood of it raging out of control at the least excuse, especially as he grows older. People would likely be hurt, maybe killed if you were to leave things as they are. That is, if this reiryoku doesn't kill its host before that time arises. There is no benefit in preserving such tainted, disfigured spiritual energy, since it will never be schooled into a zanpakutou of any kind. Seal it. Sever it completely. Lock it away. And then..."_

_"Switch them about?" Senaya's expression became thoughtful. "Make Guren the elder of the two, and Seiren the younger."_

_"As I thought. You have named them," Kinnya observed offhandedly, and Senaya reddened, casting his brother a sheepish look._

_"I wanted to be a Father," he said ruefully, "and a proper one, this time - not surrounded by the complication and pretence of Futsuki's birth. I wanted a son I could acknowledge as my own, rather than having to give up to another to preserve the reputation of the Clan. Of course I named them. They're my children and I love them. Even without meeting them, I know that to be the case."_

_He pursed his lips._

_"If Seiren's power was sealed properly, would his body recover?"_

_"The Unohana thinks so," Kinnya agreed. "He may be sickly as a child, but there's a chance he might grow out of it as he got to be older. At the very least he'd be of use to the Clan if he was raised to be to his brother what I am to you."_

_"A thorn in my side?" Senaya asked archly, and Kinnya inclined his head._

_"Someone needs to be, and most people are too frightened to dare oppose you in the way I do," he said reflectively. "If you weren't so wilful and self-satisfying, I wouldn't be so needed - but that's the situation that we have."_

_"I wonder if we can pass that on to the next generation." Senaya rested his hand against the door of the annexe pensively. "This is the first time since I took on Father's mantle that I've put my own wishes before the family's, and I don't know yet how they will react to the idea of keeping both boys alive. But if they believe Guren to be the elder..."_

_"Seiren exists to support and guard Guren and make the Clan what his brother wants it to be," Kinnya said solemnly. "With no spirit power, his position in this family will be nothing more than that. But his life will be saved, and his rank as your son will be respected. You will not have to shed infant blood, nor risk them fighting each other for the Clan if one of them can't raise a zanpakutou or defend the family with spiritual magic. Seiren will learn that his role is dependent on Guren's prosperity."_

_"Then it's decided." Senaya's eyes narrowed. "Seiren's power will be sealed immediately. You and I, and the Unohana - that should be enough, I think. Guren will be designated my eldest son - nobody need ever know otherwise."_

_He smiled._

_"My wife would not forgive someone who slew so easily a child she'd birthed," he admitted. "Making her cross with me is not something I look for, so your solution suits everyone quite nicely."_

_"She may be the only other person who can argue with you as an equal," Kinnya was amused, "but I'll back you up before the court. Just...this is your decision, Oniisama. Your step forward. I advised you, perhaps - but the decision is your own. They are your children. Just like I can't deny or abandon Raiko, so you feel the same about these twins - don't you?"_

_"Are you trying to apply human emotion to 'one such as me'?" Senaya asked astutely. "Well, between the two of us, perhaps I'll concede it, but not before the Clan, Kinnya. A Clan leader should be more than a man, and should not be prey to such emotions. I will speak to them and I will convince them of the sense of this decision. They don't need to know how difficult a judgement it's been for me, or how relieved I am to have a plan set in place."_

_"A plan? I see." Kinnya rolled his eyes. "That's what it always is with you. A plan of some kind or other."_

_They reached the door of the nursery chamber, and the younger brother reached across to loosen the catch, sliding the heavy wooden divide back on its runners. Offering Senaya a smile, he gave his companion a gentle nudge, and, a little hesitantly, the Clan leader stepped into the darkened chamber._

_At first glance, all seemed peaceful within, the subtle glow of the Kidou lamps allowing just enough light to see by, but not enough to disturb the drowsing infants during their first hour in the world. Yet as much as he liked to create illusions, Senaya was not easily fooled by them. He frowned, his gaze automatically flitting to the furthermost crib, where he could make out the silhouette of the attending Unohana that had treated his wife throughout her pregnancy and to birth. A faint haze of magic surrounded that cradle, and Senaya understood that it was a barrier, preventing the older twin's wild spirit power from creating further commotion._

_There were no other nurses present, and as Senaya approached the cradle, the Unohana got to her feet, bowing her head respectfully towards the Clan leader._

_"Kiriko-sama is sleeping peacefully," She said in gentle tones. "It was a hard birth, and I have left her in the care of good attendants. She is in no danger, but is quite exhausted from the effort. I promised you would come to see her later on, when you had attended to business - I trust that wasn't too forward of me?"_

_"No, I will do so." Senaya dismissed this with a flick of his fingers. "But she is well? That is good news."_

_"Kiriko-neesama is a strong woman." Kinnya's voice behind him reminded the older brother that he had not come to this chamber alone. "I can't imagine her letting a little thing like delivering twins keep her down for long."_

_"She bade me tell you that she's completed her duty to the Clan." The Unohana rested her hand on the edge of the cradle, and Senaya was briefly aware of moving spirit particles as the barrier around the small bed increased. "She hopes you will see to do the same. She said you would understand her meaning - and instructed me to tell you her exact words."_

_"I understand." Senaya's mind flitted back to a conversation the two had had a few days before._

_"I will bring them both into this world alive," Kiriko had said quietly. "As a mother, that is my duty. As a Father, it's yours then to ensure they stay that way, even in the heart of a jealous Clan like this one."_

_"What is the boy's condition?" Kinnya asked, and the Unohana frowned._

_"He is weakening," she admitted. "It wasn't possible for Kiriko-sama to cradle him at birth, because he was struggling so much to breathe. I've managed to suppress a good deal of his overflowing reiryoku, but it is becoming harder to do. He's still far too tiny...even a couple more weeks in the womb may have given him more strength, but as it stands..."_

_"I see." Senaya stood beside the crib, gazing down at the tiny form of the first born son. He was indeed tiny - far smaller than he remembered Kinnya's Raiko being when she had been born, and for a brief moment he resented that fact. He slid his hand through the Unohana's barrier to touch the tiny boy's clenched fists, gazing at him with a mixture of emotions swelling up inside of him. The child's face was red and his features screwed up as he fought to breathe, but at Senaya's touch, his eyes opened briefly, and Senaya was struck by the expression in the tiny grey gaze._

Am I reading too much into an infant's face, or is that determination in his eyes?

_"I've decided that the best course of action is to seal the baby's spirit power," he said out loud, withdrawing his hand and turning to glance at the other cradle where the second born son was sleeping peacefully. Unlike his twin, this infant was small but of a healthier size, his expression calm and his breathing even and steady. That two children could be born so close together and yet be so far apart in health almost broke Senaya's heart._

Kinnya's right. I'm soft-hearted, but I don't want to hold back this time. I want to hold them both - teach them both - show them both this world into which they've been born. I could never do that with Futsuki. I could never acknowledge him, for Kiriko's sake and for his own. Even though now I've brought him into my home, he still has to hold the status of a stepson, so as not to destroy his chances of holding good rank and making a good marriage match when he grows older. That will never be able to change. The divide is already there, and I can't cross it. I knew that when he was born, so I held back, and I don't regret it. But...

_He brushed his finger against Guren's tiny palm with a sigh._

_Kinnya's assessment was sound. Though the child was only newborn, it was all too obvious that sealed inside of his heart was a strong and stable spiritual potential that with training and hard work would one day be wielded in the Clan's favour._

_His lips thinned and he turned to meet the Unohana's gaze._

_"They are named Guren and Seiren," he said quietly. "They are the Crimson Lotus and the Azure Lotus, because as twins they will always work together. That is the purpose of their birth - to become a team and overcome the obstacles that the future will bring."_

_He tapped the edge of Seiren's cradle._

_"As the _younger_ child, Seiren's damaged spirit power can be sealed," he added evenly. "That way he can grow and develop normally without a threat to his health."_

_"I beg your pardon, Senaya-sama, but Seiren-sama is the elder..." the Unohana began, but as she met Senaya's gaze, a look of comprehension crossed her gentle features and she nodded, bowing her head towards him in acceptance._

_"As you wish," she murmured. "I shall record it as such. It is normal with twins for the elder to be the stronger - therefore of course _Guren-sama_ must be the first born. I shall convey that information to the Kuchiki archivist and will report to my own Clan leader that the Lord of District Six has been delivered of a healthy and suitable heir on which to place the burdens of his family's future."_

_"Thank you." Senaya's lips twitched into a sad smile. "For his sake too, it must be like this."  
_  
If people knew he was the older, sealing his spirit power would not be forgiven. I can tell, even with the barrier, that leaving him would be a bad idea. The _reiryoku_ is damaged. The child may not survive to adulthood, or worse, may become dangerous to be around. Unlike his brother, it's not a level of spirit power that will ever be managed or useful to the family in any way. By the tradition of my Clan, Seiren's life should be severed - but surely, so long as nobody knows the truth...I can let him live? If it's the only selfish decision I make whilst Clan Leader...surely I'll be forgiven? I sacrificed Futsuki. I can't sacrifice another.

_"I'm here to help." Kinnya's soft voice brought him back to the present. "Other than Kiriko-aneue, nobody else need know the truth. For Seiren's sake too - it's better that way."_

_"Guren's existence makes his life superfluous." Senaya placed his hands together, a faint glitter of spiritual energy gathering about the tips of his fingers. "But because Guren exists, I have the chance to save him and give him a life. Perhaps it won't be the life of a shinigami - but a life all the same."_

_"That's how twins are," Kinnya said simply. "They exist to work together, and one day that's what they'll do for the sake of this Clan, Oniisama, in your stead."_

_"The Crimson Lotus and the Azure Lotus," the Unohana sighed, carefully dissolving her barrier as she prepared to begin her own sealing spell. "The future of your noble Clan rests in their hands."_

_

* * *

_

**_Author's Note: Senaya_**

_Well, there he is. Guren's predecessor and father, Kuchiki Senaya - the man about whom much has been said up to this point. I wanted to give a bit of insight into the decision that was made and the struggle Senaya had making it, so this seemed the best way to go about it. Senaya was a very powerful shinigami who ran his Clan exceptionally well and left a record of an apparently flawless regime - but the flaws were simply removed and the secrets hidden on his death. This interlude section confirms the suspicions of some readers about Seiren and Guren and the secret._

_There is another secret within this passage that the smart people will already have clicked into. I won't say what it is, or what it's connitations are, but it'll be interesting to see what folk make of it..._


	49. Heartache

**Chapter Forty Seven: Heartache**

"Finally, I'm finished."

Juushirou set his writing brush aside with a sigh, stifling a yawn as he stretched his arms over his head. Ruefully he glanced around him at the scrunched up pieces of half used parchment paper, acknowledging to himself that he had been at his task a good deal of time.

"I thought I'd grasped the theory of _konsou_ in that first lecture, but I guess I didn't. Trying to write notes that made sense from the bits and pieces I scribbled down over the last few classes has been a lot more difficult than I thought."

It was three days after the meditation class, and late in the evening. Most of the rest of the school students were in bed, for the curfew bell had already rung, and as a consequence the school as a whole was peaceful. Outside the sky was clear, a gleaming full moon shining brightly in its midst, as if telling the students that although autumn was almost upon them, there was still good weather on the horizon. For Juushirou and his fellows, it had been a busy few weeks, and as a consequence it was only now, long after dinner had ended and the last Senior duties had been settled that Juushirou had found time to try and write up his haphazard folder of _konsou_ notes into best.

"It's probably not something we'll really understand right until we do it." The room's other occupant glanced up from his own notes with a resigned smile. "And that won't happen till we're in a location where plus souls are, from everything Sensei was saying."

"I suppose that's true." Juushirou turned, taking in his companion with a grin. "This is unusual, though, Souryou-kun. I don't think I've ever seen you going over notes in here at this time of the night."

"That's because I don't usually do it," Kanshi said evenly. "But I actually wanted to talk to you, and I thought that if I waited till everyone else disappeared, that would be the best time to do it."

"Talk…to me?" Juushirou was startled, and Kanshi shrugged.

"About Akira," he explained, "or more exactly, about our trip to the Real World."

"What about it?" Juushirou frowned. "If you're worried about trouble, we're in separate groups. There's not going to be any chance of arguing – Sensei's worked that out the best way for everyone, if you ask me."

"Mm. I know," Kanshi nodded. "But…that does cause its own problems."

He sighed.

"Akira's competitive," he added. "I've tried talking to him, but that's mostly useless when it comes to matters of his pride. I thought maybe I'd have better luck talking to you about it."

"To me over your good friend?" Juushirou's eyes narrowed, and Kanshi grinned sheepishly.

"_Because_ he's my good friend, I know it's pointless trying," he admitted, "but when you sparred him – after you sparred him – you said some things that made me think maybe you weren't quite as bad. That business with the first year kid – you didn't suspect Akira of it at all, even though it's no secret you don't like him. It would've been a good chance for you to put him in an awkward spot, since whatever anyone says, Sensei likes you. But you didn't. Akira hasn't seen that – but I have and I'm grateful."

"I'm not the kind of person to manipulate the truth to get my own back on someone or to settle a personal dislike," Juushirou bristled. "That's just common sense – whether I like Yamamoto-kun or not is irrelevant."

"Yes. That's what I mean." Kanshi lounged back in his seat. "Just…I think Akira knows Sensei likes you too, and it's part of the reason he _doesn't _like you. I heard that when you went to save that first year mite, you released Sougyo no Kotowari, didn't you?"

"…Yes." Juushirou reddened, nodding his head.

"Even though it's against Seireitei Law?"

"It wasn't as simple as that. The kid was trapped, and I…"

"I don't need you to justify it. I'm not criticising," Kanshi held up his hand, "so you needn't waste your breath. To be truthful, it was Akira who told me about it. He found out from kinsfolk that someone from the Academy had broken the _zanpakutou_ law and that Genryuusai-sensei had spoken to Hashihiko-sama directly and nothing more had been done. Akira discovered it was you, and he wasn't all that happy about it – so he had a good rant to me in the absence of anyone else. What he gleaned from it was favouritism on Sensei's part towards you. But I don't think the old guy is the kind to randomly foist affection on people for no reason. And something else."

"Yes?" Juushirou recovered himself, looking quizzical.

"I think you'd do it again, wouldn't you? If the same situation repeated and you had to release your sword, breaking that law in order to save someone – you would."

"Of course I would," Juushirou nodded. "Why do I hold a sword at all, if I'm not going to protect someone with it?"

"That's why," Kanshi seemed pleased with himself. "That's the thing Sensei sees in you that makes you special in his mind."

"That I'm a troublemaker?" Juushirou looked confused, and Kanshi laughed.

"Perhaps," he agreed. "Someone once told me that Sensei likes the students who make him think. I dare say you've given some greys to that beard of his, too, over the years. Akira thinks Sensei sees you simply as a project he can fashion and mould into something he can use – but I don't. I think it's the opposite. Because of what you can do and who you are, Sensei's noticed you. He brought you here, but he's not easy on you. Probably he was only lenient over the _zanpakutou_ breach because a life was saved – and that's what shinigami are supposed to do."

"I'm not sure," Juushirou owned. "I think I was quite close to the wire on that occasion. But why are you saying all of this? I don't understand."

"I'm worried about how much Akira resents you," Kanshi admitted. "You beating him in the class rankings before we broke for summer has only added to the problem. He's second best in his own family, because of his brother – and now he's second best at school, too. Plus, whether your grades do or don't overtake his, I think you're someone he can't beat. Sensei chose you to be Anideshi because you were the best candidate and would do the best job. Akira hates that most of all. It's not a matter of favouritism, but rather Sensei trusts you more than he trusts Akira. And Akira can't stand that."

"I hadn't thought of it that way." Juushirou looked thoughtful.

"No, because your world doesn't rotate around being first," Kanshi grinned. "Rank only matters to you in terms of what you can achieve with it, doesn't it?"

"I was competing to beat him last exams, I admit it," Juushirou responded pensively, "but you're right. I've never minded being second to Shunsui or to anyone else. And although Yamamoto-kun annoys me, I'm not always thinking about beating him. That said, though, I'm not going to slack in order to make him feel better. You know that, right?"

"I wasn't going to ask that," Kanshi shook his head. "I just…when it comes to us working as groups…Sensei is giving Akira leadership of our group. Class-rank wise, he's currently the highest seed, so I expected that. Same applies with yours, because you're Anideshi and currently top rank. Akira is an idiot, so he'll see it as a contest. I suppose I wanted to ask you to make sure you don't."

"Don't provoke him, huh?" Juushirou rested his chin in his ink-dusted hands, and Kanshi nodded.

"Yes. That."

He sighed.

"If he knew we were talking like this, probably he'd kill me," he added, "but I care about him, idiot as he is, and that he doesn't get hurt. He's the kind who'll get hot-headed and do something stupid to prove himself and the Real World doesn't sound like a place where that's a good idea. So while I don't want to ask you to slack – if you can try and tone down any competitiveness from your side between now and the end of our assignment, it'd be good. I don't mind if you want to settle graduation day in fisticuffs – I just don't want to see anyone killed."

"I understand." Despite himself, Juushirou grinned. "I'll do my best. I can't do much about him hating me, I don't think – but I will try not to provoke him if I can avoid it. And certainly once the Real World assignment begins, I'll do my best to make it clear we're not competing with anyone for anything. Is that all right?"

"Yes. Thank you," Kanshi returned the grin, getting to his feet and grasping Juushirou's hand in his, shaking it briefly. "I thought you had sense. I'm glad you do. You're an interesting kid to have classes with – it's a shame Akira doesn't see that side."

"I'm just glad that the animosity stops with him," Juushirou confessed. "I'm probably naïve in a lot of ways, but I didn't expect it to be like that this year."

"I don't think any of us are having the Senior year we anticipated having," Kanshi reflected. "All the chaos in District Six kinda prevented that."

"Mm." Juushirou became grave. "My family are also in Sixth, so that's never far from my thoughts."

"I have family there too," Kanshi reminded him. "Albeit my Kuchiki bloodline is outside of the degrees of Clan, and therefore I'm not relevant in all these squabbles of late. But even though I'm more or less Shiba in everyone's eyes, there are still people over the border who are kin to me. It's not been a good time for any of them, really."

"I hadn't realised," Juushirou was surprised. "I didn't know you were part Kuchiki."

"Yes. But then you are yourself, aren't you?" Kanshi's eyes narrowed, and Juushirou started, staring at him in dismay.

"Me?"

"You look like you are," Kanshi grinned. "Not in your eyes, admittedly, nor that white hair. But Aoi told me that that sickness you have turns people's hair white from time to time, so with that taken into consideration…plus your spirit power too…"

"I see," Juushirou touched his hair absently, offering a rueful smile. "You really are sharp, aren't you, Souryou-kun?"

"I'm right?" Kanshi asked, and Juushirou shrugged.

"I'm probably not supposed to talk about it. It's not a bloodline the Clan would consider valid," He said carefully, "but maybe."

"Maybe..." Kanshi pursed his lips. "Okay. If it's like that, I won't ask any more. It doesn't really bother me – I was just curious, that's all."

He got to his feet.

"You seem to have an uncommonly good friendship with two of that Clan, which also made me wonder," he added. "Edogawa is quite unusual overall, but Kuchiki seems to be your average Clan _bocchan_."

"Ryuu is…Ryuu," Juushirou reflected. "And Mitsuki is…different from most Kuchiki."

"She is quite the odd one out, even by the Kuchiki-ke's standards." Kanshi's eyes twinkled. "Sora thinks there's something brewing between you and her – but I suppose that's not the case, is it? Since your bloodline is so invalid and all."

"We're friends," Juushirou murmured. "That's all. But good friends. I think."

"_I'd _think you'd know better than me – and maybe better than Sora." Kanshi put his hand out to open the door, then paused. "She doesn't even seem to know what her roommate is up to most of the time, so I'd put it beyond her to understand anything about her heart."

"What do you mean?" Juushirou was confused, and Kanshi shrugged.

"She was heading to the baths when I came down here," he said flippantly. "She and Edogawa are usually inseparable, so I asked where her shadow was. Sora said she was already in bed and sleeping, so she was going alone. But…I definitely saw Edogawa slipping down towards the main gate as I crossed the main bridge towards the annexe. I guess whatever it is isn't something for a half-Kuchiki like me to bother about – but wherever she was going, she obviously didn't intend on being seen. She was carrying something too – but I didn't see what it was."

Juushirou stared at his companion in dismay, and Kanshi frowned.

"You didn't know either? Oh well," he shrugged, "maybe she has a secret lover hiding in the forests or something like that."

He gave Juushirou a wink.

"It's not my business, but perhaps she's got fed up with just friends, Ukitake."

With that he was gone, and for a moment Juushirou just stood there, a plethora of thoughts running through his head as he tried to make sense of what Kanshi had just told him.

_Mitsuki sneaking out to a place even Sora doesn't know…carrying something…after curfew? Mitsuki breaking curfew – for what end? I don't understand._

He hurried to the window, resting his hands on the sill as he stretched out his senses, trying to detect the young healer's distinct reiatsu.

Try as he might, he could not locate Mitsuki within the school grounds.

Fear and uncertainty flooded through him.

Was she in some kind of trouble?

Before he knew what he was doing, he was hurrying along the hallway to the nest, grabbing his cloak and pulling it about his shoulders. Pausing for a moment, he scooped Sougyo no Kotowari up from its place beside his bed. Locking the door of his room, he focused his wits, slipping into shunpo and using the flash-steps to move between the streams of spiritual energy towards the school's main gate.

Once there, he could just about sense it – the faint trace of Mitsuki's reiatsu on the wind that told him Kanshi had been telling the truth.

_Even this faint, though, I can track it. Even without healer wits, I can._

Juushirou gritted his teeth, glancing up at the bright moon that shone overhead.

_It's a clear night, no rain or storms around, and I'm not going to break any laws. Curfew is one thing, but I'm only going to bring Mitsuki back. Even Sensei won't make too big a deal about it, so long as the only thing I'm doing is bending school rules. Mitsuki's a Kuchiki and so might be in trouble – therefore I can't just let it lie till the morning and everyone else is probably in bed. I'm not going to get others into trouble this time, either. _

Dismissing the little voice at the back of his mind that told him Genryuusai probably would have things to say about any of his students wilfully breaking curfew, he tied his cloak more firmly around his shoulders, setting off purposefully in the direction that the fragmented vapours of reiatsu led.

If he had stopped for a moment to consider his behaviour, he would probably have found it to be irrational. There was nothing in the quiet District One night to suggest that his classmate was in any kind of danger from assassins, nor had he sensed anything on the breeze that indicated a Hollow was nearby. Mitsuki was not as important to the family as Ryuu, and though she had been in the midst of the danger, she had not been directly attacked. Yet common sense was not directing Juushirou's actions. Though he'd tried to be rational and sensible about it, his affection for Mitsuki was driving him forwards, wanting to make sure she was all right.

She had already moved quite far from the school itself. As Juushirou used his shunpo to follow her trail, he realised she had likely done the same to cover such a large amount of ground in such a short time. The land was familiar to him – they had camped here as younger students, and as he reached a familiar cluster of trees, he realised that he was heading directly for the lake and the mountains that lay beyond.

As he broke through the spread of forest that led to the lake clearing, he became aware of soft voices, and he stopped, suppressing his reiatsu down even further than it had been before and ducking back behind a tree as he heard the sound of footsteps through the undergrowth.

"You really don't listen at all, do you?"

Soft as it was, that was undoubtedly Mitsuki's voice, and Juushirou froze, his ears straining to make out every word.

"It's dusty in the cave, and I was hot with all those blankets you've insisted on swathing it and me in."

The second voice was not so clear, yet oddly familiar, and Juushirou's brows knitted together as he tried to make out where he had heard it before.

"You have another fever. Of course you're hot." Mitsuki was scolding whoever it was, Juushirou realised with a jolt. There was a friendly informality to her words and despite himself Kanshi's teasing words about a secret lover struck through him.

"So cooling down was a good idea, wasn't it?" the second person said matter-of-factly. "You said yourself it was only a light fever. It's hardly going to kill me if I take a swim."

"Now your hair is damp again," Mitsuki sighed. "That means it will need to dry, or your fever will get worse. I told you this the last time you went swimming, and yet here we are again. Look, you can't go back to the cave like that. Good thing it's a nice night – you'll have to stay out a while and hope for the best. But really, you're being foolish. You shouldn't risk your health – or your safety - just because you don't like blankets sticking to you."

"You could be a little less harsh. Leaving the cave once or twice in what must be pushing four weeks is something of a novelty for me." Now the branches parted, and Juushirou's eyes opened wide with dismay as he recognised the person to whom Mitsuki had been speaking. "There's nobody around here who's going to find me – you shouldn't be so…"

"_Juushirou!"_ Before Shirogane could even finish his sentence, Mitsuki had pushed past him, a stricken look in her soft grey gaze. "Juushirou, I know you're here! Stop hiding in the trees and come out – even if you try to hide it, you can't hide your reiatsu from me!"

"Juu…shirou? Ukitake?" Shirogane's own expression became one of consternation, and, not sure whether to feel guilty or angry, Juushirou stepped numbly out from behind the trees. As he did so, he registered the half-dressed condition of his former _shishou_, long black curls dripping and tied only in a loose tail behind his head. Words stuck in his throat, and for a moment he could only stare at the two of them, healer and patient in stricken disbelief.

At length, he managed to force words through his vocal chords and out into the night air.

"_Nagoya-senpai?_" he whispered. "What are you doing here?"

* * *

How many years had it been since he last visited this place?

As Guren dismounted from his horse, handing the reins automatically to one of his accompanying guardsmen, he felt a faint sense of nostalgia wash over his body. This manor had been gifted to Seiren by their Father on the occasion of his wedding to Shouko, and the Clan leader remembered clearly how the whole place had been decked out that day with trailing vines and cherry blossom, the Kuchiki green and cream standards fluttering proudly in the afternoon breeze. Perhaps it had not been since then, Guren mused pensively – he had always somewhat resented the fact that Senaya had so arbitrarily given his brother a manor and land of his own when he, the heir to the Clan had had to wait until the time he held the family in his own two hands.

"It is your brother's right," was all Senaya had said. "You will inherit this house, Guren, and everything that goes with it. Seiren is not like you – therefore I'll give him that one. It's one close by, so he can be easily by your side when you need him, but far enough that his family will be safe from the pressures of political power."

_I resented it very much, on reflection._

Giving instructions to his retainers to wait for him outside, Guren made his way carefully up the neatly patterned path to the front of the house. Word of his arrival had soon spread and as he approached them, the ornately carved main doors were already being drawn back to allow him entry.

_Seiren had a bolthole, and between that point and Father's death, we barely saw each other. Then everything changed, and now Seiren spends more time at court than he does here. That's why this bothers me so much, I suppose. He's usually at my side, and yet now he is not. Weeks have turned into months and yet he has not returned. Nor has he sent any word or message to explain his reasons. The Kuchiki court are becoming uneasy and impatient with this behaviour - it is time I got to the bottom of it once and for all. If it is my fault and I was too harsh on him - for Father's sake I need to find a way to mend that rift once again._

"Guren-oniisama? What a surprise this is."

The voice of his sister in law drifted down to him from one of the upper galleries, and Guren raised his head, offering her a smile as she hastened down the stairs to greet him. He, like everyone else at court knew that marital relations between Seiren and his wife were at best strained, but there was no sign of hardship or preoccupation in the woman's striking silver gaze, and as she reached him she dropped down before him in a formal bow, her head lowered humbly in respect for his status.

The soft scent of expensive perfume pervaded the hallway, and Guren's expression became a wry one.

"Please raise your head, Shouko-dono," he said softly. "I apologise for the unexpected intrusion on your privacy, especially so late in the evening. As I'm sure you've guessed, I've come to see my brother. I trust he is at home?"

"Probably." Shouko got obediently to her feet, a fan somehow materialising between her fingers as she sent her companion a weary look. "I have not ventured to speak to him these three days together, so I wouldn't know for sure. Perhaps he is in his study – I haven't heard that he's taken a horse and left the manor, therefore I imagine that he's there."

"Thank you." Guren knew better than to comment on the dismissiveness of his companion's words. "Then I shall not trouble you any further. Please excuse once again the rudeness of my intrusion – I shall head to Seiren's study directly and hope to find him there."

"As you wish, Guren-oniisama." Shouko bowed her head again, smiling prettily, and as she drifted past him, Guren was once more aware of the brush of expensive perfume around her body. Time was moving on, and Shouko – after birthing five children – was no longer the svelte young _hime_ she had been when they had been betrothed. But, Guren reflected ruefully, she had lost none of her love for beautiful things, and was still finding ample ways to spend his brother's money even though they were more or less estranged.

"Guren-sama!" Shibata was stood guard outside the door of Seiren's study, and at the sight of the Clan leader his eyes widened, his expression becoming first one of consternation and then one of evident relief. At this dichotomy, Guren frowned, striding quickly to cover the distance between them and resting a hand on the soldier's arm.

"I've come to see my brother," he said quietly. "I suppose you've been put here to stop anyone from doing so – but I don't suppose you will refuse me entry, will you?"

"I have no right to stand in the way of the Clan's leader, sir," Shibata said respectfully, "but you are right. Seiren-sama did ask me to prevent all entry to this chamber except with his express permission."

He bit his lip, then,

"I am truly glad to see you, sir," he added softly, "for I think something is amiss with my Lord. He has not left this room these three days together, though I am quite certain he is unwell. His colour is bad and I've heard him coughing – but when I have spoken to him about taking rest, he banished me to outside and set this duty upon me instead. He's barely eaten, though maidservants have been sent for food and refreshment – sometimes he will not even allow me to open the door to bring the tray to him. I am truly very worried for him…it seems something heavy is weighing upon him, and it is something that I have no power to resolve."

"I see." Guren's eyes became grave. "First he left the central manor, and the last time I spoke to him he was also unlike himself. Now he is holing himself up here within his own home and away from people in whom he has trust – that is worrying indeed."

He rested his hand against the wood of the door.

"A physician has not been summoned?"

"I suggested it…" Shibata faltered, then, "Seiren-sama…Seiren-sama advised me that if one should be, he would see to removing that man's head from his body the moment he stepped through the doors, and so…I have not pursued it any further."

"_Seiren_ threatened such a thing?" Guren looked stunned. "On a person who does not bear arms?"

"Yes, sir."

"Tell me, before he confined himself away, did he do or say anything to you that you thought unusual?" Guren was truly worried now. "Anything that was on his mind – anything at all?"

"He may be cross with me for revealing it," Shibata chewed down on his lip, "but he went to District One – he went to see Ryuu-sama, and I believe…it was not an amicable discussion. I think…Ryuu-sama said something that went quite amiss with Seiren-sama."

"An argument between Seiren and his son?" Guren frowned. " That was enough to make him confine himself away?"

"No, sir," Shibata shook his head, "after he returned from District One, he met with some retainers who had been on the errand of locating Shirogane-sama in the other provinces of District Six. These men were from the Coastal Province, in fact. I believe Seiren-sama went to speak to the Lord Kinnya about something – and after that, he withdrew here. His confinement to his study did not begin until three nights ago, however. Unfortunately I do not know of any other event that might have caused that."

"Seiren went to see Ojiue?" Guren's eyes became slits. "Was that before or after the last time he came to see me at the manor?"

"Before, sir."

"So it was _Ojiue_ who convinced Seiren to give me the letters and to pull back on Shirogane's guilt," Guren rubbed his chin, more than half talking to himself.

_I knew that Ojiue probably knew something – that pretty much confirms it. But he didn't tell me about it, and instead urged me not to think of Seiren as a traitor. I don't like it, but I will have to believe in that for the time being. Whatever troubles my brother, I need him by my side and so this state of affairs can't go on.  
_  
"I will speak to him," he said aloud, slipping his fingers through the door handle, "alone. You have orders and should stay here – but his instructions can't touch me."

"Yes, Guren-sama," Shibata bowed, and Guren shot him a faint smile before drawing the door back, taking a deep breath and stepping into the study beyond.

The shutters at the windows were closed, and in the dim silver light that slipped in through the cracks, Guren could barely make out his brother's presence at all.

"Why did you come here?"

The voice came from the shadows, soft and emotionless, and Guren frowned, closing the door softly behind him.

"Because I needed to speak to you, and you weren't at my side," he said matter-of-factly. "What is the meaning of this, Seiren? Shibata says you've shut yourself in here without food or water for the most part. Why all the theatrics? Even though you've a habit of taking things to extremes sometimes, this is ridiculous."

"That didn't answer my question. _Why _did you come here?" This time there was more edge to Seiren's voice, but it was desperation and fear as much as anger that laced the other man's tones, and Guren sighed, crossing the room and throwing back the shutters so that the bright glow of the full moon streamed into the cloistered study.

"You are my right hand man. Why would I not come?" he demanded. "You are in contempt of your duty, running away without good reason and hiding in your study when the Clan needs you to be firm. I've come here to…good grief, Seiren, what happened?"

As he turned and faced his brother for the first time, his scolding was cut short mid-flow, for as his gaze rested on his companion, he realised how true Shibata's assessment of his master had been.

Seiren had always been lean, but even in the course of a few days he looked to have lost weight, and his features appeared haggard and thin. His eyes were little more than smudges, as though he had not slept properly in the three days he had been locked up inside his study. Every breath he took into his lungs seemed to be an effort, and from the other's stiff movements, Guren had the impression that something invisible had been wound tightly around his ribcage, making it more difficult to pull in air. His sleek black hair, lacking in grey though it still was for once fell loose and unattended about his shoulders, free of its usual neat ties. Although he was robed in the normal attire of a Kuchiki lord of some standing, Guren could not help but think he had been wearing the same clothing for days together, for it was rumpled and creased and smudged in places with dust which could only have come from crawling around on the floor. His hand trembled slightly as he pulled himself to his feet, and for a while Guren was struck speechless, unable to account for the sudden and drastic change in his brother's demeanour.

"Please go back," Seiren spoke softly, and Guren realised that even speaking was something of an effort. "At the moment, I'm no use to you. You should discard me, Guren-sama. I'm no longer a fitting shadow for the Leader of this Clan."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Despite himself, Guren was genuinely frightened by the defeated note in the other man's voice. Grabbing his brother by the shoulders, he intended to give him a little shake, staring into those hopeless grey eyes as if looking for some sign of the defiant, argumentative brother he had sparred with since they had been small.

As his fingers touched Seiren's body, however, something sharp darted through him and he gasped, involuntarily releasing his hold. Seiren stumbled back, only just managing to steady his balance, and Guren stared at his hands, confused and disturbed by what had just happened.

_Was that…reiryoku?_

"Seiren?" he murmured, and Seiren sighed, sinking back against the wall.

"I have no intention of returning to the main house," he said quietly, "nor do I have anything to report to you. If I'm derelicting my duty, then punish me. I won't resist arrest. Otherwise, please leave me here. I have no business at the main manor now."

"Seiren, this isn't like you." Guren's brows knitted together.

"Since when have you ever known what is like me?" Seiren's eyes became cold, and for a moment Guren saw his brother's childhood resentment flare up once more. "So long as I've been useful to you, that's all that matters. That's all I'm here for – so now I'm no longer useful, you should simply turn around and discard me. You have Futsuki, and soon you will have Ryuu. My son is your heir, and that's all that matters. My life only ever existed for your sake – so now that job is done you should leave me be."

"Idiot," Guren snorted. "Do you think I'd just abandon you in this state?"

"If you don't, other people will probably die," Seiren said flatly. "I'm not worth sacrificing anyone else for, so heed my words and go."

"_What_?" Guren's features paled and he stared at his brother in alarm. "Die? Like…Ribari died? Seiren, what have you discovered? Has someone hurt you because you discovered it? Or…?"

"I have nothing to report to you," Seiren's words were steady, but Guren could hear the fear and apprehension in his brother's words and he knew the other man was lying.

_What Ojiue knows and Seiren knows is something that meant Ribari was killed? Or did Seiren discover something else he should not have done, and now he's caught in a trap of some kind?_

His gaze flitted around the room for any sign that someone else might be listening in on the conversation, but there was none.

_Still, this room feels odd. It's like someone's cast a spiritual curse on my brother, and it's causing him pain whenever he tries to speak to me. Maybe if he tries to speak to anyone – and so he's shut himself away so that he can't bring anyone to harm. I wonder if that's possible…but why?_

"All right," he said softly, meeting Seiren's clouded grey gaze with a firm one of his own. "If you have nothing to report, I won't take you at sword point and demand that you speak to me. For the sake of your son who is an honourable young man, even if you defied me, I would likely be lenient on you and spare you your life. However…Seiren, listen to me. The Council of Elders believes that the wanted fugitive Aizen Keitarou is somehow involved in the murder of my son. Also, I believe that Nanaki, the young girl you rescued, is a conspirator in this plot. These are dangerous people and you should not try and investigate any further on your own. Whether you've pulled away from my side for that purpose or for Ryuu's sake I'm not sure – and I won't ask you to tell me, but you should let the Council handle things from this point on. You have no power to deal with the whims of a spiritual scientist like that."

Seiren did not respond, and Guren saw his brother's hand inch up towards his chest, as though trying to calm a palpitating heart.

_Seiren was weak as a small child and often sickly, but bit by bit he outgrew it. Now it's as though the stress of all this has brought that weakness flooding back._

"Take care of yourself, my brother," Guren murmured softly. "I expect to see you alive and before me again when your health has improved."

"I cannot make that promise to you at the present time, Oniisama," Seiren said morosely. "In fact, I do not even have the right to call you by that name. Whatever you and the Council have discovered, I have no part in it. This world does not move for those whose spiritual senses are blinded."

Again Guren was aware of something unfamiliar swirling through the chamber's atmosphere, but as soon as he tried to focus on it it was gone, and he sighed, reluctantly giving up.

"I'm riding back to the manor now," he said presently. "If you feel up to it, I hope to see you there before too long too."

With that he pulled back the door of the chamber, stepping back out into the corridor beyond.

"Guren-sama?" Shibata was waiting anxiously outside, and Guren sighed, rubbing his temples.

"He seems quite unwell to me," he admitted, "and perhaps that sickness is making his judgements somewhat awry. Take care of him for me, Shibata. If he will not see a physician, at least try and ensure he gets some rest tonight. Lack of sleep has never agreed with him – I must return to the business of governing the Clan, and if he will not come with me, I will have all the more to do myself."

"Yes, sir," Shibata bowed his head. "On Seiren-sama's behalf, I apologise for the inconvenience."

"No…" Guren glanced back towards the door, remembering the look in his brother's eyes. "I get the feeling that Seiren believes he's doing the right thing by staying away. I don't know why, but that's what I think. I'll return and I'll do the things I can without him. Hopefully if the pressure is off him a bit, he'll recover enough to speak to me more coherently – and if he's discovered anything I need to know, we'll have a chance to discuss it. But for the time being, I have other avenues to follow."

He cast Shibata a sad smile.

"Seiren and I have always been distant, but never like this," he added pensively. "I admit, I find it more disturbing than I thought – the idea of losing my brother after everything we've been through together."

* * *

As the door closed behind his brother, Seiren clasped both hands to his chest, sinking to the floor as his breathing became more and more laboured. He screwed his eyes up so tightly dots danced before them, fighting tooth and nail to regain control of his composure. Wave after wave of raw energy pulsed through him, and for a moment he just curled up there, seconds seeming like minutes and minutes becoming like hours as the fragments of spirit power ripped ruthlessly through his body.

They were becoming more frequent.

At length the pressure eased and he dropped back, lying on the floor of his study and gazing helplessly up at the patterned ceiling overhead.

_Even if you don't choose to kill me, Guren, it might be too late._

He sighed heavily, closing his eyes and inhaling a deep breath of air into his lungs as he fought to regain a sense of rational thought.

_What is real and what is not is becoming hard to discern. Did I speak to Aizen Keitarou, or was that a delusion because of all the things running through my body? But I'm sure he threaded something through me, and little by little it's prising me apart. The seal on my spirit power – was that it? But spirit power isn't supposed to be painful. As children I saw Raiko and Guren both play with sparks from their fingers in the manor grounds. Ryuu did it too – when he was small and used to accidentally singe his blankets in his sleep. Whatever this is is not spirit power but poison – a deep, probing poison that's taking me apart, piece by piece. _

_All I can do is stay here while it devours me, so as nobody else gets hurt._

He took another shuddering breath into his lungs, dragging himself with difficulty into a sitting position and using the cool wood-panel wall as a support for his shaking body.

_No, to make sure Ryuu doesn't get hurt._

His brows knitted together.

_Aizen told me not to go see Guren, and so I have not. Still Guren came to me. I don't know whether that meeting was real or a dream, but just in case, I won't jeopardise my son's life. Ryuu's life. I won't. If I die, I can't betray anybody. But if I kill myself, then on my son falls shame. So I'll wait. I'll wait and bear this until my body can't hold out any longer. _

"Seiren-sama?"

That was Shibata at the door again, his voice as anxious as it had been the night before.

"Seiren-sama, at least take some time to rest. You're working far too hard, and Guren-sama advises…"

"Leave me be!" Seiren managed to raise the strength to speak through the wooden divide. "If I need your help, I'll ask for it. Carry out your task, Shibata. Guard this door and let nobody else through."

"But Seiren-sama..."

"That is an order!"

"Yes, sir," Seiren heard Shibata sigh, but he knew his manservant would obey. A faint, hollow smile flickered at his lips.

_Guren pulled back from me when he touched me, as though something had stung him. If it can affect him like that, it might cause one like you grievous harm, Shibata. You've served me loyally all these years. At the very least I want you to be there to take charge of things when I'm no longer here._

He sighed heavily.

_The last time we spoke, Ryuu, we fought. You defied me, and I slapped you. To think that would be the last time we'd speak – I regret that. But there's no helping it now. The secret that's underpinned my life till now is starting to become a danger to the family – Father's ghosts coming back to haunt the whole Clan. If I'm not here, nobody can use me against Guren. And so long as Ryuu is here, the family is secure._

Slowly and painfully he pulled himself to his feet.

_Is this the life you protected me from, Father? When you sealed my spirit power, this is the real reason why?_

He coughed, putting his finger to his lips and drawing them away to see blood staining the tips.

_My life existed for Guren's sake – my life existed because he was there to take the burdens I could not, therefore if my life ends now for Guren's sake, so be it. If this is the last thing I can do to protect my brother, Otousama, please accept it. If we are soon to meet, please forgive me my shortcomings. I have tried my hardest to be what you demanded of me...and so I will continue, as long as there remains breath in this form. If I am to die, __if it be for the greater good of the Kuchiki Clan…so be it._

_

* * *

_For a while, silence reigned over the small clearing, as the three figures stood like statues, staring at each other in consternation and disbelief. It was Mitsuki who was the first to recover her wits, slipping in front of Shirogane almost protectively and shooting Juushirou with an uncharacteristically accusatory glance.

"Why did you follow me?" she asked softly. "You did, didn't you? You must have done. Nobody would have told you where to find me, so you must have followed me here."

"I was worried about you." Juushirou's heart lurched at the suspicion in her grey eyes. "Souryou-kun said he saw you leaving the grounds and with things as they are, I thought you might be in trouble. I came to bring you back - I wanted to make sure you were all right. That's all."

"You wanted to protect me?"

"Yes," Juushirou nodded. "Is that such a strange thing to do?"

"This is nothing to do with you," Mitsuki sighed, turning to glance at Shirogane, who's brows furrowed in consternation. "You really shouldn't have come here - it's all the more complicated now that you have."

"But since I am here, you might as well tell me." Juushirou's gaze flitted to Shirogane, unable to quell the flare of irrational jealousy that licked up inside of him at her words. The casual tone she had used with the intruder moments earlier had gone, and he could sense the tension and the reluctance to speak to him in the young healer's frame, both of which only added to his own sense of unease. "Why is Nagoya-senpai here? I thought people were looking for him all over Seireitei."

"They are," Shirogane spoke for himself now, letting out a sigh as he dropped down beneath a tree. "The less people who know I'm here the better, Ukitake. It's a complicated situation and nobody wanted you to stumble into it. You have a bad habit of butting in and giving your opinion, so far as I remember - but you would've done better not to have followed Mitsuki this time round."

"He won't tell anyone, Senpai. I won't let him tell anyone," Mitsuki said quickly, and Shirogane shrugged, spreading his hands.

"What's done is done," he said simply. "It's my fault. I left the cave and I shouldn't have. If I hadn't, probably Ukitake would only have found you - this is my lapse in judgement, not your fault at all."

"But it's me he followed," Mitsuki looked troubled, "and my reiatsu he traced here."

Her gaze flitted back to Juushirou, whose thoughts and emotions were swirling and dancing so much inside of him that for a moment he really didn't know how to respond to what he was hearing.

"Juushirou, you won't tell anyone about this, will you?" Mitsuki's voice was soft. "Senpai has nowhere else to go. You...wanted him to be safe too, didn't you? Well, here he is. People are trying to hurt him, but he didn't do anything wrong. Ryuu and I really believe that, so..."

"Does Ryuu know that he's here, too?" Juushirou asked flatly, and Mitsuki reddened, shaking her head.

"No. Not at the moment," she admitted. "I thought about it, but Ryuu has his own things to worry about, and it might be bad if he knew..."

"Yet you said you'd been here almost four weeks." Juushirou fixed his gaze on his former _shishou _now, surprising himself by the amount of resentment that flared up inside of him. "All that time you've been depending on Mitsuki – and Mitsuki, you've just let him?"

_What's wrong with me? This person tutored me. I respect him. Admire him. Of course I'm glad he's safe. I believe in his innocence too. But that he's here...here with Mitsuki...alone. Even Ryuu doesn't know about it. Mitsuki's been secretly taking care of him alone for the past four weeks - risking everything including arrest by doing so. Why does that bother me so much? She's his kinswoman, so it's only natural...but..._

"Ukitake, I'm not going to bring Mitsuki into danger," Shirogane said frankly. "I have Ginkyoujiki with me and even though I'm tired, I'm still able to use it. As an outlaw I've already used my _zanpakutou_ once to protect someone from being eaten by a Hollow and I'm more than happy to release my sword again to protect someone who's working to protect me. At the moment, all I can do is lie low and wait for some sign that it's all right. But if I was to be attacked, I wouldn't bring Mitsuki into it. You shouldn't worry about your classmate - she'll be quite safe."

Juushirou's eyes widened at these words, each of them resonating through him one by one as he absorbed the uncharacteristic expression that crossed the shinigami's proud features.

_Does Nagoya-senpai have feelings for Mitsuki? Was Shikibu-san right about this all along? And what about Mitsuki - if you spend four weeks protecting someone who's wanted by important people even from close kinsfolk like Ryuu, what does that mean? Is there more between the two of them than I thought? Maybe Mitsuki hasn't been able to talk to me about it because it's that delicate. Maybe because she doesn't know how to. She's been secretive and distant from me in part since she came back from District Six, and he was in District Six, too, then. Now...since the summer break, it's been worse. Four weeks or so ago would mean that it was summer break when he first arrived here. Mitsuki's been sneaking out to help Senpai in secret since then. And that means..._

"Juushirou?"

Mitsuki frowned, taking a step towards him and reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder, but Juushirou's emotions were unstable and before he knew what he was doing he had knocked her arm away, anger glittering in his hazel eyes.

"I understand," he said quietly, his tones low as though struggling to keep his feelings in check. "I won't tell anyone your little secret, Mitsuki. And seeing as you're apparently not in danger of any kind, I suppose I'll go back to school now. Obviously I'm not needed around here."

He turned on his heel, stalking purposefully through the trees and back towards the mountain path, but all the time pain and confusion rippled through his young heart. He was angry, but he couldn't place exactly why. He was frightened, but of what, he wasn't sure. And he was unhappy...enough to bring tears to his eyes if he stopped and allowed them - but he didn't understand how such a short, sharp exchange of words could make him feel so wretched.

"Juushirou!"

Mitsuki's voice and the sound of footsteps behind him almost made him pause, but the next second he thought better of it, continuing to trudge grimly forward without turning to look at her or acknowledge her presence at all. The next minute he felt a hand on his arm, and he raised an empty gaze to hers, realising she'd used shunpo to catch up with him and that whatever she wanted to say, she was not going to leave him be until she had said it.

More than anything right then Juushirou wanted her to go away.

"What?" he asked softly. "I said it already. I won't tell anyone your secret. It's none of my business, is it? I'm just a District boy with a dodgy family ancestry. It's not for me to be involved in important Clan matters like this."

"Juushirou, stop it!" Mitsuki was frustrated. "I can tell, you know, that you're upset. It's cascading over me in waves and I don't like it. Whatever's bothering you, say it. Nothing can come of it if you don't."

"There isn't very much to say, is there?" Juushirou's eyes narrowed. "You've kept a secret for four weeks and it's a pretty big secret. I've butted into it and I don't belong there. So I'm sorry. And I'll go back. And we won't speak of it again."

"Juushirou…" Mitsuki groaned, rubbing her temples. "I hate it when you get like this. It doesn't make any sense at all, and feeling all those vibes coming from you is enough to give me a migraine."

"Then leave me alone and go back to your waif and stray." The words were harsher than Juushirou had intended, but Mitsuki reeled back, shock in her grey eyes.

"Juushirou, are you _jealous _of Senpai?"

"Jealous?" Juushirou snorted. "What do I have to be jealous of? I'm only your friend. Your _classmate,_ as he put it. That's all. _Classmates_ and _friends _don't have the right to things like jealousy."

"You are. You're jealous, just like Sora..." Mitsuki's brows knitted together in frustration. "I didn't see it coming. I really didn't think you were as petty or as immature as that, Juushirou. I thought that you of all people would understand why I have to help Senpai right now. He has nowhere to go. Nobody else to support him. His life's been threatened more than once and people he cares about are doubting him. I can't turn my back on him - you wouldn't either, would you? I thought of all people you would understand why this is important to me. I never thought that you..."

"How could I understand?" Juushirou snapped back. "You didn't tell me anything about it!"

"It wasn't exactly something I _could _talk about!" Mitsuki protested. "It would have brought you into danger, and..."

"Did I ask you to protect me?"

"No, but then you came here to protect me, and I didn't ask you to do that, either!" Mitsuki was getting upset herself now, and the sign of tears on the girl's lashes only added to the distress in Juushirou's own heart. "I've told you before, I have to follow my own path. As a healer, this is part of that. Senpai is someone I trust and he needs me. And because of that..."

"I don't understand. Fine. I get it already. I'm sorry I bothered you."

Juushirou made to turn back towards the school, but Mitsuki did not release her grip on his arm.

"You don't understand anything," she said wearily. "Sora says boys are stupid when it comes to girls and I guess she was right. But Juushirou, I thought you'd at least trust me. I assumed that you knew..."

"Just being friends doesn't require you to explain your actions to me, does it?" Juushirou cut across her. "It doesn't require you to tell me if something might be going on behind the scenes - something like your family and his arranging a match between you, or you going back to District Six after graduation, instead of going on to District Four?"

"Naoko." Mitsuki's eyes suddenly hardened, and Juushirou's breath caught in his throat at the anger in her expression. "She _did _talk to you, didn't she? I had a feeling she had, but you wouldn't admit it, and I didn't...but I thought you had lied to me and I was right. Whatever she said to you you've been brooding on alone, haven't you? You idiot, why didn't you just come to me and ask me outright? I would've told you, and then..."

"I didn't want to hear the answer," Juushirou said quietly, aware that tears were welling up in his own eyes, "because I know that you and I can't ever...there isn't a future for us beyond friendship. And I told you a long time ago that I wouldn't stop you if...something else came along. If it has...then I...have no right to interfere. If that person is Nagoya-senpai, then even so. This isn't my business, Mitsuki. And I won't hold you back."

"_Juushirou!_"

With that he slipped into shunpo, aware of her calling his name as he darted through the streams of light back to the main school building. Even before he had reached the nest, tears blinded his vision and he was glad that there was nobody else to see him as he flopped down on his bed, allowing his emotions to take full hold of his body.

_Mitsuki._

In those few words, Juushirou's fears had become reality.

_We have no future. We're only friends. But you could have a future with him, and it was clear from seeing you two together, even for a brief moment. This isn't just Shikibu-san's fancy. There is more between you than I thought, especially from Nagoya-senpai's side. Shunsui said it too - that a Clan could arrange a marriage behind the scenes, but it doesn't look as though...Mitsuki would be unhappy if that was the result._

He screwed up his eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling.

_If I care about her, sooner or later I have to let her go. If this is that time, somehow I have to bear with it. But I have no idea how. I didn't know it could hurt this much, having a broken heart. I didn't realise admitting this would make me feel so bad. Just friends truly isn't enough...but it's all I have to offer her. And maybe in the end...it won't even result in that. Maybe I've lost Mitsuki in all respects...and should give up on her for good._

_

* * *

_"Are you all right?"

As Mitsuki trudged slowly back across the grass towards where her patient was huddled beneath the spreading branches of an elm tree, the young shinigami raised his voice, fixing her with concerned grey eyes.

She did not answer, merely sinking down beside him with a sigh, and Shirogane frowned, turning to take in her demeanour carefully. A glint of the moon's light against her skin told him that tears were trickling silently down her cheeks, and something inside of him clenched as he watched her lift a heavy arm, wiping them away with heavy resignation.

"Mitsuki?" he murmured, and the healer hesitated for a moment before turning to face him, a faint smile on her lips.

"I'm all right," she said quietly. "You needn't worry. He won't tell anyone, Senpai. He gave his word."

"That's not what I'm asking." Shirogane's eyes became slits and he reached out a hand to touch her arm, damp hair slipping down over his shoulder as he did so. "He made you cry with what he said, didn't he? My stupid _deshi_ said something that hurt you."

"Yes," Mitsuki admitted, leaning back against the tree and raising her gaze to the stars, "but he was hurting too."

"As his _shishou_, I ought to take Ginkyoujiki and carve holes into him until he repents."

"No…" Mitsuki shook her head. "Really, it's not something you need to worry about. You have enough on your plate - and you shouldn't be concerning yourself with..."

"You're in love with him."

Shirogane's words were soft, but they seemed to tear right through his young companion, for she flinched as if stung. He nodded.

"I thought so. When he appeared...the way he looked at you and then at me..."

He sighed, rubbing his hands against his temples as he tried to process this.

"He looked at me as though I'd somehow encroached on something that didn't belong to me. In all the time I trained him...I never saw him give me that look. It was the look of someone who felt that something of theirs was threatened - and that I'd crossed a line I shouldn't have crossed. When I called you his classmate, too...it was as though he took that as a personal insult. An innocent word, and yet it became loaded..."

He glanced down at his body.

"I'm half-dressed and hiding in the forest, so perhaps I can understand his reasons. But I had no idea...I didn't know you and he were..."

"We're not. We're just friends." Mitsuki's words were firm and frank, but Shirogane could tell that they were not entirely honest.

"Maybe you are," he acknowledged. "Clan and District - nothing else would be appropriate. But that's not how you feel, is it? A friend wouldn't have reacted like that - and I can tell you want to cry, even though you're making yourself hold back. If you're worried I'll tell someone, there's nobody currently in the Clan who'd listen to me, so don't lie to me, Mitsuki. You're my ally, are you not? At least tell me the truth when I ask you a question."

"You didn't ask me anything, not really," Mitsuki sent him a hopeless look, "and it's not a question I need to answer. Juushirou and I don't have a future. He put it into words himself just now, and that's why I'm upset. Like you said, Clan and District..."

"But he is still dear to you, isn't he?" Shirogane said thoughtfully. Mitsuki nodded.

"He's a part of me," she said miserably. "He has been since we first met, and that's all I know. What Juushirou is to me, and what part he plays in my life is difficult to define. I know I love him, but I know that loving him is also not allowed. If I gave in to that and was selfish, I might destroy everything he's worked for as well as put an end to any dreams of my own. So we continue in this limbo called friendship. We always both said it was enough."

She ran her fingers through her thick dark hair.

"Just then, though, I saw something I thought I'd never see in his eyes," she said bleakly. "Even though friendship is what we both settled for, I realised how difficult that's going to become. I'm your ally, just as you said. I won't abandon you - no matter what happens, I've made my decision and I'll stand by you whatever comes. But that may mean losing Juushirou, because he doesn't understand the connection you and I have, just like he doesn't understand the bond I have with him."

"Perhaps you could explain that connection to me, too," Shirogane admitted. "I realise there are things a healer can see that the rest of us cannot, but perhaps it's not so clear to other people."

"It's hard to give words to," Mitsuki groaned. "Sora asked me the same - why I was so keen to put myself at risk for you, and she even warned me Juushirou would be jealous. But that doesn't matter. As a healer, this is the right thing for me to do. That's all I know. I can't do anything else."

"Because you and I are connected?" Shirogane asked lightly. Mitsuki nodded.

"Ever since I saved your life, that's been the case," she agreed. "Ever since that night I sat by your bedside and held your hand when you were afraid."

Shirogane reddened, embarrassment flickering in his grey eyes, and despite herself, Mitsuki laughed.

"You shouldn't look like that. You couldn't help it," she scolded him lightly. "It was the drug. It put your guard down...and I couldn't leave you to battle it alone."

"Alone," Shirogane echoed the word, pursing his lips. "A state of being I have often chosen, yet I appreciate that I am not currently alone. Perhaps I feel it too - this connection we share."

"Juushirou thinks that you and I are going to get married when this is all over, though, thanks to a classmate of mine putting ideas into his overly naive head," Mitsuki groaned, "and Juushirou being Juushirou, he's being annoying and saying that if that will make me happy..."

"But it wouldn't, would it?" Shirogane's eyes bored into Mitsuki's face, watching for every flicker of her expression, and Mitsuki sighed.

"It would make nobody happy. Not me, and not the person I married," she said pragmatically. "My calling is elsewhere. Even if I married Juushirou, I don't think it would be the perfect solution. I'm a healer. I have a vocation and I have to follow that vocation. I can't be useless in this world now that I understand my reason for being here. So no, Senpai. It wouldn't make me happy. But that isn't because it would be you. It's because...of me."

"You don't need to protect my feelings," Shirogane offered her a rueful smile, "since I've no inclination for marriage myself at present, and certainly nobody has approached me with any idea of making a match of any kind, let alone one in your direction. Perhaps it's Ukitake you need to convey those thoughts to, not me."

"Somehow talking to you is easier at the moment," Mitsuki admitted, "because you understand how Clans are, maybe. I don't know. I think if we talked now, I might get cross with him again."

"Because he became jealous?"

"No," Mitsuki looked sheepish, "not that."

"Then?"

"He didn't fight back," Mitsuki bit her lip, a half-ashamed look in her grey eyes. "He shouted at me, and it was obvious how he felt, but the last thing he said was that he had no right to interfere and that if it made me happy...he'd let me go. I don't...I can't...even if there's no future for us, that isn't..."

"You want him to fight for your honour?" Shirogane let out a low whistle, shooting her a sidelong glance. "You have a romantic streak - who would have thought it? A girl who wades up to her ankles in blood to put together a broken body has ideas of her knight rushing in to claim her hand, vanquishing all opposition to take her for his own."

Mitsuki flushed scarlet.

"I know," she whispered, "but Okaasama...always told me that love was something unexpected and special. Something precious. She said that I should make my own choices regarding it, and should...should only accept it when the hand reaching out to me was worthy of my affection. If he doesn't believe he is...even if it's impossible...how can I believe it?"

"Young idiots, the pair of you," Shirogane sighed, sinking back against the tree with a look of resignation in his expression. "I'm almost glad that when my turn comes to marry - providing I am not impaled on the end of a Clan sword before that time arrives - it will be with the convenience of family arrangement, not with the impulses of passion to drive it. I would find it tiresome to have to fight for the heart of a maiden."

He shot her a smile, but his eyes were sad.

"Ukitake shouldn't trouble himself about me, in any case," he said frankly. "Even if I was so recklessly inclined, I would have no interest in fighting for a woman whose heart was already in another's care. I am not someone who accepts second place with equanimity."

"No...I suppose that's true," Mitsuki acknowledged with a grin. "That's probably why I feel better talking to you. There isn't that holding me back."

She got to her feet, stretching her hands over her head.

"I should head back," she added, "and so should you. You do still have a fever, and if you keep being careless..."

"I know. I understand." Shirogane nodded. "I'll be careful. You do so too. If you were caught by Ukitake tonight, someone else could catch you just as easily if you don't return quickly. Go and don't worry. I will be all right."

"Okay." Mitsuki pursed her lips, then nodded. "Thank you for listening to me babble, Senpai."

"You can repay me by never speaking to anyone of that night I was afflicted by poison," Shirogane said wryly. Mitsuki gave him another grin, then disappeared into the trees, and Shirogane was once more alone beneath the heavy branches.

_Alone._

He pulled himself carefully to his feet, dusting his body down.

_What I said to Mitsuki was the truth. I would never settle for second place, but I didn't expect to be so troubled that someone else had already secured first. Ukitake, of all people..._

He shook his head as if to clear it.

_I had no plans to marry or court Mitsuki when I left home, and a few months ago I barely knew who she was. I am currently dependent on her kindness and that is all. There's nothing more to trouble me than that. I will return to my cave and I will sleep. At present my only concern is to be fit and alert for whatever the morrow brings._


	50. Hirata's Birthday

**Chapter Forty Eight: Hirata's Birthday**

"…And that's what he said."

Hirata dropped down onto the floor of the Senior study with a sigh, shrugging his shoulders helplessly as he raised his gaze to his companions. "He's busy studying and doesn't want to be disturbed. Not even for breakfast, and not even to discuss the Real World assignment."

"You had no luck, either?"

Shunsui chewed down on his lip, settling himself more comfortably against the window as he reflected on this information.

"He told me that I wasn't part of his group, so I should probably go speak to Yamamoto-kun if I had a problem with anything," Hirata shook his head, "which may be true, but…"

"It doesn't really sound like Juushirou – especially given that it's you asking." Shunsui's eyes narrowed. "Hrm."

It was the next morning, and despite the fact that it was some several hours since the breakfast bell had rung through the school, none of the Senior class had seen hide nor hair of their Anideshi. That he had not joined them for breakfast had been the first red flag – but as the rest had filed into the dining hall, Shunsui's sharp eyes had also noticed another absence – the seat beside Sora which was invariably Mitsuki's had also been left vacant.

"The only conclusion I can come to is that something happened between yesterday's meetings and now," he said aloud now, folding his arms across his chest with a sigh of resignation. "It's unusual for Juu to miss a meal, even if he's not feeling well. That he's studying isn't an impossibility, but he's not usually the kind to shut his door and keep everyone out. The Nest was locked when you visited it, too?"

"Yes. Locked from the inside," Hirata confirmed. "I knocked twice, and he told me that he was busy and that he didn't want to be disturbed."

He frowned, adjusting his spectacles on his nose.

"He didn't sound like Juushirou-kun," he admitted. "But I'm not quite sure why that was."

"Mitsuki-chan was also absent from breakfast." Shunsui's brows knitted together as he considered this. "She and Sora have been glued together of late, but Sora was there and Mitsuki wasn't. More, Sora looked decidedly troubled by something – but when I asked her about it, she blew me off."

"You don't think something happened between Edogawa-san and Juushirou-kun…last night?" Hirata suggested hesitantly, and Shunsui laughed, reaching over absently to ruffle the younger boy's hair.

"You look so shocked at the bare idea of that," he teased, amused by the indignant look his classmate gave him. "If it was anyone other than Juu, maybe I'd think that. His door is locked, the girl is missing, Sora doesn't want to say anything…but no. This is Juu. I don't think that he and Mitsuki would be that daring, not on school grounds."

"That wasn't what I meant." Despite himself, Hirata's cheeks reddened as he interpreted Shunsui's insinuations. "I simply meant that they'd had some kind of disagreement or something and Juushirou-kun didn't want us to see that he was upset."

"Ah. I see." Shunsui looked sheepish. "Sorry. I suppose my brain automatically reaches for the biggest scandal."

"No kidding," Hirata sighed. "But I don't think that Juushirou-kun is likely to have secluded Edogawa-san away in the Nest to do…whatever you think he could do in that situation."

His eyes narrowed, and Shunsui was aware of the hawkish intensity that pervaded the younger student's pale blue gaze.

"_You_ might do it, I suppose – if the Nest was your room," the Endou reflected thoughtfully, "but not Juushirou-kun."

"Thanks," Shunsui said good-naturedly. "I can't really dispute that – maybe once, I would've. Not now, though. I'm a reformed character – and besides, if we're agreed that this situation has something to do with her, we might do better trying to find Mitsuki ourselves."

"You won't do that." Before Hirata could respond, the door of the study slid back to reveal Kai, a cluster of papers clutched in his sword hand and an irritated look in his golden eyes. "She and Sora have skipped off campus on some errand or other. I saw them sweet-talking their way through the gates and down towards the local town – so if you need Edogawa for something, you've missed your chance."

"Did you cross paths with them?" Shunsui looked interested. "That expression suggests you crossed paths with someone on your way here."

"Yamamoto." Kai's eyes darkened and he flicked through the sheaf of paper, splitting it in two and thrusting one half in Hirata's direction. "Here. He told me to give these to you. Apparently I've become his errand boy – you're the last member of our group I've tracked down."

"The Senior study isn't a strange place for me to be, Kai-kun," Hirata said mildly, taking the papers and glancing at them. "Are these the notes he mentioned about our camp in the Real World? I didn't think he'd put anything together as quickly as that."

"I got the feeling he'd roped in Michihashi a bunch to help him do it," Kai said with a sigh, folding his own paper and sliding it into his _obi_. "I only skimmed it, but it seems that way to me. Michihashi is good tactically, and I doubt Yamamoto could have written out seven copies in one night."

"You sound downright rebellious and the mission hasn't even begun," Shunsui observed. "Is Akira proving that bad a leader?"

"No…he's not." Hirata looked thoughtful. "On the contrary, I think he's probably quite a good one. He has a lot of things thought out, and he had an answer for most questions when we were discussing some final points yesterday."

"But he has a way of giving orders that make me want to gut him." Kai rubbed his temples. "I know I said I wasn't a fan of killing, but I may have to make one exception before graduation. It's not that he's bad at being in charge – like Hirata said, he knows what he's doing and he's someone who – probably – in a squad situation people would look to to take the lead. It's just…"

"He knows that we're friends of Juushirou-kun, therefore we rank at the bottom of his respect ladder," Hirata concluded with a sigh. "Me especially, because I'm the youngest and obviously he doesn't think I'm of any use to him whatsoever. Kai-kun's sword skills he's at least acknowledged, but he looks at me as though I'm just a hanger on."

"He's an idiot, then," Shunsui said reassuringly. "One who hasn't seen Tsumi no Fuuhi nor you when you've got it in hand. If he or anyone else has any doubts about your ability or your Endou blood, Hirata, make sure you put him right. You might be there to take down Hollows and protect Plus souls, but if you singe his wings a little in the process, so be it."

"My _zanpakutou_ doesn't singe," Hirata objected. "Seizumi has nothing to do with fire, thank you – that was Seimaru's trait, and I have nothing in common with him whatsoever."

"Seimaru should count himself lucky," Kai reflected. "He died before he had to face Tsumi no Fuuhi in its released form. I know his death wasn't particularly pleasant, but I have a feeling it would've been far worse if your hawk had got its talons into him."

"Stop it," Hirata looked annoyed. "You're making me out to be some kind of bloodthirsty demon and it's not my intention to emulate that part of being an Endou. Besides, we weren't talking about that. When you came in, Kai-kun, we were talking about Juushirou-kun. He's locked himself in the Nest and neither Shunsui-kun nor I can get him to come out."

"_Locked_ himself in?" Kai's eyes widened. "Why? What the hell for?"

"Nobody knows," Shunsui said heavily. "But probably somehow it connects to Mitsuki."

"That's why you were looking for Edogawa." Kai's expression cleared. "I see. Well, I didn't get close enough to see what kind of a mood the girl was in, but as I said, she and Sora headed off campus and into town. I'd guess that she was all right."

"They were neither of them at breakfast," Hirata pointed out.

"But nor was Houjou," Kai reasoned. "It's just as possible that Edogawa had extra training with Unohana-sensei, just like Houjou did with Kazoe. We've three days or thereabouts till we face the final assessment and are plunged into the Real World. Edogawa and Amai are both healers but Amai's had a year more training than Edogawa – probably more than that, given that she's an Unohana by birth. It makes sense that Unohana-sensei'd want to ensure Edogawa had everything straight before letting her go."

"That is true," Shunsui acknowledged. "I hadn't thought of that. But there's no other reason we can think of for Juu to closet himself away. He said he was studying – which he might be – but…"

"It's not like him to lock himself in his room. Nor is it like him to miss breakfast," Hirata said softly, "and he really sounded strange when I went to the door."

"Define strange?" Kai queried, and Hirata pursed his lips.

"I…can't," he said at length. "I just know that it didn't sound like…Juushirou-kun."

"Like he wanted us to go away?" Shunsui said thoughtfully. "As though he wanted us to think he was all right, and so was working really hard to sound as though he was…therefore making him sound completely as though he wasn't."

"Like that," Hirata agreed, offering Shunsui a grateful smile. "I suppose he seemed as though he was forcing himself to sound normal."

"Maybe he's nervous about going to the Real World." Kai looked contemplative. "It's a big big ask for him really. You have Kuchiki in your group, and Ukitake's a District boy who has the outsize in responsibility complexes. You know he'll take everything very seriously when it comes to everyone's safety – probably he's having a minor breakdown over how many things he has to remember before we leave base."

"Oddly enough, I can see that, too," Shunsui owned, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. "But I'm not sure…usually when he's like that, there's fallout from his freakout. In short, he usually talks to someone about it, because he knows one of us will soon tell him when he's being an idiot and taking things too much to heart. This isn't like that. That's all."

"Well, you can ask the man himself." Kai turned towards the door as it slid back to reveal the white haired boy, robed as they all were in the usual uniform of the Academy and with his lank locks secured neatly back from his face in a short tail. "Ukitake! Hirata and Kyouraku are worried about you. Apparently you locked yourself in your room this morning – something you want to share?"

"I just wanted some peace and quiet," Juushirou frowned, crossing the chamber slowly and dropping down at the edge of the group with a shrug. "I had some things I wanted to go over, and I needed to do it by myself."

"You were studying?" Hirata looked startled, and Juushirou fixed him with a quizzical look.

"Is that so surprising?" he asked softly. "We go to the Real World in a matter of days. There's a lot to get straight – of course I was studying."

"There it is, then." Kai shrugged, offering Shunsui a grin. "He was having a Real World mission pre-mission freakout. Mystery solved. And since he's let himself out now – I guess that means he's got over it and is ready to face the world again. Right?"

"Pardon?" Juushirou stared at Kai blankly, and the Shihouin boy laughed.

"You're all straight now with what's going to happen when we step through the _Senkaimon_?" he asked, and Juushirou shrugged.

"As much as I can be, I think. Yes."

"Then it's all good, isn't it?"

"Mm." Juushirou leant back against the wall, his expression one of preoccupation, and Shunsui gazed at him thoughtfully, taking in the faint shadowing around the hazel eyes.

"You didn't spend _all _night studying, did you?" he asked suspiciously, and Juushirou started, the sudden guilt in his expression giving away the fact that Shunsui had been close to the mark.

"Not all night" The white haired boy recovered himself. "I was up early – before dawn – but it wasn't all night. Look, does it really matter? I'm done now. I came out of the Nest to get some air and space, not to be interrogated on my actions. I haven't broken any rules, have I? Last I checked, Sensei didn't have any restrictions on Seniors using their private sleeping space to go over academic notes!"

"Woah there. Calm down." Shunsui held up his hands, and Juushirou sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Sorry. Maybe I'm a little more tired than I thought."

"A little is probably an understatement," Shunsui observed. "You look like you didn't sleep at all last night, if you want the honest truth. I know you want to do the right thing in the Real World, Juu, but we'll back you up. All of us. We're all friends, and even if someone comes after Ryuu, we'll not let anything happen to him. We'll be a team and we'll follow through on everything we're supposed to. None of us are weak, and Mitsuki's around to patch up bruises and bumps if and when we need her to."

His eyes narrowed slightly, taking in his friend's reaction to the casual mention of the healer's name. Juushirou did not visibly react, but Shunsui's perception was sharp and he felt the faint fluctuation in the District boy's aura.

_Right then. I wasn't wrong. Mitsuki is at the centre of this somehow. _

He sighed.

_Juu, when are you going to learn? You can't solve matters of the heart by internalising them and angsting over them in private. Your aura is all over the place now I poke at it – but you're really not going to talk to us, are you? Whatever happened last night, for some reason you don't intend on speaking about it. Which leads me to wonder what did – and whether it has anything to do with the strange expression Mitsuki had on her face during that meditation class. _

His eyes became near slits as he put the fragments together.

_It was as though Mitsuki knew something about the missing food and items, and the way Sora reacted to it suggests she might do too – otherwise she'd be the first person to be giving wild theories on why things have disappeared. Today they've scuttled out of campus – and the first day of term they came back late for the meeting with bits of tree all over their uniform and hair. Now Juu has that look in his eye – I wonder if he's realised it as well. There's a chance that Mitsuki's sudden odd behaviour has something to do with the missing Kuchiki exile, and if Nagoya appeared in District One, she'd probably be the one who'd discover it the most quickly. Ryuu's behaviour hasn't changed particularly, so I don't suppose he knows anything about it. But if Juu stumbled onto a secret like that…_

"Why are you looking at me that way?" Juushirou's voice broke through his musings, and he grinned, shrugging his shoulders.

"No reason particularly," he said casually. "I was just envying your ability to look neat and tidy – just as a proper Anideshi should."

"Liar." Juushirou's brows knitted together. "Now tell me the real reason. I know you – the way you think, and…"

"Ukitake, calm down." Kai's eyes widened, and Shunsui laughed, holding up his hands.

"All right. You got me," he said glibly, reaching across to tap Hirata on the arm as another idea surfaced in his mind. "I was actually trying to work out the best way of suggesting this to you without you dismissing it out of hand. See, you might've forgotten, but tomorrow is Hirata's birthday, isn't it? And it's not just any birthday, but his important one – his coming of age."

"Shunsui-kun?" At the sudden change in topic, Hirata cast Shunsui an uncertain look, and Shunsui offered him a benign grin.

"I was thinking, seeing as we'll be going to the Real World soon, we ought to at least celebrate before we go," he said nonchalantly, "but with your current study blitz, I was wondering what it would take to convince Anideshi that it'd be a good idea."

"Celebrate?" Juushirou was taken aback. "Hirata's birthday? In what way?"

"In the usual way you celebrate an important birthday," Shunsui said blithely, "with friends gathered together around a jug of good sake and a merry ambience."

"You mean, sneak out?" Juushirou's brows furrowed, and Hirata shook his head.

"We'll get into trouble, and then we won't be sent to the Real World," he said quietly. "It's all right, Shunsui-kun. My birthday doesn't matter very much at all to me. I've been heir to the Endou since Seimaru died, and I won't actually inherit it right after graduation. Father and I still have a lot of things to go through together before I reach that point, and Seventh Squad is still on hiatus for another good few years, so I don't even know what kind of shinigami placement I might have come the spring. In that respect, my turning twenty really isn't important."

"Nonsense," Kai snorted, reaching over to clap his hands down on the slim boy's thin shoulders. "Kyouraku's right. We ought to do something to mark it. This is the last year we'll be all together like this, isn't it? This time next year we'll be split between the Gotei, and it'll be much more difficult to get us all together."

"I'm not endorsing anything that means us breaking rules," Juushirou said emphatically. "I'm not going to do anything that'll put any of us at risk of missing this mission. Hirata's right – we can't risk slipping off campus like First years when something as important as that is right in front of us."

"I didn't say anything about sneaking out," Shunsui said calmly. "I don't think that would be a good idea, either."

"Then…?" Juushirou shot his friend a questioning look.

"I'm going to ask Sensei," Shunsui responded levelly. "And see whether – since it's such a special occasion – he might let us have one night."

"Right before a big expedition?" Hirata looked sceptical, but Shunsui shrugged.

"For that reason," he said easily. "We've all been working flat out. Besides, not that I want to focus on the macabre, but Sensei said that the Real World is dangerous. If we go there, there's a minimal chance one of us might not come back. Therefore…"

"Don't say things like that," Juushirou's eyes darkened. "With Ryuu playing decoy, I really don't think you should tempt fate."

"But exactly because he is, I want us to do this," Shunsui got to his feet. "Well? It might be the last chance we all have to spend time together. If Ryuu is put in danger in the Real World, even if he comes back in one piece there's a good chance that the Kuchiki will take fright and hoick him out of school. Just in case it comes to that…don't you think we should give Hirata's coming of age a proper moment of celebration?"

"I'm all for it," Kai nodded. "Hirata? You're not going to shy away, are you, when Kyouraku puts it like that?"

"If Sensei is all right with it, then no," Hirata said cautiously. "So long as we're not breaking rules and doing anything we shouldn't be. I want to graduate properly, not be sent home in disgrace."

"That goes for me too," Juushirou sighed, "and I can't see Sensei agreeing. Besides, Shunsui, who do you mean when you say 'all'? Are you planning on inviting the whole of Senior class?"

Shunsui eyed his friend carefully for a moment, reading the motives behind this vague question.

_You mean, am I asking Mitsuki, don't you? You'll have to do better if you want to conceal things like that from me._

Out loud he said,

"Of course not. Why would I want Yamamoto along? He doesn't appreciate Hirata and he'd be no fun to have at a birthday party. Besides, Sensei will want some of his Seniors here, won't he? I thought I'd ask just for the six of us. A dorm reunion, if you want – all guys together."

"How's it a reunion when we see each other every day?" Kai looked amused.

"Anything's possible when it's Team Stupid we're talking about, Kai-kun." Shunsui was unfazed, and the Shihouin boy leaned over to thwack him on the arm.

"Less of that, thank you! You can call yourself stupid if you like, but leave me out of it."

"Just the six of us, huh?" Some of the tension dissipated from Juushirou's aura at this, and he nodded slowly. "All right. If Sensei gives us permission…then I don't mind. Since it's Hirata's coming of age birthday…if we have permission, it should be all right."

"It's decided, then," Shunsui said cheerfully. "Good. I'll go and speak to Sensei now. You people tackle Enishi and Ryuu with the idea, all right? If you do it while Sora's off-campus, she won't know about it and try to invite herself, so now seems as good a time as any."

"Houjou's at the training range doing a basic workout. Kuchiki's in the library," Kai said frankly. "Two places I didn't find Souryou or Amai this morning when looking for them to give them their share of the notes."

"Yamamoto-kun really was working you hard, wasn't he?" Hirata looked sympathetic. "If Juushirou-kun goes to the training grounds and I go to the library, you can stay here and catch your breath."

"If a Shihouin was tired out by that, Aneue would probably have him strung up," Kai said ruefully. "All right. I don't mind. I hope Sensei can be persuaded, Kyouraku – we have been working hard and everyone deserves a break sometime, even Seniors."

"Amen to that!" Shunsui winked, saluting his Shihouin classmate playfully then withdrawing from the study, walking briskly along the hallways towards the main block of the old manor house.

_I had forgotten about Hirata's birthday till then too, but even though it was a spur of the moment thing, I might have hit on something. Juu's angst might or might not be girl related – my bets are still that it is – but we've all been working flat out since we came back to school. Not only that, there's been that odd kind of aura of anticipation hanging over us waiting for the hammer to fall. Yama-jii presumably would know if Aizen Keitarou came to District One, therefore the local area is probably safe. The more I think about it, the more I like it. I just wonder if I can convince the old guy to go for it. Juu won't agree if he doesn't – that was clear enough from the expression on his face. Therefore there's no choice but to get permission for the six of us to go off campus tomorrow night. _

At that juncture he reached his destination and, taking a deep breath into his lungs, he raised his hand to knock sharply three times against the polished wood.

Genryuusai's voice called him in, and as he slid the divide back on its runners, Shunsui was gratified to find that the old man was currently alone. At his entrance, Genryuusai set down his brush, casting his student a questioning look as he gestured for him to approach the desk.

"Yes, Shunsui? Something amiss?"

"Not amiss, sir. At least, I don't think so."

Shunsui carefully closed the door, moving to stand before the other's desk. "I actually came on a frivolous errand – if such things are permitted Senior class members."

"That depends on the errand," Genryuusai said evenly, "and on the one asking."

"Well, unfortunately the one asking is me," Shunsui pursed his lips wryly, "but that aside, I hope you'll hear me out anyway."

"I have some time," Genryuusai nodded. "This has nothing to do with the Senior Class's assignment to the Real World, I trust?"

"Not really, but I suppose it has some bearing on it." Shunsui paused, formulating carefully the way in which he wanted to begin the next sentence. There was a moment of silence, and then he sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"I wanted to ask permission for six of us to leave the school grounds tomorrow night," he said at length. "The six being Juu, Enishi, Kai, Ryuu, Hirata and myself."

"To leave the school grounds?" Genryuusai arched an eyebrow. "On what errand?"

"To celebrate Hirata's twentieth birthday, sir."

"To celebrate…" Genryuusai's eyes became thoughtful. "Just that?"

"Yes, sir," Shunsui pursed his lips for a moment, "but the fact you're asking me that question implies that there's another reason we might want to leave the school grounds. If that has something to do with the whereabouts of Nagoya Shirogane-senpai, you have my word that I know nothing about it and even if I did, I have absolutely no reason to get myself or anyone else involved."

"I see." Genryuusai's moustache twitched. "Interesting. Why would you think about Nagoya when asking about celebrating Hirata's birthday?"

"Because I think he's probably here – somewhere – and I think that if he is, you'd know about it the moment he arrived," Shunsui said honestly. "I don't know where, and I haven't gone looking – it's really not something I'm interested in pursuing. Truthfully, I don't really like Nagoya enough to bother about trying to track him down. Just that…this is the most logical place for him to have come to. Also, I think that since he hasn't been arrested, you probably don't mind that he's here and are letting him lie low until things in District Six die down. That means that there'd be nothing for us to do even if we wanted to – and so even if he is here, my motive really is for us to go to celebrate Hirata's birthday and nothing else."

"You are far too smart, sometimes," Genryuusai sighed, but Shunsui could tell that it was more of a compliment than a criticism. "All right. Then let me ask you this. Do you think it wise for me to allow a person of Kuchiki Ryuu's current standing and situation to run without supervision after dark, away from the school grounds?"

"If you're willing to let him go to the Real World, sir, I don't see the problem," Shunsui said candidly. "Here is within reach of your Clan and you would know if any danger threatened. I don't suppose Aizen…"

He faltered, his hand flying to his mouth, but it was too late. Genryuusai was on him in a second, his expression one of consternation.

"Aizen..?"

"I shouldn't have…that was…"

"Finish your sentence please."

"But Sensei, I…"

"If you want me to consider your request, I'd like to hear the rest of your sentence, Shunsui."

Genryuusai's words were quiet, but the piercing look in his gaze told the hapless Clansman that he wasn't to be dissuaded. Shunsui chewed on his lip, then, reluctantly, he sighed.

"I don't suppose Aizen Keitarou will dare to venture here whilst you're watching over us," he said slowly.

"I see." Genryuusai's eyes became slits. "Tokutarou has shared things with you of a considerably delicate nature, it seems."

"No…no." Shunsui shook his head hurriedly. "I worked it out myself, so Nii-sama had to fill me in on the details, mostly to keep me out of mischief. I'm sorry, Sensei. I didn't mean to say something that was beyond my level of authority. Just…I don't think he's going to come here while you are. If he was, he would have already. Ryuu thinks that whoever's hunting him is in the Real World, and that's the place Aizen Keitarou most likely could hide, too. I've been expecting him to come back sooner or later. When all this started happening and so many things seemed strange about it, I was afraid that this was that time."

"Do you know this man by sight, Shunsui?"

"I've never met him," Shunsui responded, "but I'd know him, Sensei. I am absolutely sure about that."

"And you've realised, I suppose, that he might not just be after Ryuu?"

"Yes. I know."

"I thought so." Genryuusai's expression became thoughtful. "For that end you've spent nights training with Katen Kyoukotsu and incurring the wrath of your teachers by dropping grades and falling asleep in at least one class?"

"I…"

"I'm not oblivious," Genryuusai smiled, "and I don't disapprove. I would simply caution you on this. Your skills are great but still very rough. You have a long way to go before I would be happy seeing you face a man like that in open combat, and so I recommend you don't try it for a while to come yet."

"For a while to come…but not never?" Shunsui's eyes narrowed. "That sounds dangerously like an incitement to violence, Sensei."

"Perhaps it is, for one who will soon wear the _haori_ of District Eight." Genryuusai got pensively to his feet. "If it is, it's a future incitement that you can take at present as a warning. Of all the Seniors, you are the hardest one to fool with sleight of hand, and that skill is one you should nurture and encourage at all times both now and as you go on. For that reason, I won't try and deceive you now with excuses and alternative explanations. The fact remains that Aizen Keitarou is a dangerous man who has talents which are not to be underestimated. There are very few people with the skill or intelligence to match him – but that you have so easily expected and anticipated his involvement suggests to me you might have that ability and that therefore your path and Aizen's will probably cross at some point in the future."

"I would be happy enough if the Council stopped him, Sensei," Shunsui said soberly. "I don't really want to face him. If I did, I might do something reckless."

"Because of how he treated Juushirou?"

"Not just that." Shunsui shook his head. "It's something that Nii-sama won't talk about, because he's preferring to consider it outside of his jurisdiction. But there was a kinswoman of mine in Eighth District whose life was threatened by someone Nii-sama believes strongly to be associated with Aizen Keitarou. That person stole something from her which belonged to my Father, and tried to use it to muddy the waters between us and the Kuchiki. At best, my kinswoman might have died…and I don't consider that something I can forgive easily. At worst, our whole Clan might have been drawn into war. Fortunately Guren-sama is not so easily provoked – but I'm not young or naïve enough to believe it couldn't have happened if everything had worked out differently."

"Ah." Genryuusai seemed to be digesting this. "I believe I know a little of this – but I had not realised a family member of yours had been threatened in the meantime. That would of course change things for the Kyouraku – and I understand why Tokutarou has allowed you to know as much as you do."

"I promised to do what I could to make sure that nobody gets another chance to hurt her, nor those she's looking after," Shunsui said grimly. "And I promised myself that I won't let any harm befall Juu. Those are promises I intend to keep, if I can…so it would be better all round if I didn't cross paths with Aizen and he didn't try and cross paths with Juu."

"I haven't forgotten that Aizen is a Kyouraku name at its root."

"Me either," Shunsui admitted. "Clan pride isn't something that's characteristic of me, but when it's someone like that…"

"I see," Genryuusai sighed. "I don't know if I should be glad or dismayed that your sense of self and kin has risen to the point you've singled out an enemy who can provoke you to real anger and resolve. I was aware of your spirit during training, Shunsui. You did it covertly so that your comrades didn't realise it, I know – but I felt it all the same. There was something dark and determined in your release – and so I'll say this again. Any skill you may have to face and defeat that man is a future consideration. As you are now, I would be worried for you. As your teacher, I would advise you to keep training and leave men like Aizen to the Council to track down."

He reached for his cane.

"There is no firm assurance that he is involved in this business, but a strong possibility that he is," He continued. "You don't need me to tell you that – clearly you already know as much or more than some of the Gotei, since by your own admission Tokutarou has taken you into his confidence. Shunsui, tell me – what does _Juushirou_ know of this?"

"Some." Shunsui looked thoughtful. "He came back to District Eight last break to help Nii-sama with a puzzle and he learnt about it then."

"Aizen is a very real danger to Juushirou," Genryuusai said softly. "As much now as he was before - you realise that, don't you?"

"I do," Shunsui nodded. "That's why you assigned us together in the Real World, isn't it? Because you know that if it's Juu, I won't sit back and let things happen to him. Even if it puts me in danger."

"He has the most successful method of motivating you, it's true," Genryuusai agreed. "But I'm not asking you to put yourself in danger. More, I'm asking you to keep him out of it if you can. Juushirou is not like the rest of you – he doesn't have Clan protection, and for that reason, there's a possibility Aizen is still interested in him. I need him and you both to be on your guard but without creating panic to the rest. If you know this much, hopefully that will be possible."

"That's another reason I came to ask for permission for the six of us to leave campus." Shunsui's expression became serious. "Something's bothering him, and he won't talk about it. I don't think it's Aizen, but I don't know, and it doesn't seem a good idea to me for us to go gallivanting into the wilderness if our group leader is distracted. He's been working stupidly hard since term began – no, before – and this might be the only chance we have to do something like this with the six of us together. If Ryuu's family find out that you've used him as a scapegoat, even if things don't go wrong, there's a chance they'll pull him out of the Academy and back to District Six, isn't there? Especially when they find out that Nagoya is here. I said it was frivolous – and it really is. But these are my friends. So…I hoped you'd understand."

"These are your friends." Genryuusai rubbed his beard with a wizened hand. "Tokutarou would be very happy to hear you say that, now wouldn't he?"

"Sensei." Shunsui looked embarrassed, and the old man smiled.

"Very well," he said evenly. "You have my permission. The six of you may leave the school grounds tomorrow night. I expect you back in your beds by midnight, however – and I expect you to make sure that any duties you have tomorrow evening are rearranged with your classmates so that nothing is left undone. Those of you who have classes or meetings the next morning will be expected to attend them in an alert and punctual manner – this is not an excuse to go drinking yourself into a stupor."

"I can't think why you'd need to tell me that." Shunsui adopted an innocent expression, and despite himself, Genryuusai laughed.

"I am fond of you, cheek and all," He reflected, "but that doesn't mean I'll be any more lenient on your bad behaviour should you let me down. I know you dropped places in the last ranking – but because of your night training, I've said nothing about it. Don't consider that leniency an excuse for you to let yourself slip any lower. One night's grace is all you'll get – understood?"

"Yes, sir." Shunsui bowed his head. "I understand…and Sensei?"

"Mm?"

"I won't divulge anything of the other matters – Aizen or Nagoya – to anyone."

"That should go without saying," Genryuusai said reprovingly. "Careless words make bigger troubles. I'll trust you to keep those thoughts to yourself – in particular when you reach the Real World. That goes for Juushirou too – I expect both of you to come back from the Real World in one piece and I won't accept any excuses."

"Nor will I," Shunsui said seriously. "I won't accept it if any of us get hurt or don't come back, Sensei – so I'll do my best to back Juu up all the way."

* * *

"Are you going to tell me about it?"

As the two girls ducked through the overhanging vines and branches that led to their destination, Sora fixed Mitsuki with a quizzical look. "I might not be a healer, Mi-chan, but I can tell. You didn't come to breakfast this morning, and I know you're upset about something, even if you haven't said what. Since it's just us here, do you want to share?"

"Men," Mitsuki said frankly, shrugging her shoulders. "That's all. I overestimated…or underestimated…or both."

"Juushirou or Nagoya?" Sora paused, reaching out to swing back a particularly tricky bough that crossed their path. "Or Kuchiki? You're juggling a few of them in one way or another right now."

"Thankfully it's nothing to do with Ryuu," Mitsuki sighed, leaning against the trunk of the tree with a grimace. "Juushirou followed me out to the cave last night, Sora-chan – and you were right. He saw Senpai and jumped to the conclusions you thought he would about what was going on."

"Juushirou saw you? Both of you?" Sora bit her lip. "Well? What happened?"

"At least I know he's honourable enough not to tell anyone that we're shielding Senpai in the forest like this," Mitsuki said pensively, "but it wasn't good. I guess…there were some cross words spoken."

"If they were like the ones you flung at Naoko, I'm wondering what kind of state Juushirou's in now," Sora reflected, and Mitsuki pulled a graphic face.

"I wasn't in the wrong with Naoko – and besides, this is partly her fault," she said darkly. "She put ideas into Juushirou's head about Senpai, so of course he saw us together and jumped to the immediate conclusion there was more going on between us than just a cousin protecting her kin."

"Well, he would, I suppose." Sora shrugged her shoulders, slipping nimbly past and allowing the bough to fall back into its natural place. "Mi-chan, trust me on this. There are a lot of things I don't know about, but one thing I _do_ is how it feels to see someone you care about with someone else. In my case, there wasn't anything to be done about it. I knew Tokutarou-nii would marry Rae-hime and I accepted it. But it doesn't hurt any less when you accept it – you just find a way to deal with it and you move on."

"But I'm not going to marry Shirogane-senpai." Mitsuki looked frustrated.

"Maybe not," Sora said simply. "You know that. Question is – does Juushirou?"

"I would've thought it should be obvious," Mitsuki snapped, and Sora laughed.

"Only to you," she scolded lightly, reaching over to tap her friend on the head, "because you can sense things the rest of us can't about stuff like emotions and all of that."

"I…suppose so," Mitsuki frowned, digesting this, and Sora laughed.

"Well? What happened? Did he get cross?"

"He…did," Mitsuki agreed. "But…is it wrong to say that I wish he'd got…more cross?"

"More…cross?" Sora was flummoxed, and Mitsuki glanced embarrassedly at her hands.

"He said that he had no rights to claim me and that as just friends he'd always said he'd accept it, if something else came along for me," she said helplessly. "I didn't like how easily he said that. He was hurting and I thought he was going to cry – or maybe that was just me. But it was also as though he was resigned. I think when he saw Senpai he saw it as a confirmation of his fears rather than as a shock. Maybe it was because of what Naoko said, or maybe…because that's what he's always thought where I'm concerned. We have no future, so he'll let me go."

"He probably thinks he's doing the best thing for you," Sora observed. "I can understand his feelings. If I'd said anything to Tokutarou-nii, it would've made his situation awkward and our relationship untenable, probably. Perhaps Juushirou thinks how I did – this is the only way he might keep any kind of connection to you, so he'll settle for it, even if it's not the thing he wants."

"He has no idea about anything, then, if that's the case," Mitsuki muttered. "It's not the same as you and Tokutarou-sama. No matter how much you try and paint a parallel, it's not."

"Not the same, but there are similarities. And besides, jumping to conclusions is Juushirou all over," Sora said wisely. "You know that. He was an idiot right from the start when it came to his feelings for you, wasn't he? Not to mention yours for him. You should know by now what to expect. He's a chief idiot and a half – I thought that was one of the things you liked about him."

"It is," Mitsuki admitted. "I just…would have liked him to have fought a little harder over me. That's all."

"You're acting as though this is a fight you can't go back on." Sora sent her a sidelong glance. "First Naoko, then Juushirou – am I next?"

"Don't be stupid," Mitsuki said acidly. "Unless you want to be, of course…"

"Of course not." Sora grabbed her friend by the shoulders, giving her a little shake. "But you said that Juushirou didn't fight back over you…if _you're_ not willing to fight either, what happens then?"

"I…" Mitsuki looked stricken, and Sora nodded.

"Think about that," she ordered. "Let the dust settle a little on last night, maybe – for now we're here to see your fugitive, so let's drop this topic till later on. But before we go to the Real World, I want you to fix things with him. It will make our task there harder if our team leader and our healer aren't on speaking terms – and I don't want to be in the middle of painful silences."

"Fix things? How, exactly?"

"Like I said, think on it," Sora said bluntly, "and come on. You got into that fight for Nagoya's sake – let's at least make sure he's all right."

"I suppose so." Mitsuki's brow wrinkled in consternation, but she nodded. "All right. I'll think on it and I'll try. I'm not sure it's as simple as you think…but I'll try."

"Juushirou is as simple as I think, so the rest shouldn't be too hard to figure out," Sora grinned, linking her arm in her friend's. "Come on. We'll need to be back by lunch, since you haven't eaten this morning and you need to keep your strength up if you're going to make sure we all get back to Seireitei in one piece."

"That's true, too," Mitsuki agreed. "Okay. Then we should pick up our pace – because I'm not going to leave Senpai today until I've seen him drink the bitter fever medicine I've got for him and that might take some persuading time."

"If need be, I'll hold him down and you can force feed it to him," Sora suggested.

"That's not really how healers usually work, you know."

"It's all right. I'm not a healer," Sora was unrepentant. "Nagoya's a badly behaved patient – so for once it'd be forgivable, right?"

"I'm glad you're with me on this," Mitsuki shot her friend a warm glance, "and for the record, I don't think you could make me angry enough to make us break ties."

"I'm happy to hear it," Sora said seriously. "Even if you are going to skip off to Rukongai or some other distant place come graduation, it doesn't mean you have to sever the friendships you've made here."

"It will hurt more in the long run, though, maybe," Mitsuki reflected.

"Only if you leave things messed up because of misunderstandings," Sora said wisely. "Okaasama always says that nothing lasts forever, but proper friendship lasts till death. I believe her, so I'm your friend for keeps – no matter where we are or what we're doing. I think that's how it should be – so don't throw away things that you might want and need again in the future."

She looked resigned.

"Even with all your empathic power, you're still a Kuchiki, so I guess you weren't taught about things like that."

"Now you're getting all Clan superior," Mitsuki objected, but there was a faint twinkle in her grey eyes, and Sora laughed.

"That's what a best friend is for," she said frankly. "Now come on – dawdling here is doing nobody any good. I want to see you make Nagoya drink that horrible smelling concoction of yours and I want to see the look on his face when he does – so let's not waste any more time!"

* * *

"I'm glad we came out like this."

Ryuu sat back on his heels, gazing at his _sakazuki_ thoughtfully. "It seems surprising, perhaps, but I believe I was badly in need of some time away."

It was the next evening and, having successfully obtained not only permission but gate tokens from Genryuusai, Shunsui and his fellows had traded their duties off on their classmates and had headed down into the local town – for once safe in the knowledge that any curfew patrol would not hoick them back to school in disgrace.

They had left before the evening meal, choosing instead to take food at a local tavern Shunsui had been fond of since the first year, and though Ryuu had been hesitant about the venue, he had not objected as vociferously as once he might have done. On the contrary, as the evening had progressed, Shunsui had realised that his Kuchiki classmate had little by little begun to relax. By the time they had begun to wind their way back, stopping at a second tavern for warm sake and the lure of a local performer's comic routines and quirky musical displays, Shunsui had realised just how good his idea had been.

_I might have wanted to do this to snap Juu out of his funk, and I don't know if it has. But it's taken some of the preoccupation out of Ryuu's gaze, and that in itself is a positive. He's not looked totally relaxed since he and Mitsuki came back to District One at the start of the year, but tonight he's laughed and made comments as though nothing's on his mind. _

He sat back with a satisfied grin.

_I wonder if Sensei wanted that too. Oh well. I won't question it. The fact is that it might be a long time before we have this kind of an opportunity again – and getting permission to go out for a drink – even if we are all of age – is probably about as common as a blue moon._

The performances for the evening had ended to rowdy applause and cheering from the gathered audience, and Shunsui had been entertained to see other flashes of white and colour among their number. Though a few of them had sent their senpai wary glances as the group had made their arrival, once they had realised the Seniors weren't there to flush them out, they had relaxed and joined in with gusto. It had helped to add to the ambience, and though now the tavern had quietened down, Shunsui felt satisfied.

_There's nowhere better than a District tavern for spending good time together with friends. Clan parties have nothing on this, even despite the expensive food and drink they provide._

"I don't think you were the only one who welcomed it, Kuchiki," Kai put in now, bringing the Kyouraku back to the conversation at hand. "There's been a lot of work at school and a lot of politics out of it. Whilst our Clans might not approve if they knew, I'm glad we came, too. It's a nice night, as well – no sign of rain on the horizon, even though we're into autumn now."

"We can walk back without getting soaked," Enishi agreed. "That means that we won't get slated for creating extra laundry – I'll drink to that."

"We'd have come even if it rained," Shunsui said firmly. "We had to celebrate Hirata's coming of age somehow. You agree, don't you, Hirata? Since you're the last of us - but now you've joined the ranks."

"I don't know how I feel about it," Hirata said honestly. "I really don't think it has much bearing on me, to be honest – I don't feel any older or younger for it. Like I said before – the meaning has got somewhat blurred by events. _But_ if it means everyone has a chance to relax before we go into danger – I don't mind being the reason."

He smiled slightly.

"It's nice to have people to do that with," he admitted. "It makes whatever's to come seem less intimidating."

He paused, sending Kai a sidelong glance.

"By the way, Kai-kun, now you can't call me a kid any more."

"I probably will, though." Kai set down his _sakazuki_ with a sheepish shrug. "It's force of habit now, Hirata. Sorry about that, but ever since you spent a year or so with my people, you've been like my kid brother. No matter how old we both are - I doubt I'll think of you any other way."

"That'll be fun, when he has the Seventh _haori_ floating out around him," Shunsui laughed, "and you're there calling him 'kid'."

"Like I said, it's instinctive," Kai responded, "but I don't mean anything bad by it. I'm fond of him. That's all."

"It seems like we've known each other forever." Enishi reached across for the sake jug, refilling his _sakazuki_ with a reflective expression on his face. "Even though it's only been a few years, I can't imagine what I did before I knew you people. Next year will be strange, when we're all split into squads."

"So let's not worry about next year," Shunsui suggested, "let's focus on this one instead. It's too soon to talk about sweet partings - and besides, even if we are all scattered across the Gotei, it doesn't mean we'll lose touch."

"Kyouraku is right," Ryuu nodded, "I didn't anticipate that I would make friendships at the Academy of which I would become so truly fond - but I do believe that we will still be friends ten years from now, no matter where we are in Seireitei. When that ten year anniversary comes, we should try and make time to meet again – whatever our circumstances may prove to be."

"I'll drink to that, too!" Enishi raised his _sakazuki _in a mock toast. "We should definitely do as Kuchiki says - no matter what happens."

"That applies to me too, does it?" Kai sent Ryuu a mischievous glance, and Ryuu sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"I can't imagine why I think this, but I believe it does," he acknowledged heavily, "the Shihouin may not be my most preferred of Clans to associate with, even now - but of late I've learned that I do not mind spending time in your company."

"That's some concession, coming from you," Kai was amused, "but I agree. Whatever stances our Clans take, this Shihouin is not interested in feuding with the Kuchiki. Certainly I'm fed up with feuding with you – though teasing you is another matter, being that we're roommates and there's just too much room for opportunity."

"I can return that just as easily, you realise?" Ryuu sent him a disparaging glance. "You shouldn't think you can get the better of me, whether you call yourself my ally or otherwise."

"Fair enough," Kai tipped his empty _sakazuki_ in Ryuu's direction. "I look forward to it."

"You two really have buried the hatchet of late, though," Enishi reflected. "I like that you have. It makes it easier that way."

"Well, when you're stuck sharing a room, either you fight all the time or you call it quits and actually try to pass your classes instead," Kai said matter-of-factly. "Probably recent events won't bring our Clans into permanent alignment or any such thing like that – but Kuchiki and I aren't our Clans, we're ourselves."

"That was surprisingly well said," Ryuu nodded sagely. "I concur. Shihouin and I are adults – and perfectly able to decide for ourselves who is friend and who is foe. Besides, it appears I will have far too much to concern me after graduation. There will be no time for petty rivalry, regardless of the outcome of my family's current strife."

"It's probably true we'll all be far too busy once we leave here, like it or not," Shunsui's eyes fell on the final member of the group at that moment, and a frown touched his features as he realised that despite the merry atmosphere, one individual was still decidedly shrouded in gloom. "Juu? What about you? You're very quiet this evening and you barely ate anything at dinner, which is really not like you. Don't you have anything you want to say about our future pacts of alliance?"

"Mm?" Juushirou raised his head, casting Shunsui a blank look.

"He's on another planet," Enishi observed, draining his _sakazuki _and dropping it back down on the table with a clatter. "What's up, Ukitake? You're not usually this quiet - something on your mind?"

"On my mind?" Juushirou frowned, then he shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing important. I just don't like it - all this splitting up stuff. Like Shunsui said...we're not splitting up anywhere yet, so let's not spend time tal...talking about it."

He stumbled over the last part of his sentence slightly, and Shunsui's eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly, and Juushirou nodded impatiently.

"This is Hirata's birthday outing. Not a grad...graduation cel...celebration," he said firmly, reaching for his own_ sakazuki _and refilling it with a shaking hand. "So we should talk about other things."

"Well, I don't mind." Hirata shrugged his shoulders, offering Juushirou a smile. "I really am just happy to be spending my birthday with friends. It does make me nostalgic...I can hardly believe that to start with I could barely say anything to any of you."

"And now you're quite happy putting us all in our places if the need arises." Kai cast him a rueful grin. "The Endou-ke will not know what hits them, when you take over."

"Yes, but it won't be right away." Hirata shook his head. "After I graduate, I know Father will want to approach the Endou council to withdraw his control and pass it to me, but I'm still not fully abreast of the politics. I'm sure there will be some time while things are handed over. Father intends to support me as much as he can - and he knows a lot more about the Clan and how to run it than I do. I'd prefer him to keep the leadership until he passes on, but he doesn't have the spiritual force to keep control long-term, so that's that. Tsumi no Fuuhi and I will have to be on our guard a little to begin with - but I think it will probably be all right. Father's made a difference - he's calmed down a lot of the bad things Seimaru and Ojiisama put into play, and I intend to work hard to keep it that way. I won't let myself fall into their traps."

He glanced at Shunsui.

"It's sort of a relief to me that Seventh Division is still under interdict," he added. "I won't get plunged into the same stress as you over taking the _haori_ just yet. I'll have to face the Council when that time expires for them to review whether or not to lift the sanctions and grant us our own Shinigami squad again - but luckily it'll all come in bits and pieces and I prefer it that way."

"Why are we still talking about the future?" Juushirou put in irritably at that juncture, dropping his drained _sakazuki_ down onto the table with a pointed glare. "I jus' said, didn't I? We should be talking about the things that we're doing now, not when we're all split into diffelant places."

"Diffelant?" Shunsui shot Juushirou a sharp look, and Juushirou glowered back at him.

"What?"

"You just said diffelant."

"I did not!"

"Hrm." Shunsui narrowed his gaze, taking in his friend's appearance more carefully with his clever brown eyes. Juushirou's normally pale skin was faintly flushed around the cheeks, and his hazel eyes, usually so sharp and full of life seemed somehow clouded and indistinct, as though someone had muddied the waters. His frown deepened.

"Are you all right?"

"Why wouldn't I be all right?" Juushirou demanded. "Why are you asking me that all of a sudden?"

"Because you're kicking off at him and at us with no good reason?" Kai asked succinctly. "Come on, Ukitake. Spit it out. Whatever it is that's bugging you - let's hear it, huh?"

"Nothing is botheling me." Juushirou folded his arms obstinately across his chest, and Ryuu's eyes widened slightly.

"Botheling," he murmured, and Shunsui nodded, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Juu, exactly how much have you had to drink tonight?" he asked quietly, and Juushirou started, then stared back defiantly.

"I don't know. Not much. Just as much as anyone," he said flatly, and Enishi frowned, reaching to pick up the sake jug.

"Maybe you shouldn't have any more," he suggested. "Kuchiki and Kyouraku are right - your words sound pretty damn funny."

"You're just not hearing me corr...corr...corr...properly!" Juushirou stumbled over his sentence once again, reaching out to take the jug from Enishi's hands. "And I'm not a child, so you don't have to take that. I'm fine. Just fed up with talking about people splitting up."

He poured more sake into his_ sakazuki_, lifting it defiantly to his lips and draining it in one go.

"So we should talk about something else," he concluded, setting his dish down a little clumsily. "That's all."

"Juushirou-kun?" Hirata sent him a concerned look, and Shunsui sighed.

"Okay. Out with it," he instructed. "Even if you haven't told us what yet, we all know that something is bugging you. From how you're talking, I figure we're all as convinced as each other that it involves Mitsuki-chan."

"Why?" Juushirou was defiant, and Shunsui shrugged his shoulders.

"Because she's generally the only one who can get you riled up and stupid like this."

"Mitsuki has nothing to do with anything!" Juushirou raised his voice, and a few customers nearby turned to stare at him in surprise. "She's not even here, so leave her out of it!"

"Shh!" Ryuu's expression became one of alarm. "Ukitake, stop shouting! Everyone will look at us - and even if we are allowed to come out tonight, we don't want to get into trouble for it!"

"I wasn't shouting," Juushirou said bad-temperedly, reaching for the sake jug once more. "I was jus' making my point."

"You're done with this for the evening," Shunsui said succinctly, reaching to take the jug out of his friend's reach and passing it to Hirata, who set it down carefully at the far end of the table. "You've obviously had enough of it, and I would like us to be able to walk back to school if at all possible. Since you didn't eat much at dinner, it's twice as risky to let you keep drinking and I don't think you can handle any more – so we'll put an end to it before it gets to the point you flop over."

"_Shunsui!"_ Juushirou looked indignant, but Ryuu rested a hand gently on his arm.

"Let's not argue about silly things," he said evenly. "Whatever has troubled you this evening, let's not bring it here, all right?"

"Ryuu..." Juushirou stared at him for a moment, then he groaned, burying his head in his hands.

"I just don't like all this talk of leaving," he said softly, his voice somewhat muffled. "Talking about separating is depressing. I don't know yet what's going to happen when we graduate. We don't know whether we'll see each other again, or whether I'll even be allowed to enter a squad or anything like that. I don't know if it will be all right or if it won't - if dangerous things will happen or if we'll be in trouble. I don't know any of those things...and I don't like it."

"That's how life is, though, Ukitake," Enishi said matter-of-factly, reaching over to pat his friend sympathetically on the back. "People meet and people part. It's not as though we'll really lose touch, I'm certain of that. Don't take it so hard, all right? It has to come sooner or later, but have faith in Genryuusai-sama. He'll see things right - for you especially."

"Enishi's right," Shunsui nodded. "He hasn't trained you for this long not to let you get a squad placement. I've told you a million times that if worst comes to it I'll have you in Eighth – I wish for once you'd remember it. It makes me feel unwanted, you know, when you don't."

"It does?" Juushirou raised his gaze, meeting his friend's look with one of surprise, and Shunsui nodded.

"I _know_ you would rather work your way through and earn your place on merit, so if that's how you can do it, you should," he said seriously. "But if that option fails, you _can _fall back on the old Clan way of doing things - who you know and all of that_. I_ know what you're capable of, so I wouldn't let you be cut out of anything. So for the _final _time and for clarity in front of reliable, upstanding witnesses -if nothing else works out, Juu - _you'll always be welcome in Eighth_."

"There, so that's settled," Enishi nodded approvingly. "See, Ukitake? You don't need to be so glum after all. We're not going to leave you behind."

"Mmm," Juushirou sighed. "I s'pose not. I s'pose it will be all right...when we gradulate..."

"Gradu_ate_," Shunsui corrected firmly, a faint smile touching his lips. "You really are a little bit tipsy, aren't you? I've never heard you mess up so many words before."

"I'm all right," Juushirou shrugged, "and it's not that much. Really."

"Well, no more. All right?" Kai said firmly. "A little tipsy is one thing, but full scale drunk is a complete other."

"It is a little amusing, however." Ryuu rested his chin in his hands pensively, and Shunsui shot him a startled look.

"Ryuu? That's the last thing I'd expect to hear from you."

"I know," Ryuu smiled sheepishly. "It is very unlike me to think or feel such views, isn't it? But truthfully I am quite sick of keeping up appearances. Tonight I am resolved to forget my Clan and its troubles and simply enjoy the evening - and I find it somewhat humorous that Ukitake - who I would never imagine in an intoxicated state - is beginning to create his own words."

"You have an evil streak, for sure." Kai shot Ryuu a glance, then he laughed. "But I know what you mean. It is unlikely, isn't it? Ukitake being tipsy."

"I'm not tipsy," Juushirou protested, sweeping his hand across the table as if to emphasise his point, and Enishi let out a yelp, only just managing to catch his friend's _sakazuki _as the white-haired boy cast it flying across the wood.

"Stop throwing your _sakazuki_ at Enishi, then!" Shunsui scolded. "Honestly...assault with a sake dish is probably still a crime, even in a drinking house like this one!"

"_You've _drunk more than I have!" Juushirou was put out. "I saw you, so don't deny it."

"Probably," Shunsui agreed. "But I made a good meal, and anyway, my tolerance to alcohol and _your _tolerance to it are two different things. Sit quietly and calm down a little. We won't talk about splitting up any more - not if you don't want us to - but be careful or you're going to cause a scene."

"Hrmph." Juushirou looked dissatisfied, but he said no more, for at that moment a waitress came across towards them, smiling prettily as she reached their table. From the look on her face, Shunsui felt sure that she was just as much checking to make sure that they were not about to turn into rowdy bar-brawlers, and he offered her a wry smile.

"Can I bring you anything?" she asked lightly, and Shunsui sent her an apologetic look.

"We're fine. Thank you," he said decidedly, and the girl bowed her head, withdrawing to speak to another group of customers. Juushirou's gaze seemed to follow her as she left, however, and at length he let out a heavy sigh.

"She's pretty," Shunsui observed. "But I didn't think she was to your taste, Juu."

"Huh?" Juushirou looked bemused, staring at his friend in confusion.

"The serving girl, Kyouraku means," Kai put in. "You were watching her quite intently then - and that was a big sigh."

"Was I?" Juushirou seemed genuinely surprised. "I didn't realise. I wasn't really thinking about it...or her...or anything like that."

"She is damn pretty, though. Even if you were watching her, you probably wouldn't be the only one," Enishi said frankly. He grinned. "Though I think my father'd have something to say about it, if I started chasing after a tavern girl."

"There's nothing wrong with tavern girls...quite the opposite, in fact," Shunsui reflected pensively. "They can be highly surprising in a lot of _good_ ways...shall we say."

He offered an impish smile.

"Buuut I guess you're probably right - and I know my brother would feel exactly the same way."

"Don't you already have a young satellite shadowing you this year, anyway?" Kai teased. "She'd be heartbroken if she thought you were having lewd thoughts about tavern wenches like this."

"A satellite? You mean Kaoru?" Shunsui laughed. "She's my _deshi_, that's all. Stop being mean, Kai."

"I think you ought to tell her that." Kai rested his chin in his hands pensively. "If you ask me, she's found herself an idol. She has that way of looking at you whenever she comes hunting around the Senior landing to arrange her next training session."

He opened his eyes wide, clasping his hands together and cocking his head slightly to one side.

"Kyouraku-senpai, please teach me how to use my sword right!" He mimicked, raising his voice a pitch, amid laughter from his friends.

"She's just attentive and obedient," Shunsui objected, reaching across to swipe Kai lightly across the back of the head. "Stop that. I've done nothing to encourage her in any other direction, so don't tease me."

"She _does_ seem keen, though." Mischief glittered in Hirata's gaze. "Once she came right to our bedroom, Shunsui-kun – and she looked most disappointed that you weren't there."

"She went so far as that?" Ryuu looked stunned, and Shunsui sighed.

"She went as far as Juu's room, too, when she rescued Sougyo," he pointed out, "but there's a difference between reaching the door and knocking and actually going inside. She's just keen on her sword and wants to do her best in raising it. There's nothing else between Kaoru-chan and I. I'm deliberately keeping it that way because Sensei will skin me if I don't."

"But you'd like there to be?" Kai arched an eyebrow. "I see."

"I didn't say that!" Despite himself, Shunsui burst out laughing. "Okay, enough! You Shihouin are supposed to be my Clan allies – interrogating me under the influence of alcohol is not a fair tactic!"

"Nobody ever said the Shihouin were fair," Kai said composedly, "and you said yourself that you weren't drunk. You're perfectly clear-headed – I've no idea why you'd be getting so worked up."

"Because Sensei really will have me on a spit over Ryuujinjakka's fire if he thinks I'm soliciting the younger students." Shunsui recovered himself, offering a dry smile. "I like Kaoru, she's very pretty and she's fun to be around. Training her is enjoyable and I look forward to seeing how much she's progressed. But that's as far as it goes with me, I'm afraid. Much as if the circumstances were different, I might flirt with her – I'm not of a mind to corrupt her innocence with my bad ways."

"I wonder what bad ways those might be." Ryuu eyed him speculatively, and Shunsui held up his hands.

"All right, already! If even Ryuu's getting in on the act, I'm going to surrender. But I really haven't said or done anything inappropriate with Kaoru-chan. She's honestly far too naïve for me to try it – I think probably I would damage her, and I don't want to do that."

"And the tavern girls are another matter?" Enishi looked genuinely interested, and Shunsui sighed.

"I suppose so," he agreed cautiously. "It's only a case of looking – and as a rule, they're not as naïve. Besides, lewd _thoughts_ are fine. You can have those as much as you like without anyone intervening. It's normal, isn't it? The kind of thing men do – it's how we are."

"I never have!" Ryuu looked affronted, and Shunsui offered him a rueful grin.

"Ryuu excepted," he amended. "I don't think lewdness is permitted in the Kuchiki Clan, so he's excused."

"Not all of us are like you, you know," Kai scolded. "Some of us are far too busy with other things to worry about girls."

"What about you and Shikibu, then?" Enishi said surprisingly, and Kai started, staring at his friend in abject horror. "You yell at her a lot and she yells at you."

"That's generally interpreted as dislike, Houjou. Dislike, or you know, general irritation," Kai said dryly.

"My sister says that men and women who have chemistry fight." Enishi seemed untroubled. "My brother and his wife can deafen the house-staff sometimes with their disagreements, but they always seem to knock along fine when I see them, so I guess it's true."

"Well, in the case of Shikibu and I, it's not," Kai said emphatically. "I can't stand the girl and her fussiness. You can put that one to bed right now."

"You can't be like that forever, though," Shunsui pointed out. "You're Clan heir. That means one day you might be Clan leader. That _also_ means one day you'll have to get married. So even if you don't care about it now…"

"I'll worry about it when I do have to," Kai said neatly, "and it's not just me who'll face that problem."

"I won't," Enishi said with self-effacing honestly. "I don't really get on well with girls, and I don't have a clue how to make them want to marry me. I'll stick to the whole shinigami thing, I think. Nothing in my family will fall to me, because I've a sister and a brother older than I am…I don't figure it matters if I get hitched or not."

"Ryuu, what about you?" Shunsui eyed the young Kuchiki keenly. "If you do become heir to the Clan…"

"Guren-sama has asked me to accept his guidance in my choice of suitor, should that horrific eventuality come to pass," Ryuu said, his voice full of foreboding. "I suppose that is better than having my father or mother dictate my future bride. I have seen the matches they have made for my sisters – I am not eager to follow suit."

"I think your sisters probably put you off the idea," Kai said succinctly. "Having met three of them, I could see how that would be."

"I think that my sisters put me off women, and my parents off marriage," Ryuu agreed. "I will hold onto my independence for as long as I am able."

"That's why it's so important to allow yourself to think naughtily from time to time," Shunsui reasoned. "If nothing else, it relieves stress. You don't get into any trouble for just looking and appreciating what's on show around you. Even Clan people can't be slated for doing that. It's only when you _act_ on that naughtiness that you start causing problems. I'm like Enishi in that I don't have to get married any time soon. So that being the case, I'll just stick to the thinking."

"You already did your fair share of the acting," Juushirou murmured, and Shunsui shot his friend a sharp glance. For a moment he had almost forgotten his white-haired friend was there, but the strange expression in the boy's eyes put him momentarily on his guard. Was that…the faintest flicker of resentment, deep in that hazel gaze?

"Juu? What was that supposed to mean?"

"Huh?" Juushirou frowned, then, "did I say something out loud?"

"You did." Hirata nodded. "You said that Shunsui-kun already did his fair share of the acting where girls were concerned."

"Oh." Juushirou reddened slightly, then, "I didn't realise I actually said it. But I guess it's still true anyway. What about Saku? Did you forget about her already?"

"Forget about her?" Shunsui looked stricken, then he shook his head.

"I'm probably still in love with Saku," he said matter-of-factly, "but Saku is also miles away from here, and married into the bargain. I've let her go. There's nothing to be done about it, so there's no point dragging that up right now, is there?"

"That was a tad cruel, Ukitake," Ryuu murmured reproachfully. "Even if you didn't mean to say it out loud, there's no reason to harp on Kyouraku's past in such a way. Teasing is one thing, but you should know better than to raise a subject matter of that nature in such a situation as this."

"I just don't understand how someone can look at things like that. That's all." Juushirou sighed heavily, running his fingers absently against the seams of wood on the table's surface. "Can you forget about someone if you love them - walk away from them...like that? Because if you do, doesn't it mean you didn't love them so much after all? If you let them go and marry someone else, maybe it seems like it's for their sake but doesn't it mean that really you don't love them enough?"

"Juushirou-kun?" Hirata's eyes became big, then, "Something really has happened with Edogawa-san."

"I never said that!" Juushirou protested quickly. "I was jus' observing and that's what it seemed like...and..."

He trailed off, and Ryuu sighed, slowly shaking his head.

"Kyouraku's viewpoint is a perfectly logical one," he said quietly. "When two people meet of completely opposing classes, a relationship between them causes nothing but pain."

"But..." Juushirou murmured, and Shunsui nodded.

"Where Saku and I were concerned, it was like that," he agreed. "We both accepted that we had to part, and I'm all right with that. But I don't think this is about Saku and I really. It's about you and Mitsuki - and what's going to happen to the both of you after we graduate. Isn't it?"

Juushirou stared at him for a moment, and much to Shunsui's horror, tears glittered on his friend's lashes.

"I don't understand what's going on," he whispered, helplessness in his tones. "Surely I've accepted that too? That Mitsuki is Clan and I'm not...that things are..."

He clenched and unclenched his fists, unable to continue, and Shunsui sighed.

"We keep telling you," he said bluntly, "that you can't keep on this just friends kick forever."

"But they have no real choice, Kyouraku," Ryuu said with a sigh. "It's how it is. _I_ would not object to it, if anything occurred - no matter how untoward - because I know Ukitake and I know Mitsuki. But the Clan...my Clan is an old one with old traditions. And when that boundary between Clan and District is broken, it brings forth nothing but pain."

"Based on what evidence?" Kai looked curious, and Ryuu shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," he said simply. "Just take my words as true and do not ask me what I will not answer."

"Either way, there's no use crying about it. Especially not here." Shunsui eyed Juushirou pensively. "That's obviously what's been bothering you, and we'll talk about it a whole lot more in the morning. At the moment you're being a little bit unpredictable, and I'd rather give you advice you're going to remember clearly."

"I told you before, I'm not drunk," Juushirou bristled. "I'm fine. I've not drunk more than anyone else."

He dashed away his tears.

"And I'm not 'motional, either," he added indignantly. "I'm fine."

He got to his feet, and Enishi gazed up at him in surprise.

"Ukitake? Where are you going?"

"To ask for more sake," Juushirou said frankly, "since you won't let me share any of yours."

"Sit down and stop being stupid," Shunsui scolded, but Juushirou turned back towards him, crossing his eyes and poking out his tongue. The grimace was so out of character that Shunsui simply stared at him, and Juushirou turned on his heel, marching purposely across the floor to speak to the waitress.

"He's definitely not quite himself." Ryuu stifled a smile. "Somehow I don't think we're going to get much reason out of him this evening."

"I'll go after him," Kai volunteered, standing up from his seat. "I'll bring him back before he causes a disturbance. He's not walking in a straight line, so whatever he says, he's had too much. We should probably think about calling it a night - before he makes it worse."

"It's Hirata's night, though..." Shunsui cast Hirata a quizzical look, but the younger boy shook his head.

"I agree. It's getting late and we should go," he responded. "Sensei said we had to be back by midnight, didn't he? It must be getting towards that now. If Kai-kun goes to get Juushirou-kun, we can wait for them outside."

"Good plan." Enishi nodded. "Do you need help, Shihouin?"

"No...I'll bring him back. Don't worry - I'll see you out the front." Kai's eyes twinkled, then he disappeared in the direction Juushirou had gone, and Shunsui got to his feet, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Who would've thought Juu would be such a troublesome drunk," he said helplessly. "Seriously, how much did he drink? I wasn't paying attention to it."

"I don't think any of us were. It's so out of character for him, so nobody even thought about it." Enishi looked pensive. "Till he started to mess his words up, I didn't even realise something was wrong."

"Probably he hasn't drunk that much," Ryuu mused. "But he is not as used to sake as you are, Kyouraku. The rest of us are accustomed to drinking fine and expensive alcohol at certain social events - so we might be said to have a mild tolerance for such things. But I don't believe the same applies for Ukitake - given his background, I think it highly unlikely he encounters sake often, if at all."

"No, I think that's true," Shunsui rubbed his temples. "Come on. Let's get outside and out of people's way. I remember him saying to me once that his father hadn't let him drink sake because he was afraid of the effect it might have on his body. It seems a bit late to be thinking about that now, but I suppose it wouldn't take much to affect him, given that that's the case. It's easy to forget sometimes that he's not like us in a lot of respects - I just hope Hidenobu-dono's fears were unfounded."

"I doubt a little sake could bring on a _haibyou_ episode," Enishi said evenly. "It's not as though he's inhaling the stuff, and his sickness is in his lungs, isn't it?"

"Yes...it is...but..." Shunsui spread his hands. "Probably you're right. I have a habit of worrying about him too much when he's being an idiot, but he is a lot stronger than he was."

"I wonder what did happen with Edogawa-san," Hirata murmured. "Kuchiki-kun, do you know?"

"No...nothing specific." Ryuu shook his head. "We have both been busy and have spoken little since summer recess. If I was to hazard a guess, though, Mitsuki has spent much time focusing on the fate of Shirogane-senpai since we left District Six. Since she saved his life the night Ribari-sama was killed, they have forged a connection. I believe it to be nothing more than simple friendship...but I suppose..."

"Juu's read more into it and is jealous," Shunsui groaned. "He's even spoken to me about Mitsuki a few times, but since he's shied away from broaching the subject with her, I guess it's got worse and they argued."

He frowned.

"No, I bet I know what he's done. Being the idiot he is, I bet he's gone and told her to go be happy with Nagoya or some such fool thing and now he's breaking his heart over it because it's not what he wants her to do at all. You know what he's like. He'd try and think of her feelings first - as he thinks they are - and so in the end he'd make a bigger mess of it than he started out with."

"That sounds like a good analysis to me," Ryuu agreed with a sigh. "Ukitake certainly would assume Mitsuki would be happier with someone else because their own situation is so hazy. The sad truth of it is, though, in the long run he may be right. I don't know...whether they can be just friends forever. And if they can...what else they might have to sacrifice to keep it that way."

"Those things are future things and they shouldn't be worried about right now," Shunsui said pragmatically, as they stepped out into the moonlight. "Even if it is inappropriate, Ryuu, we know that they're stupid and crazy about each other. Also, it's not really the same as Saku and I. We were separated a long time ago - there was no going back on that divide once it had opened up between us. The best we could hope for was closure and that's what I think we both got. But Juu is different from Saku. He's District, but he's also going to be a shinigami. He spends most of his time with Clan people - he has dilute Clan blood himself. Therefore..."

"Having that Clan blood makes his situation more tentative," Ryuu said flatly. "At present, it would be better all round if he did not have such a blood claim to my people, since of all the Clans it is the Kuchiki who are least likely to be forgiving of anything that might compromise their honour."

"You really are fed up with them at the moment, aren't you?" Enishi was startled, and Ryuu nodded.

"Surprising it may be, but yes," he said heavily. "I am quite tired of all of it."

He offered a rueful smile.

"If I did not have such a sense of responsibility weighing me down, I might have been tempted to take to the hills and flee from it entirely," he admitted. "The Academy is the only place anything seems normal at present. Ukitake should be glad his connections to my Clan are so tenuous. I believe he is more fortunate that way than he would be trying to tie himself into the family in any regard."

"But if he and Edogawa-san like each other, it should be up to them what they want to do," Hirata said softly. "Juushirou-kun will be a shinigami. Well, technically he already is one, so Shunsui-kun is right. It's different where they're concerned."

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" At that moment Kai's voice broke through the conversation, and the four turned to see the Shihouin boy, a clearly unhappy Juushirou in tow. "Mission accomplished - let's go."

"Let go of me now, huh?" Juushirou wrenched his arm free of Kai's grip, sending him a dark look. "You're not my mother - why did you come and grab me anyway? I was only going to ask..."

"You were trying to obtain sake, which is a bad idea for you right now." Kai said unrepentantly. He chuckled, patting his companion on the shoulder. "Besides, if I hadn't been there you would've tripped over a cushion and gone flying across some poor soul's table. You're worse on your feet than you were sitting down - a tactical withdrawal seemed the best idea and I didn't think you'd want to discuss it."

"We're going back to school," Shunsui added. "We have to be back by midnight, and it's getting later, so it's time for the fun to end anyway. Are you all right walking, Juu?"

"I've been doing it since I was a kid, so I don't know why you'd think otherwise." A sullen expression crossed Juushirou's clever features. "Fine then. We'll go back to school. I don't care."

And with that he stalked off in high dudgeon ahead of them.

"Juu, watch out for the tree!" Shunsui darted forward, grabbing his friend just in time to steer him around the trunk of a substantial old elm tree. "Good grief. No walking off on your own - not if you can't steer. Stick with us, all right?"

"I don't need a nursemaid!" Juushirou pulled himself free, sending Shunsui what could only be described as a childish pout. "I know the way back. I don't need your help."

"Then why are you trying to go left when the road we want is right?" Shunsui asked sensibly. "We're not going into the mountains – that'd mean you sleeping in an entirely different nest than the one we're aiming for. Come on and stop complaining. You'll wake the local townspeople's children - and if you get back to school and start causing a fuss, it will be Sensei who'll want to know why. He might have given us permission to go out tonight, but he didn't give us consent to be reckless. I don't suppose he'd be very amused that his Anideshi is wobbling all over the place - so pipe down and behave for a while, all right?"

"Hrmph." Juushirou folded his arms once more across his chest, but to Shunsui's relief he did not storm ahead again, and for a while the group walked on in silence, Kai having taken Juushirou's other side to ensure that he did not waver too much from the path.

"It's a really pretty night tonight." Enishi raised his gaze to the stars. "Clear as anything. You wouldn't know autumn was upon us."

"I like it when the stars are visible," Hirata agreed. "It sounds stupid, maybe, but it feels like they're watching us. And maybe protecting us too - I don't know."

"Protecting us?" Juushirou glanced up, then let out a yelp as he lost his balance, flailing desperately as he tried to keep his footing. He landed with a thump on the ground, gazing around him in bewilderment, and Kai laughed, holding out a hand to haul him back up.

"Sudden movements aren't a good idea," he scolded. "Are you hurt?"

"There seem to be more stars than usual." As Juushirou allowed the Shihouin to pull him upright, he frowned, staring up at the sky pensively. "I don't know why...but there seem to be a lot of them. Swirling around and twinkling and...stuff..."

He stumbled over his own feet, and this time it was Ryuu's quick thinking that prevented him from going headlong.

"Swirling stars are a key symptom of too much sake." Shunsui came to his other side with a grin. "It's all right, Juu. Tomorrow there will be the same number as always. I promise. Tonight is just...special."

"I suppose that's because it's Hirata's bir...birth...birthday party," Juushirou mumbled, blinking a couple of times and then reaching up to rub his eyes. "Is it just me, though, or did there used to only be one row of trees on this path?"

"As I said, tomorrow it will be back to normal," Shunsui laughed, slipping his arm through his friend's. "Hirata's birthday magic is far reaching, isn't it?"

"Mm." Juushirou frowned, then he stopped dead, almost causing his companion to lose his own footing with the suddenness of the action.

"Juu?" Somehow Shunsui regained his balance, casting his friend a curious look. "What's up? Why have you stopped? We're not far from school now - at the end of this path we'll reach the gates and then from there it's only a little way further."

Juushirou swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. Then,

"I don't feel...very good," he whispered, and Shunsui's eyes widened in alarm as he interpreted the expression in his friend's murky eyes.

"Are you going to be sick?" He demanded urgently, and Juushirou did not answer straight away. Then he sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"M...Maybe," he admitted unsteadily. "I just...suddenly like...a boat was..."

That was as far as he got and Shunsui acted quickly, getting his companion off the path and into the hedgerow before the full violence of Juushirou's nausea could overtake him.

"Ukitake!" Enishi hurried down at his other side. "He's a funny colour - maybe he shouldn't have tried walking at all."

"I think this might've happened anyway." Shunsui rubbed his hand absently up and down his friend's back, letting out a heavy sigh. "All right, Juu - probably it's better out of you than in, if you really drank as much as you seem to have done. We should have paid better attention – if you'd at least eaten a proper meal…"

"We can stop for a moment and let him gather himself," Kai suggested. "Probably the falling over just now was the last straw. That and he did say he was seeing double."

"Stars swirling in the sky," Ryuu sighed, sitting himself down on a nearby tree stump. "Shihouin is correct. We can wait a while, until he is able to walk."

"I'm all right," Juushirou himself spoke up at that moment, wiping his mouth on the handkerchief Shunsui had thrust his way. "I...I just...I don't know what...it just..."

"Just sit for a moment," Hirata told him anxiously. "We don't have any water with us - else you could drink that."

"Probably right now it would just make him throw up more," Shunsui said wisely. "It's all right, Hirata. It isn't a very nice thing to see, but I half expected it would happen, and if he's drunk that much then chucking some of it up is probably a good thing."

He cast his friend an apologetic look.

"I shouldn't have let you sit so near the sake jug," he said guiltily.

"Mm." Juushirou sat back against the trunk of a nearby tree, rubbing his temples. There was a long silence, then,

"Maybe…I did drink a little too much tonight."

The words were blurry and a little unclear and Shunsui sighed, reaching across to ruffle his fingers through the lank white hair.

"I think you did too," he said resignedly, "but it's my fault as much as it is yours. Town sake isn't as refined as Clan stuff – and since you didn't eat very much, it would've affected you much more quickly. Probably you didn't drink as much as all that – but you're really not used to it, and this is the result."

"I didn't mean to." Juushirou offered him a penitent look. "I wasn't really thinking. I just…everything…"

He held his hand up before his face.

"I have too many fingers," he added unexpectedly. "Does sake make your hands grow new ones, or is there something wrong with my eyes?"

"…I'm not going to even try and answer that," Shunsui groaned, getting to his feet. "We need to get you back to school. Do you think you can stand up and walk any further, Juu? If it's going to make you ill, then tell us – if need be, someone will help you."

"Sensei will be cross with me again, won't he?" Juushirou bit his lip. "I did another stupid thing. Even though I'm Anideshi, I still need you to rescue me."

"I'll carry him back to the school," Enishi offered. "I can shunpo back to the nest and nobody else will see him. He looks pale but less green than he did, Kyouraku – probably he'll be all right after he's had a chance to sleep it off."

"Well, the morning might be interesting, but perhaps." Shunsui cast Juushirou a glance. "Is that all right with you? If Enishi takes you back to school, the rest of us will follow on behind."

"I…suppose so." Juushirou seemed to have lost all of his earlier fight, and Kai nodded.

"That's the best idea," he agreed. "Sensei needn't know anything about it, if we do that."

"Don't underestimate him. He'll know," Shunsui said darkly, "but so long as Juu's in one piece and attends his meetings tomorrow, we might be all right."

"Sit still then, Ukitake," Enishi instructed, looping his arms around the boy's shoulders and beneath the legs, lifting him as though he was carrying one of the first years. Juushirou didn't resist, and the tall boy cast his companions a grin.

"See you back at school," he said briefly, then was gone into the night, and Ryuu let out a heavy sigh.

"I wonder if Sensei will overlook it. Indulging in alcohol is frowned on during term time, and the fact it was for Hirata's birthday will probably not be seen as an excuse."

"I don't suppose he'll do much about it." Shunsui shook his head. "Juu was with us, and he didn't do anything particularly to cause inconvenience at the tavern. We've got him back safely – at least, I trust Enishi to do that without a problem – so I don't expect it'll matter. I feel bad about it anyway, mind you. I knew he was down, and I hoped tonight would cheer him up. Instead…"

"But we do know now what it is that's bothering him," Hirata said thoughtfully. "Edogawa-san _is_ at the root of it, and not the Real World trip at all."

"Going there in two days will become a problem if we can't reconcile the other," Shunsui pointed out. "For now, though, let's just get back to school. Tomorrow I'll try and drum sense into him, but tonight I doubt I'll have much luck."

"Not while he has too many fingers." Despite himself, Kai grinned. "All things considered, Ukitake's quite an amusing drunk, isn't he?"

"That really isn't the point." Ryuu scolded, but Kai shrugged.

"Ukitake's sickness aside, we had a good time tonight," He said frankly, "without Clan hassles or anything threatening us. Just as friends, Kuchiki – all six of us together. That's something important, isn't it? Whatever Clans we come from or politics we're buried under, we six are still friends."

"As friends." Ryuu's brows knitted together, and he nodded.

"Yes. I suppose that's true. As Academy students we are classmates. All six of us from the start have been brothers in arms," he said solemnly. "The Real World is a dangerous place. Being in my company is also dangerous at present, yet none of you have shied from me. Even Shihouin…"

He paused, then offered the dark-skinned boy a smile.

"Sensei has manipulated us both beautifully into this position," he said honestly, "but if a Kuchiki can call a Shihouin his ally…perhaps that _will _somehow make for a more peaceful Seireitei future."

"_That's_ something worth drinking to," Shunsui said gravely.

_And something outside of Aizen Keitarou's twisted calculations, I bet._

He sighed, gazing up at the bright evening sky as he was briefly reminded of the peace of his inner world.

_Maybe he's overestimated the hatred between Clans – or underestimated their ability to cooperate with one another. The assassin Kamuki was replaced by the pragmatic Midori, and the ruthless Shouichi by the cautious Misashi. Both Midori-sama and Misashi-sama seek alliance and offer assistance, rather than stand alone. Now Guren-sama is asking for help from other Clans, rather than declaring a war of honour in revenge for his son. If the Council can band together enough, perhaps they _can_ catch this man – and maybe remove him before he does worse harm. Ryuu's gamble is probably the right one…I just hope that this won't be the last time the six of us are able to spend time together in such a carefree way._

Out loud he said,

"I'm heading back. I'm worried about Juu – I want to make sure he's all right."

Before any of the others could protest, he dropped into shunpo, shifting briskly through the streams of light and spirit energy towards the sleeping school building. When he reached the Nest, Enishi was just emerging, casting his classmate a grin.

"I dumped him on his bed. I think he'll sleep now," He said by way of preamble. "The shunpo didn't make him sick again, so probably he's got that out of his system."

"Thanks, Enishi." Shunsui returned the grin with a rueful smile of his own. "I'm going to go check on him, just to be sure, since Sensei entrusted tonight to me and Anideshi's not really in a position to speak for himself."

"I'll go back to my room, then." Enishi nodded his head. "Souryou will be wondering where I am, probably, so I'll take my leave."

Shunsui nodded, stepping past his friend and sliding the door of the nest cautiously back, slipping into the dimly lit chamber and crossing the mat floor towards the bed.

"Shunsui?"

At his entrance, Juushirou raised his gaze, and Shunsui nodded, dropping down beside the pallet with a sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have let you get like this, should I?"

"It's not your fault," Juushirou snorted, shaking his head feebly. "I'm…grown. I can make my own dec…de…"

"Decisions." Shunsui reached to pick up the boy's discarded blanket, pulling it gently over his body. "Fine. I suppose that's true, too. I still feel guilty, though. Even though I never met him, I can imagine your father glaring at me for letting his son get led astray."

Despite himself, Juushirou managed a faint smile.

"You can't 'magine someone you don't know," he said softly.

"Believe me, I can." Shunsui pursed his lips. "All right, perhaps I'm imagining an older you with dark hair – but that's beside the point. The point is that I wanted to make sure you were all right."

"Mm…" Juushirou sighed. "The room is…spinning rather. But I'm tired. I think…I'll probably go to sleep soon."

"That's a good idea," Shunsui agreed. "If you can sleep it off, so much to the good."

"I suppose so." Juushirou shrugged his shoulders. "I really didn't do it on purpose though. I was just thinking about a lot of stuff – and I didn't see when my glass got filled, so I s'pose I wound up drinking without realising, and then…I've never been drunk before, so I didn't know that this was what it was like…and by that point I was already drunk, so I guess…"

"All right, shut up now," Shunsui laughed, putting a finger to his friend's lips before the other boy's rambling explanation could go any further. "Listen. You sleep. Tomorrow, I promise, we'll talk about Mitsuki and anything else you've got preying on your mind, but there's really no point in doing that tonight."

"Mitsuki." Juushirou's eyes became sad, and Shunsui half-thought his friend might cry.

"Tomorrow," He said firmly, getting to his feet. "You'll tell me everything that happened, and then we'll see what we can do to work it out. Understand?"

"I guess," Juushirou sighed, closing his eyes, "but there's probably no point. I really can't…keep her. So…there's probably no p…point at all."

With that he was asleep, and as his breathing evened out, Shunsui let out his breath in a rush, getting slowly to his feet.

_Sensei will probably skin me for bringing you back drunk, but at the very least it's loosened your tongue a little. I s'pose we'll see what state you're in tomorrow morning, and hope it's something I can help to put right._

"Kyouraku-kun?"

As he left the nest to head to his own room, a soft voice assailed him and he paused, a frown crossing his features as he registered the young healer's presence. He did not turn to face her, a sudden sense of anger flaring up inside his heart as he remembered Juushirou's expression earlier that evening.

"I'm not sure I have anything to talk to you about right at the moment," he said evenly. "It's late and I need to get to bed, Mitsuki-chan. If you're going to bother Juu, I suggest you leave it till tomorrow – he's asleep and I'd like him to stay that way."

"He's drunk, isn't he?" There was the sound of footsteps, and Shunsui knew that Mitsuki was almost at his side. "What did you get him to do, Kyouraku-kun? He's not used to alcohol, not like you."

"If you're worried about him, stop and think for a moment about what you just said." Shunsui turned now, meeting her clouded gaze with a reproachful one of his own. "Maybe that will tell you the reason Juu was drinking tonight – and you'll stop using that tone with me as though I'm responsible for anything and everything that happens in his life."

"Kyouraku-kun?"

Mitsuki's expression became stricken, and despite himself Shunsui felt faintly guilty.

"You and he had a fight, didn't you?" he asked softly, leaning up against the wall and fixing her with a searching look. "Juu hasn't told me exactly what happened, but I'm not stupid. I admit, I wasn't paying attention to Juu's drinking tonight, and maybe I should have been more aware of how often his _sakazuki_ got refilled and how much he was taking in. _But _if some_thing_ induced him to drink, it wasn't me. On the contrary, we were the ones trying to cheer him up…after _someone else_ upset him."

"If you don't know what happened, you shouldn't be scolding me, either." Mitsuki's Kuchiki pride flickered into life at these words, and Shunsui frowned, nodding his head.

"Tomorrow I intend on getting it out of him," he said evenly. "For now, I want him to sleep. Still, don't make any mistake about it, Mitsuki. Juu's an emotional idiot with zero understanding of the opposite sex. That means he can and does jump to the wrong conclusions and I'm well used to shaking them out of him. _But_ I also know when something out of the ordinary is bothering him. He's not been himself at all today or yesterday, and he's definitely not been sleeping or eating right. The day before that he was fine, though, and even when _haibyou_'s poking at him, he doesn't usually lose his appetite. The _only person_ capable of doing that to him in such spectacular fashion is the person standing not too far away from where I am now. So if there's something you want to get off your chest, I suggest you do."

"It's none of your business." Mitsuki made to go, but Shunsui reached out to grab her arm.

"Juu's hurt. That makes it my business," he said flatly. "I want you to be clear with him and put an end to this perpetual worrying and wondering on his part. You know he's been fretting over you and your fixation with Nagoya since you came back to school at the start of the year? Whatever the truth of that is none of my business, but he at least deserves to know how he stands."

"You really _don't_ know anything." Mitsuki shook herself free, glaring at Shunsui in tearful indignation. "I _tried_ to tell him! I'm always trying to tell him! But _he's _the one who said stupid things. He's the one who said that if I was going to marry Shirogane-senpai, he'd let me go. He was the one who…"

"Nagoya's here, isn't he? Somewhere." Shunsui cut across her, and Mitsuki froze, colour draining from her cheeks. Shunsui nodded.

"I thought so. And Juu saw him? With you?"

Mitsuki's expression became obstinate, and still she did not answer.

"I thought so." Shunsui's eyes became slits. "Juu is good at jumping to the wrong conclusions, I'll give you that. I'd already realised what he'd likely said and done about it, if that kind of circumstance had presented itself. He won't talk to me because he won't betray where Nagoya is, right? But whatever you think you tried to tell him, I don't think he understood. Perhaps you need to talk to him about it – because he's not going to pick it up by psychic vibe. He isn't like you. He can't do that."

Mitsuki sighed, rubbing her temples.

"First Sora, now you, saying the same things," she whispered. "Of all people I thought Juushirou would understand how I feel. I didn't expect him to back down and surrender, either. If you love someone, you don't do that, right? You don't just give up and hand them over to someone else?"

"I suppose that depends on the scenario." Shunsui's mind flitted to Saku, and he sighed. "But either way, you need to talk to him. Openly. Honestly. In words of one syllable, or preferably less…I wouldn't even rule out drawing diagrams. Juu's the kind of idiot who can't function with people who aren't straight down the line with him. If there's something for him to misunderstand, he'll do it with enthusiasm. I've been rooting for the two of you since the start – you know that, or you should. Whatever your relationship with Nagoya _is _or _is not_, that same Baka-Juu needs to have it spelt out for him. You owe it to him to do that. All right?"

"You can be quite harsh when you want to be, can't you?" Mitsuki looked weary. "I know. I came here tonight to…but I can feel his scattered aura and I know there'd be no point."

She rubbed her temples.

"He isn't the only one who hasn't been sleeping right," she admitted. "I'm not happy about how things are either, Kyouraku-kun. It wasn't my intention to hurt anyone in this. Shirogane-senpai is my kinsman and I'm going to help him, no matter what that entails. That's my resolve and nobody – not you, not Juushirou, not even Guren-sama – can break it. That doesn't mean I'm going to marry him, nor did I ever even think of that as a possible outcome of all this. Naoko made that up from some strange fancy of her own, and it's spiralled out of all control. I came here this evening to talk things over with Juushirou, since Sora told me she doesn't want another night of me keeping her up with my tossing and turning. But you all disappeared out somewhere, and brought him back like this."

"Tomorrow, you'll talk to him?" Shunsui asked quietly, and Mitsuki nodded.

"I will," she said frankly. "Whether you asked me to or not, I need to. I want to clear the air. Being at odds with him is always miserable, and I suppose I know that there are things I can perceive that he can't because of my healer wits."

"All right. Then I s'pose I'll stop glaring at you." Shunsui offered her a rueful smile. "I can't promise what state of mind he'll be in tomorrow, though. I think we might be witnessing baby's first hangover…if you get my drift."

"Mm." Mitsuki looked thoughtful. "Then I'll bring something to help tackle the effects of too much town sake when I come tomorrow. Perhaps that'll help break the ice."

"Good plan," Shunsui agreed, "and Mitsuki?"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to pretend that we didn't have this conversation. I suggest you do too," Shunsui said lightly. "_Especially_ in light of references to your missing cousin…"

"What conversation?" Mitsuki tilted her head on one side. "I just came to wish you goodnight. Till tomorrow, then, Kyouraku-kun."

With that she was gone, and as Shunsui made his own slow way to his chamber, a faint smile touched his lips.

_I poked my nose in somewhere I don't belong and Juu will kill me if he finds out I did – but after the way he looked tonight, I had to do something. If they can talk things out tomorrow, so much to the good – then we can go back to making the final preparations for the Real World without the fear of being caught up in some emotional drama along the way._

_

* * *

**Author's Note**_

_There's the element of the omake in this chapter, and I freely admit it. Juu's night out on the town was originally written as an omake, but half of the original file got corrupted and what was left seemed to be applicable to this when I got to writing it. Whilst the events of this chapter do have some plot resonance, particularly where Juu and Mitsuki are concerned, the real reason for a chapter of frivolity is this._

_Some pretty dark stuff is going to be coming up in the next few chapters. There is very likely going to be death, and there will certainly be copious amounts of blood. I figured, therefore, that it was as well to have a more lighthearted moment and an opportunity to laugh at them while you can…;)_

_I'm posting this early because of the omake-ish ness of it ;) Nobody kill me!_


	51. Final Preparations

**Chapter Forty Nine: Final Preparations**

Daybreak.

Wrapped within the pounding, swirling sea that flooded through his brain, Juushirou was aware of a sudden flare of bright light seeping in through the waves and down to the depths far below. Half awake and half asleep, he let out a drowsy murmur of protest, fumbling with the covers as if trying to shut out the glare. From somewhere in the haze of his surroundings, he was aware of footsteps, then the sensation of someone resting their hand on his shoulder, bringing him forcibly into wakefulness and making him open his eyes.

He blinked, shielding his gaze from the sudden brightness, and from somewhere around him he heard someone laugh.

"This is the first and probably only time _I'll_ come to wake _you_ up after a night out, so I'm savouring the experience." There was a thud, and Juushirou knew that the intruder had dropped down beside his bed. "I hate to do this to you when your sleeping so peacefully, but breakfast has been and gone and we have our final safety assessment in just under an hour's time."

"Shunsui?" Juushirou's lips brushed together, only just forming a coherent word, and his brow creased, his fingers closing at last around the heavy fabric of his covers. He pulled them up to shield his face from the daylight that was stabbing through his aching brain, but before he could tuck himself back into the more comforting world of sleep, someone reached out a hand to stop him, carefully unclasping the material from his pale white grip.

"I'm serious. You have to wake up. You might not want to - probably you don't want to. _But_ I made Yama-jii a promise that if we went out last night, we'd all be in class on time this morning. That includes you, so I'm making sure you help me keep my word."

"Go away." Juushirou was not in the mood for his friend's games, and Shunsui let out a soft chuckle.

"Ah, now I know what it feels like to be on the other side of the equation," he observed, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth in playful disapproval. "No wonder Niisama got fed up of stirring me after a night out drinking. You're more stubborn than usual today, Juu-kun - and to think you're the one who's usually up at dawn."

"Didn't I just say go away?" Realising that his chances of sleeping were drawing further and further away, Juushirou rolled over onto his side, fixing his friend with the darkest glare he could muster. "This is my room, not yours. I don't remember telling you to come in."

"You didn't. I let myself in," Shunsui said cheerfully. "Good, if you're cross with me it means you're aware of what's going on. That being the case, I guess I don't have to resort to Hirata's technique of tipping water over you in order to bring you to yourself."

"Water?" Juushirou struggled to pull himself into a sitting position, putting a hand to his head as it ached and protested at his sudden movement. Sure enough, a mug of water sat on the shelf beside him, and his eyes narrowed.

"You were going to tip that over me?"

"Only if you didn't wake," Shunsui said blithely, then he grinned, shaking his head. "No. I brought it in case your stomach was still unsettled. You weren't well last night, so I thought I'd come prepared."

"Not...well?" Juushirou frowned, trying to piece together the fragmented pieces of the previous night's memory. "Was I? Did I have an attack...? But my chest feels all right."

He rubbed his ribcage, then,

"My head is spinning and I'm aching everywhere but I don't think I have a fever and I'm not about to cough. Are you sure?"

"You don't remember, huh?" Shunsui eyed him pensively. "Last night we went into the local town to celebrate Hirata's birthday. You had a little too much sake and Enishi had to shunpo you back because you weren't steady on your feet. You look a little pale this morning, and I'm not surprised you have a headache. But overall I think it could be a lot worse - you should be glad."

"Celebrate...Hirata's...?" Juushirou stared at his friend blankly, and Shunsui grinned.

"You really don't remember?"

"No." Juushirou rubbed his temples. "We went out last night? Maybe I remember us leaving, but...after that..."

"Well, you needn't worry." Shunsui clapped a warm hand down on his friend's shoulder. "You didn't do anything particularly embarrassing. Slightly amusing, but you weren't really any trouble. We got back to school safely and though Yama-jii was at breakfast, he hasn't said anything. Probably he noticed you weren't there - but so long as you don't miss the safety assessment meet, I don't suppose he's going to say too much about it."

He tilted his head on one side.

"Should I have woken you for breakfast, by the way? You were so fast asleep, and so..."

"Food?" Juushirou shuddered as his stomach lurched slightly. "No...no. I'm not hungry. It's fine."

"I thought that might be the case." Shunsui nodded wryly. "Don't worry - it will wear off. You didn't drink huge amounts, but you're not used to it, so you're a tad hungover. That's quite normal, you know, in some circles - probably by tomorrow you'll be feeling good as new."

"Hungover?" Juushirou managed a rueful smile, leaning up against the wall in resignation and pulling the blanket more firmly around his aching body. "You really have been leading me astray, then."

"You were talking about Mitsuki a little while you were drunk," Shunsui's expression became thoughtful, and he eyed his friend keenly, "about how you couldn't keep her and how you thought she was going to go off with Nagoya, or some such thing."

"I...did?" Juushirou reddened, alarm crossing his features, and Shunsui patted him on the arm.

"Alcohol tends to do that," he said wisely. "You'll say things you otherwise wouldn't say – sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes – often – it's not. But you know, she was worried about you. This morning she asked me whether you were all right - if you've had some kind of fight with her, you really shouldn't let it drag out. It's twice as hard to fix something the longer you leave it."

"What exactly did I say to you?" Juushirou sent his friend a wary glance. "I'm quite sure I didn't intend on talking to you about anything, so..."

"Pretty much what I just said," Shunsui looked thoughtful, "and a bunch about whether you really love a person if you let them go be with someone else. You had a little dig at me about Saku as well -but I don't think you meant it, so I'll forgive you."

"I did?" Juushirou was stricken. "I'm sorry. Whatever it was - I'm sure it wasn't intended to be a dig."

"I was a tad worried what you might say. Bearing in mind our conversation after we met Riri, I wasn't sure," Shunsui admitted, "but you didn't say anything about that, so it's all fine."

He settled himself more comfortably beside the bed.

"You wanted to talk to me about Mitsuki, because you said we'd talk it out when you were clearer," he added. "There's no point in being shy now. We're going to the Real World tomorrow, and if you aren't speaking to her, we're going to have group harmony problems."

"I don't believe I said that." Juushirou was suspicious. "Stop putting words into my mouth. Just because I can't remember..."

"Okay, perhaps you didn't say that exactly," Shunsui amended, "but you did seem to want to talk about it and about her. So we will. All right? Or even better,"

His gaze flitted to the door, and Juushirou's own brow creased as he registered the familiar flicker of reiatsu coming from the hallway,

"...you can talk to the girl herself. I'll play referee - or chaperon - if you like."

"Juushirou?"

Before Juushirou could respond, the door of the nest slid back, and the District boy instinctively tightened his grip on his blankets, consternation clouding his grey eyes as he took in the familiar form of his classmate. She was dressed, her dark hair braided back from her face in readiness for the day ahead, and something about the composed neatness of her appearance grated suddenly against his nerves. His brows knitted together and he shook his head, lifting his hand to indicate the corridor behind her.

"Girls aren't allowed into boys' rooms. First rule of boarding school life," he said flatly. "It applies to healers too, Edogawa-san. As Anideshi, I'm asking you to observe it."

Shunsui winced at the formality of his friend's tones, and Juushirou saw a mixture of hurt and annoyance cross Mitsuki's expression. For a moment she hesitated, then her eyes hardened and she stepped very purposefully into the room, pulling the door shut behind her with a click. Without a word she crossed the floor towards him, removing something from the folds of her _hakamashita_ and setting it down on the shelf beside the mug of water.

"A healer is permitted to go wherever there are sick people," she said quietly, "regardless of whether their discomfort is of their own causing or not."

"I haven't asked you for help of any kind," Juushirou said bluntly, "therefore your coming here is pointless. You aren't allowed in my chamber, Edogawa-san, and I've already asked you to leave. If you were to be found here, there'd be trouble for both of us. Therefore…"

_Thwack!_

Before Juushirou knew it was coming, and perhaps before the girl even realised it herself, Mitsuki's hand came out, striking firmly and cleanly across her classmate's left cheek. Rendered speechless by the suddenness of the assault, Juushirou could only stare in disbelief at his assailant, whilst at his side, Shunsui visibly winced at the sound of skin hitting skin, shuffling back slightly as if to protect himself from the fallout of any further blows.

Juushirou's fingers tentatively touching his burning cheek, not quite believing what had just happened. His aching head throbbed all the more for the unexpected impact – but all the District boy could focus on was that someone had hit him – and that someone was now staring at him with hot fury blazing in her grey eyes.

Juushirou had always seen Mitsuki's eyes as a soft, almost violet grey, more gentle than the other members of her Clan and full of emotion and compassion for those that surrounded her. On occasion he had seen them change and darken with resolve, but never had he seen them glitter with so much righteous indignation as they did that morning.

"Have you finished?" she asked softly. "I didn't come here to listen to you babble nonsense. We don't have time for it. In less than an hour you have to be up and dressed for class, and you _will_ attend it, because otherwise your foolishness will get Kyouraku-kun into trouble. To that end, I brought you something that'll ease your head and settle your stomach – so stop being a baby and drink it quickly. The sooner you do as you're told, the sooner I'll be gone – so it's in your interests to obey me."

"Woooah. Someone's been taking Unohana-sensei's lessons in professional scary a little too seriously," Shunsui murmured. "Calm down, Mitsuki-chan. Even if you're mad at him, he's delicate right now."

"He's not that delicate," Mitsuki shook her head impatiently. "He might be feeling a little sorry for himself, but that's all. You're too soft on him…but this isn't _haibyou_. It's a simple case of over-indulgence and there's no sense in mollycoddling him over it – all that will do is encourage him to do it again."

"Will you stop talking about me as though I was a small child, or not even in the room?" Now Juushirou's own pride began to flare up and he glared at her crossly. "What kind of healer goes around slapping her patients, anyway? I'm sure Unohana-sensei didn't teach you that!"

"And I'm sure _I_ didn't ask _you_ to call me Edogawa-san," Mitsuki's voice shook. "It wasn't the healer who slapped you – it was me. _Mitsuki_. Since you seemed to have forgotten that I exist – I wanted to remind you that I do."

"Mitsuki-chan…" Shunsui held up his hands as if to placate her, but Mitsuki shifted her gaze to him, shaking her head.

"This is between _Ukitake-kun_ and I," she said quietly. "If you're going to stay here, please don't interrupt. You wanted me to speak to him too, didn't you? I know you're fed up with things how they've been the last couple of days, too."

"Shunsui?" Juushirou's eyes flitted to his friend in surprise, and Shunsui shrugged.

"I expected more of a 'talk' and less of a 'fight'," he admitted sheepishly, "but all right. Just remember we need him in one piece for later on – otherwise our group will be missing its leader when we go to the Real World."

"Juushirou is surprisingly resiliant, considering everything." Mitsuki sat down on the end of the bed, and Juushirou eyed her warily, half expecting a second assault. "That's why I know I can shout at him like this. Today it's all right to shout at him – no, today he _needs_ me to shout at him. Idiocy can't be cured by being soft – so I'm trying something new."

She shifted herself around, meeting his gaze with a resolute one of her own.

"I'm not going to accept it," she said softly. "You calling me Edogawa-san, you referring to us as classmates – you running off and deciding what's best for me or my future. We've had this kind of conversation before, so you've no excuses for behaving that way. Thinking you can decide what will or won't make me happy is arrogant and ignorant and I don't need it. Just like I didn't need Naoko to protect me, I don't need you to, either."

"Then what are you even doing here, if you're fed up with my interference?" Juushirou demanded.

"Trying to put your silly head straight, obviously," Mitsuki sighed. "Listen to me. What Naoko said to you was Naoko's fancy. There wasn't and never has been any truth in any of it."

Juushirou bit his lip, glancing anxiously at Shunsui, who grinned, shrugging his shoulders.

"If you want to talk about Nagoya, talk away. I'll pretend not to hear, and swear blind that I didn't know he was in District One," he said casually.

"You…_knew_ that?" Juushirou's eyes became huge, and Shunsui nodded.

"It's common sense. He has nowhere else to go, and nobody but Mitsuki is sweet enough to put up with him in his time of need," he agreed, "but officially, I don't know anything. Just you can talk about it. The door is closed and I won't be taking anything I hear in here anywhere else."

"Kyouraku-kun is right," Mitsuki sighed, nodding her head. "Senpai doesn't have anyone else to help him. Sora and I have been doing our best, but even we can't provide everything he needs."

"Sora too?" Juushirou stared, and Mitsuki snorted.

"You didn't know that? Yes. Sora and I have both been taking care of him. Why?"

"I think Juu thought you and he were having secret private trysts just between yourselves in the wilds of District One," Shunsui interjected dryly, and Juushirou flushed red at his friend's words.

"It was a logical conclusion to reach," He muttered, his tones a little sullen. "You said Ryuu wasn't involved, and so I didn't think anyone else was. It doesn't have anything to do with Sora, so…"

"She's my best friend," Mitsuki said simply. "I trust her."

"And you don't trust me?"

"Oh, stop it!" Mitsuki looked frustrated. "Sora was with me when I realised Senpai was here – besides, if she was to be implicated in protecting someone wanted by Guren-sama, she'd have Kyouki-sama to back her up and shield her from any real danger. You don't have anything like that – and Senpai asked me specifically not to involve you. He understands the implications for you better than anyone – you're a District boy getting involved in Clan matters and you just can't do that when it's the Kuchiki-ke."

"It's not the Endou or the Shihouin. I'm sure I've said this to you before," Shunsui interjected, and Mitsuki nodded.

"You and your family rely on Guren-sama's good will," she added softly. "Your life – but more, _their_ lives – depend on you acting with prudence and discretion. You are not here to save the world – and you aren't anything to do with Senpai's plight. I'm taking risks by protecting him, but I'm not putting anyone's life in danger except maybe my own. You, on the other hand, have a whole bunch of people who would feel the fallout if you did something stupid this time. _You're_ under Sensei's protection, but _they're_ not. Don't you realise that? Guren-sama – if he wanted to – could squash your family in a heartbeat. All he'd have to do would be to give the order."

Despite himself, Juushirou blanched, and Shunsui reached out to rest a hand on his arm.

"Sometimes you need to be protected for their sake, if not for your own," he said quietly. "Naïve idealism only works so far. Besides, I told you, didn't I? Mitsuki-chan would never fall in love with someone like Nagoya. You've no real reason to be jealous."

"I don't know anything," Juushirou murmured, the anger seeping out of his body as he gazed at his hands. "We're only friends…classmates. When he said that, it ran right through me. Not because it was particularly cutting, but because it's true. I have no right to object to anything…Mitsuki and I are only friends."

"You have the right to object." Mitsuki shook her head. "You have the right to say what you think, too – and you haven't been, have you? Naoko spoke to you, but you lied to me and said she didn't. Then you backed off when faced with Senpai and I – you didn't even want me to explain to you what was going on."

"I don't have the right to demand an explanation from you," Juushirou reiterated, "and I told you that I didn't want to ask…because I wasn't sure I'd like the answer."

"Then I'll tell you it right now," Mitsuki said frankly. "I'm Senpai's ally. If he is arrested, I will stick up for him. If he's in danger, I will do my best to shield him. If he needs me, I'll fight for him. I believe in his innocence and I won't turn my back on him when he has nobody else. He's your _shishou_, so you should understand that too – don't you want him to be safe? I thought you believed him innocent as well."

"I do." Juushirou nodded. "I do, it's just…"

He sighed, closing his eyes briefly.

"Senpai is strong," he murmured. "He's good looking, he's capable, and he's already received orders of a high level within a Gotei squad. There are so many ways in which I can never reach him – and there are so many things he could offer you that I never could. If I think of it like that, I know it's a lost contest before it's even begun."

"But there _isn't_ a contest," Mitsuki responded simply. "Senpai may be all of those things…but he isn't the person I'm in love with. Sora said that you can't see things the way I do, and I suppose it's true – I can tell how you feel about me more easily than you can tell how I feel, because of my healer's empathy. But healers form very strong bonds with people as a rule – this is something I've learned most of all from being here and studying with Retsu-sama. You're a part of me now. It doesn't really concern me whether you're Clan or District, rich or poor, sickly or fighting fit. Those aren't qualities I look at when forming a bond – it's on a whole other level. My connection to you is just there. I can't explain it, but I know it is. It's a connection to who you are, Juushirou – beyond anything material or superficial."

"A soulmate…perhaps?" Shunsui suggested, and Mitsuki pinkened, nodding her head.

"Yes. Perhaps," she acknowledged. "I have other connections to other people, but none of them are the same as this one. That's how I know that it's you I'm in love with, Juushirou. And how I know that I'm Senpai's friend and ally – but that's all it will ever be."

She folded her hands in her lap.

"Senpai knows it too," she added. "After you left the other night, we talked about it. He has no intention of marrying me, either. This is a new connection for me – but probably in time it will become like my one with Ryuu. That's how it feels, anyway. Even if Senpai was to have his name cleared, and there were moves to get us to marry – I have a voice in this and I wouldn't just accept it. I don't intend on getting married – so there's no reason for me to look to marry him just to find security."

"Then why won't you talk to me about after graduation?" Juushirou asked sadly. "You keep evading it, as though it really doesn't matter. The way you talk suggests you won't be in Seireitei – or that you'll go back to District Six rather than taking up with District Four."

"I don't have the legal permissions to join Fourth Squad yet," Mitsuki said matter-of-factly. "That depends on Guren-sama, because that's how the law currently stands. I need permission of my family to become a member of Fourth Squad, and even Father doesn't hold high enough authority to grant it – it can only be from someone from the direct line of inheritance."

"In short, Guren-sama – and whoever becomes his heir." Shunsui put in. Mitsuki nodded.

"Yes. Till I get that, I have no choice after graduation but to go home. Right now home is unstable – so even if he didn't mind, giving me permission to join another squad is probably very low on Guren-sama's list of priorities. On the contrary, being that I was so involved in events when Ribari-sama was killed, he might see a need for me to stay close to District Six and therefore make moves to stand in my way. Before he barely knew I existed – but it's not the case now. Everybody knows who I am – for better or worse, I'm an acknowledged member of the Kuchiki Clan.

"Of course, if Ryuu became heir, he would have the authority to let me go – but with things as they are, any kind of official acknowledgement of that might take a good amount of time. Guren-sama's only direct blood heir is dead – until he _officially_ names his successor and it's ratified by the Kuchiki court, he's the only one with the right to grant me release."

"Then…"

"If I did get permission, there's also a chance I wouldn't be in Seireitei, either," Mitsuki added, "but I didn't want to raise that with you…just yet. It isn't finalised, and so I didn't want you to worry that I might disappear."

She chewed on her lip, and Juushirou gazed at her, half-dreading what she was next going to say.

"_If _I go to Fourth Squad, Retsu-sama wants me to go to Rukongai," she said at length. "It wouldn't be just for a few months, but probably some time longer than that. The idea frightens me – but it would be a way to work my way up and gain the respect of other healing individuals by proving what I can do. Also, I know there are a lot of people in Rukongai who are suffering. The imbalance of our worlds and the influx of Hollows and other things mean that there are far too many spirits there who have reiatsu and who are not just struggling but are being targeted, wounded and slaughtered by the Hollow invasions."

"People who are starving because they need food and it isn't there," Shunsui reflected, and for a brief moment Juushirou had the impression that his friend knew something more about Rukongai's people than he did.

Mitsuki nodded.

"Hunger only occurs in Soul Society if you have reiatsu that you need to keep replenishing," she agreed. "For most Plus souls, that isn't a problem. But for a few – and a growing few – it is becoming one. Rukongai is currently very dangerous and full of people in a bad state. Retsu-sama wants to help them."

"And so you'd go there? How long is some time longer?" Juushirou asked softly. Mitsuki shrugged.

"I don't know. As much time as it takes to make a difference – maybe until I'm redeployed back somewhere else," she said honestly. "Those things are unclear. I was worried about telling you because I thought you might try and talk me out of it – and you're probably the only person who could."

She sighed, glancing at her fingers.

"I said I wouldn't ever marry," she added, "but that's partly based on the fact that you and I will never be able to. If _you_ asked me, with all seriousness, I don't know if I could refuse. I'd probably spend my whole life regretting it, if I did – and that's another reason why I didn't talk to you about any of this. I wanted everything to be set in stone and decided – so that you couldn't make me waver and turn back."

Juushirou was silent for a while, his head swirling with his classmate's revelations. Little by little the words began to seep into his hungover brain, and at length he sighed, running his fingers through his muzzy white hair.

"I wouldn't do that," he said finally. "I couldn't. If you wanted to go…I couldn't stop you."

"Is this another case of you having no right to object?" Mitsuki asked, but Juushirou shook his head.

"You have your dreams and goals and I have mine," he said candidly, though he knew that raw emotion was only just being held back. "If we aren't going to follow those through to the end, why are we here? You're a healer. There'd be no point in you having those skills and yet not helping people who really needed you to help them. The same is true for me – what's the use in my having _reiryoku_ if I won't wield a blade to defend people like my family from predatorial Hollows? This isn't about having the right to object. I'll tell you right now I don't like it. It frightens me, and I'd be worried you wouldn't come back. But I won't stop you. Your dreams are your dreams. They're not something I have control over."

"Juushirou." Shunsui's eyes opened wide, and despite herself, a faint smile touched Mitsuki's lips.

"You mean that?"

"I do," Juushirou sighed heavily. "I don't have to like it to feel that it's the right thing to do."

He looked sheepish.

"I think it's better that than having you marry my _shishou_. Though if that would've made you happy, Mitsuki, I would've somehow accepted it."

"Why do I feel all of a sudden you're both being hopelessly grown up?" Shunsui looked plaintive. "I've been rooting for you guys to be together since the beginning, and yet you're both calmly talking about going your separate ways after graduation? That's something of a let down – good romance stories don't usually end that way, you know."

"But Mitsuki said she and I were connected," Juushirou pointed out, "didn't she? Just because we go different ways on graduating doesn't mean we'll never see each other again."

"Exactly." Relief flooded Mitsuki's grey eyes. "That's what I think too."

"If I'm honest…I'm a little relieved," Juushirou confessed. "I feel the same way about the things that matter to me to do, and I don't want anything to hold me back from being of the most use I can to Seireitei. Because of that, I know…why Fourth Squad, even if it's Rukongai – why it matters to you. Also – I hadn't realised all the complications of needing Clan permission. I'd assumed that it wouldn't be a problem, since you are Clan – but I suppose I hadn't perceived that it's two separate Clans, not just the one. In that you have the same dilemma as I do, and it all makes a lot of sense."

He chewed on his lip, then sighed.

"I'd honestly rather take second place to someone's vocation, I think, than to somebody else," he said ruefully. "Even if it's someone I admire as much as I do Nagoya-senpai. Even if I did back off and accept it on the surface, deep down I don't know how I'd deal with it if you were really going to marry someone else."

He shrugged.

"I might find it hard not to draw Sougyo no Kotowari," he admitted, "if it really came to…something like that."

Mitsuki looked faintly guilty.

"Perhaps I _should've_ talked to you about everything sooner," she owned. "I've caused misunderstandings and I've made you worry a lot, haven't I? No wonder you jumped to conclusions. I'm sorry I slapped you – but I thought you had just run away without a fight, and when you called me Edogawa-san…"

"I won't ever do that again," Juushirou promised, "and I'm sorry, too. As it stands, I did run away – and I did jump to conclusions."

"Probably that was better than drawing your _zanpakutou _and challenging Nagoya to a duel in the middle of some field at midnight," Shunsui interjected drolly. "You've already had your wrists slapped for one illegal release this school year, and Nagoya's whereabouts would have been thoroughly given away."

"True," Juushirou acknowledged. "I suppose that maybe running away was better, when you put it like that."

He pursed his lips, turning his gaze back to Mitsuki.

"I wouldn't ask you to marry me just to keep you here, because I don't suppose it's the ending either of us want at the moment," he added. "It would keep us together, but it would bring its own problems. It would mean your Clan position becoming strained, it would probably threaten my family – and it would curb both of us from doing the things we originally came here to do. Neither one of us really looks at the future and thinks of getting married as a priority, no matter how close we've become, therefore it would be wrong to do it out of desperation, even if it meant us being split apart for however long. We both have things we need to achieve, and we'd wind up resenting each other for being tied down – wouldn't we?"

"Probably," Mitsuki agreed. "That's why I'm happy if we're just friends. There's no limit on how much friends can feel for each other – but there's no chains holding us back from doing the things that really matter to us. I'm glad you see it too, Juushirou-kun."

She reached out to touch the left side of his chest gently with her fingers, spreading her hand carefully over the position of his heart.

"Since Shikiki-chan used her magic on you, _this_ has been beating with a lot more strength," she said softly, and Juushirou's cheeks reddened slightly at how close to him she was. "I believe that if I went to Rukongai, even if I was there for some years, you'd still be here when I came back. And I'd come back, for sure. I'd want to see you again, so I wouldn't let myself get killed. Even if you met someone else and married them in the meantime – or if you didn't. I still would want to see you – and I would still be glad when I did."

"All right. Chaperon intervention!" Shunsui laughed, slipping his hands between the two of them and pushing them gently apart. "Mitsuki-chan, Juu has to get up and dressed or he'll be late for our meeting. I'll make sure he drinks your potion – but if we don't get a move on, someone's going to get into trouble for being late."

"I suppose so." Mitsuki nodded, getting reluctantly to her feet. "But I'm glad we cleared the air. I won't keep any more important secrets from you, Juushirou-kun – I promise."

"And I won't jump to any more conclusions. _If _I can avoid it," Juushirou said ruefully. "I'll do my best, anyway. I'll certainly…try not to be jealous of Nagoya-senpai. Not even if I see him half-dressed and running through the forests with you."

"That sounds like an interesting encounter," Shunsui smirked, and Juushirou sent him a dark look.

"Don't," he ordered. "You said it – I have to get up."

He reached for Mitsuki's vial, pulling off the stopper and giving it a sniff before pulling a graphic face. "Although I'm not sure I'll live if I drink this. What on earth is in it?"

"Just desserts for someone who's careless with sake," Mitsuki's eyes were mischievous. "Really, it will help clear your head. I've made it numerous times for Father after he's been pulled into some Kuchiki gathering or other and has drunk too many glasses of another Lord's strong alcohol. Father doesn't drink except at those kind of events, so I always like to be prepared for the morning after."

"All right," Juushirou sighed, but obediently downed the contents, grimacing as he handed the vial back to her.

"If I wasn't feeling sick before, I probably do now," he owned, "but I'll trust you. I'll see you in class in what, about half an hour? Shunsui, you too – I'm all right and I'll get up now."

He pushed back the blankets.

"It wouldn't look right for Anideshi to be delayed." He added. "So I won't be late – you both have my word."

* * *

Everything was prepared now for the Senior Class's mission.

Genryuusai moved pensively along the uneven rocky path, the autumn wind teasing at his long beard as he nimbly navigated the dips and potholes as easily as a man several centuries his junior. This time tomorrow, they would have already left the Academy and ventured out into the unknown – and despite his years, the old shinigami felt a faint stir of anticipation at the thought of what their trip was going to bring.

Each Senior Class he had had since beginning the Academy had been different.

His lips pursed together beneath the heavy white bristle of his moustache as he reflected on some of his past students and the successes or failures they had encountered along the way. Some of his graduates had surprised everyone with their tenacity and dedication during the trip to the Real World – others had fallen shy of their target, and one or two had come home in disgrace. Genryuusai preferred not to think of the ones who had not come home at all, nor the weeping mothers or angry fathers he had had to placate when reporting to them of their loss. Though the Academy was a safe environment, it wasn't a school for weaklings. He was educating the young ones, but on the understanding their graduation meant a readiness to face war.

He raised his gaze to the heavens, taking in the heavy cloud that hid the sun from view. Perhaps later it would rain, he reflected absently. Hopefully he would complete his errand before that – for even though he was a man of experience and stamina, Genryuusai's fiery spirit did not generally endear him to wetter weather. It was a peculiar quirk of shinigami, he mused, pausing to gaze across the rippling surface of the silent lake, that their souls and their nature were wrapped up so deeply in the swords they carried at their waists – he had long since forgotten whether it was he or Ryuujinjakka who had originally disdained rainstorms, for they had been together for so long their thoughts sometimes blurred into one.

Such harmony with a _zanpakutou _spirit was the ultimate aim of any shinigami, but very few had ever achieved it. The mythical 'Bankai' that he had first come to raise some several hundred years earlier had been attained only by those who had formulated the best and most robust connection with their spiritual side.

At this, the old man's brows creased in thoughtful consternation.

Aizen Keitarou had already obtained Bankai.

Though his _zanpakutou_ remained unregistered and largely unknown, Genryuusai was under no illusions about the implications of that fact. On his own, with no formal training nor Clan support, this elusive scientist had managed to bring his sword's spirit into complete harmony with his own and had harnessed its power completely…a devastating level of manipulative ability which had almost brought about the deaths of at least two of his students.

Well, if he could prevent it, there would be no more.

Genryuusai reached out to pluck back the heavy vines and greenery that covered the cave's entrance from view, stooping his already hunched body over to enter the cool darkness beyond. Faint golden light flickered at his fingers into a perfectly controlled amber flame, and as he made his way carefully through the tunnels, he was aware of movement at the furthest end of one of the turnings. He paused, standing back as he felt the faintest flicker of spiritual energy flare up as though readying itself to fight, then as the other presence seemed about to launch an attack on him, he lifted only the first two fingers from the top of Ryuujinjakka's knobbled cane, sending a brief but perfectly formed rope of spiritual magic in the direction of his would-be assailant.

There was a little gasp, then the sound of something metal hitting the floor, and Genryuusai calmly stepped forward, widening his hand to expand the golden flame out towards a cluster of dried twigs and branches that might have once formed a torch for hunters as they tracked down the bears for their fur. As the torch flickered and began to burn, Genryuusai gazed down on the creature his vine of energy had wound its way around, forcing the man to his knees to prevent him from falling headlong.

"There are better ways to greet your Sensei than that, Nagoya Shirogane," he said softly, lifting Ryuujinjakka's cane and tapping his former student gently on the top of the head, "though I grant that your reflexes haven't dulled any in the short time since our last meeting."

"Genryuusai…sensei." Shirogane's words were little more than a whisper, shock and dismay in his grey eyes, and Genryuusai relented, releasing the _Hainawa_ rope from around his companion's body. Bending down, he retrieved the fallen Ginkyoujiki, gazing at it for a moment then holding it out to his former student hilt first.

"You shouldn't relinquish your weapon so easily," he observed, and Shirogane grasped at his sword, colour rising in his cheeks at the simple reproach in the old man's tones. "Being taken off guard by a low level Kidou spell shows a lapse in judgement that is unforgivable in one who's attained the rank of Vice Captain."

"I…I…"

"You are not well, my boy." Genryuusai dropped his teacher's tone, concern flickering across his gaze as he reached out a hand to brush Shirogane's brow. "You look thin and tired – and living in this place is not suiting you at all, is it?"

"You…knew I was here?" Shirogane struggled to recover his wits, staring at his companion with a mixture of wariness and surprise as he clumsily re-sheathed his sword. "The whole time? Even since…since the start?"

"Yes," Genryuusai said composedly, "but here is not a good place to talk. You have a nest of sorts up ahead, don't you? Several blankets have disappeared from school supplies since summer break, so I imagine you must have quite a cosy place to sleep, whatever else you might not have."

Shirogane was floored a second time, and Genryuusai chuckled, patting the fugitive on the shoulder.

"I received your letter," he said, as if it explained everything, "and I waited to make sure you arrived. But I haven't been able to act in any respect until I could put into place other things. I'm sorry it's taken this long – but I trusted Edogawa Mitsuki and Shiba Sora to be able to take adequate care of your needs until I could act."

"You…aren't arresting me?" Shirogane seemed to visibly relax at this, and Genryuusai shook his head.

"I have no intention of arresting someone who's come here in innocence with the intention of clearing his name," he said quietly, lifting the base of the torch from its sconce and gesturing to Shirogane to lead the way back down the tunnel to the open chamber at the end. Shirogane did so, and as they squatted on the blankets, Genryuusai found his thoughts flitting back to a far earlier time – a time when he and others had raced and hid around these caverns as young boys.

"I am very familiar with these mountains," he said pensively, notching the torch in a crack in the wall and setting Ryuujinjakka down at his side, "therefore finding you was never going to be a problem. You have suffered a good deal in your exile, though, I think."

"It's been difficult," Shirogane agreed, "but I'm all right. So long as you…aren't against me, I'll be fine. It was my last gamble, to come here and find someone who I thought might still have some faith in me."

He reddened.

"I also realised as I went on that I'd always underestimated the way you saw everything outside of the Clans," he admitted awkwardly. "I'm seeing now that those things aren't so strange as I had first thought. It made me realise yet again that you…probably are the only one who I can go to for help at present. I do not wish to cause upset for District One or for the Academy…but I have nobody else to whom I can reach out."

"I am an old man, Shirogane, but I never forget a student," Genryuusai said easily, "and more, I never forget their character. You have your failings, its true – but at the core of your being was always the Clan to which you so proudly belonged. That you would betray them under any circumstances is unthinkable to me. I taught you and helped you raise Ginkyoujiki's spirit, and so I am fairly confident in this fact. However, you are right. There is much unrest in District Six, and to reveal your presence here too recklessly might be to the disadvantage of many innocent people."

"I really didn't do anything at all, Sensei," Shirogane murmured. "Back home, I mean."

"Your letter has already addressed those things, and I'm not interested in hearing them again," Genryuusai said dismissively. "For the time being, we don't have much time in which we can talk. The Senior Class are currently engaged in a final meeting with Kazoe about their departure to the Real World tomorrow. I chose this time to come and speak to you, because it was a time when you would not be visited by your angels of mercy."

"The Real World?" Shirogane's eyes widened, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Yes," he agreed, "just as you and your fellows went, so will this class, too."

"Ryuu…as well?"

"Of course. Do you think there's a reason he should not?"

"Someone is probably trying to kill him," Shirogane said frankly, and Genryuusai shrugged.

"Yes, that's true," he agreed. "It makes it all the more imperative for him to go."

"You're using him as bait?" A flicker of anger stirred in the boy's eyes, reminding Genryuusai of Shirogane's first year at the Academy and the hot-tempered way in which he had reacted to any decision that had gone against him.

"He has volunteered himself to be bait," he said calmly. "That arrangement suits me as well. It suits you too, as it happens. Whoever is after your family – and probably it is someone not of Kuchiki blood at all – are almost certainly hiding in the Real World. Ryuu knows this, and he understands the dangers that will face him if he leaves the safety of my District for less well governed territory. Whilst I don't seek to let him get hurt, and have taken as many precautions as I can to prevent that, bringing the real killers of your young cousin out into the open is important. To clear your name and to clear your Uncle's name, you realise that, don't you?"

"I don't want my name cleared by Ryuu's being murdered!" Shirogane objected.

"Nor do I." Genryuusai shook his head. "Ryuu isn't a weak shinigami, though, and will be on his guard. Those with him will also be on theirs, since they care for him and consider him a friend and ally they would want to protect. As I said, I believe Ryuu to be as safe as he possibly can be in a situation like this. Besides, the alternative is to leave things as they are, and risk more lives being ended from the shadows."

"Let me go to the Real World with them." Shirogane seemed to make up his mind, but Genryuusai shook his head.

"There is no need for that," he said firmly.

"But Sensei!"

"_You _should not be anywhere near Ryuu for the time being. In order to establish your innocence, that is of paramount importance," Genryuusai pointed out. "I'm fairly certain that boy doesn't know you're in this locality, and I'd like to keep it that way for now. I want you where I can see you, and more importantly, where other objective people of note can see you. We will become your alibi, and therefore you will stay here. When they go to the Real World, you will come to the Academy – Retsu will know to expect you, and you will report to her first and foremost."

"But!"

"You are not well, Shirogane." Genryuusai's tones became unyielding and he fixed his former student with a very particular glare. "Your spirit power is fragmented and incomplete and you were hopelessly unprepared when I came upon you, proving that at present you're in no fit state to fight anyone of any skill, let alone the assassins who have already succeeded in killing Ribari-dono. You need nutritious food and water, and you need a safer place to rest – not to mention proper clothing and a chance to recover from the stress of your journey here. Retsu is the best positioned to resolve all of those things, and I'm sure you won't argue with her as much as you're arguing with me."

He eyed his companion contemplatively.

"Or I could send her to fetch you, I suppose. That might work just as well."

Shirogane's expression became one of dismay, and he shook his head.

"No…no, sir, it's all right. I'll come to the school tomorrow morning, just as you say," he said hurriedly. "There'll be no need for anyone to come get me – I'll come of my own accord."

"Good." Genryuusai smiled. "It may be that I keep you for some short period of time – until things in your District have become quieter. Even if we can prove your innocence, Shirogane, I don't believe it to be safe for you to go home straight away. A lot of bad feeling has been stirred up by all of this, and so…"

"Seiren-dono may still be out for my blood?" Shirogane's eyes darkened, and Genryuusai nodded.

"There is a possibility that it might take time for evidence to filter through and change people's opinions," he said gravely. "I believe Seiren-dono was fond of Guren-dono's son – therefore, it may take a little more time for him to accept that blood is not on your hands."

Shirogane let out a heavy sigh.

"Is Mitsuki also going to the Real World?" he asked softly, and Genryuusai smiled.

"Of course," he agreed.

"And Ukitake?"

"You are curious about your District _deshi _too, even after so many years?"

"He's one I trained," Shirogane said dismissively. "I want to know he's not letting me down. They do say a student represents his _shishou_ in times of combat, do they not?"

"Ah, now that sounded more like the Shirogane I tutored," Genryuusai chuckled. "Good – a little of your own spirit remains, even when your body is as beaten down as this. Yes, you need have no fear of that. Ukitake Juushirou is currently my Anideshi – and as troublesome and wilful an Anideshi as all of those who have preceded him."

"Myself included, I imagine." Despite himself, Shirogane looked rueful, and Genryuusai's eyes became amused.

"You can acknowledge it, therefore you have truly grown up," he observed. "Ragged as you are right now, and weakened too – I'm quite heartened by this meeting. Your letter too told me that a lot of things had changed. Maybe this situation was sent to teach you those lessons you refused to learn any other way…what do you think?"

"I think karma has been having its merry way with me of late," Shirogane sighed, "but…Sensei…will Ukitake really be all right? The Real World is a dangerous place, and…"

He faltered, and Genryuusai frowned.

"Shirogane, who do you believe is behind all of this?" he asked quietly. Shirogane shrugged.

"I don't know enough to be sure," he said cautiously, "but I think…the girl who framed me was the missing Endou _hime_. I forget her name, but I know that there were wild searches when she went missing. Sixth Squad even took part in some of them along the border – but we never found anything and nor did anyone else. I wouldn't have thought of it at all, I don't suppose – although she made me suspicious that she wasn't what she claimed to be. But something Ukitake's young brother said made me realise about her name, and…"

"Ukitake's…young brother." Genryuusai's eyes became slits. "Then I _was_ right. You were sheltered by his people and they helped you to contact me before you left District Six?"

"I thought you might realise that by the choice of messenger, but it was the only manner I had of doing it." Shirogane looked troubled. "I don't want any repercussions to fall on them for it, though, and I especially don't want Ukitake to get wound up in it. I don't suppose that he cares too much for my help at present – but his family saved my life and I want to make sure I don't repay that fact by making any of them lose theirs. That includes my _deshi_ – and I know what a hotheaded fool he is."

"He is indeed," Genryuusai sighed resignedly, "but those sometimes make the best shinigami."

A wry smile touched his lips as he drew on the faded memory of a man in Clan robes, reprimanding his own hot-headed impulsiveness so many centuries before.

"You are probably right," he added now. "The girl in District Six is certainly suspicious and there's a good likelihood she is Endou Eiraki. There's also some evidence to suggest that the Shihouin who reportedly attacked Guren-dono – the one you remember Ribari seeing the night he died – is Onoe Tomoyuki, a former student of mine of Ukitake's year who lost all his mental facets after encountering a powerful poison. In order for that to be possible, someone else must be manipulating at the very least him – perhaps both of them – to do his bidding."

"Then it _is_ the Urahara. The one Guren-sama and the Council tried to hunt down." Shirogane's brain was obviously working at speed now, and Genryuusai nodded.

"There is a supposition that that's the case. Yes," he said gravely. "You are not his target at present – but I don't want to make that change. Therefore you'll come into my care and custody tomorrow morning and we'll see how things go from there."

"Do you think they will reveal themselves, if you let Ryuu go to the Real World?"

"I think that if they are serious about destroying the Kuchiki, killing Ryuu is unavoidable," Genryuusai agreed. "I also don't suppose this Aizen wants to face me if he can avoid it. He might have a Bankai level sword, but the fact he hasn't chosen to face Guren-dono in the way he killed Shouichi of the Endou indicates he's not entirely sure of his strength in combat of that nature. Your Clan Leader is very strong, but there have been stronger within past generations of the Kuchiki – and I have more years experience to call on than most. If Aizen wants Ryuu, the Real World is the best place for him to tackle that problem. And when he does…hopefully…their true intentions will be revealed."

"If it goes wrong, Sensei, the Kuchiki Clan will have lost their only surviving heir," Shirogane pointed out softly, and Genryuusai sighed, reaching out to tap his student's arm.

"If that happens, I will take responsibility with your Clan," he said frankly, "and I will also do something else, Shirogane. I will push for them to accept _your_ claim…and I will not relent until they accept you. It may seem callous – but you might consider my helping you as my way of forming a back up plan as much as it is to protect you from harm."

"But I can't…I'm not…"

"I am old." Genryuusai smiled. "I remember things before you or your current kin. I know why the Kuchiki do not allow women to rule – I remember far enough back into the past to a time before that law was set in stone. I remember a young girl who would have made a fine Clan leader, but her husband was too greedy for power and his manipulations of her position almost brought your whole family to ruin. From that time, the female line was debarred. However, before that time…before that time, the sons of daughters of Clan leaders were included in the succession, albeit only after the male line was exhausted. People did inherit through the female line, and took the Kuchiki name on doing so."

"Really?" Shirogane stared, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Really," he agreed. "Eleven centuries ago, when the Kuchiki were fighting a war with the Shiba over territory, both the Clan leader and his son were killed in battle. The only remaining male contender was that leader's nephew – the son of his younger sister. That young man took hold of the Clan, won the war and set in stone the foundations that made the family what it is today. He is a Kuchiki considered 'great' by history – yet he was not born with the Kuchiki name. It was bestowed upon him in order that the Clan might move forward."

"I never…heard of such a thing before," Shirogane murmured. "I've read the histories, and I know to whom you are referring. Yet I did not ever see any mention of his ancestry being as mine is."

"Such things don't suit the Clan to remember, and so they were written out," Genryuusai said wisely. "Things often are, among Clans. Only those of us old enough to remember really have a grasp on the truth. Your family's traditions now are fixed and agnatic and your own position negligible. Yet history is on your side. There's something you really haven't considered, but I'm quite certain others have."

He got slowly to his feet, reaching for Ryuujinjakka.

"Seiren-dono would likely not be fighting so hard to establish Ryuu's claim over your own if there was no chance at all you were eligible to rule the Kuchiki Clan." He said simply. "He is not a foolish man, even if he is zealous and somewhat obstinate in his views. Probably he doesn't know the things I have just told you – but he is intelligent enough to realise that there is a loophole which can still be exploited and which could put Ryuu's claim at risk."

"I'm not looking to take Ryuu's claim or the Clan or any of those things, Sensei," Shirogane protested. "You make it sound like there's grounds for me to do so, but I've never…"

"I believe you," Genryuusai said simply. "You are not a traitor to your Clan, and therefore you would not try and tamper with the accepted order of things. But being aware of the full situation is important for someone whose own standing is as tentative as yours currently is."

He smiled.

"Your Grandfather was an enigmatic individual in many respects, and the history he left for his children and grandchildren was to a good degree fantasy as well as fact."

"I know…in some ways…about that." Shirogane looked thoughtful. "Senaya-sama liked to form his own version of the truth at times."

"He did what was best for the Clan." Genryuusai nodded. "I don't know all of the details of those decisions, and I wouldn't like to guess on things I know nothing about. What I do know is that Senaya-dono was not afraid to break rules if it meant forging a more successful future for his family. He almost certainly broke several rules. I trained both him and his brother, and so I know that if Senaya wanted to make something truth, he would do so, regardless of the actualities. Guren may be forced to resort to the same method – to make something truth even if it is not."

"Something like…?" Shirogane looked blank.

"The son of the Clan leader inherits the Clan," Genryuusai said simply. "You are not Guren's son – but you are his blood nephew and your bloodline is as good as Ryuu's or Ribari's when it comes to the succession. You don't have the Kuchiki name. But as I've just explained, if you were to be given it…"

He trailed off, and Shirogane's eyes widened.

"This is not the era of eleven centuries ago, nor the era of Senaya's illusions," Genryuusai smiled, "but there is still one obvious path that hasn't been explored. Seiren is probably aware of it – that Guren could easily choose to adopt you and give you the succession. With your bloodline and reputation as it is, probably it would not be widely contested, and you have no parents of your own to object. Providing your name is cleared, there seems no reasonable grounds to stop such a thing from happening. Indeed, the opposite – I'd wager your mother _deliberately _put you into Guren's path when she died - for that very reason."

"You mean…just like Seiren-dono wants Ryuu to…Okaasama wanted me…" Shirogane was stricken, and Genryuusai sent him a wry glance.

"Your mother was not an innocent, frail young thing waiting to die of sickness," he said softly. "I met Senaya's children when they were young, and it struck me then that she was the only one to inherit his ability to create truth as well as speak it. Frailty probably became her weapon and her shield and nobody suspected her. Also, she could not have known Ribari would be killed, so it's unlikely her intention was so blatant as you're thinking. But leaving her son in a position where the Clan leader noticed him…could not have hurt your standing after she was no longer there to protect you, now could it?"

"Okaasama." Shirogane swallowed hard. "And I didn't ever think of it – but I imagine that you're right."

"As Masane-hime's son, you have no rights at all," Genryuusai continued, "but as Guren's chosen descendant – that makes things very different indeed."

"So that's what Uncle is afraid of," Shirogane whispered. "I've always been ahead of Ryuu in training and now I'm Guren-sama's Vice Captain, which is a rank usually reserved for the heir to the Clan. Ribari-sama would probably have taken it from me when he came of age, but he never got the chance. That's why Seiren-dono has been this way. He either thinks I've conspired to remove Ribari-sama to gain his position, or…"

"Possibly," Genryuusai acknowledged, "although I hold the opinion that Guren chose you as his Vice Captain and intended to keep it that way. He would have given the Clan to his son, Shirogane – but I think he chose right when he awarded the deputy's badge to you. Probably he saw you as the best candidate to support Ribari as he grew into his future role – and so put things in place to ensure that when he was gone, your standing at his son's side would not be doubted or questioned."

"Maybe," Shirogane sighed. "We'll never know, will we? Ribari-sama will never get a chance to prove his worth or his ability to the family now."

"That pains you, doesn't it?"

"It does," Shirogane nodded. "He…was truly like a younger brother to me, Sensei. That's the reality of it. I…really didn't expect to lose him."

He clenched his fists.

"I would've spent all of my life serving him and Guren-sama in whatever way I was needed." He muttered. "To do so would be to hold a position of honour and trust, which is all I have ever sought or hoped to do. Instead all of this occurred…and I have been robbed of everybody who I held dear."

"Not everybody," Genryuusai chided him. "Mitsuki and Ryuu have not given up on you, now have they?"

"I suppose…not," Shirogane admitted. "Mitsuki has taken good care of me, and Ryuu…if Ryuu is willing to risk himself to help clear my name…"

"But if Ryuu died, and Guren chose to foist the Clan on you, you would almost certainly become the next target." Genryuusai brought the conversation back down to earth with a bump. "I don't mean to let that happen – so you'll come to the Academy and you'll do as you're instructed while there. Understand?"

"Yes…sir." Shirogane struggled to gather his wits.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow." Genryuusai made to leave, but as he reached the chamber opening, he paused.

"Mitsuki and Sora don't need to know any of this," he added lightly. "They only need know you'll be quite all right when they're not there to look after you."

Shirogane nodded slowly, and Genryuusai smiled, then ducked through the cavern opening and into the tunnel beyond.

_Sometimes gambles pay off and sometimes they don't. Tomorrow we'll see what's what, I suppose. Providing all goes according to plan, my protecting Shirogane should be an unecessary precaution – but just in case, if the only other potential heir to the Kuchiki is in my hands, Aizen Keitarou can't possibly destroy that Clan. Kinnya probably saw that too – that or something like it, and so allowed Shirogane to leave District Six in peace. I can't imagine he was unaware of any of it – not knowing Kinnya how I do. If he's acted that way, and I act like this – between us we might safeguard the future of the family if the worst comes to the worst. But I pray it won't come to that._

A faintly regretful expression flickered into his eyes and he tightened his hold around Ryuujinjakka's cane.

_Getting involved in Clan disputes is never a pretty thing. I only hope this isn't going to be one of those occasions where a lot of innocent blood is spilled._

_

* * *

_

**_Author's Note_**

_All hail the hungover Juu!_

_Next chapter will see them in the Real World. Be prepared o.O._


	52. The Real World

**Chapter Fifty: The Real World**

"So this is it, huh?"

Shunsui stepped out of the dark tunnel of energy that connected Seireitei with their destination, pausing to gaze up at the sky that hazed in blues and whites high above their head. In the branches of the trees, birds sang and insects buzzed, but though at first glance it resembled the forestland of District One, there was something very different in the atmosphere that made him look again.

_Almost as though it's an illusion. Either it is, or we are. One or the other._

Thoughtfully he bent down to touch the blades of grass, feeling the dampness of dew against his skin. He brought his hand up to his face, examining the smeared droplets as they glinted in the early morning light.

_Water, just like in Seireitei. But it's not like in Seireitei. I'm not sure how to explain it – I just know that that's true._

"What's up?" Juushirou came up behind him, and Shunsui turned, offering him a rueful smile. His friend had entirely recovered from their night out now, his appearance marking him out as a dutiful senior student with authority and responsibility to carry out the tasks he had been given. His lank white hair was tied firmly back from his face with scarcely a stray wisp to catch the gentle breeze, and his uniform was smart and trim, a black band at his wrist indicating that he was group leader and therefore in charge of the safety of those in his company.

A short distance away, Akira had also exited the _Senkaimon_, an identical band of ebony looped around his wrist. Unlike Juushirou, whose bearing only just managed to conceal the excitement of having crossed from one world into the other, the Yamamoto boy looked faintly impatient, and for some reason Shunsui found his smile widening at the contrast.

"This world has a strange feeling to it," he said now, turning back to his friend. "I almost feel as though we stepped into a dream state – don't you?"

"A dream state, huh?" Juushirou lifted up his hand to feel the cool rush of air that gusted through the trees. "Maybe. There's something lacking here – but even though it's lacking, it's also here in abundance. I know that doesn't make sense, but it's the only way I can explain it out loud."

"Lacking but in abundance," Shunsui repeated thoughtfully. "Yes. Maybe you're right."

"What it lacks in spiritual composition it makes up for in mineral deposit." Ryuu joined them, his own expression sober. "The dichotomy is easily comprehensible when looked at in those terms – our world is a spiritual one, but Sensei told us that this one is grounded in more stable elements."

"You might think it's comprehensible. I'm not sure I can spell comprehensible, let alone dichotomy!" Enishi grinned, clapping his Kuchiki friend on the back and almost sending him flying. "Whoops. Sorry, Kuchiki – I didn't mean to shove you over. Let's try and speak proper normal speak while we're in the Real World, huh? Since we're paired up, I won't understand a word you say unless you drop your vocabulary level to mine for a while."

"You should read more books," Ryuu told him acerbically, steadying himself with a dark glare, "and what kind of partner you will be if your first act is to floor me, I really don't know."

"Well, if Houjou cripples you, it means nobody else will need to," Kai joked, sending Ryuu a wink as he and Hirata hurried to join up with Akira and his party. "Good luck, all. We're heading east and you're heading west to the different camp sites. It's quite some distance apart – so we probably won't cross paths again till we go home. Try and remember to bring all extremities back with you – and we'll swap stories then."

"Same goes for you!" Shunsui's off-hand rejoinder neatly prevented Ryuu from making any kind of retort, and Kai laughed, waving his hand to indicate he had got the message. After a backward glance, Hirata turned to follow him, and Shunsui could hear Akira's carrying tones scolding them for loitering when they were on duty.

"West and east." Juushirou's words brought them back to the present. "Do we have everyone? Mitsuki…Sora?"

"Right here." Sora, the last out of the _Senkaimon_ raised her hand, and Shunsui watched as the black expanse of emptiness disappeared, swallowing up the delicate blue-black butterfly that had guided them from the Academy to their destination. "That was a funny feeling – didn't you think so? I was starting to wonder if I was getting Gate-sickness – I didn't think it would be such an up and down transit."

"How can you get travel-sick from walking through a tunnel?" Ryuu stared at Sora in surprise, and Sora pulled a face.

"When you have a _zanpakutou _spirit like mine bouncing in, out and around your head at the same time, you can," she said blackly. "Trust me, Kuchiki. Besides, it's a rougher ride at the back of the pack. You were right up front with that wretched butterfly – but even though Sensei stabilised the tunnel so that we could use it, I still didn't think it was very safe."

"Technology's come on a long way, though, in a short time," Juushirou reflected. "It's amazing, really, what Nagesu-sama and his scientists have managed to construct even in the few years since the crisis in District Seven."

"We all know who's to thank for that," Shunsui said darkly. "There's an odd kind of irony that we're here as quickly as we are because of _that man_ and his tinkering with space, time and dimensional doorways. Before the Hell Butterfly became more widespread, it apparently took a couple of days to get students here safely and a couple of days to get them back."

"At least he had some purpose," Ryuu said frankly. Juushirou nodded.

"I suppose that's the bright side of it. We have better travel networks now than we had before," he said pensively, meeting Shunsui's gaze for the briefest of moments. Shunsui grimaced, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'd be happy to walk everywhere if it meant _that man_ didn't exist," he said evenly, "so let's not talk about him. Sensei's instructions talked about an abandoned settlement two _ri _west of here, where we can make our camp. I don't know what time it is in this place, but if this world works like our world, I think rain might be on the horizon. Therefore…"

"We should make for camp and go over basics." Juushirou nodded. "You're right. Ryuu, you have the map, don't you?"

"I do, but I don't need it if all we're doing is finding our camp location," Ryuu said pragmatically. "I have already memorised the coordinates for the area we need, and it is a fairly straightforward path. I'm not sure it is even two _ri_, not if we take a direct route – but Kyouraku may be right about the risk of rain."

"A little rain never hurt anyone," Enishi said philosophically, gazing up at the sky. "We can survive a downpour or two, can't we? It is autumn."

"I wonder if it is," Mitsuki put in pensively as the group of six fell into step together, each one of them taking in their surroundings as they walked. "The seasons here might not be the same as the ones we're used to – and we don't know if Real World rain is the same as it is in Seireitei."

"Sensei would've told us if rain was dangerous," Enishi pointed out. "He didn't, so I guess it's fine."

"I don't think the water here is harmful," Shunsui added thoughtfully. "There's dew on the ground and it seems to be fairly…well, like water to me. But it's what Ryuu said earlier – about the way this world is made up. There's very little spiritual vapour in the ether. Don't you guys feel that too? It's as though someone's switched off all of the things we usually have around us."

"It's a very…quiet world," Juushirou agreed. "Now you mention it, I see what you mean. In Seireitei, there are so many spiritual sensations that you just get used to reading and differentiating them from one another. But here…there's very little to even pick up. The air seems a lot clearer because of it – or maybe that's because there are less creatures here which have a spiritual footprint."

"You're getting all scientific again," Enishi grimaced. "I really hope there isn't going to be a theory paper on all of this, because you've lost me. There are trees, there's grass, there's sky. Somewhere here there's people, but they won't be able to see us because they don't have spiritual awareness and therefore won't know we're here. If there are Hollows – we kill them. If we find any stray souls, we bury them. What else matters? We don't need to know about spirits and their footprints unless they're big and ugly and belong to Hollows. Right?"

"Enishi," Shunsui laughed, patting his friend on the back, "you have a way of bringing us all back down to earth. You're right, of course. It doesn't matter. It just makes the world seem a lot emptier all of a sudden – that's all."

"I'm a little aware of it," Sora said thoughtfully. "Hotarue is more so than me, so that's probably why. But we should be able to find Hollows more quickly if that's the case. I can actually sense Yamamoto and the others at the moment, even though we're heading in opposite directions. Back at school, I can't often do that."

"Your spiritual senses are obviously set to a frequency called 'white noise'," Shunsui grinned, "which would explain a lot."

"Shut up!" Sora glared at him. "I was being serious."

"Me too." Shunsui adopted an innocent expression. "Here there isn't any white noise, so you're finally picking things up clearly. Maybe you've found your calling, Sora-chan."

"Sensei really has left us to our own devices, hasn't he?" Juushirou reflected. "I didn't think he would – not completely. But the thirteen of us are the only ones who left the _Senkaimon_, and the campsites are quite some distance from where that opened – though admittedly Hirata and Kai's seems to be further afield than ours in some respects. We're going to have to be really on our wits if we're going to manage to do everything we've been sent here to do – and prepared to use shunpo to cover distance, which I suppose is part of the point."

"That's a part of the test, I imagine," Ryuu raised a hand pensively to touch the wind. "Since there is little spiritual energy here, replenishing it via normal methods will be more difficult. We can eat the food in this world, and it will sustain us. But perhaps it will not break down so easily into _reiryoku_ – so either we should conserve our power until we need it, or we'll have to make doubly sure we can consume enough proteins in order to function effectively in this environment. Finding supplies will become paramount, I imagine, in the next few days."

"What do we know about our area again?" Enishi asked, and Shunsui frowned.

"It's near a river – which should hopefully mean fish - and not far from a temporary settlement that replaced the old shacks we're going to be able to use as shelter," he remembered. "We might encounter the local people from time to time – but they shouldn't be able to see us, so it shouldn't matter. If they can't see us, we can't barter or trade with them for anything, so we'll probably have to do as Ryuu says and hunt for our own food as best we can. Sensei wouldn't have sent us to an area completely lacking in that kind of thing though – and we are all armed with a custom designed sharpie if we need it. Some of us with more than one."

He patted the swords at his waist, then continued,

"From the brief we had, the area has a moderate level of Hollow appearances – but a lot of the land beyond the settlement and river is a wasteland. According to Sensei, the district is called 'Wa' – which means peaceful, right? But I don't s'pose that's any more than a happy thought. I think there was a battle near here or something – I remember Kazoe saying something about us maybe tripping over bones."

"Bones?" Mitsuki shivered.

"Don't the Real World people bury or cremate their dead?" Sora wondered, and Juushirou shrugged.

"No idea," he admitted. "I don't know anything about the people here. None of us do – none of us have ever been here. Still, if they can't see us, they can't hurt us – so it shouldn't matter if we cross their paths."

"There are stories of a few who can," Ryuu warned. "I remember reading a recent report on it in the library – a Gotei officer and a subordinate were dispatched here after a particularly violent Real World battle in order to collect all the souls before they could turn and become Hollows. Apparently those who die violently and who have unresolved issues still in this world find it more difficult to leave and therefore war dead are some of the most at risk of becoming Hollowfied. In any case, whilst the shinigami were roaming the battlefield looking for lost souls, a young woman came across the land, weeping. As they were about to bury the soul of one particular unfortunate, she came running towards them, begging them to stop and to leave her fiance alone. It was a quite distressing scene all around, apparently – one shinigami had to somehow restrain her, whilst the other continued the _konsou_. The girl was quite distraught, and for a while there was a worry that the Real World population may be gaining the power to see spirits and people of our calibre. It was thought that it might interfere with our duty, and so reports were made and ideas pitched as to how to combat this situation."

"What did they decide?" Juushirou asked.

"I am not sure," Ryuu admitted. "It seems to be an ongoing matter for discussion. These 'sighted' people have since appeared in other Real World localities – but they are not the norm and it seems that for the most part what they witness is dismissed by their fellows as either hysteria or being blessed with visions of deities that surpass their own existences and therefore cannot be explained."

"Seeing ghosts," Mitsuki murmured, and Ryuu nodded.

"Yes. The faces of the dead in the world of the living – an unnatural occurrence at the best of times."

"Ghosts don't exist in Soul Society," Enishi said matter of factly.

"No, they don't," Shunsui agreed, "but they do here. If you think about it, Enishi, those dead are the people we're here to _konsou_. They are lost spirits and they need our help to get to where they're going. There are no wandering spectres in our world as such – but Rukongai exists as a dumping ground for those from this world."

"The people here sound really stupid," Sora snorted.

"What can you expect from a civilisation lacking in spiritual awareness?" Ryuu asked archly. "Think on it, Sora. They have only their eyes and ears with which to perceive their world and only their voices with which to convey their understanding of it. Such inconveniences must make developments very slow indeed."

"Okay. Enough!" Enishi held up his hands. "I'm done talking spirit science with you people now. We came here on practical experience. We didn't come here to debate theory."

"Hopefully we won't get too much practical experience on our first day," Juushirou said matter-of-factly. "I'd like to be able to sit down and go over everything Sensei gave us and told us before we left."

"So long as we're on our guard," Sora put in. "There's nothing in this area at the moment, though."

Shunsui was about to reply, but before he could Juushirou reached out an arm to pull him back as two small children ran across their path. They were robed in rough-dyed, woven kimono, tied loosely at the waist with a fraying sash, but though they passed less than a foot in front of Shunsui's nose, neither child paid them even the slightest bit of attention. The next moment the children were gone, and a man in his middle years, lean and somewhat bony emerged after them, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Come back here, you little idiots!" His words were clear and carrying on the morning air, and the shinigami students simply stared at him in bewilderment as he lifted the staff he carried, shaking it in clear annoyance. "Come back here and get what's coming to you!"

He disappeared after the young ones into the forestland beyond, and the six Seniors exchanged looks.

"Nothing in this area that has a spiritual pulse," Sora amended sheepishly, and Shunsui laughed.

"Yama-jii was right, though. They didn't even look at us," he said, a faint sense of relief flickering in his heart. "I didn't sense them coming, but even though they went right in front of me, they didn't even pause. It was like we weren't there at all."

"It's a funny feeling," Mitsuki shivered. "Almost as though we really aren't here."

"We are here," Ryuu told her firmly. "We are simply superior life forms and therefore we can see things they cannot. We can see them in all clarity – even if they have no reiatsu to be identified by. They are beneath our understanding, Mitsuki – you should not trouble yourself about such empty shells of people."

"No…we should," Juushirou shook his head. "Those empty shells of people, when they die, wind up in Rukongai. They become part of our world, and so…"

"They become part of Soul Society, but they do not become part of our world," Ryuu shook his head. "Such spiritless individuals could not survive in the purest centres of Seireitei – they are not built for such surroundings. People born in Seireitei all have reiatsu, even if that reiatsu is meagre and negligible at best. These creatures are different. They have no such thing."

"Well, either way, our job is to help them," Sora reasoned. "So even if they're not quite like us, we will, if we can. Right?"

Juushirou bent to pick up something that one of the children had dropped, turning it over in his hand.

"What have you found?" Shunsui came to peer over his shoulder, and Juushirou held it out.

"Ceramic," he responded. "It looks like a piece of a broken pot – probably if one of us had trodden on it it would've gone straight through the base of our sandals. One of the kids dropped it when he was running – I guess that explains why the man was so cross with them."

"So this world has cheeky vandals too, huh?" Shunsui took the broken fragment, gazing at it pensively. "This isn't badly made, either – probably it would've fetched a few _sen_ at market – or whatever money this world uses. No wonder the guy was angry."

"Just like the stall vendors used to chase after my brother Hiro when he was small." Juushirou's expression became nostalgic. "Okaasama almost banned him from going into town at all at one point, because of the trouble he'd manage to cause."

He cast Ryuu a grin.

"I don't think we're all that superior, on reflection," he decided, "just different."

"You always want to see the best in everything," Ryuu sighed, but there was warmth in his tones. "Very well. Perhaps you are right."

"Well, there's one thing to be said for them." Sora pushed back the final row of bushes, gesturing towards an open expanse before them. "They know how to grow food."

"Food?" Enishi moved to gaze out over what Shunsui quickly realised was a paddyfield, the green shoots of the rice plants poking up through the muddy brown of the water that surrounded them.

"No kidding." Juushirou knelt down at the edge of the path which ran somewhat unevenly alongside the wide irrigated field, reaching out to touch the nearest green stalks with a grin. "This isn't so different from back home, either. There are whole areas to the south of my family's land which look like this. Father had involvement in them when he was alive – we had more land to work with then. Some of it is still run by my Uncle and Aunt, and I think they still produce rice."

"Do you think they'd notice if a few plants went missing?" Sora wondered. "I don't know anything about preparing rice for eating, but these look like quite big plants."

"Juu?" Shunsui cast Juushirou a questioning look, and Juushirou reddened, looking sheepish.

"I said my Father had involvement. Not that I did," he owned. "I lived with my Aunt and Uncle until I was a year old – but obviously I don't remember much about that. Whenever we went to visit them, I only saw the paddyfields from the upstairs windows – I wasn't usually allowed to go wandering free about the estate like some of my siblings. They fussed over my health even worse than at home, so I didn't go harvesting rice or anything like that. I've no more idea what to do with that than any of you have. I'm pretty sure you have to drain the field of water first, though…so I don't suppose these are ready to be harvested yet anyway. We'll do better if we can find wild fruit and maybe some mushrooms – Mitsuki should know what's poisonous and what's not, right?"

"I should hope so," Mitsuki agreed.

"You lived with your Aunt and Uncle for a year?" Shunsui blinked. "That big woman who tries to smother you the moment she sees you…her?"

"Yes," Juushirou burst out laughing, nodding his head. "She took me in after I was born, since Hahaue died and Father really didn't know what to do about me. After he re-married, and when he knew Okaasama was going to have Hiro and Chi, he wrote to my aunt and asked her to bring me back home – but up till that point, I was with her. Father didn't want to send me away from home – but I think he had a lot to deal with himself when Hahaue died."

"Then that explains why you only met your stepmother when you were a year old…I wondered about that." Shunsui's eyes twinkled mischievously. "I thought it odd since Chi and Hiro are only just more a year younger than you – but if you weren't living at the main estate, that'd be why. I thought for a while there might be some deep, dark scandal in the Ukitake-ke – I guess not, huh?"

"Absolutely not," Juushirou said firmly. "My father was a very honourable man – he wanted the best thing for everyone."

"I dread to think how Kyouraku knows Ukitake's aunt," Ryuu put in dryly, and Shunsui grinned.

"I spent the winter of First year at his house," he said simply, "and she decided to come visit her precious nephew to make sure us nasty Clansfolk had left him in one piece. She seemed very fond of you, Juu – I suppose that's why."

"She's fond of everyone, but yes, I suppose me especially," Juushirou agreed. "My family's like that, on the whole."

"Something warm to be protected at all costs – right?" Mitsuki sent him a quizzical glance, and Juushirou nodded.

"At all costs," he agreed firmly. "That's why I'm here."

"Well, speaking of here, I think we are too." Enishi strode forwards, gesturing to the land beyond the paddyfield. "There seem to be some old one-level buildings just beyond that rise – I'm guessing they're where we're going to camp out for the next few days, right? It doesn't look as though there's any smoke for fire or any sign of people there."

"I believe that's it," Ryuu agreed, "and we should reach them before the rain begins. That will allow us a little time to go over everything we've been given and plan our mode of action for the next few days."

"Sensei paired us, so I think we'll patrol in those pairs for the most part," Juushirou decided. "I'm not overly keen to stumble onto Hollows, but that's one reason we're here so we'll have to make sure the surrounding area is kept clear of those while we are. Plus if we find any of those Plus souls…we can try and use _konsou_ to send them to Rukongai."

"I'm still not quite up to speed with that." Sora gazed at her sword pensively. "Hotarue won't sit still and concentrate for long enough to let me. She's all over the place, buzzing around like crazy most of the time – I wonder if she'll ever manage it at this rate."

"Yuuyugo can, though, so so long as we're together, there won't be a problem," Mitsuki pointed out. "Yuuyugo doesn't like it much – and told me so – but she will do it. We'll be fine, Sora-chan. I'll leave the Hollow-slaying to you and Hotarue and Yuuyugo and I can tackle the _konsou_."

"Then we'll begin with our first patrols tonight," Juushirou decided, "whatever the weather. We'll find food and set up camp and then we'll see what kind of place we've really been dropped into. That all right with everybody?"

"Suits me," Shunsui agreed. "Whether there are or aren't dangerous elements around these parts, we have a job to do and I can't see us being allowed back to school until we do it."

"I should rather not encounter any dangerous elements, but if they are there, perhaps we will come to understand more about their motives," Ryuu reflected, "and in the meantime, I shall sate some of my frustration on the monsters prowling this land. Houjou, I look forward to working with you."

"Likewise," Enishi grinned. "Dangers aside, I'm looking forward to this. I think it might prove to be fun."

* * *

The sun was beginning to set over District Six by the time Keitarou left the _Senkaimon_, a sharp breeze whipping around his face and reminding him that the seasons were moving quickly onwards. Sakura had long since been replaced by the red _momiji _leaves, creating a bloody hue across the forestland where in the spring the Kuchiki celebrated purity and new life.

That morning, he had keenly felt the distortion in the atmosphere not far from where he and his companions had been making their camp. Warning Eiraki to keep close tabs on Onoe and for them both to stay deep in their mountain cave hideaway until her returned, he had left immediately, knowing that he had a very small window of opportunity with which to carry out his errand.

It was a gamble, he acknowledged, as he crossed the grounds of Seiren's manor with brisk, determined steps. There was every possibility that his target would have increased security around his grounds, or even called on help from the main house to capture the shadowy character that had interfered so much in the Clan's life.

But Keitarou liked to gamble, especially at times when he was fairly confident of a win.

As he reached the main buildings, he paused, narrowing his gaze as he allowed the cool night air to penetrate his senses. It was faint and indistinct, eroded by the weather and by time, but there it was – the unmistakeable taint of the Clan leader's reiatsu. However, the guards that protected the estate remained much the same as before. Not one individual questioned him as he infiltrated the servants' level a second time, and Keitarou allowed himself a faint smile.

Perhaps Guren _had_ been here. But he had clearly not stayed, and Keitarou felt fairly sure that that meant he had been rebuffed by his brother.

_Seiren is smart enough to understand what I've done to him. If Guren was to realise that his spirit power had been unsealed, it would doubtless create several questions about how and why. If it was to become widely known that it was __**Seiren**__ and not Guren who was born first…it might even create a permanent split in the family. Seiren knows I have that evidence and so long as I do, he can't speak against me. But by not speaking against me, he's inadvertently becoming complicit. The more secrets he keeps for me, the more he's obeying my will and the more he is betraying his brother. Clans are so easy to manipulate when founded on honour and pride, but of all of those I've encountered, this one most of all._

He paused at the top of the stairs, resting a hand against the wood panels of a sliding divide as he interpreted what lay beyond. A bitter, sweeping sensation, raw and unrefined rippled through this layer of the manor, and though Seiren's study was at the furthest end of the long corridor, Keitarou was already keenly aware of every nuance and spasm of the man's burgeoning spiritual power. It was a strange sensation, he reflected – perhaps it had become so ugly and distorted because of the length of time it had been sealed, but the scientist in Keitarou was not given to making those kinds of assumptions.

_That snippet of paper Eiraki found suggested something else. Seiren's spirit power was something so horrific that it had to be sealed away. By releasing that lock, who knows what I've unleashed – but I'm interested to see. It's been a week, more or less, since the last time we spoke. If my estimates were correct, the threads I left inside of him should have worked the seal loose almost completely by now. In this place full of spiritless individuals, nobody can tell just how dangerous Seiren's reiryoku is getting to be. It hasn't raged out of control – yet. But I imagine he's in a poor shape – which makes me wonder how much more it will take to make that magic truly explode._

He pushed back the sliding door, steeling himself to walk through the fetid morass of spirit particles that seemed to saturate every nook and cranny. His keen senses were his weakness now – whilst the menial staff who could not detect reiatsu went about their daily work unaffected, for a shinigami with a Bankai level _zanpakutou_, the situation was quite different.

_I'm fortunate that he doesn't have any control over what he's doing. If he did, with a power like this he'd be able to floor me quite easily._

Keitarou gritted his teeth.

_But then, power of this kind probably can't be moulded into something you can use at will. It's broken and deformed. Juushirou's spirit power was raw and unsettled at times, but it wasn't like this. That had potential. This just has death written all over it. Seiren's best option would be to take his own life before it consumes him – but the fact I still feel this so strongly means he's still trying to live. I wonder whether that means I still have a chance to manipulate him before it proves too much._

There was a guard standing outside of the study door, his own expression somewhat preoccupied, and though the man did not detect Keitarou's approach, the look on his face made the scientist realise he understood something was badly wrong.

_The fewer witnesses the better._

He raised his hand, murmuring the words to a particular kidou spell, and the guard's eyes widened for a moment before dulling and clouding over, his hand slipping from his sheathed sword and his knees buckling beneath him. His fall into unconsciousness was almost in slow motion, and Keitarou caught him deftly, lowering him to the floor. Killing Seiren's people would serve no purpose, and his interest was not in minnows.

His interest was in the monster that lay beyond.

The oppressive waves of spiritual energy were far worse this close to the study door, and as Keitarou manipulated the lock open, he realised how like the dark energy that formed the core of a Hollow it was. Fleetingly he wondered whether Seiren had potential for Hollowfication experiments, and then he caught himself, a wry smile touching his lips. Curious as the whole scenario was, he didn't have time to waste on frivolous side-ventures. Keitarou was sure that Genryuusai would not leave his precious charges in the Real World for too long – and there was always a chance that Ryuu's inclusion was to make him 'bait' in a trap to lure out Ribari's real killers.

_I must act before my name and my intentions are properly revealed. If we take this chance to kill Ryuu, it will probably be impossible to conceal our identities any longer. I must deal with Seiren now – and let everything else take its course._

He pushed back the door, stepping into the study and pulling the divide closed softly behind him. As he did so, the wrap of kidou magic that had shielded him from Seiren's housestaff melted away entirely. Concealing himself from Seiren was a waste of time, for the man had already seen his face and knew far too much to be deceived any further about his motives.

"What did you do to Shibata?"

Seiren's voice was soft, but full of ice, and as Keitarou's gaze flitted around the dimly lit chamber, he met the cold grey eyes of his target in the furthest corner, leaning up against the window frames. It was clear that up until a moment earlier he had probably been gazing out over the darkening landscape – and the bright gleam of the evening moon was consequently the only light that now illuminated the study.

Though the man seemed calm, Keitarou knew that this was an illusion. Seiren's brow was taut with concentration, each word spoken in effort, and Keitarou thought he saw the first silver strands in the other's dark hair – a sign of age brought forward by his struggle to contain his rogue _reiryoku_ alone. And it was a struggle. As the scientist assessed his subject, he carefully gauged the nobleman's instability.

_I'd say six tenths likely to explode at any moment – four tenths not. But that's an ever-changing ratio – tomorrow it might be a different story._

"He's sleeping. I didn't hurt him."

Being this close to those powerful ripples of spirit power took every last inch of Keitarou's composure and concentration, but somehow he kept his voice level, offering the Kuchiki a slight smile. "I came to see you – as your ally, killing your servant would be pointless."

"You're no ally of mine." Seiren's tones were full of hate, but it was clear that movement was difficult for him, and that he truly was using every inch of his willpower to suppress the dark energy lurking within. "You did _this _to me – don't act as though you came here on my behalf."

"If you want to be technical about it, the one who did that to you was Senaya-sama," Keitarou said flippantly. "As your father, this…" He gestured towards his companion, "is entirely his responsibility. His folly too, as it happens. He shouldn't have let you live – you know that too, don't you?"

Seiren did not answer, and Keitarou nodded.

"Guren was here," he continued levelly. "I wonder what it was he came to say?"

"I said nothing to him of your coming," Seiren snapped. "Much as I wanted to, I did not."

"Sensible," Keitarou reflected, "but I already guessed as much. You don't want your brother to know _any_ of this, do you? About your spirit power, about your true place in the Kuchiki line – those things are secrets you'd like to keep to yourself."

He pursed his lips.

"I thought you'd decided you wanted to live, but it isn't that," he realised. "You're willing to die, but only by natural causes – and eliminate yourself from the family tree without bringing shame down on your son. That's right, isn't it? So that Ryuu can become Guren's heir without any complication – you intend on having your death recorded as illness and nothing more."

"You can't do anything with me if I'm dead," Seiren said flatly, "and as you said – my life shouldn't have existed. I've made up my mind, Aizen. I won't let you manipulate me, not even for a moment. I've left the court and I won't return there. I've told Guren to continue without me and he has. There's nothing left for you in this – if you kill me, you'll only achieve my aims more quickly, won't you?"

"I see." Keitarou let out a soft chuckle. "Well, I admit you have more intelligence than I gave you credit for. Perhaps that was in compensation for the spirit power you had sealed away. You're right, of course – this will probably kill you. I thought that my threads would have completely torn apart the seal by now, but I can tell it isn't quite at that point. You've been resisting it, I suppose – because of the harm it might bring to people around you. I'm not sure how much longer you can do that – though I'd love to make a study of it and find out. But if you were to die of natural causes, it would mean that Guren's claim to the Clan no longer had a living competitor. The information I have might be rendered worthless, since Guren inherited the family in a time before Ryuu was born. I can see your reasoning and I agree, it makes sense."

"Then you should know I have nothing to talk to you about."

"Ah. But you do." Keitarou's gaze became predatorial. "So long as your son is in Genryuusai's care, all should be well – that's what you believe, isn't it? But at present, your son isn't in District One."

"What?" Seiren's eyes widened, then he shook his head impatiently. "Not possible. There's no way he'd be anywhere else without my knowledge – you're bluffing."

"Am I? Perhaps." Keitarou's eyes danced with amusement. "But can you risk it, if I am? You've proven to me that your life is now worthless. I accept that proof and acknowledge you are right. But just because you've resigned yourself to dying doesn't mean that this is over. I can still find your son and if necessary, I can take his life. Unlike you, he doesn't know my face or my name. Since you kindly didn't tell Guren about me, I doubt any warning was sent to District One, either."

"You're lying," Seiren said blackly. "Ryuu is safe and in the care of Genryuusai-sama and I won't let you manipulate me with your deceptions."

"I don't tell many lies," Keitarou responded simply. "Truth is a far greater weapon if used to its full potential. But very well, Seiren-dono. We'll see who's telling the truth."

"Leave this place!" Seiren snapped. "I do not make deals with traitors and neither do any of my family! You can try and spin any web of deception you like with that spider's sword of yours – but I won't be fooled by it. Ryuu is in Genryuusai-sama's custody. There's no way that would change without permission of a senior ranking Kuchiki, and no way either I or my brother would give consent for such a thing in a climate such as this! You won't manipulate me, Aizen – you have my word on that!"

"If that's your final word, then I'll accept it," Keitarou nodded, "and I'll do exactly as you wish. Just remember, a lord's decisions rest on his own shoulders. Whether or not he can live with the consequences – or maybe in your case, die with them – is another matter completely."

He offered Seiren a brief, insincere smile.

"I would wish you luck with that, but there doesn't seem a lot of point," he added. "I congratulate you for your willpower to date – and I'm fascinated to see how long it takes to actually eat you away inside. Of course, I'd have liked to have made better use of you – but it seems that I won't change your mind. Oh well. It was worth a try."

He let out a low chuckle.

"Of course, if your son wasn't around, things might be different," he said lightly. "I wonder who the heir to the Clan would become then…?"

With that he was gone, slipping easily into shunpo and withdrawing from the Kuchiki lord's manor.

_It's decided then.  
_  
He sighed, shifting his body deftly through the streams of light and energy until he was a safe enough distance away to re-activate his hidden Senkaimon.

_At the moment I can't use Chudokuga to bring Seiren under my control, and whilst his mind is fixated on Ryuu, there's nothing else to be done than kill the boy. That means walking into whatever trap Genryuusai has set for us – probably the Council too. I doubt that they're remaining entirely mute on this subject. They may or may not have guessed our involvement – but they almost certainly are using Ryuu as bait. I would rather not kill him while there are people like that watching – but there's no other choice now. Seiren's body is unstable. I'd predict he may have at most two or three weeks of life left. When his power overwhelms him, it will doubtless have a knock-on effect for his house staff – but in that house, the only ones who would die would be minnows. If I could change that…_

His eyes narrowed.

_Seiren's resolve to absorb as much of this into his body as he can is a nusiance. He's allowing it to destroy him from the inside rather than unleashing it on the world outside, so that he causes as little damage and fuss as possible. He wants his son to believe he died of illness that much? Or more likely, he wants to make sure Ryuu's future isn't damaged at all by what's happened to his father. Paternal affection is another Clan weakness when it comes to sons._

His lips curled in derision.

_The only course of action left is to kill Ryuu. Take him out of the equation and everything changes. If Seiren no longer has something to protect, I might yet achieve my goals. There really is no choice but to risk slipping into the trap, is there? At least while I still have Onoe, there's still a way to turn this to my advantage._

_

* * *

_  
"Well, in the end it didn't rain."

Enishi strode briskly across the wide expanse of wasteland, turning to cast a grin in his companion's direction. "We won't get muddy our first night, anyhow – the clouds have shifted over and the moon's quite bright in the sky. At least, I s'pose that is a moon? Sure looks like one to me, but with all the babble you were all spouting about the make up of this world, I thought I should check."

"So far as I am aware, Houjou, that is indeed the moon." There was a note of wry humour in Ryuu's response, and Enishi laughed, reaching out a substantial paw to pull his companion over a sudden dip in the earth.

"Careful where you're treading. Sensei wasn't kidding 'bout this place being full of bones," he said, as the Kuchiki boy cast him a quizzical glance. "Look. Ribs, I think – and what's left of a skull."

He prodded the fragile white object with his toe, bending down to peer at it more carefully.

"Looks like something smashed this guy's brains out," he concluded cheerfully. "I guess he didn't know much about it. But that's warfare for you – sometimes it goes like that."

"You're inordinately happy considering you just found the remains of somebody whose skull now resembles bits of broken eggshell," Ryuu scolded. "We aren't here to gather souvenirs. You do remember what our job is in being dispatched here this evening, don't you?"

"Sure. I just thought it was interesting." Enishi nodded, abandoning the skull and slipping his thumbs loosely into the folds of his _obi_ as he obediently strolled alongside his shorter companion. Ryuu was by no means miniature, but next to the well built Enishi he appeared far smaller than he was. For some reason in this open wasteland the Kuchiki boy found he was glad of that fact – although he had said that he did not want a bodyguard, it was comforting now he was here to know that he was not only not alone, but paired with six foot plus of loyal muscle who would back him up in a heartbeat.

"Interesting?" He arched an eyebrow now. "How so? I fail to understand how the decomposing waste of this world's civilisation holds anything of value for shinigami like us."

"Just that, though. It's not like it is at home." Enishi's broad features took on an uncharacteristically thoughtful look. "Sensei said this was a battlefield, right? That's what we were told and it looked that way from the map when we were all gathered round it earlier on. The battle was ages ago – but the bones are still here. If it was our world, they wouldn't be. But here, they are."

"That's the difference between a spiritual plane of existence and this one." Ryuu shrugged. "You didn't seem particularly interested in that earlier on, however."

"I'm not," Enishi said, with characteristic bluntness, "but we're looking for Hollows. Aren't we? That's what our brief is."

"Your point is?"

"Part of that person's body is still here," Enishi replied. "Can they become a Hollow, when bits of them are scattered around like this?"

"I would think so," Ryuu nodded. "Otherwise there wouldn't be such a problem with Hollows associated with violent war-based death, now would there?"

"I s'pose not." Enishi was sheepish. "All right. That's a point too. In which case, that body's pretty much discarded when someone dies in this world."

"Yes..?"

"And it just stays there always?"

"Unless somebody or something moves it, I suppose it does."

"Doesn't that make you wonder a bit," Enishi frowned, "about the kind of people who live here?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about now, Houjou," Ryuu sighed. "Please, stop being so obscure."

"That's probably the first time I've ever foxed you with my line of thought," Enishi laughed. "But what I mean is…if that was someone you cared about, even if their soul wasn't a part of it any more…would you just leave it there to bleach and rot in the sun? Animals might tear bits from it and scatter the bones – but nobody's come to move it. There are others, too – part submerged in the ground and abandoned. Doesn't that make you wonder what the people here think of each other?"

"I see what you mean." Despite himself, Ryuu's eyes clouded and he nodded his head. "A corpse is a corpse in any world. Regardless of culture differences, the dead should be taken and treated with respect by those who love them. Whether that be buried, cremated or some other ritual – it's still true. If not…"

He glanced around the wasteland, seeing it with new eyes.

"Perhaps there were no loved ones left," he murmured. "This area's been burnt, Houjou. I didn't realise it before, but it's not a battlefield, not as such. It may look like an empty wasteland now, but it was…it used to be a settlement. Maybe that's why the other one is abandoned, also. The people here were all slaughtered by invading enemy forces. That meant there was nobody to care about burying their dead…and so they lie here like this."

"Heavy stuff," Enishi said gravely, "especially since there's a town over the rise that's new and apparently growing rice near here without a care in the world. There are bones in the field a stone's throw from a thriving settlement. To me that suggests that town was built by the invaders…"

"And that we're here to protect a community that murdered another one to take their land?" Ryuu looked aghast, and Enishi shrugged.

"S'war for you," he said sadly. "It's not pleasant wherever you take it. But yeah. That's what I thought."

He turned back to glance in the direction of the bones.

"Makes me glad he didn't know much about it, when death came," he added, "but I can see how souls here would get warped into Hollows. If you saw your village like this…and then lost your life without being able to protect anything you cared for – you'd linger. I understand it for the first time, I think – why people in this world get driven into being Hollows."

"Perhaps I do, also," Ryuu murmured. "It reminds me of District Seven's purge – only in a more complete manner."

"Mm." Enishi nodded his head. "When Clans go to war, it really is the Districts who suffer, isn't it?"

"I suppose so," Ryuu acknowledged, offering his friend a rueful smile. "You are quite perceptive this evening, Houjou – perhaps the clearer air suits you too."

"No…" Enishi grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "It's not that. I don't do well in a classroom – words aren't much to me unless there's something to back them up. What's written down on a page doesn't stay in here,"

He prodded his brow.

"If you teach me the same thing in the field, I'll hold onto it probably right away. It's just how my brain is."

Before Ryuu could respond, there was the soft sound of something on the wind, and he froze, straining his ears to make out the faint cries of what sounded like a young child. A glance at Enishi out of the corner of his eye told the young Kuchiki that his friend had also heard the frightened sobs, his expression one of concentration as he gazed right and left across the burnt out field.

At first, nothing was visible. Then in the gleam of the moonlight Ryuu saw the faintest flash of what might have been bleached fabric, and he reached out to grab Enishi by the arm. The tall boy nodded, his fingers resting briefly above the hilt of his weapon as they both made their way towards the source of the noise, neither one quite sure about what they were going to find.

Was it a trap?

Ryuu could not help the tension that rippled through his body at that thought, and he faltered briefly, then gritted his teeth, forcing him to overcome his hesitations. The sobs were getting louder now, and it wasn't as though he was going into this alone.

_I'm not the pitiful little boy who used to cry and cling to my nurses when the lights went out. I'm not afraid of the dark now – I'm an adult and I have a job to do._

As he told himself this for the third time, Ryuu saw what had been causing the noise, and a wave of relief crashed over him as he registered the tiny form of a young child, his clothes ragged and torn and his hands and face smudged with dirt and ash. It did not seem as though he had seen the shinigami approach, and Ryuu was about to assume that this creature was another of the senseless, spiritless beings that made up the Real World when suddenly the boy raised his head, meeting the Kuchiki's grey eyes with a tearful brown gaze. As he did so, his eyes widened, and Ryuu saw a flash of what might have been fear cross the youngster's countenance.

_So this one can see us? Hrm._

"What's up, kiddo?"

Enishi was the first one to reach the boy's side, paying no attention to the apprehension that now flooded the child's features. "You look lost – did you get separated from your family?"

The child sniffled, staring at Enishi for a moment, but did not answer, and Ryuu moved to join them, his brows knitting together as he carefully and meticulously processed the young one's appearance once again.

He was a child of maybe four years old, or perhaps not even that, Ryuu acknowledged, and his clothing suggested he was a local, for he was dressed not dissimilarly to the young boys they had seen crossing their path earlier that day. However, the ends of his kimono were ragged and torn, and consternation crossed Ryuu's features as he recognised the distinctive signs of singeing across the fabric. The boy's hair too was loose and uneven, the ends coming away in fragments of ash on the midnight breeze, and in the centre of his chest was a metallic object, attached to which were two or three links of a rusty looking chain. Ryuu's gaze fell on these momentarily, and his heart lurched in his stomach as he understood what it was they had found.

This child was not a resident of the local settlement.

This child was…

"Houjou, this boy is…" he began, but Enishi put a finger to his lips, nodding his head as if to indicate he understood what his friend wanted to tell him.

"You don't need to be afraid," he said now, his tones softer than Ryuu had heard them before, and he placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder, offering him a grin. "Who is it you're looking for, kid? Your Ma? Your Pa? Both, perhaps?"

The boy gave another sniff, nodding his head dolefully.

"Mama and Papa were in the house. Then the fire came and everything went red," he whispered, "and I can't find them. I've been looking and looking, but I can't find them."

"Houjou, we're not going to manage to find…" Ryuu began, but Enishi turned to meet his gaze.

"We'll help him find his parents," he said quietly. "Helping lost souls is what a shinigami does, isn't it? If it isn't, why are we here like we are?"

"Hou…jou?" Ryuu blinked, and Enishi got to his feet, pausing for a moment then bending to scoop the youngster up in his arms. With a deft swing of his shoulders he had the youngster perched atop his back, tiny legs each side of his broad neck.

"You can probably see better up there than down here," he explained cheerfully, "and since Kuchiki and I don't know what we're looking for, you're going to have to be the one who's playing lookout."

"Houjou, I really don't understand what you're trying to do." As they strode out across the field, Ryuu raised his voice in frustration. "That boy is quite clearly not like the others we saw earlier. The chances of us finding his parents are…"

"I know," Enishi said frankly, "but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't look for them."

"What on earth do you mean?" Ryuu was confused, and Enishi sighed.

"This kid is one of the people from this village. Right?" he said softly, lowering his voice so that the child could not hear him, and Ryuu nodded.

"You can tell that too, then?"

"Of course. Aside from the fact he can see us, the moment I saw him I knew that he was," Enishi agreed. "He has a chain, doesn't he? It's a dead giveaway, even if I couldn't tell there was something else funny about him."

"Then our job is to send him to Soul Society, isn't it?"

"It is. And we will," Enishi agreed, "but a soul with unfinished business is a problem, isn't it? Isn't that why they turn into Hollows in the first place?"

He cast Ryuu a sidelong glance, faint amusement in his dark eyes.

"Weren't you paying attention in Sensei's first lecture?" he teased. "_Konsou_ can't be forced on a soul who's not ready to accept it. Not if it's going to work properly. And this one's a young'un. What's happened to him already so far is unforgivable. Does it hurt anything if we at least look for his parents before we send him to a place he might never see them again?"

"I suppose…not…but…"

"If there's a Hollow about, this mite won't stand a chance," Enishi added frankly, "so it's better we keep him with us while we patrol. If his parents aren't here – well, we won't be able to send them down with him, and it'll be a shame. But they might be here. We don't know. And if they are…"

"We should send them together," Ryuu murmured. Enishi nodded.

"Do you mind?" he asked doubtfully. "This is sort of my whim, I know, but it seems like the way it ought to happen."

"No…I don't mind." Ryuu managed a faint smile. "I feel a little ashamed for not seeing your train of thought more quickly. You really are much more in your element out in the field like this, aren't you? You are barely more than a year my senior, and yet just now…"

"I don't like sad endings." Enishi looked sheepish. "It's a long shot, but I'd like to know that this kid's folks aren't looking for him round these parts before we send him to Rukongai. If we don't find them, probably they've already been sent there…and so we can probably convince him to go of his own accord. Therefore, nobody gets hurt and everyone wins."

He raised his gaze to the kid who, oblivious to his elder's conversation was already eagerly scanning the wasteland for any familiar figures, his tears drying against his skin.

"You'll do that for us, won't you, kid?" he asked. "If your Ma and Pa aren't here any more, it means friends of ours sent them to another place already. If they're not here, will you let us send you to where they are? That way you'll have a better chance of finding them, I'm sure."

"Mama and Papa might not be here any more?" The child cocked his head on one side, and Ryuu nodded.

"It's possible others from where we're from have already come to take them to a safer place," he said pragmatically. "There was a bad fire here, by the looks, and the houses are all but destroyed. It's dangerous for you to stay here. If we find people wandering this area without home or shelter, we're to send them to a place they can find both. Your parents may already be there – so if we can't find them here, will you allow us to help you get there?"

"Mm." The kid looked pensive for a moment, then nodded his head. "I s'pose so. Since there's scary people round this part, an' I don't want to be caught by them. I thought you were them to begin with, but you're not."

"Scary people?" Enishi's ears pricked up, and Ryuu saw his friend's gaze flit his way. "What kind of scary people?"

"Huge ones. Like, as tall as a house or two houses or even three!" The youngster was excited now, waving his arms around, and Enishi let out a yelp, reaching up to steady the boy before he overbalanced.

"Careful," he admonished. "It's a long way down from there, I'm telling you."

"Did these scary people have masks?" Ryuu asked, and the boy nodded.

"White ones," he agreed. "They glowed in the moonlight. I've only seen one once – last night – in this area."

"Did it try to hurt you?" Enishi was concerned, but the boy shook his head.

"Something came and killed it," he said simply. "A man was here – and he cut it with a knife."

"So shinigami were posted here right up till last night." Enishi pursed his lips. "I guess that was a comrade of ours, kiddo – and that's part of our job, too. If you see any more while you're up there, let me know. We'll dispatch them too – nobody in this area should have to deal with those creatures, and they're very dangerous if you try to without the proper training."

"I was under the impression that there weren't any other shinigami to be in this area until we arrived." Ryuu frowned. "The Gotei have not spared any squad members in recent weeks – didn't Sensei say that this area had moderate Hollow activity but was not under regular Gotei management?"

"Yeah, he did," Enishi reached up to scratch his chin, "but who else could it have been? Only the Gotei have swords that can take down Hollows – and only the Gotei would dare try. So someone must've been here."

"He had a girl with him," the boy said helpfully, "and a man who might have been a dog."

"A…pardon me?" Ryuu blinked, and the boy beamed.

"Maybe he was a monkey," he said pensively. "I didn't see for sure, so I don't know. He was dressed all in black, and I didn't see his face. I thought he looked like a man – but the girl spoke to him like he was a dog and he obeyed like he was, so I thought he was. He was big, though, for a dog. Perhaps he was a monkey after all."

"I…have no idea." Enishi sent Ryuu a clueless glance, and Ryuu sighed.

"The more important duty is to complete our patrol," he said matter-of-factly, "not worry about dog-monkey creatures and shinigami taking out Hollows. There's nobody else here, Houjou. The boy is it – I suppose he was the last, and somehow he got left behind."

"I suppose so," Enishi sighed, kneeling down on the soft, black-dusted soil and helping his tiny charge to dismount. "I'm sorry. It looks like your folks went on the earlier ride – all we can do is send you along to join them now."

"Will it hurt?" As Ryuu began to draw his sword, the child suddenly looked afraid, but Enishi shook his head.

"If Kuchiki does it, you won't even notice," he said firmly. "He's good at stuff like this, so it'd be the best way, if Kuchiki helped you go."

"I'll do my best."

Ryuu pulled Shizurugi completely from its sheath, turning it so that the hilt faced the young boy. For a moment he gazed at the tiny features, taking in again the black smudges across the cheeks and the ugly chain that gave away how soon this child's life had ended. Although he would be sent to Rukongai, there was no guarantee he would meet his family again once he got there, and this fact made the young shinigami sad.

_Children should not be subjected to pain or terror in this way. To die in the ravaging of a village and to never have a chance to live a life…how can that be considered fair and just? This child is innocent, yet he has paid the ultimate price. His family are stolen from him, perhaps forever. This is not how it should be. This world is a savage one indeed…though I wish I could consider ours any better._

He took a deep breath, settling his composure, and slowly and softly Shizurugi's hilt began to glow with a purplish haze as the _monshou_ became gradually visible.

"You can close your eyes, if you like," he said softly. "When you open them again, I hope you'll be in the same place as your family."

The boy obediently closed his eyes, and Ryuu sighed, chewing hard on his lip. Then he gently placed the hilt of the sword against the youngster's brow, watching with a flurry of mixed emotions as the infant's soul sank down into the earth and disappeared.

Tears pricked at his eyes and he frowned, lowering his weapon and putting a finger to his cheek, bringing it away damp.

"Children should not die like this," he said quietly, and Enishi nodded.

"I agree," he said bluntly. "Nobody should die like the people here did. S'why we train and we fight, Kuchiki. So that they don't have to do so any more."

"If only that was true," Ryuu said regretfully. "I wish I could share your straight-forward optimism, Houjou – but I'm a Kuchiki, and therefore cannot."

"Then the Kuchiki Clan needs to pull itself together," Enishi said decidedly. "Are you all right? You look a little shaken up – was it hard, doing the burial?"

"No…not spiritually." Ryuu shook his head, sheathing Shizurugi carefully back at his waist. "It was as straightforward as Sensei reported, and I value having had the experience – thank you for letting me be the one to do it. I just…wasn't expecting to be affected by it emotionally."

"The kid was too damn young. That's why. Anyone with a soul would be upset by it," Enishi clapped a reassuring hand down on his companion's shoulders, "but it doesn't look as though there are any more souls abroad tonight…nor Hollows. More importantly, there's no sign of anyone who wants to cause you harm. I vote we go back to camp and report to Ukitake about tonight."

"But it's still early," Ryuu objected. Enishi shrugged.

"Maybe. But you look like you need a break anyway," he said honestly. "If need be, we can come back out again once we report – but since there's nothing threatening on the air this evening, it won't hurt to go back for a few minutes and see living faces instead of dead."

Ryuu gazed at Enishi for a moment, marvelling at the other's perception.

"Truthfully…" he said slowly, then paused, shaking his head as if to clear it.

"Truthfully?"

"As a child, I was afraid of the dark." Ryuu looked embarrassed. "My sister told me some horror stories and I would always protest when it came to my time to go to sleep. I disliked being alone in the blackness…but I thought such things I had long since outgrown."

He gazed up at the moon.

"Being out here, knowing there are people after me…and seeing the result of this world's savagery…I suppose it shook me," he added, "but I'll be all right. We don't have to go back…I'll be all right. Part of this is about facing fears – so thank you, Houjou, but we'll report when we're done. It's better that way."

"Whatever you like." Enishi grinned. "If that's what you want, that's what we'll do."

"I'd prefer you didn't share what I just told you with the others. Shihouin in particular."

"I've already forgotten it," Enishi said lightly, though Ryuu knew from his companion's expression that the other student had not, and had simply spirited the information away, never to be spoken of again. "We've cleared this area completely, so I suggest we move on to the next point on the map – that way we can cover more ground before it's time for us to check in."

"All right." Ryuu paused once more to glance at the spot where the young boy's soul had vanished. Then he nodded, turning on his heel.

"I'm with you. Let us go."

* * *

_**Author's Note: Ancient Japan**__._

_Juu and Shun are too old, technically, for the area of Japanese history I have a particular interest in, so my pointers are vague and possibly a little off in some respects. However, 2000 years before current storyline would be around the end of BCE and the beginning of AD year counting in Western terms. This would place Japan currently to be within the 'Yayoi' period of Japanese history. _

_I'm not writing a history book, and there may be some artistic licence used. BUT I have tried to keep within the confines of the right period at least. Bearing in mind that Seireitei in current canon is stuck in the Edo period (17__th__-mid 19__th__ century) before the time of the sword-ban and the end of the Shogunate, the time factor may be a little off. However, Yayoi crosses a wide period of time – and I therefore believe that the time that Juu and Shun and co go to real Japan is during this period._

_The Yayoi period was also a time with plenty of battles over land, territory and establishment of power bases. I don't know many details about these individual power struggles – but it seems like a good explanation for the sudden influx of Hollow souls into Seireitei during this period!_

_Anyone who's interested, google it xD. Although I still have to admit I would've rather sent them to the Heian-jidai. ._


	53. Spirit On The Wind

**Chapter Fifty One: Spirit on the Wind**

"They're definitely here, just as you said they would be."

Eiraki ducked her head to get into the narrow opening of the cavern, dropping down against the cold stone wall with a sigh. "I made out five or six of them heading in this direction – but my brother wasn't among them. That's probably a good thing, though – if he's not there, he can't stumble across me."

"They split into two groups, I believe." Keitarou paused in his polishing of his _tantou_ knife, offering his companion a sympathetic smile. "I've sent Onoe to scout out around the others, just to make sure of their movements so I know where they are. I don't imagine they'll interfere in what we're about, but it never hurts to be sure. Take a moment and rest, Eiraki-chan – you look tired out and it's getting late. We don't need to jump in and do anything this evening – let them settle for a little while before we think about making a move."

"I don't mind," Eiraki acknowledged, reaching for the gourd of cold stream water and taking a sip. "Kei-sama, Hirata-nii wasn't there, but Mitsuki-neesama was. She was with this group, and probably she'd find me quite easily if I got too close. It might not be safe for me to spy on them when they're all together."

"When they're all together," Keitarou echoed thoughtfully, setting Chudokuga down on the floor beside him. "So they aren't sticking entirely as a group?"

"In pairs," Eiraki shook her head. "I suppose that's how they've been told to operate or something. I don't know."

She shrugged, taking another sip from the gourd.

"Ukitake-san was there, though," She reflected. "I recognised his white hair."

"Yes…I rather thought he was," Keitarou's eyes became narrow at this. "I can't really explain it clearly, Eiraki, but I knew he'd come to the real world the moment he stepped through the gate. Perhaps there's more of a connection between him and me at present than I thought – or between his soul and Chudokuga, maybe that's more accurate."

He patted his blade contemplatively.

"I suppose it confirms that not every thread of my magic was removed from him the last time we met. That'll be interesting – I'll look forward to renewing our acquaintance."

"Kei-sama, what are we going to do?" Eiraki asked softly. "You said that you thought the old sensei had sent them here to lure us into some kind of Council trap. If that's true, are you still planning on killing Ryuu-dono?"

"There's no choice but to," Keitarou said frankly. "It may be a trap, but we've not fallen into any of those so far. These are smart and precocious young souls, but they are still inexperienced and they don't really pose me a threat. I haven't detected any sign of anyone else in these parts – just the students on their own. If it's a trap, Genryuusai's taking a big risk that his Seniors can escape quickly enough through that _Senkaimon_ should danger threaten."

"There are more of them than us," Eiraki said apprehensively, "and they can fight with swords. Kei-sama, what if one of them hurt you?"

"You should have a little faith in me," Keitarou scolded, reaching over to pat her lightly on the head. "Nobody has managed to really hurt me in a long time. I may not be a swordsman, but I have my intelligence and that's weapon enough for most shinigami. Don't look so frightened – I won't take any harm from this encounter. If the Council know that I'm involved or not – at this stage it doesn't matter so very much."

"It doesn't?" Eiraki blinked. "But then why are we hiding?"

"Aside from the fact I want to keep you out of harm's way?"

"For my sake?" Eiraki pinkened, and Keitarou smiled.

"Somewhat," he agreed. "You are very precious to me and you become more so with each passing day. I can't afford to let anything happen to you – and you have less way to fight back even than I do. There's Onoe, and I can make him protect you – but I think as a weapon that one has almost certainly outlived his usefulness. Soon we'll discard him completely, and then I will have to think of something else."

"We could discard him now," Eiraki muttered. "You could tell him to stay out there in the wilds and not come back – nobody would miss him if you did."

Keitarou tut-tutted under his breath.

"Onoe has one more important job left," he chided. "Rough and crude as he is, he is more of a fighter than each of us, and getting his hands stained with blood is less distasteful than doing the job ourselves. If we don't kill Ryuu, there's a real risk of everything settling down and the Kuchiki having time to recover themselves. If we want to destabilise the Clans in Seireitei, there's no choice but to increase the pressure on them by eradicating the only other eligible Kuchiki heir. Killing the _bocchan_ is his final errand – whether he returns or not is unimportant."

"Can he win?" Eiraki murmured, and Keitarou shrugged.

"I'll make sure that it doesn't matter either way whether he wins or loses. Even if he's killed, the same applies," he said dismissively. "We can reprise the same technique as we used for the other one – that worked very well. Almost too well, when you consider how long it took them to piece clues together."

"Then you want me to…"

"Shadow him and ensure everything goes according to plan," Keitarou instructed. "Don't put yourself recklessly in danger, Eiraki – but you understand what it is I'm asking you to do?"

"Yes. I think so," Eiraki sighed, shrugging her shoulders in resignation, "and I'll do it. Don't worry."

"Do you have doubts about this?" Keitarou asked her softly, and Eiraki shook her head.

"I never have doubts in the world you want to create," she said thoughtfully. "I've seen for myself why the one that exists now is broken and needs to be torn down. I don't mind if the Kuchiki is wiped out, or if the other Clans are – it would be nice if people could live in Seireitei without being oppressed or tortured by the people who have too much power and money and who use it just to make people suffer. All of those things I understand and I believe in them too."

"Even if that means resorting to dark ends?"

"Even so," Eiraki nodded. "I told you – I'm not afraid of it. Whether I like it or not, I have Endou blood and Endou people exist to purge and destroy – I learned that a long time ago. You shouldn't worry about me becoming frightened or weak – I won't."

"I know that," Keitarou admitted. "I see it in your eyes – that bold spark of something that tells me you're willing to fight even against your family if need be."

"Then why are you asking?" Eiraki cocked her head on one side. "I don't understand."

"It may become more bloody from hereon in. It may last a lifetime, and it may be a lifetime steeped in blood," Keitarou said frankly. "I want to know that you can face that fact and still act."

"I already made that choice." Eiraki gazed at her hands. "I already crossed too many lines, and even if I wanted to, I can't go back. But I don't want to, so it's all right. You need people on your side too, Kei-sama. Like I said before, I'm your ally. I will be right up until I die – isn't that the duty of a wife towards her husband?"

"I suppose it is." Keitarou looked momentarily taken aback, then he smiled. "Very well. I won't insult your pride by asking you such foolish things again."

"It's all right." Eiraki shuffled up beside him. "It's because you care what happens to me – I know that. You're only thinking of my well being – so I don't mind."

She gazed up at him.

"Did you meet with that idiot Seiren?"

"Yes. I did."

"And he's still alive?"

"So far, yes, though struggling valiantly." Keitarou's expression became derisive. "I'm cross that I can't make better use of him, Eiraki, but Chudokuga won't let me infiltrate his heart the way I did your grandfather. Instead I have to potter about with other ideas. That's why it's become imperative that his son dies. At the moment Seiren seems happy to relinquish his life in the knowledge his line will inherit through Ryuu. But his power is on a knife's edge and could blow with the least amount of provocation. Therein lies the other benefit in killing Ryuu – because if we do that, Seiren no longer has anything to protect. That is his true weakness – I believe losing his son might very well drive him mad, and mad people are fun to play with when in the heart of a family's political meltdown. It should reignite the chaos and he'll draw a good deal of suspicion onto his actions and his family, perhaps dragging others into his downfall. If we're more fortunate, once his resolve to protect Ryuu has been broken, I might find a way to manipulate him more effectively against his kin. It's messy and I'd prefer to handle it in another way…but for now, it's the only path we have."

Then I suppose there's nothing to do but kill Ryuu-dono," Eiraki said matter-of-factly. Keitarou nodded.

"To which end, we'll watch these precious students of Genryuusai's a little longer," he agreed. "Onoe can be my eyes just as keenly as you can and he can move more swiftly after the sun has set. We'll bide our time and see how they act and whether they have protection with them or not. Then, when they least expect us…we'll strike."

* * *

The night was drawing in now over District One, and little by little the Academy was settling down for the evening, students hurrying to take late baths or collect forgotten belongings before the sounding of the curfew bell. At the window of the Healing Bay, a lone figure watched them, absently pulling his plain white robe more tightly around his body as he gazed out across the familiar landscape.

So much had happened, but somehow he felt comforted in a way he had not done for some time. Something that had been set ajar with the death of his cousin had little by little begun to work itself back into its normal alignment – standing here like this, Shirogane could almost imagine he was back at the Academy, the proud Anideshi surveying the many juniors who scurried around below.

Not for the first time since his adventures had begun, he realised what a safe place this school had been and how little he had understood the hidden warnings in his old Sensei's lessons.

"I suppose this must be a nostalgic moment for you, Nagoya-fukutaichou."

Retsu's soft voice made him turn, and he smiled, nodding his head as the tall, slender Clan leader entered the small sick room, setting a tray down beside the bed and gesturing for him to come and join her. He did so – despite the gentleness of her appearance Shirogane remembered with startling clarity that Unohana Retsu was not somebody most people dared argue with once, let alone twice, and as he settled himself more comfortably on the covers, the healer reached out to touch his brow, nodding as if confirming something to herself.

"Your spirit power is quite scattered. I imagine your thoughts have been, too," she said quietly. "When Genryuusai-sama alerted me to your situation, I was anxious for him to bring you here right away – but of course, this is not Unohana land, and I do not have the right to make such pronouncements. There is no neutrality of politics here like there is in District Four – and Genryuusai-sama was doubtless quite right to be cautious. Still…your condition is not as good as I would like. A long sojourn in a cave preceded by a difficult journey – you have faced a lot of things in recent weeks, have you not?"

"Mm." Shirogane nodded his head. "But right now I feel…at ease. I know it's far from over, but being back here makes me feel almost as though I've woken from a bad dream."

"Your cousin's death was a very bad circumstance indeed." Retsu's clever eyes became grave and she scooped up a steaming mug of something Shirogane felt certain wasn't tea, holding it in his direction. "Here. Drink this. Your body is undernourished and therefore struggling to rebuild your _reiryoku _– it may taste quite strong, but you'll feel better for it, I promise."

"I don't feel particularly ill now," Shirogane admitted, nonetheless obediently taking the mug and draining the contents. Somehow he managed to prevent himself pulling a face at the strong flavour, and as he set the vessel aside, he saw a flicker of compassion in the healer's eyes.

"You are not ill," she agreed. "A stubborn fever that comes and goes is not always a sign of medical ill health – but more a sign of recovery. Your body has been through a tremendous level of trauma, hasn't it? I have not had the chance to speak to Mitsuki-san about your condition, for obvious reasons – but I think the remedies she has been giving you have probably helped to tide you over and prevent things getting worse. Still, without proper treatment and rest, you can't hope to regain your full strength. Therefore until things here are a little more straightened out, I hope you will allow me to dictate your actions a little more than is perhaps my right."

"You're a Captain of the Gotei and my ranked superior," Shirogane said wryly. "You called me Fukutaichou, but I'm not sure if right now I even still hold the badge of lieutenant. That was my position, however, when I left District Six and I am therefore subordinate to your commands. I will do as you tell me, Unohana-taichou."

"Genryuusai-sama said that he thought you had grown up some way since your graduation," Retsu eyed him thoughtfully, "and I can understand his meaning. Sometimes shocks can cause one to re-assess their whole life – perhaps such a thing has happened to you."

"Yes…" Shirogane faltered, then shook his head. "No. I think I'd like it, if it had – but I can't say for sure that anything I've learnt of late will remain when things become peaceful and everything dies down. I want to find justice for Ribari-sama, and so I've done my best to survive to this point – but if things were to go back to a state of normality, I might easily forget the kindness I was shown on my journey here."

"A boy who knows his faults is closer to being a man than a man who claims he has none," Retsu said sagely. "It is down to you whether or not you remember, Nagoya-dono. Nobody else can remember for you – and nobody else is going to try. Whatever hardships you faced to come here only you really know. Whether they become foundation stones in your future actions or discarded like pebbles in a flowing stream is up to you."

"I suppose that's true," Shirogane agreed, his gaze flitting to the ledge where Shikiki's precious flute lay alongside the token that Funaho had given him. "I hope I don't forget, but I've realised that I'm very selfish, really. I don't imagine that will change just with a few months hardship."

Retsu chuckled.

"Doubtless selfishness is a lifelong enemy to battle with," she said reflectively, "but if you know that enemy, it is a good part of the fight. Nobody is asking you to change yourself, but if there are things you have learned – it would be a shame to discard them, would it not?"

"You said that I'd undergone severe physical trauma on my journey here, and that's left my spirit power in disarray," Shirogane mused. "It's true – such a thing did happen. I took a sword wound to my chest from one of the Kuchiki retainers – and though I escaped, I lost a lot of blood. My lung was cut through and I thought I was going to die."

He frowned.

"In that moment, when I thought there was no hope, I saw my cousin," he added softly. "I thought perhaps Ribari-sama had come to fetch me to the world beyond. But I didn't die. I was rescued – by a young girl of eleven or twelve and the family who support her. I've come to realise, Unohana-taichou – I didn't see Ribari-sama because he had come to take me beyond. I saw him because I still had unfinished business in _this_ world. For his sake I needed to keep living – since I was the only one who was with him that night who remembers anything at all."

"You loved your cousin a good deal, I can tell," Retsu said gently. "The pain in your spirit ripples whenever you mention his name. Your cousin was a young man and he should not have died. His murder was a terrible thing for your Clan both politically and personally – when I examined his body, I understood the love and grief with which his remains were shrouded. But I think that your wound is possibly deeper than that of your other division comrades. You said it yourself just now – you were with him the night that he died. Do you feel that in some way you should be punished, Nagoya-dono? Do you think the death of that boy was somehow your fault?"

"There are people who believe so. Or that it was by my hand."

"Yet I asked what _you_ felt, not what others did."

"I…suppose I do," Shirogane sighed. "Maybe I feel a little guilty for living when he died. I certainly feel inadequate for not having protected him, even with my life. I know that as it stood there was nothing I could have done. I'm aware that the drug in my system prevented me from doing anything at all. But that doesn't change the emotion of it. I…was fond of my cousin. I didn't expect to lose him."

"It's easier to think of avenging him and assigning blame than it is to simply embrace the grief of losing him, isn't it?" Retsu sighed, tut-tutting softly under her breath. "I see it often in those who fight with swords. People like to believe they are immune to danger and to death. When a comrade is killed, the first cry goes up to avenge him – but that vengeance does nothing for the one who died. I understand your wish for justice, Nagoya-dono – and I share it, also. A young man's life was stolen and somebody should be punished for that act. But it serves no purpose to feel responsibility yourself. You were not to blame. As a healer I can tell you this, because I examined all of you as well as Ribari-sama in the early hours of that morning. All of the five of you who lived were unwell – you alone might have also lost your life if not for Mitsuki-san's determination to save you. Ribari-sama's murder was committed by a force of evil. Understand that and move forwards."

She rested her hands lightly on his shoulders.

"Genryuusai-sama said you wished to go to the Real World with Kuchiki-kun, and that he'd refused to let you," she murmured. "His judgement was correct, even though I can tell from the restlessness in your spirit that you feel you should be there. You do not have to do penance for Ribari-sama's death. You do not have to shield Kuchiki-kun from the dangers that surround him. Your life is not forfeit in any of this. Please understand that fact. Whatever the Kuchiki Clan currently do or do not believe, there is no need for you to martyr yourself because of a regret that can't ever be changed."

"But…I…" Shirogane stared at her, his eyes widening as he realised how well she had read his thoughts, and Retsu laughed.

"You don't need to die for anyone's sake," she said lightly. "Doing so would do nothing to bring Ribari-sama back to life. Besides, I believe your loss would cause a good deal of grief to some significant members of your family."

"Such as…?" Shirogane frowned, and Retsu tut-tutted again, shaking her head.

"You believe your kin has lost faith with you, therefore you've abandoned faith with them?" she chided. "How does it help, to draw more lines in the sand? What's needed in this situation is unity, not division. Mitsuki-san and Kuchiki-kun aside, there are people in District Six who care for you a good deal. They are people who have already suffered a great enough loss…do you wish to make them grieve again?"

"Unohana…taichou?"

"Your Uncle Guren is very fond of you, Nagoya Shirogane," Retsu said frankly. "Whether you believe it or not – understand or not – he is. For that reason, you are still alive now. Do you really believe that if he was serious about hunting you down and destroying you, you would have escaped him? A man of his calibre? I think not. Guren-sama has _let you go _– because he hopes that if he does so, things will die down and it will be safe for you to return. I am absolutely sure of this fact – I have no doubts about it at all."

"Guren-sama's seal…was on the warrant the soldiers had," Shirogane said sadly. "I saw it. He wanted me…he just couldn't get me."

"Perhaps it was," Retsu patted her companion on the head as though he were a small boy and not the Vice Captain of a powerful shinigami squad, "but just as you've worked to protect those who sheltered you, maybe your Uncle too has other ways of acting that go beyond the obvious. Your innocence has to be established – him refusing to face the accusations or worse, trying to overrule them would not improve your situation at all. Doubtless he's gathering evidence as much as he can, in order to prove once and for all that you had nothing to do with the murder of his son."

She eyed him thoughtfully.

"At the Council session, after his life was attacked, he was very clear on making sure people there knew he was seeking you, but not under suspicion of any crime," she added softly. "I believe he wants to know you're safe, Nagoya-dono. Don't you believe that too?"

"I've always been very…I've always…admired Guren-sama," Shirogane acknowledged slowly. "As a child I had no father, not really – since mine was always away and then he died. Guren-sama was close to my mother, and when she died, he took charge of me. Sensei thinks Mother had plans for me…I'm not sure if she did or not. But Guren-sama…even when I was small, he showed me attention that I shouldn't have received considering my rank. Between Futsuki-dono and Guren-sama…I had male role models growing up. Yet…"

"When I reported to Guren-sama about his son's condition, he confided in me a few things that I…should probably not share with you now," Retsu said quietly. "It is irresponsible of me, but I think I shall do so nonetheless. Guren-sama intimated to me that everything he'd done for you from the moment your mother died was not of her will but of his own. More, that he chose you as his Vice Captain because he believed you were the right person – and made you Ribari-sama's _shishou_ so that he could strengthen the bond between the two of you. Guren-sama…seems to see you more as a second son than as a nephew. You did not see his fear or his relief when he knew that at the very least your life had been saved. You should put more faith in his human emotion, Nagoya-dono. Just because he is a powerful Clan leader with a tremendous amount of power and influence does not mean he is lacking in a heart. And yet, in spite of that heart, he is also now alone. You understand that too, I think – since your mother's death also left you alone, did it not?"

Shirogane sighed.

"I've let him down," he murmured.

"How so?"

"I left the manor and fled into exile." Shirogane raised his gaze to hers. "I should have stayed, shouldn't I? I should've countered Seiren-dono's arguments and fought back against the accusations, rather than disappeared. Probably that made me look more guilty – but what it definitely did was leave Guren-sama alone to deal with things like Sixth Squad. I deserted my duty on a proud whim of my own – whether Seiren-dono's accusations were fair or not, I should have reacted differently."

"Possibly that's true,." Retsu said pragmatically, "but we can none of us change the past, so instead of ruminating on it, let's look to the future, shall we?"

Her eyes twinkled.

"For tonight, I want you to eat the food I've brought you and make sure you rest soundly. Tomorrow, I hope you'll eat another good meal," she said briskly. "At present please remember that the students don't know you're here, and so I hope you won't do anything to make yourself a bother while you're under my care. I'll help you recover your full spirit power and then we'll see how things stand with your family. It's Genryuusai-sama and my intention to return you to District Six when we can – but until that time, once you're fit…I'm sure there'll be other things for you to do."

Shirogane gazed at her for a moment, then he smiled, bowing his head in acknowledgement of her command.

"I understand," he said softly, "and I'll do as you say. Thank you, Unohana-taichou. I'll think more on what you've said, and I'll endeavour not to be a troublesome patient from this point on."

* * *

"You know, Sensei could've chosen a far nicer terrain for us to camp out in."

Kai stretched his arms over his head, gazing ruefully around at the barren mountainscape that surrounded them on all sides. Unlike their companions, who had been dispatched into inhabited territory, Akira's group had been sent along entirely another path, and as they had progressed further and further to the east, the patches of grass and scrubland had become more and more scarce, giving way to a strange kind of blackish stone that none of them had ever seen before.

The moment they had reached their destination, Akira had given clear orders for them to set up their camp supplies and other bits and pieces inside one of the larger caves, and even eying it with the critical gaze of a Shihouin, Kai had to acknowledge that of the dips and holes this mountain boasted, the Yamamoto had chosen the best place for them to settle. The entrance was not obvious to anyone passing from the outside, but it was also not too narrow to slip into and even the most directionally challenged of individuals would have found it hard to get themselves lost once inside. It was also warm – Kai did not know how that was possible, but inside the cave was far warmer than the night air outside, and as he and Hirata had been charged with creating kidou lamps to light the base, Aoi had stumbled on a further chamber beyond through which ran a bubbling underground stream.

The water here was also warm, and Suzuno had soon confirmed that although it was high in certain Real World prevalent minerals, it was not harmful to drink. All in all, therefore, their arrival in the Real World had proved to be a smooth one.

A short time earlier, on Akira's instruction, Kanshi and Aoi had headed out into the darkness in search of food for the evening, and as an afterthought, the group leader had sent Suzuno and Naoko along with them, saying that Suzuno's expertise with identifying poisonous plants would come in handy. His reasons for sending Naoko he had not voiced, but Kai allowed himself a wry smile as he had realised the perception of his classmate.

Even in the short time they had been assigned together, Akira had apparently realised that Kai and Naoko did not have a very good working relationship. Despite Enishi's playful comments to the contrary, the friction between the two of them had been a long standing joke among their peers, and it was clear that even in such a short space of time, Akira too had picked up on the negative vibes. As a result there were only the three of them left at camp – Akira, who was some distance away surveying the area with his usual look of superiority, Hirata, who was assembling wood together to form a fire, and Kai, who had been charged with 'look out' duty. Though it was a job Kai had done in District Two many times during training, it had rankled his pride a little when Akira had said in his off-hand, imperious way,

"I suppose as a Shihouin, you'd be good at that."

However, thanks to a glance from Hirata, he had held his tongue, instead acquiescing with a quick nod of his head. That had been two hours ago now, and the sun had more or less set over the horizon, painting the landscape a rich ochre and red as it disappeared behind the peaks.

"I wonder why Sensei did send us here." At length, Hirata got to his feet, rubbing the dust and tree dirt from his fingers as he gazed at his handiwork pensively. "A level further down there was still a good amount of greenery – and right at the foot the forestland was in abundance. Yet we've been particularly sent out to camp here. I wonder if it's because of Hollows, or if it's because of something else."

"Sensei's ulterior motives often have ulterior motives. Probably it's better not to wonder too much about them," Kai said wryly. "It's quite far from where Kuchiki and the others are, which probably suits his purpose so far as I'm concerned. Maybe that's all it is – but probably there's a pocket of Hollow activity somewhere near these caves that isn't so prevalent down a level or two."

"Sensei might not want me near Kuchiki-kun, either," Hirata murmured, and Kai cast him a quizzical look.

"You're not planning to assassinate him, are you?" he asked playfully, and Hirata snorted, shaking his head with uncharacteristic impatience.

"No, of course not. Don't ask silly things, Kai-kun."

"Then why would you think Sensei'd want to separate you and Kuchiki?" Kai asked. "Your family is completely unconnected to this particular Seireitei scandal – more likely Sensei paired us this way for my benefit rather than because he had concerns about you."

He offered a smile.

"I don't know if I should say thanks or apologise to you, though – you'd have rather have been with Ukitake, wouldn't you?"

"I don't mind." Hirata shrugged, muttering the words to the Kidou spell and stretching a thin, pale finger in the direction of the cluster of branches and dried leaves. Kai watched as a perfectly controlled lick of red flame began to curl itself around the heap, catching light immediately.

"There. That should do it. I'm not the clingy child I was in the First year, and besides, Juushirou-kun has enough pressure on him in enough areas without making my decisions for me as well. I don't object to being your partner, Kai-kun – and you should know it, too. Since I spent time with your family, I'm almost like a little brother – isn't that what you said?"

"S'pose I did," Kai acknowledged. "All right, you win."

"You really do talk a lot when other people aren't around." Before Hirata could respond, Akira strode between them, pausing to cast an approving glance at the younger student's fire. "I hadn't realised you knew so many words, Endou – or that you could string them into such long sentences."

"There's no point in speaking just for the sake of making noise." Hirata sent Akira a level glance. "The fire is lit, Yamamoto-kun. What would you have me do now?"

"It's getting dark." Akira did not answer the question directly. "Kanshi and the others will hopefully be back soon, then we'll eat."

"I wonder what food supplies exist in this world," Kai reflected. "I really hope Amai knows the good stuff from the bad."

"You shouldn't question your senpai so easily," Akira said reprovingly. "Suzuno's no fool – she'll know."

"Amai-san isn't our senpai any more," Hirata said simply. "If I'm not needed here, Yamamoto-kun, would you mind if I went into the cave for a while? I thought I might organise the bedding a little better, since we really only dumped it in a pile so far. It might be warmer in there, but the wind's getting up and I think it'll be a cool night."

"Whatever." Akira flicked his fingers dismissively in the direction of the cave opening, and Hirata bowed his head slightly, his opaque blue eyes meeting Kai's amused ones for a brief moment before he withdrew from the area completely, leaving the two students alone.

"You know, you shouldn't treat him like a child, Yamamoto." It was Kai who broke the silence. "He may only just be twenty, but he's not an idiot."

"Never said he was," Akira said gruffly, "just what do you do with a shrimp like that? Make fires, prepare bedding – I'd expect one of the girls to fuss around over that, but no, it seems Endou'd rather take those tasks on. I only hope we don't face a situation where he has to draw his sword – I don't want to be reporting back to school with any injuries or fatalities."

"If that did happen, I guarantee it wouldn't be to Hirata," Kai said categorically. "You underestimate him…that's a bad trait for a leader to have."

"You're not a leader, so you really don't have authority to judge my decisions," Akira bristled, and Kai offered him a sweet smile.

"No, not yet. Not in Sensei's make-believe games," he agreed. "But next year, for real, I will be. My sister wants me to head her Onmitsukidou, so you can rest assured I'm learning as much as I can about being a good leader. I'd hoped you might teach me something on this trip – but I guess we'll see."

"You're cocky," Akira sighed, leaning up against a tree and folding his arms across his chest. "I'll grant you that your birthline's equal to mine, but you are still my kouhai, Shihouin. Whatever wrangling Sensei did with the classes this year, it doesn't change the fact you're a year less trained and at least a year younger than I am."

"True on both counts," Kai agreed, "but Hirata's right too, you know. You began as our senpai, but you're not really that any more. Last class tests, I ranked right behind you. By the time we leave – I wonder that anyone will know who was senpai and who was kouhai at the start."

"I'll know." Akira's gaze darkened. "Like I said, you're cocky. I've not had much to do with Shihouin before – are all of you as cocky as this?"

"I'm quite a mild example," Kai reflected. "How far did you send Souryou and the others, by the way? They've been gone plenty of time – are you sure they aren't lost?"

"They won't be lost." Akira shook his head. "Aoi's good at tracking paths, and he won't lose his way so easily. Besides, I gave Kanshi the map. They'll be back."

"You have faith in them?"

"Of course," Akira agreed with a nod. "Leaders delegate. I've delegated. Do you have a bone to pick with that, too?"

"Not at all." Kai shook his head. "I just think you should extend it to Hirata as well."

"When he's cut his sword-fighting teeth, then we'll think about it." Akira shrugged dismissively. "I grant his Kidou is good and his shunpo effective – but a shinigami is about the sword most of all. It's for his own safety, Shihouin – you should trust my judgement and let it go."

"Mm. I suppose we'll see," Kai responded. "I think you'll…"

He froze, pausing mid-sentence as he felt a strange prickle run up his spine, his eyes narrowed and, his fingers closing around Meimei Anshi's hilt, he leapt down from his rock, drawing the black sword from its sheath.

"Shihouin?" Akira's voice cut through his concentration and Kai frowned impatiently, gesturing towards the shadows beyond.

"Something's there," he said sharply. "Can't you feel it? Something's right on top of us."

"Hollow?" Akira's casual demeanour was gone in a moment, his own sword hand hovering above the hilt of his weapon. Kai did not answer, darting forward with all the characteristic nimbleness of a hunter trained for stealth. As he reached the far side of their chosen camp area, he felt the first wave of spiritual aura break over his senses – the unmistakeable warping of a broken soul as it trailed its huge body across the landscape. It _was_ a Hollow, he realised with a jolt, but it had felt so completely different in this vaccum of spiritual emptiness than it ever had in Seireitei. It was approaching them and at some speed. As he heard the heart-wrenching shriek split through the night air, he realised that the creature was hungry – and that they were probably it's chosen prey.

_Oh well. Better us than people from this world. We were sent here to fight Hollows – so I s'pose there's no reason to wait till after dinner to begin._

Kai adjusted his hold on Meimei Anshi, preparing himself to strike with all his usual composure and drive, but at the last moment the moon broke through the smoky atmosphere that made the sky over their campsite so heavy and bleak, filtering through in slithers to the land below.

It was only for a second, but in that brief flash of light, Kai's gaze met the gaze of another…and his heart stilled in his chest as eyes as golden as his stared right back at him across the rocky ground.

The next minute the illusion was gone, for the moon disappeared back behind its cloud, and even the outline of the individual was no longer anywhere to be seen. There was no presence on the wind, no sign of anyone having ever been there, but for the briefest instant Kai had been absolutely certain.

_Tomoyuki._

The word trickled like ice through his senses, and the Hollow forgotten, he hurried forward, reaching into the black for a shadow he knew was no longer there. Had it ever been any more than his imagination? Kai could not be sure, yet all his instincts were screaming at him that what he had seen had been no mirage.

"Shihouin! Look out!"

The next moment an ear-splitting cry broke through his daze, followed by something shoving him roughly to the ground. Belatedly Kai realised that the heavy, dark reiatsu of the Hollow was almost on top of him, and as he caught the glint of something silver sweeping through the air, he was aware of someone standing between him and the beast, protecting him from the swing of the monster's terrible claws.

Struggling to regain his grasp on his wits, Kai scrambled into a more upright position, a jolt of fear flaring through him as he realised he had loosed hold of his sword and that the ebony weapon was lying unheeded against the dusty ground. The Hollow was close enough to him and his rescuer to cleave their bodies apart now, its hot, fetid breath like poison on the breeze and its heavy steps shaking the ground with every movement. There was the sound of someone cursing, and a sudden shadow, and Kai swallowed hard, recognising the next scent that filled his surroundings as the smell of freshly spilled blood.

As he reached for Meimei Anshi once more, Kai was aware of his rescuer dropping to the ground, his right arm clutched protectively in his left, and something thick and wet dripping from the cradled limb. The sweeping silver blade that had swung so strongly a few moments before fell with a clatter onto the rocks, and the Hollow let out a tremendous shriek of triumph, baring fang-like teeth sharp enough to bore through bone to the muscle and vital structures beneath. They had been well and truly caught off guard, and Kai could not fully pull his thoughts together as he struggled to process the severity of the situation. His companion was hurt, and he was dazed and lacking in his usual rhythm, the Hollow having taken and used the element of surprise in a battle that should have been easily won. The gleaming red eyes glowed maliciously through the heavy night air, and Kai stiffened, tightening his hold on Meimei Anshi's hilt as he deliberately shifted his position to protect his wounded comrade.

Meimei Anshi was not designed for close combat with a Hollow who already had stolen all of the tactical advantages. It was a sword created from stealth and shadow, not bright techniques or ruthless parries, and Kai was none too sure whether in their current situation he could use his weapon effectively to bring down the beast. The air around him felt suddenly heavy and empty, as he faced the stark realisation that he could not draw on the atmosphere to help boost either his speed or his reactions, two things on which his survival strategy relied. The Hollow was used to this dead world, but Kai and his companions were not. They had assumed that they would have the fighting advantage – but they had been naïve. The beast was full of hate and despair, its desire to kill and destroy driving it forward and giving it additional strength. It was not afraid of them – it saw them as food and nothing else – and Kai's blood ran cold as he realised that Hollows who could survive and act in the Real World were not the same as the Hollows he was used to in Seireitei.

_We've been trained on minnows, but this one isn't a minnow. This one is for real._

As the Hollow's blood-spattered claw came down towards them once again, a sudden, sharp burst of wind ricocheted through the empty landscape. Without a moment of hesitation it bored through the heart of the monster, the disrupted fragments of dark spiritual energy dispersing and vaporising as the miniature whirlwind spread outwards, dissolving the beast into nothing more than spectral fragments of black rain.

As the heavy aura disintegrated, Kai heard a sigh, then as suddenly as it had come, the wind dropped. In the silence that followed, the Shihouin was aware of the soft sound of someone sheathing their sword.

"I suppose that answers our questions about why Sensei chose to send us here."

Something about the calm, detached tone in Hirata's voice broke the spell and Kai started, turning to stare at his friend with a mixture of relief and disbelief.

"Hirata…?"

"It's a good thing that I pick up things when they're carried on the breeze, even in this atmosphere." Hirata held out a hand to pull his friend to his feet. "Are you all right, Kai-kun? You look as though you saw a ghost."

"I…maybe." Kai hurriedly gathered his wits, turning his attention to the third member of the group who, huddled on the ground was still cradling a wounded right arm in his red-soaked left.

"Yamamoto's hurt," he said frankly, dropping down at the older boy's side and reaching to pry the limb free from Akira's protective grip. "Let me see it, Yamamoto – he gored you quite badly, judging from the stench of blood."

"I'm all right," Akira snapped roughly, pulling his arm away and sending his companion a glare. "If you'd been paying attention, it wouldn't have happened. Some Onmitsukidou leader you'll make, if you let a Hollow take a direct hit at you without even putting up a fight."

"Kai-kun?" Hirata shot his friend a quizzical look, and Kai sighed.

"Thank you for interfering," he said quietly, bowing his head towards his group leader. "I'd have probably been impaled if you hadn't."

"Like anyone would just stand back and watch someone else get killed," Akira muttered, but despite the fight in his tones, it was clear from the whiteness of his face that the injury he was guarding so closely was a painful one. "Some leader that would make me."

His gaze flitted to Hirata.

"You…that miniature tornado…was…"

"Tsumi no Fuuhi," Hirata said gravely, kneeling carefully down at Akira's other side. "I'm sorry it took me so long to intervene, Yamamoto-kun. I thought at first the two of you had it in hand, but when I realised you didn't, I thought that, if I had the element of surprise…"

"You probably saved both of us," Kai admitted, "but Yamamoto's arm needs help. Aren't the others back yet? I want Amai to take a look at it, since it's still gushing blood."

"If you have issues with blood being spilt, pay closer attention next time," Akira snapped. "Stop fussing around me – it was just a lucky swipe that caught a vessel, that's all. It's not a bad injury – it's certainly not broken. I'm not weak enough to be taken out by a Hollow of that level."

"You took an injury saving my life," Kai said bluntly, reaching across and forcibly pulling the arm away from Akira's body. "I'm a Shihouin. We don't take the debts we owe lightly. If you understand that – and my Clan pride – you'll shut up and let me see what that thing did. When Amai gets back, she can heal it more firmly, but if I can stop it bleeding now, then so much the better."

"You know how to do that?" Akira looked wary, and Kai nodded.

"It's all part of my training," he said grimly, "training which fell apart and let us both down this evening. I'm sorry, Yamamoto. All other things aside, I truly am."

"It's not like you to get so easily thrown off kilter." As Akira reluctantly let Kai peel away the stained fabric of the _hakamashita_, Hirata's brows knitted together in a frown. "What happened, Kai-kun? I would've expected you to swipe down that monster with Meimei without hesitation – how come you didn't?"

"I saw something that I couldn't have seen," Kai said blackly, ripping the stained fabric away and gazing at the blooded arm with a critical eye. The Hollow's claw had pierced the limb in two places, tearing through the muscle and blood vessels but missing the bone, and despite himself, the Shihouin boy was a little relieved.

_Yamamoto had no reason to save me, except that it was his instinct as a shinigami and as our group leader to do so. I hadn't ever seen that side of him before – the one who'd put himself in danger to help a subordinate officer. _

"Something like what?" The older boy asked now, wincing as a stray piece of cloth got caught in his wound. "Hey, be careful! I thought you wanted to help, not make it worse!"

"Sorry," Kai grimaced apologetically. "The claw pulled part of your sleeve right into your arm – it's hard to get it clear without it stinging some. Hirata, will you run and get some water from the underground stream? Amai said it was good water, right? I'll clean the wound and use my _obi_ to bind it up until she gets back. Whatever her healing skills, she must be able to do something with this beyond what I can."

"Right." Hirata's eyes were still troubled, but he nodded, disappearing back towards the safety of the cave, and Akira sighed.

"That…was what you meant, wasn't it?"

The question was softly spoken, and Kai did not need to ask to what Akira was referring. He nodded his head.

"Hirata's sword is not something to be dismissed," he said simply. "With a normal _katana _in his hand, it's true that he can't fight and would probably disgrace the Third year, let alone the Senior Class. But with that one, it's different. Tsumi no Fuuhi is a ferocious wind blade, Yamamoto – what you saw just then is only a tiny element of what it can do when he has its shikai fully released. He didn't want to hurt us in the blast, so he controlled it to a minimum and shot through the Hollow's body to disperse it's spirit particles and break it down instead. But if he had wanted to, it could've been much worse. Hirata's power is controlling the wind – and remember, he's still in training. There's really no limit to that kind of power, considering that air is something that's everywhere around."

"He really doesn't look like the type." Akira managed a rueful smile, and Kai laughed, shaking his head.

"He doesn't, but that's his advantage," he said matter of factly. "That's why I want you to utilise him, not take him for granted. Tonight was unfortunate for you and especially for me – but thankfully for us, he was here too. It might've been a lot more miserable otherwise."

He sat back on his heels.

"Hirata's an Endou in more than just name," he said slowly. "Though we don't talk about it much, he knows it as much as I do. His family have a ruthless, blood-soaked reputation, and I don't say he's like them. Killing isn't something he takes lightly. But he's still part of that Clan – and he grew up surrounded by their values. He knows…that sometimes killing is the only option. That's what he did tonight. Without hesitation, he killed."

He glanced down at Akira's injured arm.

"I'm a Shihouin – trained as an assassin," he added, "but I'm not a killer. I've never been in a situation where I've been forced to kill – and though I've reaped Hollow souls in Seireitei, tonight was different. The Hollow's reiatsu foxed me…and I completely fell apart. My _zanpakutou_ relies on me having the element of surprise – or at least, to cloak myself in its shadow. I didn't have the chance to do either thing this time…that's why in some ways Hirata's already a better fighter than I am, although I top the class in Ouyoudou."

"That's some confession," Akira observed, "for a proud Shihouin with such a stellar competitive record."

"None of those fights are fights to the death, though," Kai responded. "Tonight I would've taken down that Hollow, if I hadn't become distracted. If I'd done that, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. But when it attacked like it did and you blocked it, your life became part of the equation. When I realised you got hurt for my benefit, it threw me a second time. That's why I'd never make an assassin – I really have trouble dealing with loss of life."

"And that Endou kid doesn't?"

"Life and death aren't things to be played with," Hirata himself answered that question, coming to kneel soberly once more at Akira's other side and handing Kai the makeshift basin of warm water he had retrieved from the underground stream. "I really believe that, Yamamoto-kun. I think all shinigami do, because they can't put their own lives on the line if they don't realise that they can lose as well as win. If you understand that you aren't guaranteed to win each fight, it means you focus more on what you're doing. You don't take anything for granted."

He fumbled at his _obi_, pulling out a length of fabric.

"I took it from the spare blanket," he explained, holding it out. "I thought it would do to clean the wound more carefully."

He offered Akira a faint smile.

"If it can be avoided, I don't want anyone to have to be killed," he said softly. "When people die, it causes other people pain, but sometimes it works the other way around. There are times that, in order for many others to stop suffering, one or two people's lives become forfeit. I discovered a few years ago that if it comes to taking those lives, I can do it and not suffer for it in the long run. I suppose that if the same situation occurred in the future…I'd be able to do it again."

"It's better you don't ask." Before Akira could voice the obvious question, Kai shook his head, dipping the piece of blanket in the water and carefully beginning to wash the wound. "Focus on this instead, because it'll hurt."

"I think Amai-san and Shikibu-san are coming back. Amai-san must've sensed the fight." Hirata got to his feet. "I'll go fetch her, Yamamoto-kun."

Before either could stop him, the younger student was gone, and Akira chewed on his lip, his eyes becoming pensive.

"If I asked questions, would that make my life one of those which becomes forfeit?" he asked at length, and Kai smiled, shaking his head.

"I don't suppose so. Hirata's not that kind of Endou. Unlike some of his kinsfolk, he has limits and he understands right from wrong."

"I don't really care to know, anyway." Akira flinched at the sensation of warm water against his skin. "If I know he has a use, I'll use him. Far as I'm concerned, that's that."

"And me?" Kai looked rueful. "Do I get punished for causing injury to you like this?"

"You should. It damn well hurts," Akira retorted, "but its first night, so I'll let you off with a warning."

"Aye aye, sir," Kai winked, "and here's Amai. Yo, Amai – can you do something more with this? Yamamoto's been indulging in heroics this evening – but he took a bad injury for saving my life."

"Let me see." Suzuno came to examine the arm, consternation on her gentle features. "Oh, but no broken bones – that's good. You always like to rush in first and ask questions later, don't you, Akira-kun?"

At the faint reproach in her tones, Akira's expression became rebellious, and despite herself the girl laughed.

"I suppose I should expect nothing different from you," she said lightly. "All right, I understand. If it's a flesh wound, I should be able to help. Rest easy, Akira-kun. I'll see what I can do."

"Next time maybe_ you_ should be sent out on food errand, since obviously you're a useless look out." Naoko sent Kai a withering look, and Kai smiled bleakly, knowing that for once he had no comeback.

"I'll leave him to you girls, then," he said instead, getting to his feet and sheathing Meimei Anshi. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience – I'll get out of your way before I cause any more damage."

"What was it that distracted you, Kai-kun?" As he made his way back to the cave, Hirata's voice made him turn, offering his friend a helpless look.

"Nothing. Like I said, seeing it was impossible," he said with a sigh. " A trick of moonlight or something like that. I thought I saw…but I couldn't have seen it. And then…"

"If you were struck by it enough that you almost got killed by a Hollow, it was more important than a trick of light, surely?" Hirata said sensibly, falling into step with his companion. Kai shrugged.

"Did you pick up anything, other than the Hollow?" he asked, and Hirata shook his head.

"Nothing. Why?"

"Not even a scent on the breeze when Tsumi no Fuuhi was released?"

"Seizumi's not a tracker dog, Kai-kun. Plus, this world isn't exactly naturally attuned to spiritual vibes."

"No, you're not kidding." Kai groaned. "I don't know. It's crazy to even think it…and I know that I can't have seen anything at all. There's no way…but even so…"

"Will you tell me?" Hirata asked, and Kai frowned.

"You only," he said at length, "nobody else. You spent time at my home. You know how impossible it would be."

"I did," Hirata agreed. "Well?"

"I thought I saw Tomoyuki."

"Onoe-kun?" Hirata's brows knitted together behind his glasses. "You know that's not as impossible as it should be, Kai-kun – you said yourself that Onoe-kun was missing, and that there was a possibility…"

"I don't really understand what's going on," Kai admitted, "but someone with Tomoyuki's current mental capacity would not have been able to disappear quite so quickly or easily. Even when he was of sound mind, he struggled to outpace me. I can't imagine…"

"Maybe you have to imagine," Hirata said sadly, and Kai felt a sudden chill breeze whip around the barren landscape. "Kai-kun, I haven't said anything to anyone either. But I'm…worried by all of this. If you did see Onoe-kun…it doesn't make me any less worried."

"Worried?" Kai inclined his head. "Is this to do with why you think Sensei'd separate you from Kuchiki?"

"Mm." Hirata's expression was troubled, and for a moment he did not speak. Then he sighed, reaching up to adjust his glasses on his nose.

"Mother and Father believe Eiraki-chan is dead," he said quietly, "but I don't. I never have. I really don't think that man killed her. I think she chose to go with him and is still very much alive."

"Eiraki…hime?" Kai stopped dead, grabbing his friend by the arm. "And…you mean…Urahara..?"

"Yes." Hirata nodded, his eyes clouded. "I haven't said anything, because I don't know that it's true. Or maybe I just don't want it to be. But I…I did a bad thing, Kai-kun. A very bad thing that I can't be forgiven for, yet I had to do it all the same."

"Which was?" Kai pursed his lips. "Explain. I want to know everything you haven't told me, now."

"I eavesdropped when Tokutarou-sama came to speak to Shunsui-kun," Hirata looked guilty. "I told him I was going to leave them to it, and I did leave the bedroom, but I suppressed my reiatsu and cloaked myself in Kidou so I could listen in. I didn't hear everything – they weren't talking loudly and it was through the door. But I heard them mention a young girl masquerading as a Kyouraku. A girl who looks like my sister…using the name 'Nanaki'."

"And you think that was Eiraki-hime?"

"I do," Hirata said grimly. "I just haven't wanted to accept…but if you saw Onoe-kun, only that Urahara has the power to manipulate people into being puppets. And Nana…ki…I can't help thinking it's a deliberate clue, right in front of our noses. Just like he played with us all before – he's playing with us again by leaving evidence right where we can see it."

"Nana…ki?" Kai frowned. "Seven…and…"

"Hime. Ki." Hirata rubbed his temples. "Maybe it's farfetched, but I…don't think it is. And I've been worried about it, Kai-kun. I know Shunsui-kun'd probably be angry if he knew I eavesdropped, so please don't tell him. I haven't talked to my family about it either – Mother and Father would not bear it, I'm sure, and I don't have any proof. I haven't even mentioned it to Juushirou-kun, because he seems so preoccupied with things this year. But I can't help but think…"

"You believe your sister's under that Keitarou's control?"

"Mm. No." Hirata shook his head. "If you did see him, then Onoe-kun might be but…if Eiraki-chan is involved in all of this…I think she's doing it of her own accord."

* * *

_**Author's Note: Maths O.O**_

Kudos to Notchka for spotting my fail mathematics regarding Chi and Hiro's age vs Juu's in the last chapter. I must admit that I'm a tad mystified as to why the last reviewer poked me on this three or four days after I already corrected it - did the correction not make it into the final site version on Sunday? When I checked the chapter, it looked like it said "just more than a year" to me, but since I don't see it as you people do...I wonder O.O.

Either way, as people smarter than Vraie have pointed out, Hiro and Chi are around 16-18 months younger than Juu is. Meh. I hate numbers .


	54. On Patrol

**Chapter Fifty Two: On Patrol**

_The waves lapped gently against the beach, the sand cast in a silvery hue by the glow of the midnight moon. The wind whispered softly against the white-frothed tips of each pulsing flow of tide, the water running rhythmically forwards and then back to begin the cycle all over again._

_Juushirou carefully picked his way down the shore to the water's edge, stepping neatly over the shells of sea creatures that had been washed up there the night before. The gentle breeze teased at his growing white hair, pulling wisps of it free from its tail, and he paused for a moment, simply gazing out over the seascape with a sense of nostalgia in his hazel eyes._

_Nobody was there. _

_In the dark of the night, Juushirou was all alone – just him and the sea which he had loved so dearly since his early childhood. The skies were calm and clear, with no sign of storms on the horizon, and as he reached the lap of the water, he paused, crouching down to touch the surface._

_But as his fingers made contact with the cool sea, he felt something lash out from the depths, wrapping itself tightly around his wrist. Startled, Juushirou struggled to pull it back, but the fine thread held fast, tightening its stranglehold around his limb. The water around him suddenly fell deathly still, as though something had managed to halt the flow and ebb of the tide, and as Juushirou fought to free himself from whatever had him captive, he thought for the most fleeting of moments he saw the silhouette of a spider cast over the surface._

Juushirou opened his eyes, taking a deep breath into his lungs as he realised it had been a dream. The sea and the ghostly presence of the spider on the waves already seemed to be fading into the recesses of his mind, and he allowed himself a rueful smile, reaching to pull his blanket more tightly around his shoulders as a chill wind whipped through the abandoned shack.

It was a week into their trip to the Real World, and Juushirou and his companions had found themselves settling into their new surroundings as best they could. The old homes they had been assigned for their campsite were drafty and bereft of anything of particular use, but the previous day had brought heavy rainstorms and at the very least they had been glad of the roofs that still stood firm over their heads. They had been kept busy, for the area that Ryuu and Enishi had performed their first soul rescue had proven to be a haven for both Hollow souls and lost ones – and so each night all of them had crawled beneath the blankets, ready to surrender to the lure of sleep.

Despite the unpredictable nature of their mission and the undeniable danger of facing Real World Hollows, Juushirou had found himself enjoying the experience. It was too much to expect him to have discarded his childhood fear for the creatures entirely in such a short space of time, but rather the knowledge that his comrades were not far behind him had added to his confidence, and the previous morning, when one of the beasts had broken into the area surrounding their campsite he had acted immediately, giving instructions and making decisions without even a moment of fear or hesitation. In just those few days, without the guiding hand of Genryuusai or their other teachers to show them the way, he felt he had grown – and that now, if he had had to rescue Tsunemori again, he would probably be able to do so without falling into panic or illegally releasing his sword.

That was the purpose of the assignment though – Juushirou realised that only too clearly. The very fact that nobody was there to tell them what to do made them think more naturally for themselves – and only students capable of following their own and each other's directives would truly ever make it into the Gotei.

This was what he had worked so hard for since the first time he had entered the Academy, and little by little he was seeing it coming together.

_This is what I want to do. I know now…more than anything else. This is what I _exist_ to do. Sensei's given me the opportunity…but now we've reached this stage, it's only me who can mess it up._

They had taken it in turns to keep guard during the night hours – with one pair taking the duty each evening and dividing the shift into two halves so that everyone managed to get some amount of sleep. Tonight was Juushirou and Shunsui's turn – and it had been less than two hours since Juushirou had woken his companion in order for them to make the change. Stifling a yawn and muttering to himself about the inconvenience of being woken by strange dreams, the District boy was about to curl up and attempt to return to his rest when he caught sight of something and his eyes narrowed.

Though the houses were intact, moonlight could still stream through the curtainless windows, and Juushirou shuffled across to where the patch of silver illuminated the dusty floor, spreading his arm tentatively into the light.

Though it was faint and already beginning to fade, there was the unmistakeable sign of something having been wound around his left wrist.

_But it was a dream. Wasn't it?_

Juushirou pulled his hand back towards his body, running his index finger over the indentations in his skin. There was no break in the flesh, and perhaps the line had just been caused by the way he had been lying – yet somehow Juushirou knew that was not the case.

_In my dream, it was a spider. A spider's web…perhaps? Whatever it was came out of the sea as if to snare me. And then I woke up._

His eyes narrowed.

_Or I was woken up._

His gaze flitted to where his sword lay sheathed at his bedside, and to his surprise he could see the faintest of glittering from the hidden blade, tiny fragments of light just penetrating through the mouth of the ebony scabbard and into plain sight. His weapon had not split itself into two, but as Juushirou carefully pulled it from its resting place, he could sense the pulsing energy that wrapped itself tightly around the blade, and he frowned, touching the silver surface gently.

_You woke me up, didn't you? What's going on, In'you?_

_**You should be asleep. It's late.**_

You's voice was unequivocal, and Juushirou frowned, shaking his head.

_I want to know what that dream meant. Why did I see a spider, and what wrapped itself around my wrist?_

_**We're not obliged to answer questions that have no logical answer**_.

You said frankly.

_**Go back to sleep, Juushirou.**_

That was In, and Juushirou was startled at the firmness in her usually gentle tones.

_**Dreams are dreams. This is the reality. Don't start to confuse the two.**_

Juushirou's brows knitted together, and he slid the _zanpakutou_ back into its scabbard, setting it aside.

_What aren't you telling me?_

_**Things you don't need to know.**_

_As your master, surely I have a right to be told, even if you think I don't need to know?_

_**As your zanpakutou, we have a duty to protect you. Let us do that, and go to sleep.**_

You's words were blunt.

_Did you wake me up just to tell me to go to sleep?_

Juushirou's brows knitted together at this.

_**You need rest just as much as the others – you've worried about far too much already this term.**_

The white fish did not answer his question.

_**Let's not add something else to the list, shall we?**_

With that the gentle hum of energy that had surrounded the weapon subsided, and Juushirou knew that the _zanpakutou_ spirits had finished their side of the conversation, whatever he had to say about it.

_A spider._

Ignoring the advice of the fish, Juushirou got slowly to his feet, moving to the doorway of the small shack with careful, soundless steps. Not far away Ryuu and Enishi were sleeping, whilst in the chamber beyond Mitsuki and Sora were probably also lost in dreams, and he had no idea of waking any of them.

"Juu?"

As he stepped outside, Shunsui raised his head, casting him a quizzical glance. "What's up? You should be asleep – I can do lookout on my own, you know."

"I know. I just had a funny dream," Juushirou admitted, sinking down onto the grass. "In'you are acting odd, as well. There's something they won't tell me, and it put me on guard."

"Something…like?"

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be so bothered." Juushirou looked frustrated, and Shunsui offered him a sheepish smile.

"Sorry. I guess that's true. What I should be asking then is, what was the dream?"

"I was at the beach. I often have seaside dreams," Juushirou said thoughtfully. "It was calm and peaceful and I went to the water's edge to run my fingers in the waves. But when I did, something came out of those waves. It was like…a thread or something like that. A thin strand of wire, but practically invisible to my eyes. It wove itself around my wrist and started pulling."

"A thread?" Shunsui was startled. Juushirou nodded.

"I tried to get free, but I couldn't," he agreed, "and for a moment I saw the shadow of a spider on the water. Then I woke up…and saw Sougyo glittering inside its sheath. It didn't release…but it was as though it was reacting to something. I think it woke me up. And look."

He held out his arm.

"It's not broken the skin, but it's as though something really was wrapped around there…even though that isn't possible."

"A spider," Shunsui bit his lip, taking his friend's arm and examining the fading reddish mark with a look of consternation. "Was it a thread or a strand of web? Juu, I don't like how that sounds. Especially not if it's made a mark on your body outside of your sleep. You can't have forgotten…surely…who it is that might be hereabouts?"

"Keitarou-san?" Juushirou murmured, and Shunsui nodded.

"Yes. Him."

His eyes darkened.

"His sword was a spider – wasn't it?"

"Yes," Juushirou agreed.

"We know he's a master of manipulation. Perhaps enough to send a message to someone in their sleep."

"Maybe," Juushirou chewed down on his lip as he considered this, "but why me? Why not Ryuu?"

"I don't know. His mind isn't something I'm particularly interested in deciphering," Shunsui sighed, "but it might be because he's met you before. And more than that…he's used you in his ploys before. Perhaps he wants to try and do it again. He manipulated you both psychologically and physically last time – maybe he sees another opportunity."

"To get me to kill Ryuu?" Juushirou snorted. "If that's what he thinks, he'll be disappointed."

"Well, of course. But if you want my opinion, it's unlikely to be anything that direct," Shunsui grimaced. "He doesn't really like direct, based on evidence so far."

"Do you think that's why In'you won't talk to me about it?" Juushirou wondered. "Maybe my fish don't want me to make the connection to Keitarou-san in case I get it into my head to go looking for him?"

"Probably," Shunsui nodded. "Though you said this thread came from _beneath_ the waves, didn't you? And that you saw the spider's shadow – a shadow from above the sea? Or below it?"

"There was nothing above me but sky," Juushirou said with certainty. "But…what are you suggesting?"

"Nothing. I have no idea what I'm suggesting, only that I don't like it," Shunsui ran his fingers through his hair. "It might be nothing – just a dream, or coincidence. Or it might be proof that Aizen's in this area and your sword – having met with him before in not pleasant circumstances – is on the alert more quickly than anyone else's."

"Even more than yours?"

"Juu, that man's _zanpakutou_ spirit wound its way inside your heart. Even if Seibara and I fought it, it's not the same thing," Shunsui said grimly. "You might not remember what happened, but I bet Sougyo no Kotowari does."

"And it's protecting me?" Juushirou looked thoughtful. "Well, it's quite all right. I'm not going haring off after Keitarou-san – not this time. It's dangerous, and I might put Ryuu's life at risk if I do something reckless and silly like chasing silhouettes I saw in dreams."

He cast Shunsui a smile.

"I'm trying to grow up at last," he said sheepishly. "Since you were awake, I thought I'd talk it out with you instead."

"I'm glad," Shunsui returned the smile with a faint one of his own. "I just wish that that would be the end of it. If Keitarou's in this area, though – probably it's the beginning."

"Should we tell Ryuu, or not?" Juushirou wondered. Shunsui shook his head.

"No proof. Plus, I don't think Ryuu knows as much as we do about that man and his recent machinations," he said frankly, "but something we can do…or try to do…when the sun's up is make sure this area is safe. I don't want to go finding Keitarou – in fact, I think we should keep a long way from Keitarou. But he might not be alone. If we can learn stuff and use it to keep Ryuu out of trouble – that we should do."

"You mean Eiraki-hime?"

"Yes. I do," Shunsui chewed on his lip. "It strikes me that if he's here, she will be as well. I don't know if there's any chance of extricating her from this whole mess, since we don't have hard and fast evidence of her involvement at the moment. But if there's even the remotest possibility that girl is another of Aizen Keitarou's puppets, we owe it to Hirata to try and get her back before nemesis descends on that Urahara in the form of the Council of Elders."

"Hrm." Juushirou was silent for a moment, hugging his knees to his chest as a cold wind swirled through the abandoned settlement. "You think so, too?"

"I don't like it," Shunsui admitted, "but I also don't think that, knowing what we know, we can do anything else. I'm fairly certain the girl who tried to fool Guren-sama into thinking she was a Kyouraku was Hirata's missing sister. All the evidence seems to point that way. That being the case, if she's here and we can grab her…"

"It might be risky." Juushirou looked doubtful. "If she was under Keitarou-san's spell, she might be violent."

"She might, but she's not a physically strong person and she can probably be overpowered," Shunsui said gravely. "We both know some good restraining Bakudou spells. From what I saw of Keitarou's manipulative technique, it utilises the innate skills of the individual he's possessing, but it doesn't mean he can transfer his own powers into his puppets. I think it's unlikely that Eiraki can do anything to hurt us – providing when we find her she's on her own."

"It's unusual to hear you talk like that," Juushirou reflected. "Normally it's me who has the idea of doing something radical and you spend a good amount of time trying to talk me out of it. This time you seem all for going on the hunt for Hirata's sister. What's changed?"

Shunsui's eyes clouded and for a moment he didn't reply. Then he sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"People we're connected to are in danger," he said at length. "We already know someone wants to kill Ryuu – and we're fairly certain that we know who, although I'm not so sure that Ryuu does. I'm still worried that Riri might be at risk, and whatever else I can't do for her as her blood brother, I can at least try and keep my promise that she and those children will be safe. Father's name got dragged into this mess and so did Oniisama's – I don't like that that's the case. Hirata's sister might be involved and he's already suffered enough from things in the past. We have to consider the possibility Onoe might be in the area as well – since it's almost for sure he's Keitarou's 'secret' assassin. Also, when you went missing the last time Keitarou raised his head, Eiraki knew plenty of things that she didn't originally intend on telling us. Under pressure, she cracked. It struck me that if Yama-jii's all right with Ryuu putting his neck out to catch the killers, he probably wouldn't object to us bringing back a witness for the Council to question. If she cracked before, there's a good chance she would do so again."

"Keitarou might come for her," Juushirou pointed out. "If the girl in Kuchiki custody was Eiraki-hime, he sent someone to retrieve her and people died because of it. It may just bring his attention towards Seireitei again."

"That would likely suit the Council, since they wouldn't have to waste time looking for him," Shunsui said pragmatically. "Aizen Keitarou is still an extremely wanted man, Juu. If he's hiding in the Real World, catching him will be hard. If he returns to Soul Society – that's a whole different matter. Every District's leader is on alert for him – wherever he surfaced there'd be a right and a drive to arrest him and lock him in chains."

"I don't think they'd manage to do that very easily."

"No. Probably killing him would be the safest solution," Shunsui admitted, and Juushirou stared at his friend as if seeing a stranger.

"You…think so?"

"I don't say I like it as a solution to any problem," Shunsui responded evenly. "I'm just saying that to the Council's mind – that would probably be the ideal outcome. A dead person can't escape from imprisonment – and no Clan would want to try and hold him captive, given the antics in District Six of late."

"I suppose that's true," Juushirou conceded. "You sound a lot more like a Clansman when you talk like that, though."

"Ugh." Shunsui pulled a graphic face. "I need to watch that, before it becomes a habit with me. If it happens again, Juu, slap me?"

Despite himself, Juushirou laughed.

"I'll remember," He promised. "All right. If that's decided, I'm going to go and try to go back to sleep. Whether that dream was coincidental or not, I can't sense anything in the surrounding area and since Sougyo no Kotowari has stopped poking at me, I'm assuming that means In'you can't either. Wherever Keitarou-san and his companions are, they're not right here at the moment. If we're going to go and look for Eiraki instead of hunting Hollows on tomorrow's patrol, then I want to be as alert as I possibly can."

"All right," Shunsui nodded. "After breakfast, then, when we divide into pairs and start scouting. Since it's just the two of us, nobody else need know what we're about unless we succeed. If we can pre-empt a strike on Ryuu by taking Eiraki and distracting Keitarou's attention, so much the better. But not a word to the others – all right? There's no sense in frightening people when we have no proof."

"Understood." Juushirou got to his feet, pausing to glance down at his friend. "You know, somehow I think I can imagine you as a Gotei Captain, when you talk like that."

"Ack," Shunsui winced. "First a Clansman, then a Captain. It's the atmosphere in this strange world, I swear it must be. If we spend too much longer here, I might actually become responsible – let's hope we get recalled before that happens."

Juushirou chuckled, reaching across to thwap his friend playfully on the head.

"Eighth District will do okay next year," he said softly, "with you as their Shinigami Captain."

Before his friend could respond, he slipped back into the rickety shack, being careful not to wake his sleeping companions and retrieving his blanket from the huddle he had left it in beneath the window.

The moon's glow was still flickering against the dusty floor, and Juushirou glanced at his wrist, noticing that the red mark had completely gone.

_Keitarou-san, huh._

His brows knitted together and he sighed, sinking down against the wood-slatted wall.

_Don't worry, In'you. I won't go chasing after him. If we can find Eiraki-hime, then we do. If we can't, then we don't. I'm not looking to cross paths with that man again, not if I can help it. After the last time, when I caused so many people so much worry…I'm not going to make the same mistakes or fall into the same traps now I'm a Senior._

He curled up on the ground, resting his head on his arm as he used his other hand to pull the blanket more firmly around his body.

_The Council are the only people powerful enough to deal with the kind of threat he possesses. Therefore our job is to finish our assignment and leave him to the people who have a chance of stopping him. Even though I don't remember how things ended the last time, I'm going to learn from it and move on. I won't do anything to put anyone's life in danger. Not this time._

_

* * *

_  
Dawn.

Hirata knelt at the side of the underground stream, slipping his fingers beneath the warm water and splashing it onto his face. Ever since he had spent a year with the Shihouin he had been an early riser, the habit having been formed by the demanding regimes District Two had instilled into him, but during the past week he had found himself glad of the discipline and energy. After the accession of his Father as interim Head of the Clan, his training had been taken over by Misashi's most trusted retainer Kibana, a former mercenary, and with one thing and another Hirata knew that he was a lot stronger inside than he had been when he had first come to the District One Academy.

_Though I can't say that it was all to do with training._

The young shinigami ran his fingers through the water again, cupping them and lifting the smooth liquid to his lips to drink. There was something different about the taste of Real World water – a slight bitterness that Suzuno had said was a sign of it's unusual purity levels, and Hirata had found it a refreshing way to begin each day.

Since his conversation with Kai that first evening, neither one of them had mentioned Eiraki or Onoe again. Their work had kept them busy, for the barren mountainscape had also brought forth its fair share of Hollows and Kai had been determined to atone for his earlier carelessness, driving forward with little time for either of them to catch their breath. However, although it had not been spoken aloud, Hirata was not the kind to easily forget.

_I thought it at the time. No, it would be better to say, I knew._

Slowly he got to his feet, drying his fingers on his dusty _hakamashita_ and turning back towards the chamber where his companions would be getting ready for the day ahead.

_When Eiraki disappeared, I knew it wasn't that she'd been kidnapped. _

His brow furrowed together and he paused, leaning up against the stone face of the cave as he processed the memory of that fateful morning.

He had been the first one to Eiraki's chamber that day, a sudden unexplicable sense of unease tearing against his young hawk's senses. He did not know whether it was Seizumi who had drawn him to pay an early morning call on his sister or whether it had been his own hesitations, but as soon as he had reached the annexe, he had known that something was terribly wrong.

The chamber had been deserted, curtains blowing in the wind and a book left discarded on a table as if waiting for its owner to return and resume her reading. The girl's bed had not been slept in, and as he had heard the first sounds of Eiraki's maidservants beginning their daily duties, Hirata had found something which had sent his heart sinking through his body.

A note, short but to the point, written unmistakeably in his sister's careful hand.

_Eiraki chose to go with Keitarou. She was in love with him, and so chose to become an uncaged bird. Events changed her, and she wanted to fly free from the Endou. It was something he could give her that her family obviously could not._

Hirata removed his glasses, rubbing the top of his nose as a sudden sense of weariness overcame him.

_With all that she had been through, I suppose I understood how she felt. I wanted to fly free too, but in my case, there was no way out. Even though it was that man – that Keitarou – who had come for her, I thought I understood her reasons. Perhaps I hoped she would change him, or that she'd find what she was looking for and come back. Was I that naïve? I wonder. Did I know, deep down, that it would lead to this…?_

He replaced his glasses on his nose with a sigh of resignation.

_Perhaps it was wrong of me to conceal her note from Mother and Father. Maybe it was wrong of me to let them believe she was abducted against her will, lured into danger and then probably killed. If I'm honest with myself, I knew she would not be coming back, didn't I? Something in her words…I knew. My sister still lived, but she was no longer my sister. Perhaps the real reason I did nothing was because she'd already become a stranger. Someone who had tried to take my life once was someone deep down I couldn't forgive, despite the fact it wasn't her choice or her fault. As Endou do, I severed the bond and discarded her as something alien to our Clan. And when I did, maybe I hoped we would never meet again. I suppose I knew that if we did…we would have become enemies instead of kin.  
_  
His brows knitted together.

_Just as I kept Seimaru's letter to Aitori a secret, so I kept Eiraki's letter to the family a secret, too. Concealing the first one allowed bad things to happen – has concealing this one done the same? After all Father had suffered and everything he and Mother had to face in rebuilding the Clan, I couldn't let them see what their only daughter had chosen to do. It would have broken both their hearts to know it – even more so than the thought of her dead and buried in some unknown location. Instead I decided that I'd do all I could to become a sound and stable heir for the Endou-ke to fall back on…if they couldn't have both their children, I'd at least do my best to make sure the one they kept didn't stray from the family line. Did I do it to protect them, or to free Eiraki? Maybe it was a mistake…but if I'd told anyone, would it have made any difference at all?_

"What are you doing, loitering around here?"

Akira's voice startled him and he jumped, almost losing his footing and slipping precariously near the edge of the underground stream. Akira snorted, reaching out his good left arm to grasp his companion roughly around the wrist, hauling him unceremoniously back against the wall.

"You know, if I hadn't seen your sword disintegrate that Hollow, I wouldn't believe it," he said acerbically. "It's hard to imagine someone who can't walk in a straight line and who starts when his leader talks to him as being in possession of…how did Shihouin put it? A 'ferocious wind blade.'"

"I find it surprising too, sometimes," Hirata admitted pensively. "I'm sorry, Yamamoto-kun. I was lost in thought and I didn't hear you coming. Am I holding everyone up?"

"No…but if you want a share of breakfast, I'd move before Kanshi eats it all." Akira's words were gruff, but Hirata sensed none of the earlier hostility in them and he inclined his head, acknowledging his classmate's words. "The sky's heavy today, but no rain, not so far. We'll split and patrol as usual – I've divided the map and Shihouin's got your coordinates, so speak to him about that, all right?"

"I will," Hirata agreed. "Yamamoto-kun, how is your arm?"

"Mm." Akira's eyes darkened slightly as his gaze flitted to the offending limb. Suzuno had worked late into the night on healing it, using her _zanpakutou_'s special ability to knit the torn pieces of flesh back together and stop the flow of blood. She had insisted on binding it tightly and each day had checked it both morning and night to make sure it had not developed any kind of infection. That Akira resented this fussing was all too clear to his companions, but Suzuno had proven surprisingly determined, and Hirata had been impressed with the way the normally retiring healer had imposed her rules.

"It's all right," Akira said now, flexing it a couple of times. "I can use my sword, and it just aches, that's about all. My _hakamashita_'s a torn mess, thanks to Shihouin's ministerings, and it'll probably leave a mark on my skin – but all good soldiers have battle scars. No reason I should be any different."

"I would have thought it would be better to escape from a battle _without _scars," Hirata murmured, "though in some ways, having scars on your body is better than having other kinds of scars."

"Other kinds of scars?" Akira eyed him for a moment, then, "Don't tell me that some of Ukitake's strange and nonsensical rhetoric's penetrated your brain as well? How can you have scars that you can't see, idiot? Scars are by definition things you _can_ see. There isn't any other kind, and you shouldn't let that airheaded District boy convince you otherwise."

"No…there are other kinds," Hirata said pensively. "Scars on your soul, for example. That's what Hollows are, aren't they? Scarred souls."

"You're talking an awful lot considering you barely squeaked in my presence up till we came here," Akira eyed Hirata suspiciously. "You've gone from meekly nodding your head to spouting philosophical theories at me – what's happened? If you're feeling sorry for me because of my arm, or you think I'm any way weakened because of it…"

"No. Not at all," Hirata reddened slightly, shaking his head. "I hadn't realised – I'm sorry."

"Now you're going all meek and rabbit-like again," Akira sighed. "Who the hell are you, Endou? I can't make you out. Not since I saw that sword flare out like it did – I'm still trying to figure you out."

"That probably makes two of us," Hirata's eyes became thoughtful, "but in answer to your question…I don't feel sorry for you. On the contrary…I'm grateful to you for intervening and helping Kai-kun against the Hollow. I hope that I'll be a shinigami like that, in the future."

"Are you making fun of me?" Akira's eyes became slits, and Hirata held up his hands, shaking his head hastily.

"Not at all, I promise. I mean it," he said quickly. "I want to be the kind of shinigami who'll interfere and help someone whenever I can. I'm not sure that's an instinct that's natural to me…so I'm hoping that I might learn it thoroughly before I leave here."

His eyes became sad.

"Being born Endou brings its own challenges," he acknowledged with a little shrug of his shoulders, "but I can offset some of those things by absorbing from the people around me. Being raised as an Endou means I'm not afraid of administering death if at some time in the future I need to do it. We're raised from the cradle with betrayal, blood and warfare all around and that's how it's been for a long long time. But I'd like to preserve life too, if the chance is there for me to do it. For that reason I'm always trying to learn how other Clans and other people do things so that I can take them back to District Seven. When I inherit the Endou Clan…I don't intend on it being the same family my cousin or Grandfather ruled."

Akira snorted.

"In short, you're planning on being the world's most intimidating mouse," he suggested sardonically, and despite himself, Hirata laughed.

"Endou are birds of prey. My sword is a hawk…I'm sure they hunt mice," he said pragmatically, "but maybe. Yes. Maybe that's what I want to be."

"I still think you're odd," Akira grimaced, "but you have proven to me why you're a Senior since we've been here. I guess you can't base everything on appearances – even the skinniest shrimps have something to offer the Gotei."

"Juushirou-kun has plenty to offer the Gotei too, you know," Hirata said honestly.

"I don't like him," Akira growled, and Hirata nodded.

"I know. You don't have to. It's all right that way," he said calmly. "I'm just telling you that he does. I know, because I've seen it. Shunsui-kun knows, because he's fought against it. Sougyo no Kotowari is one of the most powerful _zanpakutou_ out of any of us in Senior Class. Whether you like someone or hate them isn't important if you're both fighting for the same end goal. That's how the Council of Elders holds together – the Senior Class should be the same way, since so many of us are Clan born."

"I think it's time you gave the talking thing a rest, and shut up a bit more," Akira said bluntly. "I take your point, and leave it at that. I don't like the guy – he's full of himself, and far too jumped up for someone born at the level he was. I don't think he's anything so special, but if Sensei does, I know even if I complain I'll be overruled. I should've been Anideshi this year…I'm going to prove that to Genryuusai-sama before we graduate. Just so as you know – I still feel I have something to prove."

Hirata didn't answer, for at that moment they rejoined the rest of the group, and Kai was on his feet.

"I thought you might've drowned yourself. Or worse, found a Real World snake," he said teasingly, causing Hirata to flush red. "I was about to come rescue you, but I guess Yamamoto already did."

"You can have him with pleasure," Akira shrugged dismissively. "Feed the kid, Shihouin, and then get out on patrol. We're wasting time, and I want a clean report to submit to Sensei when we get back to school. We've done well this week, that one incident aside – since we don't know when we might be recalled, slacking isn't an option."

"There's definitely something moving in the valley just below this ledge," Aoi glanced up from his own hand-scribed copy of the map. "I don't know if anyone else can feel it yet, but there's a dark wave of energy and it's gathering just south of the place Akira, Kanshi and I were yesterday."

"I feel it," Kai nodded, "and that's the area we've got, Hirata. Come on, huh? I've got food, so you can eat en route. We've got Hollows to take down – before _someone else_ comes and poaches them."

At that juncture he paused, looking at Naoko meaningfully, and the Unohana girl snorted, tossing her head in indignation.

"I think you'll find, _Shihouin Kai-kun_, if you read your map properly, you and Endou-kun were encroaching on the area assigned to Suzuno and I, not the other way around."

"I think you'll find that's not the case, _Shikibu Naoko-san_," Kai shot back sharply. "I think a Shihouin with years of map-reading training is probably better positioned to judge coordinates than a healer who can't even heal."

"Carry on like that and I'll suck the soul right out of you." Naoko's fingers brushed against the hilt of her weapon. "Your arrogant attitude could use a trim – stand still for a moment and I'll oblige."

"Some might say stealing someone else's superior spiritual ability under the pretence of charity is an evil technique, Shikibu," Kai said scathingly. "Besides, I'm not interested in fighting with you. We both know how that battle would end up, so it's not worth discussing."

"Like yours, I suppose, went smoothly against the Hollow first night?" Naoko's tones were dangerously smooth. "Oh wait, my bad – Yamamoto-kun had to come rescue you, didn't he?"

"Shut up."

"Why? Don't you like hearing truth?"

"Can it, the both of you." Before Kai could respond, Kanshi put in an irritated objection. "None of us can concentrate on anything when you two argue. If you're going to duke it out, go out of the cave and do it – but leave the rest of us be."

"There'll be no duking out within this team," Akira said firmly. "Shikibu, you and Suzuno are dispatched towards the north face. Shihouin, you and Endou cover the area already discussed. We three have the middle patch. There should be no risk of anyone encroaching on anyone's patrol area this time, so if it does happen, _I'll_ be the one dealing with it."

He patted his sword.

"Group dismissed."

"Well, that told us." As the students trailed out of the cave, Kai sent Hirata a rueful grimace. "I hate to admit it, you know, but that guy isn't bad at giving out orders."

"More, he's good at making people listen to them," Hirata said thoughtfully. "I don't think he's a bad person or a bad shinigami. It's like Houjou-kun's said – he's not really that terrible. He just doesn't like that Juushirou-kun was Anideshi this year."

"Well, it's a grudge he should drop, since he's doing himself no favours with it," Kai sighed. "All right. We'd better get a move on before any rain starts…oh, and here,"

He rummaged in his _obi_, pulling out a couple of plums and holding them out. "Breakfast. There wasn't much. Souryou's surprisingly fast to the food, even if he isn't quick to get out of bed."

"That's all right. I'm not big enough for it to matter much," Hirata grinned, taking the plums. "Thank you."

"You did take a long time, though, down by the stream. Everything okay?"

"Yes," Hirata pursed his lips, then, "Kai-kun, when we've dealt with the Hollows Michihashi-kun says we're heading towards…do you think we should linger around a little bit longer?"

"And not return for more instructions?" Kai's brows knitted together. "All right, but why?"

"I was thinking," Hirata owned, "that if you did see Onoe-kun that first night, we ought to try and find him."

"If I did," Kai reminded him. "There's been no hide nor hair of anything since, so it might've been my imagination playing tricks."

"But what if it wasn't?" Hirata questioned. "I think we should go, Kai-kun. After we've dispatched the Hollows, lets go looking for Onoe-kun. All right?"

"Well, if you think so," Kai shrugged. "I can't pretend it didn't bother me, so I don't really mind. Okay. We'll dispatch the Hollows and then we'll see if we can pick up on any clues. It may make a difference if we find something."

"It might also mean I find out what happened to my sister and whether or not she is involved in something bad," Hirata said gravely, and Kai nodded.

"True," he agreed solemnly. "I get it. We'll look, Hirata, don't worry. If they are here – either Onoe or Eiraki-hime – then we'll see if we can track them down."

* * *

"Kuchiki, coming your way!"

As the great black and grey creature lumbered in Ryuu's direction, the young Kuchiki sprang into a defensive stance, swiping away the long pincer with the flat of his sword before swinging his weapon back to slice through the Hollow's bony claw. The beast let out a yell of pain, pulling back suddenly, and in the brief lull of its attack, Enishi forged forward, slashing his own sword across the beast's white-mottled face without the slightest moment of hesitation. The skull-like mask cracked, revealing chinks of daylight through the bone, and Ryuu gritted his teeth, leaping forward to pare the beast's head neatly into two.

As the Hollow dissipated into a haze of indigo mist, Enishi let out a whoop of triumph.

"That makes number three!" he exclaimed. "We make a good team, you know, Kuchiki - three Hollows taken out and neither of us have even had to release our swords once."

"Team interplay allows for a good level of reiatsu conservation," Ryuu agreed, dusting stray bits of chalk-like mask from his uniform and watching as they too fragmented into nothing more than dust. "There is always an advantage with two against one, but you're right. With all angles covered, we've managed to successfully dispatch three creatures in the space of one afternoon's work. I'm sure even for a squad shinigami, that would be a good effort - but for us as students..."

"Like I said, we're a good team," Enishi sheathed his sword, clapping a hand down warmly on Ryuu's shoulder, "though you know, I never realised how clinical you were with your blade. I've seen you in class for the past few years and I've never seen you swing as decisively as you have today. That last one, you cut his head apart as though you were slicing a plum."

"Mm." Ryuu's lips pressed together thoughtfully and he nodded, replacing his own weapon in it's expensively carved sheath with a sigh. "Well, this is for real. These are not dummy hollows, nor sparring partners in class. If we do not take them out, there are grave consequences not just for us but for the future of this world and our own. Therefore there is a need, is there not, to be clinical? There is no space for sympathy where these Hollows are concerned. They are monsters and we must purify them. That is all."

"Yes, but even so..."

Enishi folded his arms across his chest, leaning up against a tree which shook slightly under the sudden addition of his weight. "The first day we were here, you sent that boy to Rukongai and you were touched by it. Now you're slashing up Hollows. It just struck me, s'all."

"You're being remarkably perceptive again," Ryuu looked surprised, and Enishi grinned.

"I'm not a complete block of wood, you know," he said good-naturedly. "When it comes to people's fighting technique, I understand a hell of a lot more. Textbooks aren't my strong point, perhaps - but I know how you normally fight. I'm not objecting to it - I think you've raised your game. It just seemed like you weren't really fighting the Hollow."

"What else was I fighting?" Ryuu looked blank. "The air?"

"No...that's not what I meant," Enishi held up his hands, looking sheepish. "I'm not good at explaining, but you're smart, so you should be able to figure it out, I think. Your fighting at the moment is on a higher level than you fight in class, that's for sure. With that level, in a spar, you might give Shihouin or I a challenge, and I don't say things like that lightly. But it's like the Hollow isn't who you're aiming at. More and more I've seen it. We've been here a week now, and I've spent each day patrolling with you, so you'd think I'd notice. Even if the changes are gradual, they're there."

"Maybe you're right," Ryuu acknowledged, gazing pensively at Shizurugi's hilt. "We're sent here to take out Hollows, but with each passing day I am a little more unsettled. When Sensei agreed to release me here, he did so knowing that I might provoke danger in my direction. Nothing has yet happened, and time is flowing by. Therefore...if such a situation is soon to present itself...I should like to be ready."

"Maybe the enemy isn't here," Enishi suggested, and Ryuu shook his head.

"I don't think so," he said darkly. "If I wanted to stalk someone as prey, I would not make my presence clearly felt right from the first moment. I would wait, and I would watch. I would look for the one I sought to let down their guard, even by a very small amount. We have been here a week, and no danger has encroached on our daily patrolling. With each day, therefore, I feel more certain it is coming soon."

"It's rough for you, isn't it?" Enishi said sympathetically. "But if nobody attacks you, you get to go back safe and unharmed."

"And what of my family in the meantime?" Ryuu asked hollowly. "I do not wish to fight an assassin, Houjou. I do not wish to be in danger from them. But if I am not...my family...may never heal. We must find who is behind this and we must do so quickly. There are too many rifts developing between kinsfolk and I do not like it. Those rifts may become unsurmountable if the suspicions are not properly allayed. There are also my own feelings on this matter and my own suspicions to settle. Therefore I want to bring this to a conclusion...somehow."

"Hrm." Enishi rubbed his chin. "The Kuchiki are a complicated bunch, I'll grant you."

"Indeed," Ryuu sighed, dropping down onto the flattened patch of grass where moments earlier the Hollow had stood. "May I speak plainly, Houjou?"

"Of course," Enishi blinked. "Why wouldn't you be able to? There's only me here, and I guess you wouldn't be asking me that if you didn't trust me with whatever you were going to say. Though if you want me to give you smart advice, remember I'm not Ukitake or Kyouraku, okay? I'll do my best to listen, but that may be about my limit."

Ryuu's lips twitched into a faint smile.

"But when you speak so frankly, it's reassuring," he said heavily, running his fingers through the bent strands of grass. "Sensei paired me with you because of that, I feel. Of all of our class, he probably knew you would continue most as if everything was as it should be - and therefore I would be able to complete my own tasks, because you were completing yours. I did not want to be a burden on this trip, Houjou. Thanks to our teamwork, I believe I have not been."

Enishi snorted.

"Smart folk think about things too much, that's all," he said frankly. "If you're not into all the academic mumbo jumbo, you're not always analysing and looking for an answer. I say it as I see it, s'all. You're here, and it's not like you're missing an arm or a leg or can't swing your sword or whatever else. So someone's out to kill you - well, dammit, we're shinigami, aren't we? I guess we're going to have to get used to things - if not people - trying to kill us. If that's all you're worried about, let it go, huh? If danger comes, we'll handle it. If it doesn't, we'll go back to school as normal. You can't control things that you can't control. You shouldn't try. It'll just wear you down."

"Exactly," Ryuu eyed Enishi keenly. "It is that very attitude for which I am most grateful of late."

He hauled himself to his feet.

"We shouldn't be sitting around here. We still have work to do - and if roles were reversed, I would be the first to scold you about shirking your duties."

"That's probably true," Enishi laughed, nodding his head, "but if you did, it'd probably be fair. You don't criticise things that don't need criticising. I've learned that. At the start, I didn't understand...but really, you're as straight down the line as I am. You jus' have a different way of saying and doing it, that's all."

"Possibly," Ryuu acknowledged. "I am poor with people, and do not know how best to ingratiate myself with them at first acquaintance. You have that skill - therein lies the difference."

"Ah, I'm no social butterfly," Enishi said ruefully. "You should hear my family on the subject of my etiquette faux pas. The Academy's the only place I feel I fit in fine - in fact, at the Academy, I feel useful. Whatever my grades are, I know when we do something like this, I can be of help. I'm looking forward to being a real shinigami - it's like I finally found a boot that fit."

"A boot that fit," Ryuu murmured softly. "Perhaps I too am the same way. Perhaps this is also the boot that fits me."

He stretched his hands over his head.

"I am afraid of being killed," he confessed. "I am afraid of facing the people who killed my cousin and learning everything yet losing it the next moment by their blade. But I am a Kuchiki, and I will face it nonetheless. My duty is to my family above my own life. Sensei wants me back alive, and I wish to return that way too. The ties of blood are strong, however. I want to know why my cousin was killed, and also, by whom. I _need_ the answer to that question, in order to straighten my thoughts about people I ought to trust."

"People are difficult things to read, aren't they?" Enishi said with feeling, and Ryuu nodded.

"Very much so," he said with a sigh, "particularly when there are several reasons why they should conceal their true thoughts."

He cast his gaze across the clearing.

"Ukitake and Kyouraku are still abroad. Mitsuki and Sora also," he reflected, picking up the familiar strains of reiatsu as they flared and broke through the empty air. "Since this sector seems pacified, we might find time to stop to take an evening repas before we move on."

"The river flows just beyond the next cluster of trees," Enishi nodded. "If you don't object to having to gut them, I don't mind spearing a few fish with my sword."

"You catch them, and I'll cook them," Ryuu suggested, a flicker of red Kidou glittering around the tips of his fingers, and Enishi laughed.

"Deal," he said warmly, "then let's go."

"The Real World really is a strange place."

As they finished up their meal on the smooth grass of the river bank, Ryuu leaned over to drop the fish bones into the flowing water, running his fingers in the fast moving liquid to wash the residual oil and scales from his hands. "In so many ways it is base and primitive – the people cannot see us, and most of them have no awareness of anything beyond what they see. That said, though, there is something satisfying in taking a meal here. I thought that it would be harder to generate energy from Real World food – but it seems I was wrong."

"I wouldn't know anything like that. Far as I'm concerned, if it tastes good, that's enough for me." Enishi leaned back on his hands, gazing up at the sky. "There is a freedom here, isn't there? It's not like at home. There's nobody waiting to scold you for accidentally kicking over a table, for example."

"For speaking too stiffly to a kinsman," Ryuu added, and Enishi grinned.

"For stepping on someone's toes when dancing," he supplemented, and Ryuu laughed.

"For hiding away in the archives instead of entertaining guests," he put in.

"For blowing up two of the trees in the plum orchard and almost braining one of the house staff." Enishi looked reflective, and Ryuu arched an eyebrow.

"Are you serious?"

"The one time I tried practicing Kidou at home," Enishi nodded, "it went a little awry. I was banned from doing it after that. Nobody was killed – but they probably could've been."

"I see." Ryuu stifled a smile. "Your Kidou is the stuff of legend, Houjou. I'm sure at some point you'll find its true purpose, but till then…"

"Its true purpose is probably that it shouldn't be used at all," Enishi said matter-of-factly. "I'm pretty sure Kazoe'd say the same."

"Well, if it's any comfort…" Ryuu shrugged, then, "When I was about two years old, I almost set fire to my nursery."

"_You _did?" Enishi was dumbstruck, and Ryuu nodded, drying his hands on the sleeves of his _hakamashita_.

"I don't remember, but I've been told it by so many people I know it to be true," he agreed. "I was sleeping, and I suppose I was having a bad dream, because when I woke up, I was distressed. But in my sleep, my _reiryoku_ flared and singed my blankets. If my nurse had not smelt burning…"

"You might've been a little Kuchiki crisp," Enishi chuckled, "but I s'pose as a two year old you had an excuse. My blowing up the plum trees was only a couple of years ago – so I'm still worse."

Ryuu opened his lips to respond, then paused, his eyes narrowing as out of the corner of his gaze he thought he saw the briefest glimpse of a shadow flit between the trees. Immediately on his guard, he got slowly to his feet, his hand over Shizurugi's blade as he tried to work out whether what he had seen had been one of the many Real World creatures that inhabited this strange landscape, or something more sinister.

"Kuchiki?" Enishi had clearly felt nothing, but he had noticed the change in his friend's demeanour, and consternation crossed his brow. "What's up? You picked up another Hollow?"

"No. Not a Hollow. I'm pretty sure it wasn't that," Ryuu shook his head. "Perhaps it was nothing. For a moment, I thought I saw a shadow in the trees – but perhaps I did not."

"A shadow?" Enishi hauled his substantial frame upright, gazing around him for any sign of anything suspicious. "I didn't pick up anything. Are you sure?"

"Mm. I…don't know," Ryuu admitted, frustration in his gaze. "I can't see it now. For a moment I was aware of it, and then it was gone."

"A shadow, but not a Hollow," Enishi frowned. "Maybe one of the settlers from hereabouts?"

"No…no." Ryuu considered this for a moment, then discarded it. "Something else. Something about it being there made me uneasy – but I'm not quite sure why. I just had the sensation that we were being watched…and people here aren't able to see us."

"Some can. You said so yourself," Enishi reminded him, and Ryuu sighed.

"I know, but this isn't…that," he said at length. "Maybe I'm becoming paranoid and my eyes are playing tricks, or maybe…"

He faltered as something shot across his line of vision once more, this time unmistakeably real and not a product of his imagination.

It was a person. A person robed all in black, darting from hiding place to hiding place as though trying not to be seen.

Or _were_ they trying to be seen?

Ryuu wasn't sure, but a prickle ran down his spine as he realised what this most likely meant.

"It's here for me," he murmured, and Enishi's eyes narrowed, his thick fist grasping the hilt of his sword.

"If that's the case, it chose a bad time to come," he said frankly. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"No." Ryuu shook his head, inwardly making up his mind. "No, Houjou. This isn't your fight, it's mine. You shouldn't draw your sword – I won't have you get hurt."

"And I'm not going to stand around and watch you get attacked!" Enishi protested, indignation in his expression. "Do you think I'd do that? Don't be idiotic, Kuchiki! I'm not that kind of shinigami."

"I know you're not. That's why I'm telling you straight that this is my problem. It's my family's problem – it isn't yours," Ryuu said grimly. "If you want to be useful, go back to camp and find Ukitake and Kyouraku. Tell them what's happened, get them to report back to the school and Sensei. Perhaps he'll deploy someone to capture whoever's afoot. I will not see you in danger because of my family's weaknesses. As a Kuchiki, I will not allow it."

As the last words slipped from his lips, Ryuu felt an unmistakeable flicker of spiritual energy coming from the direction of the forest. It was unstable and unclear, not the clear reiatsu of a living individual, nor the severed energy of a dead one, but as it seared through his thoughts he understood what it was.

It was a beacon, intended for him and only him to follow to a place of assignation.

_A place of…assassination?_

Ryuu pushed this thought from his head, glancing fleetingly at Enishi to see whether his companion had picked up the flare, but he had not.

_Houjou's senses are not so well tuned as mine. Like as not if I left him now, he would find it hard to follow me. Very well, then, that's what I must do. It is not the Kuchiki way to draw others into their battles. Trap or otherwise, this is something I must go to face alone._

Out loud he said,

"Find Ukitake. Tell him to contact Sensei. That's the best thing you can do – the quicker you go, the better."

"But Kuchiki…where are you…"

Ryuu did not wait for his friend to finish his objection, slipping cleanly into shunpo as he followed the thin trail of spiritual vapour deeper and deeper into the Real World's dense forestland. He was moving away from the camp now, he knew – away from the human settlement, from the paddyfields, and even from the river where he had so peacefully eaten lunch.

He was entirely alone now, and yet he kept going, that frail beacon the only thing pulling him forward into the unknown danger ahead.

_Sensei said that if I could expose the killers of my cousin, it might prove Senpai innocent. Perhaps I will also then know that my fears over Father are unfounded ones. I am the only person who can take such a gamble, and so I must do it. With luck I will be able to hold my own until help comes…for the sake of my Clan, I must!_

* * *

**_Author's Note: Japan_**

_I'm sure that everyone reading this chapter has heard about the tsunami and earthquake that devastated the North East of Japan on Friday afternoon. With so much physical damage, it seems impossible that the disaster hasn't brought with it an equally horrific death toll._

_The futility of being on the other side of the world and not able to do anything much to help except pray is very apparent to me right now. _

_For anyone in Japan, or anyone with connections to Japan, stay safe and my thoughts are with you. _

_Equally, to anyone in coastal areas who has been affected by the threat of or the actuality of tsunami (for example, California), I hope and pray that the damage is minor and that no further lives will be lost as a result of this terrible quake._


	55. Chasing Demons

**Chapter Fifty Three: Chasing Demons**

"You do realise that this is going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

As they walked through the grove, Juushirou cast his companion a rueful glance.

"It's all very well saying that we'll look for Eiraki-hime come the dawn, but that's probably going to be easier to say than it is to do. If she's in Keitarou-san's grip, who knows what kind of shelter she has? Whether she's his puppet or whether she isn't, she almost certainly has his protection."

"I know. I'm bothered by that too."

Shunsui chewed down hard on his lip, nodding his head in acknowledgement of his companion's words.

"Even if I wasn't, the fact we've been out since the sun rose looking and haven't found the slightest trace would be a dead giveaway that she doesn't want to be found. She never did have a very powerful spiritual presence, and I imagine that with Keitarou's help she'd be able to conceal even that...so we might not be able to find her."

"But you still think we should be looking?" Juushirou's eyes narrowed, and Shunsui nodded.

"Don't you?"

"Yes," Juushirou admitted, reaching up to run his fingers through his lank white hair. "We should keep looking, if for no other reason than for Hirata's family's sake. I badly want to find the girl and get her out of this mess, Shunsui. She's a gullible kid - she was the last time we met up with her, and even if she is doing Keitarou-san's dirty work, it may just be that she's been duped by his powers of persuasion into believing what he wants makes sense. If there's a way to get her out of this, then I'd like to find it."

"Yes..." Shunsui's eyes became thoughtful, "perhaps that's why I'm feeling like this too. The truth is, though, Juu, I don't know that it is for that reason. Hirata's my friend and I don't like that this is another instance where his relatives have been dragged into the dark, but there's something else to it as well. I can't quite put it into words right...but for the first time maybe I see it from his side. Yours too, I imagine."

"What do you mean?" Juushirou eyed him curiously, and Shunsui pressed his lips together pensively.

"As an older brother," he admitted at last. "I've become that for the first time in my life these past few months. It's silly when I've met her only once, but I want to make sure...nothing bad happens to her ever again. I'm cross with Father for abandoning her, and frustrated that circumstances mean there's so little I can do for her. I would have liked to have had sisters and brothers both, growing up. It would've been less lonely, and perhaps I wouldn't have clung to Saku so much and been such a burden on her life. You know I envy your chaotic family. Well, I'm realising that I might have had that too, only Father wasn't choosy about who he slept with, and Clan pride is such that some divides can't easily be crossed."

"You're thinking about Riri a lot lately."

"Mm. And whether there might be others. If there's one, who knows?"

Shunsui shrugged.

"If there are, I can't do anything about them. I realise that, because I'd never be able to find them. There's no way of doing it if Father didn't acknowledge them, and since Nii-sama reckons all of his other personal effects are still in Clan possession, it seems unlikely that he went around donating trivial pieces of metal to other bastard children round District Eight. But Riri is different. I know about her. Now I do, I'm determined to protect her. I didn't realise that I'd feel so strongly about something like this - but I really do."

"Mm." Juushirou's gaze softened, and he reached over to tap his friend on the arm.

"Riri's lucky," he said pragmatically. "Whether Tokutarou-sama can or will make any kind of contact with her, she's no longer on her own. She has Chi and Takeshi, and now she has you as well. She mightn't want anything from you, though, except your protection. I think you know that, don't you?"

"I anticipate it to be that way." Shunsui offered his friend a sad, slightly bittersweet smile. "I didn't meet Nii-sama till I was fourteen, and it took some good time to really establish a fraternal bond there. That was mostly because he wanted one...I don't really know how to go about doing something like that, and Riri doesn't want an attachment to the Clan. But I'd at least like to be able to keep her safe, if only from a distance. That means putting a stop to the business surrounding the Kuchiki in one way or another - since she was almost certainly attacked by one of Keitarou's people."

"Onoe Tomoyuki." Juushirou's eyes darkened, and Shunsui nodded.

"I still think that's the best and most likely explanation, and so do many on the Council," he agreed frankly, "but even if we found and caught him, it's unlikely he can act as any kind of witness. Keitarou already let him get caught once, and it doesn't sound as though he can or is inclined to speak. There's no point in taking risks looking for him, since even if we found him, there's little we can do. Eiraki is a different matter, though - I really think that if we can find her we can maybe bring this business to a close."

"I don't suppose Keitarou-san will let her go easily," Juushirou reasoned. "She probably knows far too much."

"Mm. Maybe," Shunsui acknowledged. "Her life could also be in danger if she was no longer useful to him. The Clans have more or less seen through his deception now, and it won't be long before formal connections are drawn between the mysterious_ hime_ in District Six and the missing daughter of the Endou Clan."

"We might actually save her from being killed too, if we can locate her," Juushirou realised. "She can't be so very old, even now. Seventeen, perhaps? She's still young enough to be treated with mercy by the Council, don't you think? Keitarou-san's rhetoric is very persuasive, even if he doesn't use his sword."

He looked grim.

"Believe me, I know. Shut away in that cellar with him and Shikiki for those few days alone, I felt the effects of the things he said. It has a strange way of probing into your mind and making you question the things you thought you knew. He's a master at using both truth and deception to twist things in his favour. It makes him very dangerous, especially to an impressionable young girl like that."

"Right," Shunsui nodded, "but the day's drawing on, Juu - and we've not found even the slightest clue as to her possible whereabouts."

"I've been thinking, though." Juushirou pursed his lips. "You remember the first night we were here? Ryuu and Enishi soul buried a young boy and we all spent a lot of time talking it out back at camp."

"I do." Shunsui nodded. "What about it?"

"Ryuu said that the boy mentioned a Hollow in the area, but that someone had cut the creature down with a knife," Juushirou said pensively. "Whoever it was had two people with him - a girl and a boy who acted...like he wasn't a person at all. The kid thought he was a monkey or a dog or some kind of pet. That's what they said, right?"

"Yes..." Shunsui's eyes became slits as he digested his friend's words. "I see. You think that was Keitarou and his companions?"

"It seems likely, doesn't it?" Juushirou pointed out. "Keitarou-san told me once that he didn't use his sword to slay Hollows, but to slay people. However, if a Hollow was threatening him - or one of his companions - I suppose he'd eradicate it rather than leave it to roam."

"Could he have been so close the whole time? Even watching Ryuu and Enishi reap that soul?" Shunsui said sharply, and Juushirou shrugged.

"It's not impossible," he said, stifling a shiver, "creepy though it sounds. He hasn't made any moves against Ryuu yet - but it doesn't mean he won't. He's more likely biding his time and waiting for a good moment. If it's Keitarou-san, I can easily believe him doing that. He's incredibly patient, Shunsui. He'll wait and wait as long as it takes to get something absolutely right. He's not like Seimaru, who rushed into everything and fell foul of it in the end. Keitarou-san is really, honestly smart. He'll know that Genryuusai-sensei sent Ryuu here probably as bait, because it would be a ridiculous risk otherwise. I think he'd wait until he felt the moment was right."

"Then we do need to find Eiraki today," Shunsui said firmly, "since the longer it goes on, the more risk there probably is of an attack. None of us quite know when Sensei will recall us, but it can't be more than a week ahead, I don't suppose."

"We should split up," Juushirou suggested. "If we think that they're in the area surrounding the paddy fields, then we should be able to cover the terrain more quickly on our own."

"You think that's really a good idea, given your history with this man?" Shunsui demanded, and Juushirou spread his hands.

"I don't sense his spirit anywhere nearby," he responded. "Whatever it was that touched me in that dream, it's not around here now. Besides, we won't be far apart. If you take the Real World settlement, I'll take the land just surrounding it, along to the paddy. It will take at most a couple of hours to cover and we can meet back here easily enough. It's well within shunpo range, so if anything amiss happens, we should be able to reach each other without a problem."

"I don't like it..." Shunsui was doubtful. "This sounds a lot like one of your ridiculous plunges into unnecessary danger, Juu-kun."

"Well, until we do it, we won't know if it is or it isn't," Juushirou said sensibly, "but what we do know is that somewhere here are people who want Ryuu dead. If we can neuter their plan by taking out one of their more harmless accomplices and depositing her back with Sensei and the Council, we might prevent any blood being shed."

"That's also true," Shunsui admitted unwillingly, "but..."

"Are you going to tell me that I need to be protected?" Juushirou arched an eyebrow. "If so, Sougyo no Kotowari is all the protection I need for something like this. I don't plan on taking stupid risks, Shunsui. I don't even plan on releasing my sword, but if a Hollow or something else bothers me, I'll be able to hold my own."

"If I sense Sougyo release, I'll be where you are quicker than you can breathe in," Shunsui said blackly. "Whether you need protecting or not isn't the issue...we're a team and I intend on honouring Yama-jii's wishes in that respect."

"Fine. Do that," Juushirou sighed, but nodded his head. "I won't ever be far enough out of your range that you won't be able to find me, so if you sense Sougyo's reiatsu flare, by all means come see what's going on. Probably it'll all be handled by the time you arrive, though. And just so as you know, I'm not going looking for Keitarou-san and I can't imagine he's going to waste his time looking for me, either."

With that the white-haired boy disappeared into shunpo, and Shunsui grimaced, reluctantly turning on his heel and slipping into his own swift flash-step towards the human settlement.

_The fact you had a spider dream last night has absolutely nothing to do with it, then? Good grief, sometimes I want to take your head in my hands and rattle it so hard the brain falls out of your ears. At least if it did that, I might be able to see which bits need reassembling to bring their foolhardy level down to size. Juu, you really don't understand at all, do you?_

_Keitarou might be here for Ryuu - but probably he'd be quite happy to come after you too, given half a chance. You said he wanted to keep you, before. What's to stop him taking you and trying again? Yama-jii thought there was a risk of that as well - if he did, and I do, what makes you so sure that it's not the case?_

_You said the spider's thread came from _beneath_ the waves. The waves are a manifestation of your spirit power, Juu - if the thread came from beneath them, doesn't that mean there's a risk that spider's evil technique may still be somewhere inside of you? What if it wasn't broken - what if it was just suppressed so completely that it was as though it was completely gone? Sougyo no Kotowari may have been protecting you all this time...yet you're still not seeing what's right before your nose._

He dropped down on the outskirts of the settlement, running his fingers through his wavy dark hair.

_I'm going to have grey hairs at this rate, trying to keep up with the crazy way you think. I suppose that's what I get for choosing an idealistic idiot as my closest friend._

He sauntered along the central street of the small but bustling settlement, glancing briefly at the people who flitted this way and that around him as he walked. None of them paid him even the slightest bit of attention, and despite himself Shunsui felt a sense of isolation wash over his body.

In this world, he was alone. Surrounded by these oblivious people, he was once more the young boy trapped at his Uncle's manor, looking for someone to hear his voice.

_I didn't have a family until I was almost grown up. The family was there, but bit by bit circumstances took away my chances of knowing them. Until I came to the Academy, I don't suppose I really knew how to reach out to people or how to trust them either. No matter how much Nii-sama gave me, it wasn't until I came to District One that I understood his interest in me was as his blood brother, not as someone who had status in the Clan.  
_  
His lips thinned.  
_  
Now I have friends and family. I'm not intending to lose either one of those things easily. Maybe I'm greedy, or just selfish about things like this, but I know what matters to me and it isn't being a member of the Kyouraku Clan. It's having people who I can talk to and who see me...not just my family name, but Shunsui. I want to find Eiraki and I want to have the Council stop Keitarou, but keeping the people I care for alive is higher on my priority list than tracking down the sister of a friend who may well have betrayed her family anyway. If it comes to that choice, Juu, I'd rather be backing you up than worrying about where a certain missing hime is. _

He paused at the town well, resting his hands against the wood beams as he spread his senses out for anything vaguely out of the ordinary.

_Eiraki has such a feeble reiatsu, dammit. Surrounded by all these spiritless people, it shouldn't be hard to pick up faint vapours but I'm not having any luck. Does that mean Keitarou and his companions aren't hiding in plain sight among the local people? Probably. They likely know this terrain much better than any of us, so this may be a futile errand anyway._

He picked up the distinctive flicker of his friend's spirit in the direction of the paddyfield, and he frowned.

_Well, the sooner I clear this area, the sooner I can go back and find you. Enough mooning over unimportant things. If Eiraki's in this locale, I'll find a way to track her down._

_

* * *

_  
The trail had stopped.

Ryuu slipped out of shunpo, gazing cautiously around him for any sign of anything out of the ordinary. He was far from the river, in a stretch of forestland that bordered the arid terrain where Akira's group had been sent, and Ryuu wondered fleetingly whether his classmates had also picked up the unusual flare of spiritual energy.

Whatever it was, it had gone now, and as Ryuu took a few tentative steps across the grass, he saw something small and silver glittering on the ground. He bent to examine it, his brows knitting together as he registered the very faint hum of reiatsu that still trickled from what was obviously some kind of custom designed device.

Whose reiatsu it had been he had followed, Ryuu did not know. But whoever had brought him here was not a fool. Someone capable of setting down a decoy beacon to bring his prey into an isolated spot was someone who planned ahead…and Ryuu remembered with sudden cold clarity the devastation of Ribari's murder and the lack of leads that had followed.

He frowned, hovering his hand over the device as the last of the spiritual energy trickled away into nothing at all. The next moment it imploded into dust, leaving not a single sign that anything suspicious had ever been there.

_I arrived too quickly, did I? It was supposed to do that before I came, but I moved a little swiftly._

Ryuu stood, pursing his lips as he considered his situation.

_Perhaps that gives me an advantage. If I have arrived a little sooner than anticipated, maybe whoever seeks to meet with me has not yet arrived._

The next moment, as if to refute his thoughts, something silver came flying through the air, and Ryuu cursed, only just managing to pull himself back against the trunk of a nearby tree as the _tantou_ knife came speeding past him. Its tip sliced cleanly through the trailing sleeve of his _hakamashita_ and through to the skin beneath, and he flinched, wincing involuntarily as spots of blood began to spread into stains through the white fabric. It was nothing more than a glancing blow, and even as he hugged his arm to his chest, Ryuu knew it had not even hit a major vessel. His reaction had been just in time – for with an amount of force the knife had embedded itself in the ground, and had he not shifted, it would have pierced his chest.

The element of surprise had been utilised, and the surprise attack had failed.

But this wasn't any time to be smug or complacent. From the direction the knife had come he was suddenly aware of something shifting through the shadows of the branches over his head, and as he raised his gaze, he drew breath sharply, making out the sharp glitter of something gold among the wood and foliage.

He scrambled to his feet, bloodied arm forgotten as his fingers went automatically to his waist, curling instinctively around the hilt of his _zanpakutou_. For a moment he regretted his foolhardiness in leaving Enishi behind, for if this was to be a physical battle, there was none so reassuring as an ally as the tall, broad-built Yamamoto. Though he had not wanted his friend to be hurt, he knew that he had plunged into a dangerous situation without back-up – and though he had done it for his family's sake, he knew how unlike him it was to act so impulsively. He did not know the surrounding area very well, nor what kind of enemies he faced. Ryuu inwardly berated himself – his opponents obviously knew enough about him to realise that an impromptu confrontation put him at a severe disadvantage. Ryuu was a planner and a thinker, a strategist but not an opportunist. Whoever he was fighting had taken that into account, and this would probably be a battle to the death.

The enemy knew him, but he did not know them, and that was part of the problem.

Genryuusai had thought that those persecuting his family were in the Real World, and without a shadow of a doubt, Ryuu knew the old sensei had been right. Whoever was trying to bring about the destruction of the Kuchiki _was_ here – and more, it was plain that he was now top of their hit list.

As he drew Shizurugi from its sheath, there was a rustle of tree branches and something clad all in black dropped onto the ground before him, raising its head to meet Ryuu's startled expression. Though the black clothing spread to almost the entirety of the assailant's body, only the bottom part of his face was hidden, and there was no mistaking the two golden eyes that stared at him blankly over the swathe of midnight cloth.

Immediately Ryuu knew who this person was.

"The Shihouin," he muttered, his grip tightening around Shizurugi's hilt.

_A golden eyed demon dressed in black – just as both Senpai and Mitsuki said. The person who attacked Guren-sama, then? Did this one also slay Ribari-sama and begin this whole business? Surely this must be the one who slipped the cages of the Kuchiki, and disappeared into the night. There's no mistaking it now. I believe Kai when he says he and his sister are not involved in this – but the fact remains that even if acting alone, someone from the Shihouin-ke is. Furthermore that someone is right here…intending on making me their next victim._

Before he could speak the words to unseal his weapon, however, the dark-clad assassin was charging towards him again, hand at his own waist as he pulled a gleaming katana from its sheath. There was a loud clatter as Ryuu brought his _zanpakutou_ up to parry the other's bloodthirsty, thrusting attack, yet despite the force of the contact the assassin did not flinch, his gaze not wavering for one moment from Ryuu's face.

There was not hatred in that gaze, nor resolution, nor fight. In fact, Ryuu reflected with a slight chill, there was _nothing_ in his opponent's gaze. The eyes were open, glassy and empty – and as he darted back, parrying another succession of strikes he realised that his opponent's movements were much the same.

_A Shihouin fights with stealth and subtlety. They do not give themselves away easily, and I did not feel this one before he launched his knife at me. The reiatsu I followed here was clearly not his, although it seems I was lured here to meet him. Even now I don't feel reiatsu from him. Although he made no attempt to hide the noise of his descending the tree, nor the sound of our swords hitting against one another, there is no spiritual pulse. He is here to fight me – probably he is here to kill me. But in such a haphazard, slapdash fashion…_

His brows knitted together in consternation.

_This is wrong._

The assassin leapt towards him again, and Ryuu found himself sizing up his opponent's physical bearing as well as his fighting technique as the weapons met one another a third, a fourth, a fifth time. He was well built – broader and sturdier of frame than Kai, yet in all ways inferior, for Ryuu found he could not only predict his opponent's method of attack, he could pre-empt it as well. He swung his blade back with a scornful exclamation, bringing Shizurugi down purposefully against his assailant's right hand and slicing through the man's gloves to the skin and bone beneath. Blood spurted from the wound as Ryuu's razor-sharp weapon seared through the flesh and tendons of three of the attacker's fingers, but though the strike had caused damage, there was no change in his expression, nor did his grasp falter for one second.

Ryuu's eyes narrowed, his gaze darting from Shizurugi's blood-specked tip to the spatters of red liquid now pooling on the ground beneath the assailant's arm.

_No pain reaction. No reaction at all. You would think I had not done him any injury at all, seeing the way he continues to hold his sword. At this rate I could cut off his whole hand and probably he'd just use the stub as a weapon to thrust in my face. What kind of Shihouin fights thus? I've never heard of it before – such a clumsy, corpselike, predictable fighting pattern…_

His lips thinned, as he remembered what Kai had said about his cousin.

_A dead Shihouin walking? Well. Let's put that theory to the test._

Shifting his weight from his right to his left, he darted forward, lifting Shizurugi's bloodied tip towards the gauze scarf that hid the bottom of his assailant's face from view. As he had expected, the other man did not flinch away from him completely, and he was able to hook the sharp blade under the edge of the fabric, ripping it cleanly away and revealing his opponent's full face for the first time.

_Onoe Tomoyuki. Just as I thought._

Ryuu stared at his foe again. His former schoolmate had aged a little in the time since his fight against Kai in the school grounds as first years, but it was not that which made him seem so different. The man who stood before him was undoubtedly Onoe Tomoyuki, yet he lacked Onoe's reiatsu…and he lacked the self-satisfied, arrogant gleam that had often reflected in the other's eyes.

Instead there was nothing. Just an empty gaze, and a puppet driven to fight without reason or will.

Despite himself, Ryuu felt a sense of pity for his companion.

"You are no longer Onoe, are you?" he murmured softly. "Onoe Tomoyuki has died, and his soul can never be returned. You are simply a shell – a shell being manipulated by the spiritual hand of an unknown puppeteer. Of course, if a Shihouin was seen at the murder of a Kuchiki, people would look to District Two to cast blame. That is your real purpose, isn't it? To be that Shihouin, to distract and confuse – though even your base pride would have balked I'm sure at being such a decoy. More, your very demeanour proves the Shihouin are not involved. Mind you, if you intended to convince me otherwise, you're wasting time. I already _know_ they are not – because of a Shihouin I know in whose words I have begun to trust."

A faint shimmer of purple light began to glitter around the blade of his _zanpakutou_ as he prepared to release his weapon properly.

_A fighter this clumsy may have been fool enough to attack Guren-sama, but you surely could not have killed Ribari-sama. He probably saw you that night – and so Senpai remembered correctly that boy's last words. Perhaps you slashed up the stablehands, Onoe, and that would explain what that groom told Mitsuki. But no, I'm sure of it. Shihouin decoy you might be, but you were not the one who killed my cousin and sent my Clan into chaos. You were there…but you were not the one. Though I'm sure you can kill…such precise, stealthy work is beyond you now. _

"I will end this for you, Onoe," he said quietly, determination in his gaze. "I will put you out of your misery once and for all – and send your body to follow your soul into the afterlife. _Tatte, Shi…Shi…z…_"

He faltered, as a sudden wave of dizzy confusion washed over him, and he drew breath sharply, as Onoe's dark silhouette seemed to flicker and waver before his gaze. He gritted his teeth, reaching out a hand for the sturdy trunk of the tree as he fought to get to grips with this sudden and unexpected sensation.

_What the…?_

He blinked, feeling nauseous as even the tree trunk seemed to sway and dance away from his touch. The purple light that had engulfed Shizurugi's blade moments before faltered and faded, and Ryuu felt the weapon slip from his fingers, for he no longer know how to hold it or even what it was he had tried to hold. He cursed, his words thick and incoherent as he slipped to the ground almost in slow motion, helpless to stop himself. He put out his hands to steady himself from falling, but they seemed to sink into the grass as though something was pulling them – and him – down towards the earth. A stinging pain shot through his wounded arm and in that instant Ryuu understood –the first attack had been the truly dangerous one, and his assailant had been merely killing time since until the potion took effect. It had taken a little more time, that was all – for the knife had not managed to break into a major blood stream and the chemical had taken longer to enter his circulation as a result.

But it was there now. And there was nothing Ryuu could do about it.

"A p…poisoned blade," he gasped out, dots dancing before his eyes as he struggled to keep his grip on his composure. "That was it…wasn't it? You poisoned me first…so your puppet…master…didn't care if I…killed you. Your work…was done…already."

He closed his eyes as a wave of nausea flooded through him, fighting tooth and nail against the urge to be sick. Panic surged through him as he tried to work out what the substance had been – but drawing his thoughts together into one coherent pattern was proving more and more difficult and in the end he gave up, his arms giving way as he flopped forward onto the grass. Random memories and images tangled together in his mind. The first day he had held a sword. The day he had met Mitsuki. The first day at the Academy. A fight with his sisters over something trivial. Ribari's birth. A scared maid in the hallways. His Father's anger. The First year fight against Juushirou in Ouyoudou. Shirogane's conversation in the library…Kai's words about Onoe's disappearance merging with another encounter long before. Faster and faster the thoughts came, till they overlapped one another into one big melting pot of colours, sounds and lights. Ryuu groaned, feeling his consciousness slipping away from him but knowing he was helpless to do anything about it. Even Shizurugi's deep, comforting voice was nowhere in the mass of chaos that was his mind.

He was in danger here…somehow he knew that, although he could no longer remember how or why and he didn't know how to move his body any more, anyway. His arm stung and ached, a burning, scalding pain that seemed to spread through every inch of his body, and as darkness flooded over him, he let out a faint sigh.

He did not see the amber-eyed demon standing over him, gazing down at him with empty, soulless eyes. He didn't see the blooded hand raising its black-hilted katana, nor it angling the silver blade over his spine, positioned to splinter bone and vessels and penetrate through to the organs beyond. He could not hear the screamed warnings of his _zanpakutou_'s spirit as it struggled against the odds to make contact through the foggy haze.

He did not know when the assassin's blade came down.

* * *

It was growing quite dark now.

Juushirou gazed up through the thick branches of the trees towards the shimmering moon that shone overhead, a pensive expression in his hazel eyes. Soon he would have to give up on his search and return to the arranged meeting place, for he knew that if he was too late, Shunsui would only worry. Yet although he realised it was not safe to be out in the blackness alone while in strange territory, Juushirou was reluctant to return to camp empty-handed.

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that the young soul Ryuu and Enishi had helped bury on the first night had indeed seen Keitarou and his companions, but after having walked the entire perimeter of the burnt out settlement, he had found nothing to support this suggestion. Though faint vapours of spiritual energy still lingered on the wind, Juushirou had quickly identified them as belonging to one or other of his comrades. Occasionally he had sensed the dying fragments of a broken Hollow soul, as, freed from the darkness, the pure Plus within had descended to Rukongai. It was a quiet, somehow nostalgic environment in spite of the clear violence that had ravaged it not so long before - but Juushirou had soon discarded it as a lead in finding Eiraki, for even at night there was little cover for anyone to hide from prying eyes.

_If they are here, and so close to us, they won't be in open ground. The forests and mountainous areas are more likely hiding places, I would think - but I did promise I wouldn't go out of easy shunpo range. Still, if Shunsui finds no luck around the settlement and on the far side, it might be they're not hiding out in this area at all. They could be travelling around, for all we know._

There was every possibility that, if Eiraki was here, Keitarou was keeping her constantly at his side. However, as Juushirou had considered this, he had quickly dismissed it as unlikely. In order to keep a firm surveillance on their intended target without gathering the interest of the students or the local Hollow population, Keitarou would surely need to dispatch people of little spiritual significance. Onoe and Eiraki would most likely be the ones keeping track of Ryuu's movements - and although Juushirou was fairly certain Eiraki posed little physical threat to any of them, as a spy she would almost certainly be the perfect choice.

_If she's abroad gathering intelligence, that's the best time to catch her. Whilst she's separated from Keitarou-san - and preferably before she can report to him about anything._

Juushirou's brows creased together as something sharp and distinctive flared suddenly through his senses, making him pause and gaze around him as if trying to find the source. It was not close by, he realised, but some distance from where he was standing, further even than the region where Shunsui was carrying out his part of the hunt. It was not any particular reiatsu - in fact, it felt more like the twisted remains of a broken Hollow soul, and Juushirou's heart clenched for a moment as he remembered the young Plus soul's statements to Enishi and Ryuu.

_He didn't kill the Hollow to protect anybody. Keitarou's not interested in purifying monsters, so he wouldn't have looked to do that. Instead, he probably went looking for it. And, when he found it, he stole it's spirit power to use it somehow. But...for what? What was that? Where was it coming from?_

Anxiously he spread out his senses, trying to pinpoint the source of the signal, but it was faint and intermittent at this distance, and it was impossible to tell where it had come from or what it's true purpose was.

_I promised Shunsui not to hare off into danger. Probably that's a trap designed to lure me in, and after the dream I had last night, Keitarou-san would probably find that the best way to grab me. He's lured me out before, so he probably expects I'll follow any scent he puts out. Well, I've grown up. I'm not going to follow it. It isn't Eiraki-hime's reiatsu, therefore I'm not interested in it._

"I think maybe you've grown since the last time we met."

At the sound of the voice, Juushirou froze, a cold chill flitting through his body as he realised that he had once again been out-thought.

Without turning his head he knew who had spoken those words - and that the casual, almost friendly manner in which he had addressed the young shinigami was like so many other things - a veneer hiding his real intent.

The signal had been a distraction - a decoy - perhaps it had not even meant for him. But it had stolen his attention for a precious few seconds - in which time, like a silent shadow, someone had managed to emerge from the darkness and into Juushirou's presence.

"Won't you even face me?" The voice was reproachful now. "Surely as a shinigami you've been taught that it's never wise to turn your back on an enemy?"

"No, but turning either way with you won't make a difference." Juushirou slowly turned to face the speaker who laughed, bowing his head in acknowledgement.

"You look well, Juushirou. I'm glad."

"Glad?" Juushirou arched an eyebrow. "I would have thought you would've been disappointed. You did try to kill me, Keitarou-san."

"Kill you?" Keitarou raised his head, meeting Juushirou's gaze with a thoughtful one of his own. "I'm hurt. I've come all this way to renew our acquaintance, and you're speaking to me with such coldness."

He smiled, and Juushirou felt strangely uneasy at the twinkle in the man's mud-slurried eyes.

"You mistake my motives completely. At no point have I ever sought to kill you. You should know that...I told you in very plain terms what my interest in you was and why I intended to preserve you. If I had wanted to kill you, don't you think I'd have sacrificed you to my research?"

"I was under the impression that was what you tried to do," Juushirou said stiffly, "by using your demon weapon and making me attack a close friend. I died in that fight. I shouldn't have survived it. If you didn't intend to do that much damage to my body - why did you unleash your spell on me in the first place?"

"I see." Keitarou's expression became one of comprehension. "You really don't remember, do you? Your memories are hazy and I can understand why. It must have been a very traumatic event and your _zanpakutou_ spirits would probably rather you didn't recall it in too much detail. It might have damaged your young mind, if you had seen yourself using that impressive power of yours to shatter the arm of someone you considered a 'close friend'."

"I may not remember, but I know what occurred," Juushirou said quietly. "I've no intention of letting you anywhere near me or anyone else. I didn't come here looking for you. I came on another errand completely."

"Yes, I know." Keitarou leant up against the trunk of a nearby tree, folding his arms casually across his chest, and despite himself Juushirou relaxed slightly, realising that at least for now the other man had no intention of launching any form of attack. "I heard you and your friend chatting away about it late into the night last night."

"You...were eavesdropping on us?"

Juushirou's eyes widened, and Keitarou winked.

"Chudokuga picked up a few faint threads," he said cryptically, "something like that. You came looking for Eiraki, didn't you? But unfortunately for you...she isn't here. She's rather busy at present with other things."

"If she's not here, I don't need to be either." Juushirou made to leave, but the sound of Keitarou's soft laughter made him pause.

"What?" he demanded. "What's funny about me seeking Eiraki?"

"Do you regret it, saving that girl's life?" Keitarou asked softly. "The end result was to have her become your enemy instead."

"Eiraki is Hirata's sister. I don't believe she's an enemy...just someone who's been used and deceived by you," Juushirou snapped.

"And as another who falls into that category, you want to save her?" Amusement sparkled in Keitarou's pale eyes. "You really are just as good at jumping to idealistic conclusions as you were the first time we met - I'm somehow heartwarmed by that fact. You're wrong, however. I didn't do anything to turn Eiraki's mind or influence her choices. I didn't even have to induce her to leave her family - on the contrary, she begged me to take her away."

"I don't believe you!"

"Ah, of course not. It doesn't fit with your image of how things should be," Keitarou said smoothly. "I used my sword on her only that once - and released my hold over her when you and I made that pact, back in District Eight some years ago. Since then I have not used Chudokuga on Eiraki. I haven't needed to. She understands me...and chose to follow me. You're looking to rescue someone who doesn't want saving. Unlike you, Eiraki has faith in me and the future I intend to usher in."

"She was a young girl you kidnapped. There's no way I'll believe you didn't influence her." Juushirou shot back.

"But you know, people don't always see the world in the same way, and just because you can't understand her reasons doesn't make them invalid," Keitarou said smoothly. "Besides, all of these accusations really are damaging my feelings. You're so cold towards me all of a sudden...is that all because I used my sword on you that one time?"

"You used me to try and kill Shunsui."

"On the contrary, I used it to try and make you stay where you were, deep below the castle where nobody need get hurt at all." Keitarou shook his head. "I told you not to leave and when you refused, I cast my spell on you to make you stay put. I underestimated your obstinacy - but I didn't choose to make you leave that place. I warned you that if you left my lab, bad things would happen. You didn't heed my warning. I'm not responsible for what happened next."

"But...you..."

"I put the suggestion into your head to fight, yes," Keitarou added. "You'd broken laws already - released your sword without permission, even killed a local resident with that blade. I wanted to keep you - bloodstained or otherwise, that didn't matter to me. I had no interest at all in your Clan friendships or the lives of those people. If the only way to protect you from their interference was to make you fight them then it was the path I chose."

"Local resident?" Juushirou's eyes widened. "I did no such thing!"

"You destroyed a Hollow, didn't you? A Hollow who threatened your life?" Keitarou asked, and Juushirou flinched, as suddenly memory of not only that fight but also the one in the storm to save Tsunemori flashed through his head.

_An illegal release of my sword. An illegal fight against a Hollow. A violation of Council law...repeating the same mistakes, over and over again._

"That was a _Hollow_. Not a person," he muttered, "and it threatened Shikiki's life. So I had to..."

"Yes, you had to," Keitarou agreed, "but your action was still against the law of District Seven. Bad enough to kill a fully turned Hollow without permission to wield your blade - especially as a District Shinigami with no Clan to protect you - but a half-formed one like that may have been adjudged to still be human. You don't know yourself, do you, whether you killed a person or purified a Hollow that day?"

"_It was a Hollow_," Juushirou snapped, bristling as Keitarou's words tore through him. "You won't manipulate me into thinking otherwise. It was a Hollow and it threatened Shikiki's life. Therefore I had to..."

He faltered, remembering the look in Genryuusai's eyes when he and his companions had returned after his midnight rescue of the young First year student.

"If a Hollow threatens someone who can't save themselves, what else should a shinigami do but act for them?" he asked softly, his anger suddenly draining into confusion and uncertainty. "What other purpose does holding this sword have?"

"That's an easy one to answer. Has your old man not told you?" Keitarou feigned surprise. "You hold a sword to learn not to use it, of course. Isn't that how the shinigami ethic goes? You bear a weapon so you do not kill. A shinigami fights to protect pride and protect honour - you fight to protect. Shinigami don't use their spirit sword to end lives. Isn't that right?"

Juushirou's brows knitted together and he nodded his head.

"Yes. That's how it goes," he said quietly.

"But _you_ choose to use _your _sword to cut through spirits, even if it's in contravention of those values and laws."

"I choose to protect people around me. I don't choose to kill them, not like you do," Juushirou retorted. "Hollows can be purified by_ zanpakutou _blades. They can be saved...those souls..."

"And as I'm sure I've told you before, Rukongai is not such a haven for such purified souls to survive," Keitarou said evenly. "I've been there in the last year, many times. And not just there. I've seen things you're too naive and idealistic to have seen. You might think me evil, Juushirou, and I don't mind if you do, but bear in mind that I have not ever lied to you. I've only ever told you things as they are...even when you didn't want to hear them. Can you say otherwise? I haven't denied using my sword on you, nor denied the fact that I didn't care if you fought and killed one of your comrades. You can believe me when I say what I'm working towards is bigger than mollycoddling a few Clan infants or targeting your friends. I hoped you'd understand that most clearly - since you and I are very much the same."

"I'm _nothing_ like you!" Juushirou exclaimed, his fingers drifting towards the hilt of his _zanpakutou_, and Keitarou laughed, tut-tutting softly under his breath.

"You think to draw your sword and kill me with it," he said frankly, "when you so proudly just told me you don't kill people with that blade. How is that thought different from my thought to kill your friend? To protect something you hold dear, you'll fight. Well, I fight that way, too, to protect the things I hold dear."

With some effort Juushirou lowered his hands, glaring at his opponent warily.

"Oh," he said coldly, "and what exactly were you protecting when you made me fight Shunsui?"

"I already answered that question." Keitarou let out a sigh of resignation. "My intention was to protect _you_, of course. What else of value was there in that equation?"

"You drove me almost to death!" Juushirou exclaimed. "How on earth can you call that trying to..."

"I intended for you to kill him," Keitarou cut across him, "and then I would have released you from my hold, only things didn't go as I expected. My cousin appeared and drew my attention - and you were defeated. That surprised me...I didn't expect it at all. I had to keep Nagesu-nii's attention away from your battle, hoping I could finish and return quickly, but instead you were the one who lost. I hadn't perceived your companion to even be in possession of a _zanpakutou_ - but only a _zanpakutou_ could have broken through your defences at that point in time. At that moment I learnt two things."

"Which were?"

"You were not as easy to manipulate as I thought when it came to killing someone you knew. And also...that the Kyouraku _bocchan_ was someone whose path I probably wouldn't want to cross too many times in the future."

Keitarou shrugged.

"I didn't believe you would die. Shikiki was with you. It was the ultimate test of her skill, and she passed. I had faith she would, but the experiment was otherwise a failure. I withdrew - I had no choice - and you fell back into Clan hands. Until now."

"I'm not in Clan hands," Juushirou snapped. "I'm an Academy student and I'm a District Shinigami. I'm not under the influence of any of them - nor of you."

"On the contrary, you're influenced by all of them, and by me." Keitarou smiled. "Don't overestimate your own understanding of the world, Juushirou. It's been shaped and continues to be shaped by the company you keep. Everyone who has touched your life up to now has played a part in creating it. You can no longer say you're untouched by Clans. They surround you, and more."

He shrugged.

"You said we weren't alike, but we are," he added lightly. "Like you, I have Clan blood. Like you, I grew up in the Districts. Like you, my family was cast out of a noble family and left to fend for themselves. In your case, your mother. In my case, my father - but in both cases, we were rejected by the Clans. You continue to be every day you're alive. You walk with them, study with them - but no matter how hard you try, you are not one with them. You won't ever fully be accepted. Someone will always hate you - probably target you, and eventually you'll realise that your life holds value only as a corpse on the end of someone else's blade. Those of us in the world who think differently...act differently...we threaten its very foundations. You with your District _zanpakutou_. Me with my tainted Urahara blood. We were both hated before we'd even had the chance to move to violate laws. We are both fallen Clansmen in one way or another, Juushirou. You may like to call yourself District, but don't forget - your mother was born Clan just as much as my father was."

"My mother was born to a _District_ mother, and my father was a_ District _landowner._ I am District._ Not Clan," Juushirou said hotly, and Keitarou chuckled.

"Normally people protest their Clan honour with the kind of expression you have on your face right now," he reflected, "not try to emphasise their common roots with quite as much pride. You still intrigue me - I think you always will. You and that sword of yours."

He pursed his lips.

"The funny thing about my sword's Bankai is that nobody I've used it on has ever lived before you," he added. "Shikiki healed you, and she did a good job - but we're in unknown territory now. I've come to learn recently that my sword's entire manipulation relies most on the recipient having a will and drive of their own. Thoughts. Memories. Impulses. Otherwise it's hard to be accurate. Looking at you now, I wonder whether I could have used that knowledge better the last time we met - and whether it still holds any value now."

"You no longer have any hold over me. Shunsui broke it when he stopped my heart," Juushirou pointed out briskly. "Your theoretics will have to stay theoretics. Your Bankai's power was overcome. End of story."

"You seem very confident of that." Keitarou's eyes narrowed, and despite himself Juushirou felt an odd chill surround his body at the predatorial expression in those mud-slurried eyes. "The truth is this is new for both Chudokuga and I. Being near you like this...I don't sense a lingering connection. But...my sword believes one still exists."

"Well, your sword is wrong. It isn't there, and I don't intend on letting you reimpose it."

"Then I'll tell you something else," Keitarou smiled. "Since I used my Bankai on you, I haven't been able to use it on another. Although it's not something I choose to use often - that's unusual and concerning to say the least."

"Then I broke it? Sorry about that." Juushirou could not help but be a little facetious. "Maybe it caught _haibyou_ from me - I guess it wasn't designed to be used in such a disease-ridden body."

"No...this is unusual, but still within the realms of my understanding of my sword's power." Slowly Keitarou lowered his hand to his _obi_, pulling the _tantou _knife from its hiding place and glancing at it pensively. "I can still use it in shikai, and effectively too. I can use my web to control weak individuals without too much trouble, and also to steal lives if I need to do so. Bankai is only necessary when faced with an opponent of high spiritual potential - someone like you, with your training, and that sword."

He lowered the knife, then,

"Your _zanpakutou_ is probably a match for mine, in its true and final form," he said regretfully, "on account of its ability to absorb and re-fire, perhaps. You're not - not yet - but one day you will be. I knew that when I first saw you release Sougyo no Kotowari - you were one of the few who one day might meet my blade as an equal. Many shinigami bodies would break before reaching Bankai - yours is full of sickness but despite that, your life won't be destroyed by your _zanpakutou_'s ability. You have a Bankai in that weapon - you just aren't at a point where you can use it yet. Because of that, I think, Sougyo no Kotowari has thrown down its gauntlet to me and to Chudokuga. It's daring me to try to hurt you again - telling me that I'll only fail."

He tilted his head on one side.

"Tell me, after our parting, how long was it before you heard your sword spirits speak to you?"

"That's not your business, but some weeks." Juushirou glowered. "For a while I thought I'd lost them completely."

"I see." Keitarou rubbed his chin. "You have no memory of being manipulated by Chudokuga at all?"

"I'm not your scientific subject, Keitarou-san." Juushirou shook his head impatiently. "I told you. I came looking for Eiraki. If she isn't here, then my need to be is gone. People are waiting for me, and I have other duties to fulfil whilst I'm in this world. I'm not here at your pleasure, and I'm certainly not going to let you mess with my head. I'm not as young as I was, nor as inexperienced with my sword, either."

"Then why not release it and fight me?" Keitarou asked playfully. "If it's as strong as that, you might win."

"Because I don't intend to kill you. However you try to twist it, killing people doesn't appeal to me," Juushirou said flatly. "Perhaps you're right in that I _could_ do it - but I don't want to, and that's what really makes us different. I don't have a grudge against the Clans for anything. Nobody in my family was executed by them - and how you know about my history is a mystery to me, but it's none of your business."

"I have had sources inside the Kuchiki-ke for some time. If not, I wouldn't have been able to eradicate Ribari with such ease, would I?" Keitarou said sensibly. "My interest in you has never waned, though. I'm good at biding my time, that's all. I do have other reasons to be here right now - but I always had every intention of meeting with you face to face if I possibly could. This was the best moment to do so - and I haven't given up on making you see things from my perspective. You aren't Clan and you needn't take their part - they don't need your protection and you don't need theirs. You don't have to be an outcast in an outdated system. Surely you're fed up with being looked down on because of how you were born?"

"That's also no concern of yours."

"A Hollow killed your father, didn't it?" Keitarou suddenly switched his mode of attack,and Juushirou started, staring at the Urahara in confusion.

"So?"

"How does it feel to know that the shinigami who didn't come to save you both was your own grandfather, locked away in his manor house and disdaining his duty to his people?"

"_What...?_" Juushirou blanched, and Keitarou laughed.

"_Kuchiki Kinnya-sama_." He emphasised the syllables. "Younger brother of Senaya-sama, last Head of the Kuchiki. The man who brought your mother into the world through an indiscretion with a serving maid - so I understand. The Lord of the Coastal regions who discarded his daughter and did nothing to protect his grandson or his son in law when monsters came to call. By your own words, all shinigami should act to protect those who live beneath their rule...but he did not. Your father died because your grandfather was Clan and didn't care. That is the reality of it. Even if blood ties exist - _he didn't care_."

Juushirou swallowed hard, momentarily robbed of speech, and Keitarou nodded.

"I don't tell you lies," he said softly. "Even if the truth is unpleasant, I tell you anyway. In time you'll come to understand that much better, I think, than you're able to do now."

His eyes twinkled coldly.

"Your sword spirits worked hard to conceal from you the memories of your fight with your young friend. Tirelessly, I expect, to eradicate all trace of my presence from your system," he added. "By concealing the memory of it, my sword no longer has a presence within you and can't manipulate you any more. The fact I can't use Bankai now indicates that it hasn't been completely broken, however. If you were to remember those events - even a very little bit...perhaps things would change."

He shrugged.

"Now we've met again, after so long...who knows whether those memories will begin to return? It's an interesting experiment. You'll forgive me for wanting to study it for a while longer."

"Your spell over me was broken. You can't have any influence now," Juushirou snapped, and Keitarou shrugged.

"Maybe," he agreed. "Even I don't know for sure if that's true. Perhaps Chudokuga is just damaged permanently by your will to live, but it and I both feel that until I choose to withdraw my magic, some of that spirit still lurks within you. Sougyo no Kotowari is cleverer than I calculated. You've become stronger, too, and so those tendrils are completely sealed away. Just be careful what you remember, Juushirou. Sometimes ignorance is bliss."

Before Juushirou could respond, something silver and sharp-edged shot out of the darkness behind Keitarou, impaling itself through the flesh of the scientist's shoulder joint and causing him to stumble forward with the force of the blow. Juushirou started, unable to believe his eyes as from the darkness he made out the blurry outline of a human form, little by little becoming more defined as light penetrated the stubborn black.

From the shadows came a voice, strange and echoey in the night air.

_"Kageoni."_

* * *

_**Author's Note**_

_Aah, the real demon has arrived!_

_**March 18th, 2011: Comic Relief**  
_

_Today in the United Kingdom is a charity "festival" day called "Comic Relief". If you're not familiar, it's where people dress up funny, do silly things and get sponsored for charity to support various causes around the country and the world. It's also known as Red Nose Day, on account of the red nose toys that are sold leading up to the event._

_Why am I mentioning this? Just to give my strong and firm encouragement for anyone who's been brave enough to do something silly for Comic Relief this year. It helps a lot of people, so all credit to you if you've gotten involved!_

_...Me, I'm a coward, so I'll just be donating as usual..._


	56. Bond

**Chapter Fifty Four: Bond**

"_Kuchiki!"_

Enishi paused beneath a rock overhang to catch his breath, casting his gaze out around him at the forestland below. It seemed peaceful and quiet here – distant enough from the human settlement and even if they had encountered any of the Real World's inhabitants, Enishi remembered clearly enough from their briefing that only a very small percentage of humans could even see the people from Seireitei as they went about their daily tasks. At the time, he had been amused by the stories of the few who had created shrines of worship towards the fleeting guardians in black that slipped in and out of their daily lives – but now he was wary of them, hoping that he would not cross the path of one such 'sighted' individual as he continued his search for his friend.

He was not given to sensing reiatsu, but even so, he had a bad feeling about this.

_Gut instinct is as good as anything when it comes down to it. I can't explain why I feel this way – I just don't think Kuchiki should've gone off alone like that._

The forest was too dense for him to see clearly, and as he picked up his pace once more he ruminated on his weak tracking skills a second time. Would it have been better if he had done as Ryuu had asked him to? The Kuchiki had definitely told him to return to base camp to summon their classmates. Should he have followed that instruction? Perhaps, he reflected ruefully, but it was too late for that now. He had moved far from the abandoned village that the students had chosen for their base of operations, and and to turn back, even with shunpo, would cost precious moments he was not sure that he could spare. He had nothing but that dark feeling of forboding to drive him on – yet even so, he kept moving forward, using his physical strength to compensate for his weakness in spiritual skill.

_Kuchiki was assigned with me. Therefore if anything happens to him, I'm responsible too._

Enishi ran his fingers through sweat drenched dark hair as he reached a clearing, his gaze automatically looking for shadowy places where an attacker might hide unawares.

_The Kuchiki family have been targeted, and in this place, he's the only one who can lure out those who are attacking them. He thought so too, and his senses are sharper than mine are. Probably whatever whim took him off like that, he'd already gauged the risk level before he moved. He's rational and smart and he's not as impulsive or reckless as Ukitake is when he has a goal in mind. Probably he's not in any danger at all, and he made it clear he didn't want a bodyguard. Then why do I feel so strongly about bringing him back? He disappeared before I could really get a grip on his reiatsu, and now I'm stumbling around in the dark trying to find him when I've no idea where he's gone. I can't stop though. I should have gone with him – now I can't do anything but go after him. _

He faltered, his eyes narrowing as from somewhere in the dense woodland he picked up the faintest of signals. Though his spirit senses were far weaker than his companion's, by now even he could sense the prickle of energy that marked the release of a _zanpakutou_, and his brows knitted together as he interpreted which sword it was.

_Shizurugi. So he's fighting. A Hollow? Or something else. Maybe…someone else. Dammit, if only my reiatsu senses were good enough to have kept with him from the start. Even though he said it wasn't my fight – I should have been with him._

He doubled his pace, focusing every inch of his attention on the fading flare of the _zanpakutou_ release as he drove forward to his friend's location. Even he could tell that there was something abnormal about it – the sword had not fully entered shikai, and the spiritual signal had faltered and faded before it had reached its peak. It was only a vague impression against Enishi's mind – but he would not let it go, pushing his pace yet faster as he slipped into shunpo through the trees.

It seemed like forever, but it was really only seconds before he dropped his speed, grabbing the branch of a nearby tree to steady himself as he heard his friend's voice. It was Ryuu, he was certain, though he wasn't able to make out words and try as he might he could not hear a response.  
_  
Not a Hollow, though. At this range, even I can follow those._

Enishi's eyes became grim.

_In which case, there's only one other alternative. He met something else dangerous in the forest, and he probably needs some help._

With that thought foremost in his mind he burst into the clearing, stopping dead as he took in the sight in front of him. Ryuu's sword lay discarded on the grass, and Ryuu himself lay prone alongside it, his body not moving as a black-clad figure hovered over him, a gleaming silver sword poised ready to strike a fatal blow through his spine.

Before he had even had time to think about his next actions, Enishi had driven forward with a yell, knocking the black-clad assassin off his balance and sending him thudding to the ground, the weapon falling from his grip. Blood spattered across the grass and the trees, and Enishi realised that Ryuu had managed to wound his assailant, for two of his middle fingers hung oddly from his right hand and a third was caked in blood.

_With fingers like that, how was he even gripping his blade?_

As he picked himself up, Enishi put his hefty form between the assassin and his friend's still body, hoping and praying inwardly that he had not arrived too late and that the Kuchiki was somehow still alive. He had looked alarmingly pale, but Enishi knew that he could not focus on that now, for already the dark clothed stranger was fumbling in the dirt for his weapon with his uninjured hand, turning to stare at Enishi with unfocused glassy eyes.

At that, Enishi let out another exclamation.

"_Onoe_?" he cried, then, "Dammit, what are you doing? You aren't supposed to be able to…did _you_ hurt Kuchiki? But how..? _Why_?"

Onoe did not answer, merely launching himself silently towards his new opponent, weapon raised high above his head. Enishi pulled his own _zanpakutou _from its sheath, glancing it against the boy's reckless swing and Onoe launched himself upwards, landing clumsily on a tree branch as he stared down at the Yamamoto like a cornered cat.

Enishi raised his gaze, taking in the huddled form carefully.

Spiritual wits he did not have, but as a fighter, there were few in the Senior Class who could out-pace him and even when Onoe had been in his full mind, he had never managed to provide a particularly high level of competition. Though there was nothing in the golden eyes, Enishi almost felt his companion recognised him, and despite himself he frowned, remembering the time in the First year when his fist had almost broken the other boy's nose.

_That time we were enemies too, but this time it's different. _

Enishi realised in that moment what his position was.

_Onoe or not, you attacked Kuchiki. You hurt him. Maybe worse. I don't know how or why you're here, or whether your time unconscious has just been a lie of some sort. But it ends here and now. I'm resolved, Onoe. This time, even if I end up in isolation for the rest of eternity. This time I won't just be breaking your nose. If you can hurt Kuchiki, with his level of skill, you can hurt others. And I won't allow that…I won't allow my allies to be hurt._

Onoe seemed to understand the change in his companion's demeanour, for he scrambled higher up the tree, and a glint of light between the branches told Enishi that his foe was gearing up to launch his katana as a weapon through the boughs. But his movements were noisy and lacking in the usual Shihouin care, and Enishi was not about to start a game of cat and mouse through the treetops of the Real World. He tightened his grasp around his _zanpakutou_'s hilt, bringing it up before him as he felt his _reiryoku_ flare up inside him.

"_Susume, Kyoshingeki_!" He exclaimed, as his weapon glowed and shone with light, the narrow _katana_ blade lengthening and broadening into a more substantial weapon almost the length of a _nodachi_ but with a broader, flatter blade that curved in a half-hook at the tip. It was not a _zanpakutou _with clever Kidou trickery or pretty elemental techniques, but instead it was a vessel for Enishi's own immense physical strength, for despite its flat appearance the blade's edges were deceptively razor sharp. Unlike the brittle blades of the _asauchi_ that were more often used in training exercises, Kyoshingeki's density meant it was almost impossible to break – and therefore capable of cutting through almost any surface with surprising ease.

Enishi did not hesitate, for as the glow of energy around the weapon faded, he brought it across in a fierce horizantal sweep, slicing cleanly through the trunk of the tree with one attempt and giving it a fierce shove with his right shoulder as a follow-up, causing it to wobble then creak and topple over against its neighbours. The forest was too dense for it to fall headlong, but Enishi had calculated that his attack would be enough to dislodge his opponent from his perch and he was proven right for the next minute a black shadow descended through the branches and onto the grass, Ryuu apparently forgotten as Onoe once more fixed his attention on his new prey.

It was at that moment Enishi caught sight of the _tantou_ knife embedded in the ground a short distance from where Ryuu lay, and he frowned.

_Two weapons? But only fighting me with this one. I wonder what that means – but I should be careful. Even with that damaged hand, he doesn't seem to be incapable of attacking me. His right hand might have enough working fingers to wield a knife of that length – if I give him the chance._

Onoe drove forward again at that point, drilling his katana towards Enishi's chest. It was a direct and unfaltering attack, childsplay to defend against but as Enishi struck the weapon away with his _zanpakutou_, he was taken aback by the force that his companion had employed in the strike. He was not tiring – or his body did not care that he was, for he did not seem in the least bit hesitant or shaken from his adventure through the trees. Enishi could see blood trickling down his cheek from where a branch had scratched him during his fall, and tear marks against his black clothing suggested other bruises and scrapes, yet he did not seem troubled by any of them, merely focused on the kill.

Despite himself, Enishi felt a chill run down his spine.

_It's like fighting a dead man. Can I kill him? Is it possible to kill a dead man – or will he just keep on coming, even if I slit his throat? Could he…keep fighting? Even if I cut him down, could he rise again? _

He took a step back, his mind racing as he considered this frightening new possibility.

_Could that be what happened to Kuchiki? Did he think he'd taken Onoe down, only to have him spring up again and take him by surprise?_

Enishi glanced at Onoe's broken fingers, then at the left hand that now held the blade.

_It's as if you don't understand pain at all. All you know is how to fight – and you keep fighting, regardless of how broken you become. But that isn't how Onoe fights. I remember well enough…I never forget anyone's fighting style once I've seen it once, and I saw yours many times. The way you fight now tells me you're not still Onoe. Even if you look like him, or bleed like him – you're not him._

He pursed his lips.

_Even if you were, you came here to hurt Kuchiki. I can't forgive or overlook that._

As Onoe struck wildly towards Enishi again, the taller boy made his strength count, swinging Kyoshingeki's long and deadly blade diagonally down from left to right across the Shihouin's black-clad torso. There was no mercy or hesitation in the swing, and the hooked end of the weapon ripped through fabric and flesh, shattering the bones beneath. Despite his resolve, Enishi stifled a shudder as he felt his weapon cleave apart Onoe's left lung, breaking through the vessels that connected his heart and half-severing the organ as the blade continued its descent towards his liver.

Onoe's glass eyes did not reflect any pain, just the faintest glimmer of surprise as he choked, blood spewing from his lips and dribbling down his chin. Enishi shook his blade slightly and the shattered corpse of the would-be assassin fell limply to the ground, the strings of the puppeteer cut once and for all as he lay lifeless and bloody on the grass.

Enishi stared at him for a moment, then he shook the blood from the end of his weapon, re-sealing it and sliding it back into its sheath as he moved to examine his victim.

Onoe did not move, his eyes staring and dull, and Enishi knew that this time he was really dead.

"But what spell drove you, I don't know," he murmured with a heavy sigh. "You weren't Onoe, that's for sure. I hope Shihouin will forgive me for dicing his kin about like that – but in the circumstances, there wasn't anything else I could do."

He turned his back on the fallen assassin, kneeling down beside Ryuu's still form and carefully yet gingerly turning him over. As he did so, a faint groan came from the Kuchiki boy's lips and though it was involuntary, Enishi was relieved to hear it.

"You're alive," he realised, setting his companion back down on the grass as he checked his friend over for injuries, "and you're not bleeding particularly, except this scrape, here on your arm. So did he strike you across the head? You're out for the count, sure enough – but even so, you should be coming around by…"

_"Ryuu!" _

A shriek broke the quiet in the copse and Enishi started, almost dropping Ryuu's injured arm at the sudden interruption. Before he knew what was going on, someone was there beside him, and as he stared at the newcomer he hurriedly gathered his wits, taking in the frightened look in her soft grey eyes.

"Edogawa?" he murmured, setting Ryuu's arm down carefully, then, "Dammit, you about gave me a heart attack. What were you thinking? A few minutes earlier you'd have run right onto the end of an assassin's knife!"

"An assassin…" Mitsuki shivered, swallowing hard as she cast a fleeting glance at Onoe's fallen form. "Or a dancing corpse, one or the other. I know, Houjou-kun. I felt Ryuu falter, and I sensed your sword. I knew you were here, and that you were fighting. I saw you cut Onoe-kun down – I waited till he was quite still before I moved. But Ryuu…Ryuu needed me. And if you had taken any longer, I…would have had to have risked myself."

She spread her hands, a soft golden glow emitting from her fingers and wrapping itself gently around her cousin's body.

"His injuries don't seem that bad to me," Enishi remarked, and Mitsuki shook her head, her eyes dark.

"He's been poisoned," she said blackly, "probably through that cut on his arm – though I can't be sure. All I know is that I felt his faltering – it was the same confused sensation as Shirogane-senpai's spirit after Ribari-sama was killed. Someone was using the same technique – or a similar one – to take Ryuu out too."

"The same…?" Enishi faltered, muttering a curse, and Mitsuki nodded, offering him a faint smile.

"But they _won't _succeed," she said firmly, "thanks to your intervention, Houjou-kun. He hasn't taken in enough poison to prove fatal – I can tell, now I'm right beside him – it's in his system but it's not enough to kill him on its own."

"The _tantou_ knife." Enishi reached to pull the embedded weapon from the ground, but Mitsuki shook her head, grabbing his sleeve and pulling his arm back.

"Maybe. Probably. Better you don't touch it, just in case," she said shortly. "It might be more laced with poison than it looks – whoever sent Onoe-kun almost certainly didn't care if he died doing this job. I doubt it was Onoe-kun who coated the weapon in that stuff, either. Perhaps if the knife had gone into a vessel or something like that…but it only glanced across Ryuu's skin."

"Onoe was standing over him, ready to impale him when I got here," Enishi sat back on his heels, remembering. "I guess you're right. Maybe it wasn't meant to kill him – just to hold him still so that he wasn't so hard to nail."

He grimaced.

"Judging by the haphazard way in which Onoe was fighting, I'd believe that," he added.

"It wasn't Onoe-kun fighting you," Mitsuki said matter-of-factly, "it was someone else. Someone controlling him. I've encountered this before, Houjou-kun. You have too. Someone who uses manipulative magic to suit their own purposes."

"Manipulative…" Enishi's eyes darkened, and he shot the healer a horrified glance.

"You mean that jerk who took Ukitake, don't you?" he demanded, anger flaring up in his dark eyes. "The one who tried to make him kill Kyouraku – the bastard who almost killed the both of them, out in District Seven!"

"Yes," Mitsuki agreed grimly, "that's exactly who I mean. Urahara Keitarou. _Aizen_ Keitarou. Though why he's doing it is anyone's guess. I don't know anything about him or his motives…but I do know _one_ thing. When he used his puppet skill before, on Eiraki-hime, I felt it. It had a very distinctive sensation. And _that_…"

She pointed disparagingly towards Onoe's corpse,

"_That _has the same sensation lingering around it. Onoe-kun's own soul wasn't there at all - I think perhaps that man's magic killed what little of it was left after his fight with Shihouin-kun, and he'd just become a puppet with no mind of his own at all. But there was the taint of another's hand. When he fell, that dark spirit burst from him like poison gas – something you can't see, but can sense."

"I didn't sense anything," Enishi admitted, "but I believe you."

"Sensing it isn't the same as doing something about it." Mitsuki shot him a smile. "What you did is much more productive than what I've done so far – so you shouldn't worry. _You're_ the one who saved Ryuu. I'm fairly sure that if Onoe-kun had failed and nobody had come to Ryuu's rescue, someone else would have come to finish the job."

Enishi frowned, his lips pressed firmly together as he considered.

"You think Onoe was sent by that Keitarou to kill Ribari-sama for some political reason of his own?" he asked softly, and Mitsuki shrugged.

"That's one opinion," she agreed. "Why?"

Enishi shook his head.

"The kid was poisoned, wasn't he?" he pointed out. "You said that, right? Not slashed up like crazy, but poisoned. Yes?"

"Yes," Mitsuki confirmed, "with something quick and fatal that damaged his heart beyond repair."

"Then it wasn't Onoe," Enishi said frankly. "I'm not an expert on all this political intrigue, and I wouldn't know where to begin trying to work out the wheres, the whys and the hows in all of this business. I leave that to the smart folk and keep out of it. But one thing I _do_ know is how people fight. I don't forget that kind of thing, and I don't confuse them, either - because it's something I'm good at."

He cast his glance over towards Onoe's bleeding body once more, then sighed.

"Maybe before…maybe the _old_ Onoe could have carried out a kill like that. Stealthy is a Shihouin trait, and they have a history of assassinations. But that Onoe…wouldn't have stood a chance. Even given the poison that debilitated them…there's no way. He would have left far too big a trail."

"Ribari-sama said he saw Onoe-kun – or a Shihouin – before he died," Mitsuki said thoughtfully. "But you think…that's not true?"

"Ribari-sama might've. Onoe might've been there." Enishi shrugged. "But I'm just saying he wasn't the one who killed the kid, Edogawa. I'd stake my _zanpakutou_ on it."

"You're right."

A fresh voice came from the trees beyond, and as one person the two turned, Mitsuki letting out a gasp as a young woman slipped between the trees. There was a wary defiance in her blue eyes, and she paused some feet from Onoe's body, glancing at it with a frown.

"_He _couldn't have done anything like that," she added detachedly, "with those clumsy hands of his. All he could do was take a blade and slash and kill – so that's what he was sent to do."

"_Eiraki-chan_," Mitsuki whispered, colour draining from her face, and the girl's expression flickered slightly with recognition.

"Mitsuki…oneesama," she murmured, and Enishi felt his stomach knotting as he understood who the newcomer was.

"Hirata's missing sister," he muttered, and Eiraki started, then shook her head.

"I'm not. Not any more," she said pragmatically. "I left my Clan and I don't belong to them any more. So I'm not his anything, now. So far as he's concerned, I'm sure I'm already dead."

"You're wrong, Eiraki-chan," Mitsuki's eyes glittered suddenly with tears. "Hirata worries about you all the time. He and your father and mother – they're all very worried about you. They want you safe at home with them – what are you doing here, in a place like this, involved with…with…"

Eiraki stared at her for a moment, then she sighed, shaking her head.

"Kei-sama said that nobody would understand," she murmured, and Enishi frowned, eying her in confusion.

"Kei-sama? You're with that Urahara guy? Did _he_ take you after all?"

"He didn't take me anywhere. I chose to go with him," Eiraki shot Enishi a disparaging look, "as any wife would follow her husband."

"Wife…_husband_?" It was impossible for Mitsuki to go any paler, but Eiraki nodded.

"Kei-sama was betrothed to me when last we met, don't you remember?" she asked softly. "Under a false name, it's true, but I and he both considered such a thing binding. And I'm older now than I was then."

She sighed, looking suddenly tired.

"When my family broke their promises and started to hunt him down, I decided to break my chains and run with him rather than let him run alone," she added sadly. "I didn't want to be there in a place I wasn't wanted – I'm useful to Kei-sama, whereas I was never of any use there."

"Eiraki-chan…"

"I'm sorry if Ribari's death hurt you," Eiraki did not let her continue, fixing the healer with grave blue eyes. "I didn't intend to hurt _you_, because you were kind to me. Kei-sama didn't intend it either - he promised that you'd be left out of anything we did to the Kuchiki, because I liked you and because you didn't believe bad things about him. But I didn't suppose you'd mind very much about Ribari, really. I knew that he was a cousin of yours, but I didn't imagine you to be very close. You never seemed to be that attached to your Clan in that way – and like me, you were trapped by them, weren't you? So I didn't think you'd hate me, if one Kuchiki died. Even if two or three did. I came to clear up the mess Onoe left – but I really didn't expect to meet you here like this, now."

"_You_ killed Ribari-sama?" Mitsuki looked horrified, and Eiraki nodded her head.

"Well, Onoe helped," she said with a faint smile. "He was the decoy, whilst I took care of the poison. It doesn't take strength to do that, just careful fingers. I have those. They were all collapsed – I could have killed any of them. But I only killed one."

"And now you were coming to kill Ryuu, too, weren't you?" Mitsuki's tears trickled down her cheeks. "I _won't_ forgive that, Eiraki-chan. Hirata's sister or not – even as someone I was fond of or thought I understood. That you could kill _anyone_ and stand there so calm as though it made sense…what did Keitarou _do_ to you, to make you this way?"

"He didn't do anything," Eiraki was genuinely surprised. "He doesn't use his sword on me. He doesn't have to. I decided everything for myself. I don't have any regrets about it, Mitsuki-neesama. This was the path I chose to follow. It's the one I believe in – and so it's right."

"_Don't_ call me Neesama any more!" Mitsuki's voice shook. "For you to hurt Ribari-sama…and then to _think_ of hurting Ryuu…and to tell me that that path is right…don't you even think about it! If you didn't want to hurt me, you should have kept well away from my Clan! Whether I was close to Ribari-sama or not isn't the point. He was my kin, and his death has hurt other people I care about. And Ryuu...Ryuu is like my brother. If you had hurt him, I swear..."

She swallowed hard, and Enishi realised she was trembling as her fingers brushed briefly over Yuuyugo's patterned white hilt.

"Even carrying this blunt sword that was born to only heal, if you had seriously hurt Ryuu, you would have found just how deep my family pride does run," she said blackly. "You aren't the girl I thought you were – the girl I met two years ago wasn't capable of this level of evil."

"It's not evil. It's justice. Revenge, maybe…but justice most of all," Eiraki shook her head, her eyes big at Mitsuki's words. "You just haven't seen it clearly, that's all. The Clans strangle Soul Society, but I saw for myself what the Endou did to District Seven when Mother and I fled into exile. I _saw _the way people were purged – people like Kei-sama's people, but others too. Just because of greed and cruelty. They all care about protecting themselves and they believe they're superior, but there are a lot of poor people in Soul Society, Mitsuki-dono. A lot of people. _And_ in Rukongai, too. Souls who are ignored and who face death every day trying to eke out a living. I didn't understand until I fled from Seimaru – but I do now, and I can't go back. Hirata-nii and the others…they tried to put District Seven back to how it was before. Even he didn't understand. I don't hate him – or any of them. I just don't belong to that world any more. If killing a few Clansfolk makes people realise they're not invincible – so be it. If it makes them notice the rest of Seireitei, so be it. Things will change – they're already changing. But _you_ should understand and support this most of all – since you're in _love_ with one of them, aren't you? With one of the District people that the Clans like so much to ignore."

"Leave Juushirou out of this!" Mitsuki snapped back, but Enishi reached out a hand, resting it gently on the healer's shoulder to calm her.

"You failed," he said quietly, meeting Eiraki's gaze. "Kuchiki isn't dead, and he _won't_ die. I'll see to that personally, if I have to. Your puppet has been gutted – and whilst I don't wave my sword at girls, I don't intend on letting you poison anyone else right now. You're Hirata's sister, and for that reason alone I won't grab you and drag you back to our camp by force. For his sake, I won't do that – if he knew what you'd just told us, it would shatter him and I won't hurt a friend that way. But if you're wise, you'll go. You'll leave this – and us – well alone. Tell your Kei-sama that, too. If there's going to be a battle, he'll have to work harder than that if he's going to win it. I don't care how you dress it up - taking life is taking life. Murdering a helpless boy as he lay unconscious on the grass isn't fair combat."

"Like _you _slashed a hole in Onoe's chest with your monster sword?" Eiraki challenged, and Enishi realised she had been watching the fight - perhaps right from the beginning.

"Taking a life is taking a life," he repeated with a shrug. "I'll feel sorry for it later, but now my concern is for the life I saved. If you hadn't sent your puppet to kill Kuchiki, I wouldn't have had to cut him down. Death breeds more death - killing breeds more killing. Tell that to your Keitarou - not to begin a war he can't win."

Eiraki stared at him for a moment. Then, without a word, she turned on her heel, disappearing back into the undergrowth.

"I'm sorry, Houjou-kun," Mitsuki sighed, wiping away her tears, "but for Eiraki-chan…to hear her say…and that she's hurt Ryuu…and people have been blaming Shirogane-senpai, and…and I never made the connection at all. I don't know if Ryuu did, either – but it didn't occur to me for one moment that she…that this might be…like this."

"It's all right," Enishi assured her. "If I'd had sense, I'd have taken her by force anyway. I could've, easily…but I guess I'm soft at heart. I'm not sure what to do with this information – but right now Kuchiki has to be our priority. I can carry him back to camp – if you can follow my _shunpo_."

"Yes. That's the best plan," Mitsuki agreed, "but I suspect we'll be going back to the Academy as soon as we report this. And we_ must_ report it. Someone tried to kill Ryuu, who to all intents and purposes is currently considered the most likely next heir to the Kuchiki Clan. The assassins are _here_ and we know their true identities. Eiraki may be fired up with her new faith, but she's still very young. Her belief in it made her careless and she said far too much. I think she really thought I would somehow understand her twisted logic...but I suppose we're not as similar as she thought."

"Hirata will break his heart over it," Enishi murmured, and Mitsuki sighed.

"But we _can't_ keep it a secret. It might cost lives, including Hirata's own," she pointed out. Enishi nodded.

"I know," he owned, "and I'm with you, but I'm twice as glad now that I intervened. Bad enough she took one life. Worse if she'd been able to double it."

"Mm." Mitsuki looked troubled. "There's something else, as well. Something that I realised…very quickly, when she first appeared."

"Which was?" As Enishi bundled Ryuu's still form up in his arms, he cast his companion a quizzical glance.

Mitsuki was silent for a moment, then she shook her head as if to clear it.

"Eiraki-chan's reiatsu didn't reflect one person," she said uneasily. "It reflected two."

"Meaning that Kei jerk was controlling her?"

"No. Not like that…although I suppose it could be considered a form of manipulation." Mitsuki rubbed her temples. "No, Houjou-kun. What I mean is that…that there was a second aura discernable around Eiraki-chan's body. An_ infant's_ aura."

"An infant?" Enishi was floored, and Mitsuki nodded.

"Yes," she said heavily. "It was only faint, so it's fairly recent, and she may not even know yet herself. But there's no mistaking it. I'm quite certain - Eiraki-chan is with child."

"_Mitsuki!"_

At that moment a breathless and frantic Sora dropped into the copse, making both Senior students visibly jump with the suddenness of her appearance. As she took in Ryuu's unconscious form, her eyes widened, colour draining from her face even further as she registered the blooded shape of Onoe Tomoyuki on the grass not far away.

"What…the hell…happened?" she gasped out. "That…is…that Onoe? And Kuchiki…what…"

"Someone tried to put an end to Ryuu," Mitsuki's voice shook, "but Houjou-kun stopped them."

"It _was_ Onoe," Enishi added briefly. "It's not any more."

"You mean…you…" Sora's gaze flitted uncertainly to her broad-built classmate, as if seeing his bulk as a threat for the first time, and Enishi's brows drew together in consternation.

"Yes," He agreed frankly, "but even before Kyoshingeki took his innards out, he'd already lost his soul. That one was a puppet assassin. Don't look at me that way…he was going to sever Kuchiki's spinal column if I hadn't've done something about it."

"Houjou-kun saved Ryuu's life," Mitsuki murmured, "but Onoe…wasn't the only assassin. Sora, Hirata's sister is here. Eiraki-chan is here. And it was her…she came to…"

"Endou Eiraki? That mouse of a girl?" Sora was dumbstruck. Mitsuki nodded slowly.

"She…was the one who killed Ribari-sama. She said so, as though it was nothing," she agreed soberly, getting carefully to her feet. "We need to take Ryuu back to camp – and then, I hope, back to school. He's been poisoned, but it's not enough to hurt him…I don't think. Like this he's vulnerable, though – and whilst we frightened Eiraki-chan off, if someone else came…"

"Someone else?" Sora's eyes became angry. "Someone like Aizen Keitarou, right?"

"Mm." Mitsuki nodded.

"He's controlling Hirata's sister to do all this stuff?"

"No. Eiraki-chan's doing it of her own accord," Mitsuki shook her head. "She wanted Ryuu to die and she didn't care if he did. The same applies to Ribari-sama. Eiraki-chan is a proper Endou, we just never realised it before."

"But we realised it in time to stop Kuchiki becoming another victim," Enishi gazed down at the pale form he cradled in his arms. "He's breathing all right, Edogawa – and though he's paler than normal, I think that's all it is. If we get him back quickly, probably he'll be fine. He's a tough one – and I intend to stick with him at least until we get back to the Academy. Kyoshingeki's riled up and ready to fight if I need him again – and whilst I won't slash my blade through a _hime_ – especially not if she's with child like you think – I won't spare any punches for the one who pulled Onoe's strings."

"Eiraki-hime…is…" Sora was floored, and Mitsuki nodded.

"I think so," she agreed sadly. "She's Aizen's now. Entirely and completely. There's no way to save her, even if she wanted us to. If Guren-sama catches her, she'll be put to death without a doubt. Her age, her condition and her stupidity won't count for anything. He won't show her any mercy at all if he manages to lay hands on her."

"Is Ukitake already back at camp?" Enishi shot Mitsuki a quizzical look, and the young healer shook her head.

"He isn't. Nor is Kyouraku-kun," she replied. "Nobody's there now."

"Then you and I'll take Kuchiki back and try and make contact with Sensei," Enishi decided. "Sora, have you any breath left? You came haring in here after Edogawa, but someone should go tell Ukitake what's happened, and neither Edogawa nor I are leaving Kuchiki alone like this."

"I'll go." Sora nodded, scrambling to her feet. "I can't trace reiatsu as well as Mitsuki can, but I s'pect I'm better at it than you are, Houjou. Besides, I'll use Hotarue."

She patted the hilt of her sword.

"She's been skittish and dancing all over the place with all of these swords being released – and I think that means Katen Kyoukotsu has been released too. With her help, I'm sure I'll find Shunsui – and if I find him, probably I'll find Juushirou as well."

"Then we'll meet back at base camp as soon as possible." Mitsuki looked relieved. "Thank you, Sora. Be as quick as you can, all right? The sooner we get Ryuu somewhere safer than this the better."

* * *

"That was definitely Houjou's sword."

As the two Seniors hurried across the uneven mountain terrain, Kai cast Hirata an apprehensive glance, reading the same tension flowing through the younger boy's body as he had running through his own. "It was Kyoshingeki's release, and something else. They're practically on our group's territory – what the hell is he doing fighting something up here?"

"I don't know," Hirata's pale blue eyes were uncharacteristically dark, and he shook his head quickly from side to side, "but something's definitely going on beyond the group boundary line. Shunsui-kun's Katen Kyoukotsu was released too, Kai-kun…and not in the same area of land. I don't know what's happened, but in the circumstances…"

"Kuchiki?" Kai asked grimly, and Hirata nodded.

"Almost certainly," he said blackly, "but if Houjou-kun is all the way out towards the divide and Shunsui-kun's a long way towards their base camp – what does that mean? I thought I felt Shizurugi releasing too, but it was gone as soon as it happened, so I suppose I got confused. And then there was something else that didn't correspond to anyone or anything. Something piercing and damaged that flared for a while and then disappeared."

"In this atmosphere it's easy to read more into signals than is there, because there are less of them," Kai observed bleakly. "Houjou and Sora are probably at the advantage, because their senses aren't as keen as ours and therefore are less used to filtering out great swathes of irrelevant stuff. Here we're at risk of discarding or focusing on something important because it's flowing at a different strength from when we're back home – but I don't think you imagined Shizurugi. I think Kuchiki tried to release – what worries me is that he obviously didn't succeed."

"Something prevented him?"

"Or some_one_."

As they reached a clearing just beyond the line that divided their side of the group mission map from the area designated to Juushirou's team, Kai slowed, pausing as he caught sight of something dark and limp huddled beneath the shadow of a damaged tree. The area was pitch black now, night having well and truly fallen, but the moon was clear and bright in the sky, and Kai's keenly trained assassin wits soon realised that it was not a bush or fallen branch but the broken shape of a body.

He frowned, taking in the odd angle of the tree trunk that seemed to be leaning precariously against one of its fellows, and his eyes narrowed.

"Hirata, can you light this area with Kidou for me, please?" he asked softly. "You're better at firing spells without flaring spirit power than I am, and I don't want to bring a Hollow out this way. Besides, I want my hands free…I think it's better that I look at this than you."

"What have you found?" Hirata obediently pressed his hands together, closing his eyes and faint flickers of spiritual energy began to glimmer around the edges of his skin. "_Hadou no Sanjuu San – Soukatsui_!"

He parted his hands, and little by little the copse was illuminated in an eerie blueish glow.

"If Sensei finds out you're doing that without the incarnation, you'll be in trouble," Kai observed absently, crouching down closer to the huddled black-clad form. "You know we're not allowed to use Kidou that way until after we graduate – and only then if we're really proficient."

"I'm not causing anyone any harm, though," Hirata said levelly. "I can maintain it easily enough at this standard – this is a First year spell and it's only a matter of proper _reiryoku _control. Besides, that's not relevant to us right now, is it? What's more relevant is…who exactly is that beneath the tree?"

"Tomoyuki," Kai rested his hand against his cousin's shoulder, gazing into the empty golden eyes with a sigh, "and this time there's absolutely no doubt about it, Hirata. Whatever he was before, he's definitely dead now."

"This was where Kyoshingeki was released, wasn't it?" Hirata moved to kneel at his friend's side, the blue flame wavering slightly but staying firm as he made himself more comfortable on the grass. "There – now it's easier to see. Though whether that's a good thing or not…"

"Houjou's sword takes no prisoners," Kai said with a sigh, rolling Onoe's body onto its back and seeing for the first time the full scale of the damage. Despite himself he felt faintly queasy as he took in the jagged slash that had carved through the boy's ribs as though they were made of paper, slicing through the organs and vital structures that lay beneath. Onoe's heart had been cut right through, and this had been the ultimate cause of death – but even without that, Kai was sure his cousin would not have survived long from any of the other wounds either.

_It was quick and it was decisive. Houjou decided that it had to be done and so he did it, and quickly, too. Whether Tomoyuki had any awareness or not I can't tell – but this would have happened so quickly that even a full-minded individual would probably have been dead before any pain signals would have reached the brain. Violent as it was, Houjou was merciful. His intention was to put Tomoyuki out of his misery, wasn't it? He must've realised that whatever his condition, there was no going back…killing him also at least spares the Shihouin the embarrassment of his being taken and formally tried._

"He's been cut to pieces quite horribly," Hirata's voice brought Kai back to the present. "I don't suppose he knew a lot about it, though."

"Me either." Kai reached a reluctant hand across to close the glassy empty eyes. "Are you okay? I remember when you found Aitori's corpse, it shook you up quite badly."

"That was a long time ago." Hirata's tones were faintly wistful. "I've got older, Kai-kun, and it's all right. It's not nice to look at, but I'm not disturbed by death the way I was back then."

"All right." Kai sat back on his heels. "We can't just leave him like this. Houjou isn't the type who'd just kill for no reason – even a person he didn't ever really like - so something must've happened here to make him release his sword."

"There's another weapon by that tree." Hirata nodded his head towards the abandoned _tantou_ knife, and Kai got to his feet, carefully stepping around the blood-sodden pools that saturated the grass surrounding his cousin's body. At a glance he could see that his friend was right, and he frowned, a sudden thought crossing his mind as he bent down to examine it more closely.

The weapon was not marked with any distinctive Clan emblem, just as Onoe's own attire had been devoid of Shihouin or other crests. Yet the colour of the blade itself was somehow clouded, and a cold chill touched Kai's spine as he realised the significance of this observation.

"Hirata, come shine your light on this more closely," he instructed, and his companion obeyed, bringing the ghostly blue haze closer to the blade. Without touching it, Kai scrutinised the metal carefully, chewing on his lip as he worked out what he was seeing.

"Laced with poison of some kind," he said at length, standing upright and indicating for Hirata to do the same. "I don't know what, but the metal is definitely coated in something that it shouldn't be. The surface is far too murky and smudgy for it to be a clean weapon – but aside from a few specks right near the tip, there's no sign of blood."

"A few specks?" Hirata looked thoughtful, his features appearing strange in the flickering glow of the blue flame. "Kuchiki-kun?"

"Seems that way, doesn't it?" Kai's response was grim. "Tomoyuki was sent to poison Kuchiki, and Houjou intervened. There's no sign of either Houjou or Kuchiki here, which means they almost certainly went back to camp already – hopefully with Kuchiki in better physical state than Tomoyuki."

"Almost certainly he's alive," Hirata said pensively, "since Onoe-kun's body has been left here. If they were in a hurry to get Kuchiki-kun to help, they wouldn't have had time to worry about what to do with Onoe-kun. I think we can probably assume he survived – even if he wasn't able to fight."

"Let's hope, huh?" Kai glanced at his blood-stained fingers, feeling a sudden sense of heaviness washing over his young body. "This is the type of Shihouin my sister wants us to stop being, Hirata. Someone – almost certainly that exact someone who snared your sister – has made Tomoyuki enact out a role that my family are doing their level best to erase. This isn't the kind of way I want our Clan to be seen in the future…broken and bloody on the end of a sword after an assassination attempt gone wrong."

"The Shihouin and the Endou have both changed," Hirata said quietly, and though there was no active sympathy in his friend's tones, Kai knew the younger boy understood. "It's not an easy path for either family to walk – but we will walk it, no matter what other people try to do to get in our way."

"You're concerned, aren't you?" Kai eyed him quizzically. "You think that, seeing that Tomoyuki's like this, the next time it might be Eiraki-hime we find."

"I think I'm more afraid for Kuchiki-kun and for others – like Juushirou-kun – who might take exception to assaulting a _hime_ if they encounter her_,_" Hirata said honestly. "There's no knowing what my sister will be primed to do, or what she might already have done in order to help Aizen's plans."

"Hirata?" Kai stared at him, and Hirata offered a faint smile.

"I love my sister. I always will. Aizen probably knows that, which is why he's taken her as an accomplice," he said softly. "He wants to weaken the Clans, and Eiraki is the perfect weapon to use to take out what's left of the Endou. We're a weak family still rebuilding, though – we're no real challenge and our destruction won't help his long term cause. At the moment he's set his sights elsewhere, and taking Eiraki is a chance to keep the Endou at bay while he does. He assumes that if one of ours is involved, we'll be too fearful of our Clan's position to speak out or act."

"But…?" Kai pressed.

"I'm my Father's heir. Heir to the Clan. Grandson of Shouichi and Yayoi, son of Misashi, sole blood descendant to District Seven," Hirata said matter-of-factly. "Personal feelings aside, that's who I am and that's my duty. If Eiraki is betraying us, it makes it even more necessary for me to be loyal. That doesn't mean I want to face her or fight her – but it does mean that I can see her as an enemy. No, I already did see her as one, if I'm totally honest about it. As her brother I wanted to rescue her, and still do. On the other hand, as heir to the Clan, deep down I knew that rescue wasn't an option. Onoe-kun's death has just made that all the more certain. Aizen is an extremist and this is a cause people can – and probably have been – martyred for. It's the first seeds of a bigger war – even if we suppress it now, it will come back."

He got to his feet.

"Our job is to face it, accept it, fight it," he concluded. "As heirs to Clans, we have no other choice. We have to be firm with what we believe in, Kai-kun. If we're not…Seireitei's own framework may find itself under threat."

"You…really are a whole lot stronger these days," Kai said ruefully. "Turning twenty's had a bigger impact on you than we thought, huh? You're shying away from blood, keeping a rational head in the presence of a corpse, and even being able to look at your family's situation from a pragmatic point of view. Though maybe it's been happening for a while. You seem older than me, sometimes, when you make statements like that."

"I'm realising more what parts of me are Endou and what parts I can overcome," Hirata sounded weary, and Kai had the impression his friend had spent some time fighting a battle within himself over the kind of person he wanted to become, "and that loving my family doesn't stop me from fighting them. My Clan has existed by doing that very thing for generations and it's practically in my blood. What I don't want to become is an Endou like Grandfather or Seimaru – I want to be able to protect people who need protecting as well as use my bird of prey instinct to hunt down enemies. Endou Lords don't learn compassion – but I have learned it and I want to keep it. That's why being at the Academy is such a precious thing to me – I've had the chance to learn a lot more than the average Endou Clan heir."

"You've never really been much like a traditional Endou lord," Kai pointed out. "Right at the start especially…that's never really been your frame of mind."

"We all are, though. Even my Father is ruthless when he needs to be – with his life, with other lives," Hirata responded. "He didn't even blink at the eradication of the Urahara exiles under Grandfather's regime. Truthfully, too…since raising Seizumi, I've been less…troubled by death. Since killing Seimaru, I've realised that killing doesn't bother me much at all. Aitori's murder made me sick to my stomach, but right now I'm a few feet from a bleeding corpse and I don't...I don't feel anything at all, Kai-kun. It's just there. My brain's acknowledged that it is and that what's happened is horrific - but I don't feel anything more."

"For real, huh?" Kai's brows creased in consternation. Hirata nodded.

"As time's gone on, I've realised that - even though I don't intend on following the family tradition for slaughter, I'm designed to have no emotional reaction to taking life. I've never once had a nightmare about how Seimaru died, and that fact itself bothered me a lot more than his death, because it was the first time I saw how Endou I really was inside. More and more I've become accepting of death as a normal part of my existence. By the time I fully know how to wield my sword at the top level, I'll probably have all the hunter's instincts I need to be a proper Endou Lord."

"Hirata…" Kai stared.

"You needn't worry. I don't intend to be like Seimaru," Hirata spoke firmly. "If I ever became that way, Kai-kun, I'd hope you'd break your hate of killing and you'd take me out before I could start hurting innocent people."

"Don't ask stupid things," Kai snorted, reaching across to thwap his friend across the back of the head with an unblooded section of his white-sleeved arm. "I won't kill you. I'll kick it into you instead that killing people's a bad thing. You've had a year of Shihouin discipline already - a little more won't hurt you. Endou or not, no way you'll turn out like Seimaru and the rest. None of us would allow it - you think Ukitake would allow it?"

"Juushirou-kun's probably the biggest reason I've been able to figure all this out," Hirata sighed, spreading his hands and the flare of Kidou disappeared into fragments of light. "He doesn't believe in killing, but he does believe in doing the right thing regardless of the consequences. I think by spending time with him, I've been able to put my spirit power into perspective. He - and all of you - have always told me that when I raised my sword, it'd be different from the other Endou birds of prey. I really hope to make that the case. Spending that year with your family, too, and seeing how Midori-sama was changing things there, I realised that Clans don't have to follow the same model for all eternity, and that one individual can turn thing in a new direction. I've done a lot of thinking off and on about all of this, and I think it's the nature of our spirit power that forms the basis of an Endou becoming a ruthless killer. Understanding that is the first step to doing something about it."

"So...?"

"Father wasn't allowed to raise his sword, so he retained his sanity and his grip on everyday administration," Hirata reflected. "He and mother - who has no real spirit power - were the biggest influences on me as a small child. Grandfather and Grandmother were both capable of running the family, but bloodthirsty in their own way, whilst my Uncle Mibune and Seimaru were almost crazed by the power of their swords. Seimaru was trained to his sword by Mibune-ojiue, who was insanely violent even towards his own son. Seimaru never had a chance to be anything other than what he was, because he didn't see any other path that he could follow. Seizumi's real name is Tsumi no Fuuhi – a _tsumi _can be a sin as well as a sparrowhawk, and it's not an accidental play on words. My sword first started to awaken when I killed Seimaru and that moment I understood a little more about who I was. When Eiraki disappeared, I felt it more firmly. But I am decided. If my future is to fight against members of my family, I'm going to only do so for the sake of establishing a Clan that's stable and respectable in Seireitei's hierarchy - one that can govern properly and shield its people from harm, rather than inflict it. I'm completely decided about that, but committing to that future means I probably have to discard Eiraki-chan. I don't expect I'll have a choice but to view her in the same way I had to view Seimaru - an enemy to the prosperity and peace of District Seven."

"You'd kill her?" Kai asked, dumbstruck, and Hirata shook his head.

"I don't know if I could. It hasn't gone that deep inside of me yet," he admitted. "I'm holding onto that thought as hard as I can, because I want to be able to hunt when I need to but to hold that instinct in perspective. Seimaru loved Grandfather – Father's said that time and time again. He loved Grandfather like a father figure, yet still had him murdered to further his own ends. Love in the Endou has a strange meaning, but I love Eiraki. Even though she might have betrayed us, I want to keep loving Eiraki…in the way you love your sister and brother."

"I see." Kai was troubled. "You've never spoken quite like that before."

"There's never been a situation quite like this," Hirata's voice echoed slightly in the darkness, "but of all the people I trust, Kai-kun, you're maybe the only one who'd really understand. You were trained as a killer too – even if you don't practice that way, you must understand the will of a Clan whose very nature is death."

"I wish I didn't, but I do," Kai sighed. "All right then. Right now it seems a bad idea to keep up our hunt for Eiraki-hime. If Tomoyuki was sent to his death by Aizen, there's a good chance he'd use her in the same way and since there aren't many people in our group who'd slay a _hime_, he'd probably see the advantage in deploying her. Just the same, though, Tomoyuki can't be left here ignored like this. This is a crime scene and there is evidence of foul play all around. I'd bet there's enough to prove Kuchiki's and my kinsfolk innocent and maybe enough to provide a faint trail to the real assassins."

"I'll go back to our camp," Hirata volunteered. "In the dark I can feel my way through the air currents and I'll probably make quicker time than you would trying to do it by sight and sense. This world isn't designed for spiritual transit, so I think it's probably best I go. I'll tell Yamamoto-kun that Kuchiki-kun's been attacked and that most probably we'll be summoned back to Seireitei as a result. If I can, I'll get him to mobilise everyone towards the _Senkaimon_."

"I suppose that leaves me to stand guard over Tomoyuki," Kai said grimly.

"It does. I'm sorry," Hirata sounded apologetic, "but in the circumstances…"

"No, it's best that way." Kai shook his head. "He's my cousin. None of this was his choice. Fool as he was – as a Shihouin, this is my duty. I'll stay here. If anything significant happens, I'll flare a spell – or head towards the _Senkaimon_. But otherwise…this is where I'll be."

"Understood." There was the faint shadow of Hirata's nodding assent, then with a flicker of spirit power he was gone, leaving Kai alone with the corpse of his dead cousin.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Kai returned across the clearing to where the cooling body lay, spreading his own left hand and murmuring the incantation for Shakkahou as he illuminated the area in a haze of blood-red light.

_The last time we spent time alone together, you held a knife and tried to take my life before submitting your own._

He sank down against the broken tree, being careful to keep out of the congealing blood.

_This happened because that happened. You rebelled against my sister and threatened to hurt her – probably knowing that your deed was unforgivable and would not be forgiven. You chose to die as an assassin dies. However, because you made that choice, Tomoyuki, all of these things came into play. Who knows how many lives you've damaged and ended since you disappeared from District Two? _

He groaned.

_Is your spirit happy, wherever it is? Are you proud that you really did become a proper assassin from the shadows and died an assassin's death? Or are you ashamed of it, Tomoyuki? I wish I could ask you whether you knew what you were doing, or if you were no more than an empty shell following that man's commands._

_We were no kind of allies, but I'm probably the one who'll find it hardest to forget you or write you out of our family's past. Seeing you how you were after our fight told me that I didn't want to be a killer. I wanted to live and to help change the Clan – so I've done it, and now I'm the family's heir. This…all of this…is the reason it needs to stop. People's lives are precious. Your life was too, but you never had anyone to talk to you the way Kyouraku and Unohana-sensei talked to me. Because they did, I'm here now, and I know what it is I need to do. _I need to live_. I may be a Shihouin trained for death, but I don't suppose I'll ever stop believing in living. _

He rested his head against the wood of the tree, closing his eyes as he spread his senses all around for any sign of danger or trouble.

_I'll be an Onmitsukidou and I'll do what I can. Like Hirata, I'll do my duty by my Clan and by Seireitei and I'll protect as much as I'm able. The Shihouin of the next generation will protect people's lives, not end them. That's my hope for the future, Tomoyuki. I'm sorry it wasn't a future you could see, but at least here, while we're alone, I'll promise you that._

He opened his eyes, gazing down once more at his cousin's still form. Though his body was bloody, with his eyes closed Tomoyuki's features were reposed as though he was sleeping, and despite himself, a sad smile touched Kai's lips.

"If I can, I'll get Neesama to give you a proper burial," he said softly. "For your mother's sake, I'll try, because she loved you more than you ever realised she did. I don't know if souls like yours travel to the Real World or if the Eiminyaku really did just eat it all away. But just on the off-chance some part of you is here in this place to hear me, I'll promise you to at least do what I can to have you laid to rest where you should be. This isn't over yet – Hirata might be right and it might just be the beginning. But for you, it's done. And for the Shihouin, it's time we all moved on."

* * *

_**Author's Note (Warning, it's a long one this week!)**_

_**Clever people are lifesavers**_

_As a lot of people have probably experienced, FFnet has issues at the moment with updating stories. However, thanks to the smart brains of people who have a lot more intelligence than me, I'm now able to belatedly update Meifu for this week. Hopefully normal service will be resumed soon, and thank you once again, smart people =D**  
**_

_**Enishi**_

_Here it is, then. Enishi's crowning moment of glory in the Meifu world. The title of this chapter is 'bond' – which, as I explained way back in the footnotes for 2__nd__ manuscript, is what 'Enishi' actually means. His bond with and loyalty to his companions is what will make him a great shinigami – even though his kidou is feeble and his ability to sense reiatsu somewhat below that of some of his fellows._

_Enishi is a simple soul – straight-forward, earnest and strong, and so I wanted him to have a zanpakutou to match. Kyoshingeki doesn't have any special magic tricks associated with it. It really is just a huge strong blade designed for force rather than delicate schematics._

_The name of the sword means "Huge soul attack" which can be interpreted in a few ways. Perhaps it's because of the nature of the sword's appearance. Maybe it's because it can take down the 'huge' and deformed souls of the hollows. But I think – and the reason probably that I chose that name for this sword – that it has another meaning. The second character, 'shin' can also be read as 'kokoro', which in Japanese is a word used for the soul or the heart of an individual (in a spiritual sense, as opposed to the organ). Enishi's heart is undoubtedly huge, and in order to protect those he holds dear, he's not afraid to fight. Kyoshingeki's release attack is "susume" which means, "advance". Probably that's something that Enishi would do right up till his final fight – fair and honest to the last._

_For a while now it's been a thought of mine that Enishi's soul might have been reincarnated into Renji in the current canon (I think someone also independantly mentioned that same idea in a recent Review/PM, which was actually quite heartwarming because it made me think my mental ramblings about him weren't totally creator's delusion! Renji was a real world soul transferred to Rukongai, yet one with spirit power and how he came by it is unclear. We do know that souls from Rukongai – as Yama explained to his poor confused Seniors – get reborn into the Real World as part of keeping the balance. If Renji was once Enishi – and a shinigami of physical force and skill but not much cop at magic – that might explain a lot. Of course, Renji and Enishi are not the same in all respects – but even a reincarnation can't have all the same characteristics of its predecessor, right? _

_Enishi actually has another purpose in the history books of Soul Society. I won't reveal that yet, because if I do so, it also means revealing a lot more about Enishi's future than I want to give away during this story. That epilogue chapter I promised some time back will explain all – I hope that when it does, people will agree with me that his path is a fitting one for one of his nature and ability._

_**Onoe Tomoyuki's Final Farewell.**_

_When I first wrote Second Manuscript I didn't really know whether Onoe should live or die. At the time I kept him alive, but I wasn't certain whether he would survive his suicide attempt or whether he would not. When I began writing this story, I knew that the matter of Tomoyuki had to be firmly settled. In a sense this outlines the change between the assassin Shihouin of the past and the Onmitsukidou Shihouin of the future as a permanent step. _

_This is really Tomoyuki's chance to 'move on'. Whether he is reborn in the Real World or not is up to the reader – whether any part of his spirit hears Kai's words or not, I'll also leave up to you. What is for sure is that Onoe's soul could never again be a shinigami, because all of his spirit power was lost. However, that doesn't debar him from a Real World reincarnation and future happinessand peace – it really depends on whether as a reader you think he's deserving of a second chance at life._


	57. Shadow Puppetry

**Chapter Fifty Five: Shadow Puppetry**

To Juushirou, time in the grove seemed to have stopped still.

Then, as if breaking the spell, the shadowy figure raised his hand silently above his head. As if summoned by an invisible string, the weapon wrenched itself free from Keitarou's body, returning itself swiftly to its wielder's grasp. The swordsman glanced at it, tut-tutted and gave it a shake, releasing droplets of blood that scattered across the grass. Keitarou, who up to a moment before had been relaxed and almost joking clutched at his wounded arm, a string of expletives slipping from his mouth as he wheeled around on his attacker.

It was Juushirou who found the name first, disbelief in his expression.

"S..Shunsui?"

"The Kyouraku _bocchan_," Keitarou spat out. "So you _do_ have a _zanpakutou_. I was right."

"That's me. And so I do." Shunsui glanced at his left-hand weapon again, and Juushirou was aware of the second sword silhouetted at his friend's right side, ready and waiting for its own moment to enter into the battle. "Well, would you look at that. It seems as though I have two. I wonder what could have brought that about - strange thing, spiritual energy, don't you think?"

He flicked Seibara's blade once more, the moonlight glinting off its surface with a strange, almost ghostly quality.

"Urahara Keitarou, I presume," he added pleasantly, "or maybe I should say, _Aizen_ Keitarou. The man who insists on polluting a Kyouraku family name - among other things - in order to perpetuate his delusionary schemes."

"I _knew _there was a good reason I didn't like you," Keitarou glared at Shunsui like a cornered animal, and Juushirou saw genuine hate and anger flare in his eyes. "A low blow even from a Clansman - to throw a sword from behind."

"I didn't," Shunsui smiled, but there was no real warmth to his smile, and Juushirou had to stifle a shiver at the ice in his friend's normally lazy brown eyes, "it was your shadow that actually attacked you. You thought your spiritual defences were perfect, didn't you? I bet you didn't think about shielding your own silhouette. I found it remarkably easy to break into - if you're as careless as that, you should expect negative consequences."

"You..."

"I'm not the idealist Juu is," Shunsui added flatly. "I don't really like the idea of killing things, either, and I never have, but unlike Juu, I_ am_ Clan. You taught me a valuable lesson in the snows those few years ago, too. Do you know what that was, Aizen Keitarou?"

Keitarou merely stared at him in mute fury, and Shunsui's eyes narrowed.

"Sometimes there's no other option but to take life," he said softly. "Sometimes protecting the things that matter means taking life. It's no thanks to you that Juu's still here and alive, and I find it hard to forgive what you tried to do to both of us that day, but if I must thank you for something, it's teaching me that sometimes, in a dangerous situation, death is the cleaner and most logical option. It's because of you that my sword answers so readily to my call - even if that means plunging right to the depths of the darkest shadow."

"Shunsui, what are you trying to do? How did you...where..?" Juushirou was unable to finish any of his sentences, and Shunsui shot him a benign smile, the cold aura of the resolute attacker suddenly gone from his expression.

"You were taking too long and I got worried. I sensed something unpleasant in the vicinity and decided to come check on you," he said with a shrug, his tones far more the usual off-hand Shunsui Juushirou was used to. "I thought perhaps you'd been waylaid by someone the Council wouldn't approve you talking to - and I hit the jackpot."

His gaze flitted to Keitarou, and his eyes hardened once more.

"As you can see, though I really don't like shedding blood, with you I can make an exception," he said coolly. "You have no business with Juu, and you should leave now. If you're wise, you won't come back. We aren't going to play with you - so run along."

"That reiatsu..." Keitarou's eyes became slits, and Juushirou could see that the man's arm was now drenched in blood. Had Shunsui's blade broken Keitarou's shoulder? Inwardly he suppressed another shiver. This was a side of his friend he had never seen - a Shunsui who had used his weapon against another living being without a moment's hesitation.

"What about it?" Shunsui glanced at his swords, then back at Keitarou. "It's the only reiatsu I have, I'm afraid. If it offends you, sorry about that. But you know, yours offends me too. It has a nasty, bloody kind of edge to it. It's almost as though it's devoured one too many souls - or maybe made puppets out of those who've spent the last four years in sleep. It's rather like a Hollow - and I'm not really keen on them."

He shrugged, tapping the tip of Amaki's blade against the soft earth pensively.

"I didn't come here to kill you, though I'd be lying if I didn't say a part of me would like to try," he admitted honestly. "This right blade of mine holds a self-named demon's soul and he's roaring at me right now to take my chances and finish you whilst I can. I'm not going to yield to him, this time. If I'd wanted to come kill you, I would have let him have his way - but I didn't. What's more, that wound isn't as serious as you're making out. Seibara's tip may have gored you - but even if it sliced a vessel, it hasn't done you any real damage. It was a warning shot, that's all. It'll teach you, perhaps, that it's a bad idea to let your guard down so completely. You're not as invincible as you believe you are - I wanted to show you that there are people who can hurt you, and that will."

He flicked a sword in Juushirou's direction.

"What you did to Juu and I last time was unforgiveable," he added bluntly, "and when I'd recovered, I told myself then that I wouldn't forget it - or forgive it. Juu doesn't remember any of it - and he doesn't need to remember. _I_ remember and that's enough for both of us. So long as he doesn't remember, your power won't work on him - isn't that what you just said? And, as long as I do remember, I'll be there in the shadows ready to defend him from you. Bear it in mind, Keitarou-_san_. Juushirou is one of us - _he belongs with us._ Clan or District, it doesn't matter. Juu is part of the Academy, and he'll be part of the Gotei come the spring. Whatever tricks you try and however you want to twist things, he's not like you and he never will be."

"Is that all you came here to say, with your fancy swords and your shadow tricks?" Keitarou demanded. Shunsui nodded, and there was a faint haze around each _zanpakutou_ blade as he sealed his weapons, returning them to their rest position at his side.

"You can't ever escape from your shadow," he responded evenly, "and you probably can't protect it, even with the kind of magic you have. That being the case, you'll never know where Katen's blade might come from or where it might hit. Just keep in mind that if you're in Juushirou's vicinity, there's an increased chance of it hitting you - understood? Where he is is often where I am, too."

_"Shunsui!" _Juushirou's eyes became huge, but Shunsui ignored him, his gaze trained on Keitarou.

"You ought to see to that injury before it gets infected," he added blithely. "Seibara's blade is quite clean, fortunately, so I'm sure a man of your scientific calibre can do something with it."

Keitarou shot Shunsui a look of dislike, but he did not try to reply, slipping into shunpo and disappearing into the dark forest beyond.

Now alone, Juushirou faltered, staring at his classmate in disbelief, and Shunsui sighed.

"You don't think I should've done that? Or you think I should've done it sooner? I'm not sure which expression that is, but I don't think it's a good one," he reflected ruefully. "I get the feeling you're about to tell me off - so if you'd fill me in on what for, I'll try and have the right apology waiting."

"What on earth did you do?" Now Juushirou found his voice, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and giving him a faint shake. "Aside from the fact Keitarou-san isn't the kind of enemy you want to make, where did you even come from? You weren't behind him and there was no way...and then..."

"I was on your tail," Shunsui agreed. "I didn't hear all of your conversation, but enough of it to get the gist. And my attack.."

He patted his sealed sword hilts.

"They taught me that. It's a technique called _Kageoni_. If there's shadow, I can use it. Any shadow - even yours, you know, if I wanted to."

"What?" Instinctively Juushirou swung around to stare at his moonlit silhouette, and Shunsui grinned.

"I wouldn't. Not against you. Don't worry," he said frankly. "It's still quite a new technique, but one that I thought I might need to use when we came here, so I worked to master it as best I could. Whatever I cast into the shadow comes out wherever there's another shadow. If that shadow belongs to a person, I can attack them via that method. That's what I did here. I used Keitarou's own shadow to attack him from behind - and then followed my blade through the trees' silhouettes so I could retrieve it more easily. Whether he understood my technique or not, I don't know - but no sense in giving him more pointers than he needs."

"It's not a very nice technique," Juushirou said slowly, "but I think I understand. I guess...talking would have been a waste of time anyway. There are times you can't save people from themselves."

"Mm." Shunsui nodded regretfully. "I'm glad it's taken you this long to really embrace that concept though - because I like the way you don't give up trying."

"Your shadow magic scared me a little. I wasn't sure I even knew who you were for a moment," Juushirou admitted, "but you sound like Shunsui more now. Like...you really didn't intend to kill him. Just scare him away."

"I did, and I succeeded," Shunsui agreed, "but I wasn't kidding about one thing, Juu. I haven't forgotten what happened in District Seven and I never will. I learned from it, and probably, got stronger because of it. Doubtless I raised my sword because of it - but I don't like it all the same. I haven't forgiven him and I won't. So long as he keeps his distance, I don't have any interest in causing him harm, but if he tries to bother you again - or make you his puppet again - I will act. Even if I regret it for the rest of my life, I have a feeling that taking that one life would save many millions of others - and so it's a burden I could live with."

"I wish I could disagree with you." Juushirou rubbed his temples. "But you're probably right."

"We're growing up in a rather nasty way, aren't we?" Shunsui observed, and Juushirou nodded.

"We are, but I suppose there's no choice," he said wearily. "Shunsui, Keitarou's objective isn't just me. He'd like me - he's said that he hasn't given up, because he thinks my sword has the potential to go all the way to Bankai and he wants to use me as part of his plan. I'm not going to listen, don't worry," As Shunsui opened his mouth to speak, "but from what he's said just now, and what I know he said to me those years ago, I think his objective is the Clans. It's not just avenging himself on the Urahara for his Father's death any more - if it ever even was just that. He wants to bring down all of the Clans. He wants to take power from weak and greedy landholders and give it to powerful people in the Districts who he sees as being the future of Seireitei. Probably he intends on bringing them under his direct control."

"Powerful District people like you and like Shikiki?" Shunsui asked. Juushirou nodded.

"Yes," he agreed grimly, "like us. I don't know how he intends to do it - but I'm fairly sure that that's what he wants. And if we assume he was using Onoe-kun to frame the Shihouin and make the Kuchiki think the past was repeating, it's not hard to believe that he's serious."

"He's good at illusions, isn't he?" Shunsui muttered. "As well as planting false leads and trails all over the shop."

"But he made a mistake when he let Riri-dono live," Juushirou pointed out. "Because we realised about Eiraki, then."

"True," Shunsui agreed, "though we still haven't found her."

"He did confirm that she was with him, if that helps."

"Not really, since we already expected that. Without finding her, Juu, our hunt today has been pretty much a waste of time."

"I thought I felt Katen Kyoukotsu release."

Before Juushirou could find a suitable rejoinder, a weary looking Sora broke into the clearing, resting her hand on a nearby tree trunk as she fought to catch her last wind. "Yeesh, you people really do get all over the place. If it wasn't for Hotarue…I wouldn't have…found you at all."

"What's up, Sora-chan?" Shunsui cast the girl an apprehensive look, and Sora's eyes darkened.

"I've been sent to drag you back to camp," she said solemnly. "Kuchiki's been attacked."

"_What?_" Horror flooded Juushirou's senses as he realised then the purpose of Keitarou's conversation. "You mean he was distracting me? Of all the…"

"Who was distracting you?" Sora looked flummoxed, and Shunsui held up his hand to prevent Juushirou from responding.

"What happened?" he said quietly, and Sora sighed.

"The guy's alive. It's all right, Juushirou – Houjou and Mitsuki were there and they've made sure he's not killed," she said frankly, "but it's all…I don't even know where to begin. Onoe Tomoyuki dropped out of the trees – or something – and tried to kill Kuchiki, but Houjou took him down. Only it wasn't Onoe Tomoyuki, just a shell…or something. I'm not sure, since I wasn't expecting to see him…and then…"

"Onoe the puppet," Juushirou said blackly, "exactly as we thought. He was able to manipulate that poor boy's soul even while he was taunting me."

"He…?" Sora's eyes became wide, and Shunsui nodded.

"Aizen Keitarou," he agreed grimly, "the person behind all of the chaos in the Kuchiki Clan of late. Including this little episode – correct?"

"That's what Mitsuki said," Sora confirmed, her eyes big with surprise. "She said that there was something in Onoe's spirit that reminded her of Eiraki-hime after she tried to kill Hirata that time. And that was the other thing. Apparently _she's_ here too – Eiraki-hime, I mean. Mitsuki and Houjou saw her. She came after Onoe, so she's been acting with the Aizen guy all the time."

Juushirou and Shunsui exchanged looks.

"Then there's no choice, is there?" Shunsui's eyes darkened. "Listen, Juu. You're group leader, so I can't overrule you, but if possible, we should be going back to school tonight. As soon as we can, in fact. If Ryuu is alive and his life is not in danger, we don't want to let anyone have a second shot."

"He's out cold, but he's breathing fine and Mitsuki says he'll come through it." Sora nodded, dropping down on the grass with a sigh. "I think that's what she and Houjou wanted too."

She shivered.

"Houjou killed Onoe, you know – or what was left of Onoe. He looked…it was horrible. Lots of blood…just horrible."

"Maybe Onoe-kun's finally at peace," Juushirou murmured sadly. "I can't imagine there was much of him to kill, once Keitarou-san's magic had been at work inside him. Horrible as it sounds, death was probably a step up."

"It was what Onoe wanted," Shunsui pointed out. "Ironically, his desire to die is what prolonged his life in this wasted way. He was caught in the middle – not one thing and not the other after he took that drug. Enishi really only finished off what Onoe'd already begun when he took Eiminyaku. There wasn't anything to do to save him, Sora, not after that – in all ways but physically, he was already dead."

"I guess so," Sora groaned, "but I don't like it. I don't like any of it! All this conspiracy stuff isn't why we came to the Real World, right? I'm fed up with it, if you want to know the truth."

"What exactly do you know about Ryuu's injuries, Sora?" Shunsui asked. "Was he hit over the head, or…?"

"No…I think Onoe managed to drug him, but nobody was able to deliver the finishing blow." Sora shook her head. "Houjou got to him before that could happen. Mitsuki saw it – she said Houjou saved Kuchiki's life."

"Enishi would," Juushirou realised, "even if it meant staining his blade, he was assigned with Ryuu. He'd feel responsible – and he would sooner die than let anything happen to his comrade in a situation like that."

"We need to make contact with the other group." Shunsui's brain was clearly working now. "Sensei will want us all back, in a situation like this. Plus, if Eiraki's on the loose…it's possibly better she doesn't meet face to face with Hirata."

"You guys really don't seem as surprised by this as anyone else," Sora said plaintively, and Juushirou sighed.

"I wish we were, but both Shunsui and I picked up some bits and pieces of information we didn't necessarily want to have," he admitted. "Also, Keitarou-san…he doesn't seem to have completely lost interest in me. He was just here, Sora - Shunsui took him off guard and forced him to retreat, but he was here. I thought he would have discarded me as a failed experiment – but it doesn't look that way."

"He's not going to get you, though," Shunsui said flatly. "Katen Kyoukotsu and I will swear to that, Juu."

"Sougyo no Kotowari will have something to say about it too," Juushirou shot back. "I'm not as silly as I was back then – I have no intention of going anywhere. _Especially_ not if he sent Onoe-kun to kill Ryuu and to torment members of Ryuu and Mitsuki's family."

"Like Sora and Mitsuki's refugee, Nagoya," Shunsui interjected, and Sora reddened.

"So you know about that?" she said sheepishly, scratching her head, and Shunsui grinned.

"I'm starting to think it was well done," he admitted. "I hadn't thought of it before, but Sensei almost certainly knew when Nagoya crossed into District One. He definitely knew about it when I spoke to him the day before Hirata's birthday. But he did nothing about it, then. I bet he was waiting for this – for us to go to the Real World. Ryuu said he was going to act as 'bait' – well, we now know, don't we? There are witnesses that can prove Nagoya innocent and can implicate others in the crime. Onoe may be dead, but Juu and I both definitely saw Aizen Keitarou. There's no doubt who's behind all of this – and it's not a Kuchiki at all."

"Onoe probably killed Ribari-sama, too, on Keitarou-san's instruction," Juushirou said wearily. "It gets uglier the more you think about it. Well? What do we do about Hirata's sister? If Keitarou-san sent her after Onoe-kun, but she's now disappeared…are we just going to leave her here? She wasn't with Keitarou-san, and if he's still dealing with what Katen did to his shoulder…"

"I imagine that we'll leave her be," Shunsui said grimly. "I think it's pretty apparent that we're not looking for Eiraki any more."

"But..." Juushirou was startled, and Shunsui pulled a face.

"Did you not hear what Sora said about it? Eiraki is no longer someone we can save."

"Eiraki is Hirata's sister," Juushirou's brows knitted together, "and Keitarou-san is a persuasive, manipulative person who'd easily prey on someone as gullible as her, even if he didn't use his sword to control her. I still think we ought to find her - and he might have lied. He might be controlling her with his sword after all."

"No...that's not it," Sora shook her head. "Mitsuki and Houjou said she was in her own mind. She chose to do this stuff."

"Then…?" Juushirou looked quizzical, and Shunsui sighed.

"Sora said it. You just did as well_. Eiraki came after Onoe_. What do you suppose she did that for? She clearly didn't come to rescue him, if he was about to cut Ryuu to ribbons. What other reason had she for being there?"

"You mean _Eiraki-hime_…was going to…" Juushirou whitened, and Shunsui nodded.

"Ribari-sama was poisoned," he said quietly. "I wonder if a puppet could administer poison in a neat and effective way."

"Mitsuki said that too," Sora agreed. "Houjou was sure in that state Onoe was nothing more than a clumsy puppet. You don't need strength to poison someone who's already down. Eiraki-hime also apparently said that she did it, and she didn't show even the slightest bit of remorse. I think probably she was coming to do the same to Kuchiki, but people got in the way. Onoe was just the distraction."

"Oh boy." Juushirou chewed on his lip. "I admit, I never even thought of that as a possibility."

"Me either," Shunsui agreed grimly, "not till just now."

"There's something else." Sora looked troubled. "Mitsuki also thought the girl might be pregnant."

_"Pregnant?"_

Juushirou paled once more. "You mean...with Keitarou-san's..."

"Most likely." Shunsui nodded. "She's made her choice, Juu. Whether we like it or not, or even understand it – it's clear neither Mitsuki – who probably understood the kid best - nor Enishi thought Eiraki was under any kind of manipulation. Of her own free will this time she tried to take a life - and succeeded. Her attack on Hirata was not her will but Ribari-sama died by her hand and _she meant to do it_. What's more, she would have easily killed again without even a shadow of emotion. She is an Endou - one warped and twisted perhaps by the events in her family not so long ago. But that killer spirit has risen within her - there's no way to save her now."

He rubbed his temples.

"If the Kuchiki got hold of her, she'd be dead fairly quickly," he concluded. "Missing in the wilds of the Real World is probably the best option for her and for Hirata right at the moment. Even if it means Keitarou escapes justice again."

* * *

_Damn._

Keitarou darted through the undergrowth, his hand clutched to his bleeding shoulder as he inwardly cursed the young Kyouraku with every name he could draw to mind. He had shunpoed away from the scene in fits and starts, but now the pain radiating from the wound was too great for him to focus his spiritual wits on moving through the barren Real World atmosphere, and at length he had given up, deploying instead all of his knowledge of stealth and concealment to keep himself out of sight.

He had miscalculated.

Finally he reached the edge of the mountain land, finding a secure spot where an overhang cast even blacker shadow over his surrounds. It was not ideal, but he could no longer afford to leave his wound untended – every drop of blood he shed was a potential fingerprint to who and where he was, and though at present the Real World contingent consisted only of students, it was likely a matter of time before more significant foes would emerge.

Was this the Council's trap, then?

He sank back against the cool stone, reaching into his black robes with his good, bloodstained hand for the remainder of his flint. Loath to use Kidou to draw anyone to his location, he somehow managed to spark the dry substance, tossing it against a haphazard pile of old twigs and watching with irritation as it flared up into light. It would be safer to remain in darkness, but he knew he had to tend to the wound, and time was of the essence.

Grabbing at the blood-soaked fabric with his good hand, he tore the cheap cloth apart, anger giving strength to his pain hazed body. With an inward flinch of discomfort, he manoeuvred himself into a better position towards the flame in order to see the damage, and his brows knitted together as he judged what Shunsui's sword had done.

It had not shattered his bone, but how it had not was a mystery. Putting a tentative finger to his injury, Keitarou realised that the hole was deep and that it was unlikely to stop bleeding easily on its own. Gritting his teeth, he fumbled once more at his sash, discarding Chudokuga to one side as he struggled to pull his other weapon free from his belt. It was a common knife, fashioned in the same way as the weapon Onoe had carried and something he normally used to cut food, but today he was glad of it for another reason and he thrust the blade of the knife into the flickering flame, holding it there for a few moments until the metal glowed hot.

Swinging it around, he gathered his composure once again, then pressed the tip of the scalding implement inside the sword wound, biting his lip hard so as to prevent him from crying out in pain. Agony shot through his injured limb like a bolt of lightning, but still he forced himself to leave the knife in place, only pulling it away when he was sure that the bleeding had been stopped.

At length the knife slipped from his fingers, falling with a clatter onto the cold stone and he drew heavy, ragged breaths into his lungs, relief crashing over him as the waves of pain began to ease.

_Fortunately I know how to cauterise a wound. _

He sank back once more, closing his eyes.

_This is not good. I can't go back like this. Eiraki will worry and fuss and in the worst case, go after them in order to try and take some kind of vengeance. Nor can I leave her to her own devices. Juushirou might have sought her and he might have believed she was still someone he could reach – but that Kyouraku bocchan is different. I saw in his eyes that he knew exactly how things were._

His eyes opened slowly, and he sighed.

_He didn't kill me, but it's not because he wasn't able. In that moment, I let my guard down. Since when did I become so careless? Was it because they were all just students in my eyes? Did I think them all as gullible and naïve as Juushirou? Perhaps I did. But then, for a student level shinigami to not only catch me off guard but wound me..._

His expression darkened.

_I knew that there was something troublesome about that one. He's not a fool. He might be young, he might lack experience, and he may not have had the conviction to use his sword to run me through. I won't be so naïve about him again, that's for sure. He wasted his chance to kill me – and he won't ever get another. I've not met anyone in a long time who could look at me with eyes like those – perhaps I'd become complacent that there never would be anyone who could really pose me a threat. Men with power like Genryuusai or Guren can be held back or manipulated by threatening things around them. The Kyouraku bocchan is obviously different…one who is provoked into action by manipulation or threats? That's why he was able to take Juushirou down and break my hold over him in the snows of District Seven. I underestimated the bond those two boys shared…but that's something else._

He shuffled closer to the fire.

_When I first asked Juushirou if he knew about another twin sword, he told me he did not. That was a lie._

His eyes became calculating.

_The Kyouraku bocchan has two swords as well. Juushirou was protecting him. That means that he's as important to Juushirou as Juushirou is to him – and that means that if I want Juushirou, I will have to kill the Kyouraku boy and do it without Juushirou knowing. The trouble is…the trouble is…I'm not sure that I can. I didn't have a chance to assess the nature of his sword – it all happened too quickly – but a blade that can come from the shadows is an enemy who always has the advantage of surprise. What's more, his reiatsu is just as potent as Juushirou's, but far more refined and under control. There's a Bankai in his sword too. _

_**Are you giving up, Keitarou?**_

Chudokuga's derisive tones slipped through his senses and Keitarou scowled, shaking his head.

_I never give up. Didn't you learn that? I wait and bide my time and then I strike._

_**But you can't take the District boy, can you? Not so long as his guardian is waiting in the shadows.**_

_Are you afraid of his sword?_

_**No, but **_**you **_**should be.**_

Keitarou felt something spectral scuttle across his thoughts, followed by,

_**His blade can cut flesh and blood and you don't currently have a way of countering it. Without your Bankai you can't manipulate him to suicide – perhaps even if you had it, with that one, you might fail.**_

_Why?_

Keitarou's eyes widened slightly with alarm.

_Why if I had my Bankai would I fail to control him? You said that your spirit power had the ability to manipulate anybody of high spiritual level – why not that boy?_

_**Because he is stronger than you are.**_

Chudokuga's words were matter-of-fact, as though he was already bored with the conversation, and Keitarou could almost see the tiny spider's eyes boring into him as the arachnid spoke.

_**He is stronger than you are now. That is the material difference.**_

_Stronger than me? With a sword which hasn't yet been raised beyond shikai level?_

Keitarou was disbelieving.

_**You know yourself that bankai and shikai are relative to individual blades, not a set level that follows for all shinigami.**_

Chudokuga was derisive.

_**You're a scientist, so don't give me such naïve arguments. You know it yourself, deep down inside. The sword that attacked you today manipulated shadow to fight you. Did you not realise that? His sword manipulates, just as yours does – but in a different way. It casts a curse over its opponents in the form of a game – a game of life and death that only ends when one is thoroughly defeated. In terms of spirit power, Keitarou, you are not weak. In terms of experience you surpass him. But he is a fighter. You are not. How would you presume to win, trapped in his games and forced to fight by his rules? **_

_I see._

Anger flickered in Keitarou's mud-slurried eyes.

_That's why he could stop Juushirou in the snows. That's why he could take me by surprise. That's the reason why…his sword manipulates just as mine does. He can take control…therefore he cannot easily be controlled. _

_**He is one who can kill you, Keitarou. Keep that in mind. When his sword pierced you I felt his determination – he's not resolved to do it yet, but if you try to snare the District boy again, I believe he might try harder to succeed. His is a soul that fought off that fiery idiot's flame curse by willpower alone and survived, even before his sword had properly awoken. **_

_Seimaru's?_

Keitarou's brows knitted together in consternation.

_Seimaru's power may have been mediocre, but to fight it off without a raised zanpakutou spirit is some feat indeed. All right, Chudokuga. I get your message. The Kyouraku boy is someone I should treat with cautious attention in future – especially whilst I lack the power to manipulate anyone who could hurt him._

_**Don't forget that some part of my spirit power is still locked away inside that District boy.**_

Chudokuga said lightly.

_**I felt it, even if you didn't. It's there, sealed deep within his soul. More, meeting you has unsettled him. Perhaps he will begin to remember, and then things will change. Probably that boy is the only one who will ever be able to kill the Kyouraku, Keitarou. **_

_That failed once._

_**Yes, but the District boy is the Kyouraku bocchan's weakness. Listen. As he is now, the Kyouraku is dangerous. He is still growing, and will become **_**more**_** dangerous. Do not underestimate that danger – remember that as some Kyouraku blood runs weakly through your body, it also runs through his and far more strongly. Your spirit power is not all thanks to the Urahara – keep that in mind when you plan what next you do.**_

With that the spider's presence was gone, and Keitarou clenched and unclenched his fists, frustration surging through his tired and blood-spattered body.

_This is becoming more complicated by the second. Onoe is dead. Eiraki's whereabouts are unknown. The fate of the Kuchiki boy is also a mystery. Onoe inflicted poison, but then was cut down and our connection severed – I have no way of knowing how much drug was administered and whether Eiraki was able to reach him and see to finishing things off. If she was caught…but Eiraki's learned enough not to get caught. Probably she saw whoever it was who took out Onoe and decided to stay hidden – so whether Seiren's son is dead or not depends on Onoe's initial assault. _

He touched a finger tentatively to his shoulder, then,

_I'm wounded, and even with the injury sealed like that, there's no way I'll keep it from Eiraki. It might become infected, and who knows whether there was anything else on that boy's blade. Still, wasting time here also isn't an option. Whether the Kuchiki boy is or isn't dead, I need to get to District Six before that information can be confirmed. I need to be the first one to see Seiren…if I have any hope of salvaging anything from this, I now know that I must use him. Maybe it will be as a distraction, or maybe it will be something more. If I can't risk us staying here, the only other option is to leave. I…_

He froze, as something flitted aross his senses and he realised that he was no longer alone in his hiding place.

Turning slowly towards the entrance of his hideaway with a hunted, wary gaze, he took in the silhouette of a young woman, her features partially illuminated by the flicker of the still-glowing flame.

Even without seeing her clearly, Keitarou knew that she was not Eiraki, and he reached for his discarded _zanpakutou,_ his instincts telling him to fight and flee before his identity was uncovered.

"Are you all right?"

The woman's voice was soft and gentle, and Keitarou was momentarily taken off guard. As the girl took a hesitant step forward, he saw her clearly for the first time, and he frowned, realising that she was robed in the white and red colours of an Academy student.

_One of them. Another part of Genryuusai's trap?_

His blood-caked fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword.

"Who are you?" he hissed. "Tell me before I slit your throat."

"You're hurt." The girl did not seem particularly afraid of his threat, instead offering him a sympathetic smile as she moved closer. "I'm not here to make your injury worse, I promise. I sensed your pain and so I came here. I'm a healer. I'm not here to harm."

"A…healer?" Keitarou's brows knitted together, and he did not relax his grip on his weapon. "Why? Why would a healer come to help me?"

"A healer helps all who are injured, do they not?" the girl said matter-of-factly, and before Keitarou knew what was going on, she was kneeling at his side, her delicate fingers stretching out towards his wounded shoulder. "You must have taken this wound in a fight – perhaps a fight with a Hollow? Something dark pierced you here – but though it's deep, it's already stopped bleeding."

"Cauterising it at least is something I can do." Keitarou fidgeted back from her touch, glaring at her with what could only be described as feral eyes. He was cornered and unsettled, and her approach had confused him, but at his reaction she only smiled, drawing back her hands and folding them in her lap.

"That's already a help," she said softly, "but it will become infected if you don't let me treat it. This place isn't at all clean, and you'll soon take an infection if you don't treat it properly."

"You haven't even asked me who I am," Keitarou muttered. "Why would you treat me without even asking that?"

"I'm a healer," the girl said again, as if it explained everything. "That's my responsibility. Besides, you're not a person from this world. You can see me, and I can tell that sword is a _zanpakutou _of some kind. You're from the Gotei, aren't you? Robed in black like that…only squad shinigami robe themselves all in black."

"Squad shinigami…" Keitarou's eyes opened wide with surprise, and then a faint smile touched his lips as he realised his luck had not completely run out after all. Slowly he nodded.

"I've come from District Three," he lied, "but I've become hurt and I can't return to my fellows bloody and defeated like this. For a member of the Urahara Clan to show himself in this state back among the lower born members of my family is a disgrace. I was hoping to slip back to Seireitei without drawing attention to me, but I can't open the _Senkaimon _in this state, and when I heard you coming I thought my plan was undone. That uniform…is Genryuusai-sama's Academy, isn't it?"

"It is," The girl smiled, and Keitarou knew that he had fooled her, "and now I look at you, I can see that you look like you come from the Urahara Clan. Very well, Urahara-dono. I am just a student, as you say – but I'll do my best to help you, if you'll allow me to. I can close the wound at the very least, and prevent it from becoming infected."

_A healer, huh? Not one like Shikiki, but a true healer, with the spiritual sensitivity for the sick and the dying. Her healers wits have blinded her to the danger I might pose her – she has yet to fully complete her training, and so she sees someone hurt and moves to help them without stopping to think of who or why. Very well. I will use this to my advantage, if I can._

"You didn't tell me your name." As the young woman reached out her fingers to brush them lightly against his wound, sending a faint goldish glow up around them as he felt her spirit shift and focus in on the torn area. "I'd at least like to know who's come to my assistance – you must be of the Unohana Clan, correct?"

"I am." The girl offered him another smile. "My name is Amai. Amai Suzuno."

"Well, Amai-dono, meeting with you was certainly opportune." Keitarou eyed her pensively, feeling the pain that had burned through his body slowly beginning to ease and fade under the gentle touch of Suzuno's analgesic magic. "But it's a deep wound caused by a sharp object. It's a miracle that my shoulder wasn't pared through – as it is, I'm not sure if it can be easily healed by a student."

"Not by my spells, perhaps." Suzuno sat back, eying the injury with a critical eye. "Your bone was grazed, but it wasn't broken. If that's the case, I think I can mend it. I've tried to numb the pain, Urahara-dono, so if you can remain very still I'll use my sword and try and knit the wound back together."

"Knit…?" Keitarou blinked, and Suzuno nodded, slipping a long, narrow weapon free from its scabbard and resting it against the edge of Keitarou's skin.

"_Kizu o nue, Kuwagobari_," she murmured, and Keitarou watched in fascination as the girl's sword split into long slithers of silver thread. With the guidance of her hand, one by one these threads pierced through the edges of Keitarou's wound, carefully and firmly stitching the two halves of the skin together until the wound was completely closed.

"It will sting a little, I think, when the analgesic wears off," she said gently, pulling back her sword and resealing it, returning it to its sheath, "but that's simply an after effect of being in contact with my magic. The threads have knitted the wound back together from the base up – you'll have a faint scar, I think, but nothing more serious than that."

"To think I'd be saved by a healer whose sword uses thread."

Keitarou's gaze flitted to Chudokuga, his expression pensive. "It must have been some kind of fate that brought you to me, Amai-dono. My own sword also uses a type of thread – although I confess not in such a beautiful way as yours."

"Healers' swords are often the most beautiful. So I believe." Suzuno offered him a smile. "Try to move it, please – I want to make sure you can."

"I can." Keitarou nodded, obediently flexing his injured arm. "I can move it quite well, thanks to your ministerings."

_Indeed I can. With my arm fixed, I am no longer at such a disadvantage. It is true that when you see only negatives, there's always something positive waiting for you to find it. _

He lowered his arm, eying Suzuno contemplatively.

_But what to do now? She's done me a service, and she has no idea who I am. Probably I could let her go and nothing worse would come of it. But there's always that risk that she's a part of Genryuusai's plot. If he has sent people to snare me, this Amai Suzuno might not be a student at all. Certainly the way in which she mended my arm suggests a well-honed ability, not a beginner's act. I dislike spilling unnecessary blood and making unnecessary corpses, but I also can't risk drawing attention to myself by leaving a trail of evidence behind._

He chewed down on his lip, watching as the young girl gathered herself together to leave.

_I could take her with me as a prisoner or even as an ally – she seems gullible enough to be persuaded of anything, and without Shikiki it's inconvenient not having someone to heal. But then, the girl is also very pretty. Eiraki might not take well to that…she's prone to being possessive of me as it is._

A resigned look entered his expression as he picked up his sword, turning it over between his grimy fingers as he considered what he should do.

_If it's a choice between a healer and Eiraki, then Eiraki it must be. If she was to be alienated from me, she knows far too much and far too many people and would be able to cause me a good deal of harm. Besides, she might not have spirit power, but she has other uses and has already been useful to me. Eiraki is the only person who is truly my ally, because she alone understands what kind of person I am and what things I look to do. She believes in me, bloodstains and all, whereas this one may be naïve enough to help a stranger in distress, but I see the same idealism burning in her eyes as I've seen in Juushirou's. Today I've learned how dangerous it is to consort with idealism. The problem remains, therefore, as to what to do about Amai Suzuno._

"Suzuno! Suzuno, good grief, where have you got to?"

A second voice came through the trees at that moment, and Keitarou frowned, realising that his young rescuer was not in the area alone.

_Hunting in pairs, Eiraki said, didn't she? I may have fooled this one now, but if the other one knows who I am and reveals me to this one…I can't take the risk of facing two on one when my spirit power is still somewhat scattered and they may gain reinforcement at any time. I dislike unnecessary killing, especially when someone has been useful to me. But there is no further use in this one now. On the contrary, she might bring danger. With things as they now are, I can't afford to be soft._

"A friend of yours?" he asked quietly, and Suzuno turned to face him, nodding her head.

"A kinswoman." She agreed.

"A healer, like you?"

"No." Suzuno shook her head. "No, Naoko's not a healer. We're not all healers in the Unohana Clan."

"You do surprise me." A wry, humourless smile touched Keitarou's lips. "Well, but I suppose we're not all Gotei shinigami in the Urahara Clan."

Before his companion could respond, Chudokuga was bathed in light, and a flicker of regret surfaced in Keitarou's muddy gaze.

"_Ore, Chudokuga_," he intoned softly, and sharp, steel-silver barbed lengths of wire thread shot out from the _tantou_ knife, making a beeline for Suzuno's body. The girl was taken completely off guard, the assault having come out of nowhere and as Keitarou felt his sword's _shikai_ pierce through Suzuno's chest and throat, he saw only the faintest glimmer of surprise in the healer's gaze. She did not make a sound, blood pooling at her lips as she opened her mouth to speak, and Keitarou sighed, drawing Chudokuga back and allowing Suzuno's vandalised body to fall with a heavy thump onto the cold mountain stone.

Faint gasps of breath from the girl's crumpled form told the scientist that he had not quite managed to kill her outright, and he grimaced, realising that the blood and energy he had lost following the confrontation with Shunsui had affected the strength and range of his attack. He bent over her for a moment, debating whether to finish the job with a blast of Kidou, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before the student's comrade reached them and so he decided against it, trusting that he had done enough to silence the healer permanently.

He got to his feet, sheathing his weapon quickly as he prepared to make his escape, but he had wasted just a split-second too many and now, standing in the entrance to his sheltered hideaway was a second figure, long auburn hair flying loose around her face and cold grey-green eyes staring at him with a mixture of loathing and rage.

As she caught sight of Suzuno's fallen form, her eyes flickered for the briefest moment, then hardened into resolution, and Keitarou realised that Unohana she may be, but this was no naïve healer waiting to be led along to her death.

"What did you do to Suzuno?" Her words were soft, but there was a menacing edge to them, and Keitarou registered for the first time the weapon she held in her hand. It glittered eerily with a faintly greenish light, illuminating even the tiny particles of dust that drifted on the mountain air, and the Urahara's brows knitted together in consternation.

_Too late. I shouldn't have hesitated. Now I'll have to waste more strength to silence this one too – and leave a pile of corpses for them to trace back to me. Wonderful. As if this evening wasn't already going badly enough._

Out loud he said,

"What I'll do to you, now you've made the mistake of crossing my line of sight."

Naoko's eyes narrowed, and she snorted, shaking her head.

"We'll see," she said quietly. "I don't know who you are, and I don't really care. What I care about is the insult you've just made against my family…so I'll kill you, and then take Suzuno somewhere she can get medical help."

"Your friend is already dead. You might as well give up now." Keitarou was derisive, and Naoko's eyes darkened.

"I may not be a healer, but I'm an Unohana and I know a corpse from a living person," she snapped back. "I won't let you take a second shot at my kinswoman, so prepare yourself for battle. Just because I'm a woman, don't think I'll go easy. Just because I'm an Unohana won't make me gentle, either. My sword is not a nice one, and it's got its eye on you now."

She raised the still-glimmering sword, holding the blade out so that the sharp tip pointed in Keitarou's direction.

"_Inotte,_" she whispered, "_Dokusou Houshi._"

* * *

_**Author's Note:  
Naoko and Suzuno's swords.**_

_Suzuno's zanpakutou is "Kuwagobari", which means "Silkworm's needle." I think from the technique she used on Keitarou, it's fairly obvious what the sword's main ability is. The release comand, "Kizu o nue" means "stitch the wound". _

_Naoko's rather creepish sword will be properly introduced in the next chapter._


	58. Poison vs The Poisoner

**Chapter Fifty Six: Poison vs The Poisoner**

"Yamamoto-kun!"

Hirata hurried across the uneven volcanic terrain, stretching his senses far and wide in an attempt to locate the leader of the second student group. It was pitch black now, and Hirata found that even trying to navigate by the moonlight was a hopeless task for the mountain landscape overshadowed a good deal of the most direct path. Had Kai come back this way, he decided grimly, he would have had far more trouble locating the way ahead, for Akira and his companions were also moving and it was hard to pinpoint faint traces of spiritual energy in an atmosphere full of only air.

_But where I'm concerned, air particles are almost as good as spirit ones._

Hirata closed his eyes, the sound of a hunting bird's beating wings suddenly clear across his thoughts. The next moment a shadowy mirage blotted across the moon, and Hirata felt the gentle touch of wind on his cheeks change. No longer was it just teasing at his hair and his clothing, but it was almost trying to speak to him, and with his awareness heightened Hirata found he could manouevre his slender body more easily around the obstacles that the night concealed.

_My eyesight is a weakness, but in the dark, being able to navigate by reading the breeze becomes a strength._

He clenched his jaw together tightly, forcing every single fragment of his spiritual awareness to focus in on the world around him, reading each and every breath of the breeze for any sign of the group he sought. At first there was nothing, but then, faint and inconsistant, something rushed across his thoughts and his eyes snapped open, his body immediately changing direction to head for it without a second thought.

_I don't want to leave Kai there with Onoe-kun too long. In the darkness, it might be dangerous – someone might come back to cover the scene and take the evidence. Kai-kun's fighting works best with the element of surprise or at least the ability to conceal himself from his opponent. Like the Hollow on the first night, if the enemy takes him off guard, it's a different story._

Hirata leapt nimbly over a pile of broken rocks, skirting around the outline of a shallow pool caused heavy rain the night before. With every step he could tell he was getting closer to his destination, but each step also put more distance between him and the friend he had left behind.

He was alone in the bleak wilds of the Real World, and despite himself he felt his conviction waver slightly as he remembered Onoe's shattered corpse lying abandoned on the ground.

_A man who'd make someone into a puppet is a man who kills without mercy. Alone here, I'm just as vulnerable as Kuchiki-kun was and my life is just as pivotal for the future of my Clan. I mustn't let my own guard down in the desire to help the others. Maybe that's Aizen's real intention. If he can scatter us all over the place, we'd be much easier to pick off one at a time._

He stifled a shiver.

_I can't think of that now. I have to find Yamamoto-kun and the rest and bring them back to the Senkaimon as soon as possible._

Even as this thought crossed his mind, he misplaced his footing and with a yelp he tumbled forwards, only just managing to keep himself from tumbling headlong down the slope of the mountain itself. Taking deep breaths into frantic lungs, Hirata clung on to the rocks for dear life, struggling to bring his panic under control. The sharp current of air running alongside him told him that it would have been a long drop – and that if he had fallen, he would probably have not survived.

_The Real World is dangerous too. That's what I get for daydreaming. _

Once the immediate fear had passed, Hirata pulled his body into a more upright position, once more scouting the surrounding area for any sign of his classmates. The sound of footsteps not too far ahead made him tense, and he shuffled back against the cliff wall, listening carefully as he tried to work out if whoever was coming was friend, foe or merely one of the Real World's native inhabitants.

"Endou?"

The voice made him start and he glanced up, a bright glow of whiteish energy suddenly illuminating the area around him. Shielding his gaze from the glare, Hirata was able to make out the startled features of Aoi, Kidou magic glittering around the tips of his fingers.

"What are you doing here? Where's Shihouin?"

Despite the fact Hirata had obviously crossed from his assigned area into theirs, Aoi seemed more anxious than cross, and Hirata realised that his companion too had sensed something was not right. "Did something happen? You look like you've been running."

"Where's Yamamoto-kun?" Hirata clambered to his feet, casting a wary glance to his right as he kept his body close to the cliff wall. "I need to speak to him and we need to find Amai-san and Shikibu-san. We need to go back to the _Senkaimon_ at once."

"What's happened?" Aoi's sandy brows twitched together in alarm, and he grasped Hirata by the wrist, pulling him carefully along the uneven rock face towards safer ground. "Be careful of your footing here – unless you've studied the maps, you're in danger of falling right over."

"I know. I almost did," Hirata admitted grimly. "Thank you, Michihashi-kun. As for what's happened – I'd rather report it only the once, so if you don't mind…"

"We were about to head back to camp," Aoi nodded. "Akira and Kanshi are just beyond this dip in the rock. We took out a cluster of Hollows and buried one soul into the bargain – it's been a busy night for all of us."

"It's going to get busier," Hirata said quietly, relief glittering in his pale blue eyes as he made out the broad figure of Akira and his Shiba companion not far ahead. "And we're going to go back. Tonight, I expect. I can't think anything else is possible."

"Something major _has_ happened," Aoi whispered, and Hirata nodded, raising his voice.

"Yamamoto-kun!"

"Endou?" Akira strode across towards him, a mixture of surprise and irritation in his expression. "What the hell are you doing in this part of the mountain? It's damn dangerous underfoot – bad enough for us to see in the dark, but for someone with glasses…"

"I followed the breeze here," Hirata said, a little incoherently.

"Akira, something's happened," Aoi interjected apprehensively. "Maybe to Shihouin…since Endou came alone."

"Shihouin?" Akira's eyes became slits. "I can't spend my whole life bailing him out of trouble. Well, what is it? Spit it out, kid. I'm listening."

"Kai-kun is fine. Only I left him…there, where it happened," Hirata said cryptically. "Yamamoto-kun, tonight in the forest somebody attempted to take Kuchiki-kun's life."

_"What?"_ Aoi's complexion became ashen, and Hirata saw Akira's lips thin.

"They did, huh?" was all he said, however, and Hirata nodded.

"Is he still alive?" Kanshi joined them at that moment, adding his voice to the conversation, and Hirata shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Kai-kun and I stumbled on the scene after it had already happened. From what we can tell, there was a fight, and…"

"Enishi released his sword," Akira said thoughtfully, "didn't he?"

"As far as we can tell, Houjou-kun was the one who took down the person who was probably after Kuchiki-kun's life," Hirata nodded quickly, his glasses wobbling on his nose at the sudden movement. "There was nobody at the scene when we got there, however."

"Then how do you know anyone was attacked?" Kanshi demanded. "Endou, I know it's dark, and that people have been moving in shadows around the Kuchiki for a while, but even so…"

"No, I think he's probably right," Akira shook his head, cutting his friend off in mid-flow. "Enishi released Kyoshingeki and I never felt it flare like that before. I've trained with him a few times – fought him too – and I know that he's the first to back off if a confrontation isn't serious. Today he was serious. I think it's the first time I felt killing instinct in his blade. Enishi was assigned with Kuchiki – and Endou's explanation accounts for why he'd be launching himself into a proper fight."

"Kai-kun is still at the scene, because of protecting the evidence," Hirata agreed. "Since I can track wind currents, it seemed easier for me to try and find you and tell you what had gone on. We don't know any details for sure, Yamamoto-kun – except that someone was taken down by Houjou-kun's blade and that person didn't get up again. Houjou-kun wasn't at the scene and nor was Kuchiki-kun – we think that probably Houjou-kun took him back to camp, maybe to try and find Edogawa-san and get her help."

"You mean to say there's a dead body out in the wilds somewhere and Shihouin's sitting guard over it?" Kanshi let out his breath in a low whistle. "That's going to take some explaining before the Council if anything ever did."

"I don't think it will. I think the Council probably already know more about this than we do," Hirata said grimly. "Besides, the person Houjou-kun cut down was already dead, Souryou-kun. Kai-kun and I both knew him – Kai-kun especially, because they were kinsman. The person Houjou-kun took down was a classmate of ours in First year, but he suffered serious psychological damage and was essentially braindead. If he attacked Kuchiki-kun, it was under the control of someone else."

"In short, Enishi de-stringed the puppet, but the puppet master is still out here and so it's not safe for the rest of us to remain."

Akira clicked his tongue against his teeth.

"All right. I understand the message. The campsite will have to take care of itself. We'll head back towards the _Senkaimon_ and pick up Suzuno and Shikibu on the way. They can't have headed too much further out and…"

He paused, frowning, and Hirata cast him a quizzical look.

"Yamamoto-kun?"

"Did you feel that?" Akira's question was directed to Kanshi, not Hirata, and the other boy nodded.

"Kuwagobari," he murmured. "Make no mistake about it – that was Suzuno's _zanpakutou_ release."

"Then maybe Houjou-kun found Amai-san instead," Hirata frowned. "Where it happened wasn't far from the divide between our group's land and theirs, so that's not impossible. Maybe…"

"No. No, it's not right," Aoi's expression suddenly became distressed and he shook his head, reaching out to grab Akira by the arm. "Akira, can't you feel it? There's something else…someone else. That spirit power…wherever she is…"

Hirata swallowed hard, his heart stilling in his chest as he recognised on the breeze the faint strains of an all too familiar spiritual presence.

_That scent surrounded Juushirou after he was felled in the snows in District Seven. For days after Unohana-sensei and Tokutarou-sama brought him and Shunsui-kun back to the manor, it was there…lingering around Juushirou's body until little by little it finally faded away. I won't ever forget it – the darkness of it and the empty hopelessness it seemed to shroud him in back then. There's only one sword that operates with reiatsu like that. One sword, and that belongs to…_

"Urahara Keitarou," he murmured, and Aoi swallowed hard.

"Oh no." He whispered.

"Aoi?" Kanshi shot him a sharp look, and Aoi shook his head, looking upset.

"Last winter, Nagesu-sama sent a memo to all the heads of the central Urahara families warning us that he'd had indications the exile was still alive and that we should be on our guard against his deceptions," he said uneasily. "Since his disappearance, Nagesu-sama's been anticipating some kind of revenge attack on the Urahara, and last winter some of his people suggested movement in the Real World – but nobody could track down where the exile might strike from. We were all on alert, but the attack never came…and gradually our guard relaxed."

"Instead he went after the Kuchiki," Hirata said sadly, and Aoi let out a heavy sigh.

"That came some months later. It didn't occur to me that that assassination was anything to do with our family or with the exile," he said heavily. "If it had, I would've raised the point – but I don't think it occurred to any of us. The Kuchiki seemed to be focusing on _inside _suspects – and then there were rumours of a Shihouin connection. None of that seemed to tie in to Urahara Keitarou, or, therefore, to us."

He spread his hands agitatedly towards the direction of the flare of spiritual energy.

"What I do know, though, is what an Urahara sword feels like when it's released," he confessed. "All swords from true blood members of our Clan have certain characteristics in common. Whatever I don't know about this circumstance, I'm quite sure that whatever that second _reiryoku_ is, it connects in some way to an Urahara sword."

"You know something about this too?" Akira gazed at Hirata, who shrugged.

"My family's fortunes and the actions of that man have been intertwined for far too long," he said frankly. "I'd quite like to cut the connection free once and for all."

"Then the first thing we should be doing is finding Suzuno and Shikibu," Kanshi said darkly. "Obviously they're in danger, and obviously they don't know just how much, so we need to go find them and round them up. Ideally we need to do it before they cross paths with the wrong folk and wind up in a confrontation of sorts. Suzuno's not the best of fighters, and Shikibu…"

He trailed off, chewing down on his lip as another sensation assailed them.

"Dokusou Houshi," Hirata intoned softly. "Shikibu-san's released her sword, too."

"What the hell is happening over there?" Kanshi demanded.

"We have to go. _Now._ Whatever the situation is, that's an order," Akira said blackly, his fingers twitching towards the hilt of his sword. "_Zanpakutou_ at the ready, and we _will _use them if need be. Sensei sent us here as a group and we'll go back as a group, even if it means taking a few bruises along the way. Whatever Shikibu thinks she's doing, she can't know who it is she's up against. We need to get in there and get them both out – we'll worry about the _Senkaimon_ once we've got our group back all in one piece."

* * *

Almost as soon as the words left Naoko's lips, the eerie green haze of light that surrounded the silver of her _zanpakutou_ blade began to brighten and grow, spreading out across the whole of the surrounding area and illuminating both its wielder and her opponent in the strange emerald glow.

In the darkness, Naoko knew that the oddly luminescent nature of the weapon made her appear ethereal herself – a fitting guise for a shinigami, poised between the living and the world of the dead.

A humourless smile touched her lips as she considered this, the spectral gleam of the release reflecting in her eyes and making them appear to glow with a ghostly, vengeful light.

In the murky brightness, Naoko was aware of Suzuno's gasping breaths and the slight movement of the girl's pale white fingers as she struggled to reach the hilt of her own sword. The movements were feeble and Naoko knew they were futile, for with each passing second the blood that pooled around the student's body seemed to grow, her white _hakamashita_ almost as red now as the _hakama _each female Academy student wore.

Something about this made Naoko even more angry, and she turned her gaze back towards her friend's attacker, allowing the fury of the moment to eclipse the fear and the grief of truly registering Suzuno's desperate condition.

Dokusou Houshi was her shield against such soft emotion, and in that moment, Naoko was glad to feel the cold grip of something curl itself more resolutely around her heart.

"Dokusou…Houshi?" After a silence that seemed to last ages, the assailant spoke, his own mud-slurried eyes reflecting hazel in the unremitting haze of the weapon's illumination. "Well, well. That really doesn't sound much like the kind of sword a Unohana would hold."

"I already told you that I'm not a healer," Naoko's eyes became slits, specks of indignant fire sparking from her gaze as derision and loathing welled up inside of her. "Unlike Suzuno, I don't fix wounds. Dokusou Houshi doesn't repair anything. It's a sword designed to destroy things – souls, spirit power…life."

"I see," The man let out a soft chuckle, folding his arms across his chest, and Naoko could see clearly the glitter of silver that patterned its way across his shoulder, a tell-tale sign that Suzuno had used her weapon to heal this stranger before he had turned on her and attacked her with his own. This fact only renewed the anger that burned within her, but she forced herself to remain focused, blotting out her concern for Suzuno's condition and instead trying her best to gauge her opponent's next move. He seemed suddenly relaxed, almost casual, but Naoko was not naive enough to be so easily fooled.

"You can't take me off guard so easily," she murmured, reaching across to tap the hilt of her weapon. "When my _zanpakutou_ releases, it emits a cloud of tiny particles too small to be seen individually. Those particles glow and together give off brightness – but my sword isn't that kind of sword and this atmosphere isn't simply cloaked in green light."

She tilted her blade slightly, and as she did so, the delicate mist that cloaked the silver weapon grew denser, the tiny particles pulling together to form a larger spiritual mass.

"You liked the name of my sword, I think," she added evenly, her tones level despite the adrenalin and rage competing for the upper hand through her system. The cold grip around her heart had not lessened even for a moment, and Naoko put her faith in its ability to keep her steady, even when faced with the risk of battle. "I don't suppose that you know what that name really means."

"I don't imagine that it matters," the man said evenly. "I've killed your friend, and I will have to kill you. That's the price you pay for crossing my path this evening – my apologies for the inconvenience. Unfortunately tonight hasn't gone exactly as I anticipated it would – your friend's life and your own are byproducts of that misadventure."

"People's lives are not byproducts," Naoko spoke in low tones. "Suzuno came here to heal you, and you hurt her. That's unforgivable in any situation – but to dismiss it so casually is even worse."

Her grip tightened on the hilt of her weapon.

"My sword's spirit is not a particularly nice individual – nor has he ever pretended to me that he was. He believes in the necessity of following everything through with a calm and clear head, and so you won't spark me into a careless fury, no matter how much you try to taunt me," she added. "My weapon doesn't work well with impulsive attacks. It likes to take in all the details and then act according to what it's learned. This haze of light that surrounds us reads every single fragment of spiritual energy you give out…based on that, Dokusou Houshi will find the best place to launch its assault."

"I see," the man's eyes became calculating. "I suppose then these tiny particles of yours are not flecks of energy at all, but spores of some kind – correct? I can feel them, brushing against my _reiryoku_ as if looking for a way in. You're trying to find the crack in my defences, but you have to realise that most fights don't happen at such a slow speed. If you stood still before a Hollow in that way, what do you suppose would happen?"

Naoko smiled, her expression truly terrifying in the emerald light.

"I'm not fighting a Hollow," she said simply. "I'm not fighting at all. You're not someone who can fight me."

"What makes you think that?" The man looked startled, and Naoko snorted.

"Your wound on your shoulder was taken from the blade of one of my classmates," she said disparagingly. "Kyouraku Shunsui's _zanpakutou_, unless I miss my guess? Dokusou knows the spiritual signature of all of my peers, and he very rarely makes a mistake. You also allowed Suzuno close to you to heal you – but had to take her when she was off guard to attack her, meaning you lack confidence in close combat battle. Dokusou's analysis of Suzuno's injuries tell me that you hit her in one go and when she wasn't expecting it – not that this was any kind of protracted fight. And finally…"

She brought her still glimmering sword up into a more offensive stance,

"You allowed me to release my sword. Nobody who intends to kill an enemy gives them as much leeway as you've given me. Your _zanpakutou_ has a strong spiritual aura, but strong spiritual auras are a favourite food of mine. You really don't have any way to fight me – and therefore I needn't be afraid."

"No way to fight..." for the first time the faintest flicker of irritation crossed the man's gaze. "What kind of naïve nonsense does that old man sensei of yours teach you at this Academy, I wonder? You assume that a battle is fought only with a sword? That's a strange attitude for an Unohana, even one who claims to destroy. Naivety kills people more than anything else. You came here to help your friend – yet now you seem to believe yourself a match for me."

"Does that scare you?" Naoko's eyes became predatorial. "Dokusou Houshi thinks it does. I can sense it all from you, every flicker of your aura. I'm trained as a fighter, and you're weak in that regard. That's the truth, isn't it? You don't want to engage my blade, because…"

_"Hadou no Yon. Byakurai." _

A bolt of white lightning cast pale greenish by Dokusou Houshi's eerie haze shot out across the divide between them, flaring bright light around the surroundings as it made a beeline for Naoko's body. Naoko snorted, swinging her weapon down and cutting through the attack with one sweep of her blade, sending the tiny white fragments spinning out into the surrounding ether. As each shard of the spell was split apart from its brethren, clusters of ghostly green energy surrounded them like hungry hunting insects honing in on their prey, and piece by piece all trace of the kidou spell soon disappeared into nothing.

"I see," the man pursed his lips, eying his companion thoughtfully. "Your sword absorbs spirit power. Your own is probably unaffected – no, perhaps it's augmented by that ability – am I correct? Like Juushirou, you're capable of drawing in spirit power and unleashing it on your opponents."

"Ukitake-kun?" Naoko's brows drew together in consternation. "How do you know him? Have you hurt him tonight as well?"

"I didn't realise he was so popular with the girls," the man said lightly, "but you needn't worry. Your classmate is quite fit and well. I would prefer not to kill him – I find him far too interesting, even though he didn't seem inclined to speak to me this evening. His friend even less so – as you've correctly observed from my healing wound."

"You went after Ukitake-kun, but Kyouraku-kun fought you off," Naoko's lips thinned. "To be hit by the blade of that lazy good-for-nothing must make you a lax creature indeed – I don't believe I've ever seen Kyouraku-kun move at any kind of speed, which makes you a particularly slow character."

"I suppose that might be a fair analysis," The man rubbed his hands together pensively, and Naoko saw the faint glitter of reiatsu against the edges of his skin, "but if your power is like Juushirou's power, surely there must be a level at which it overloads."

"I don't know what kind of power you're talking about," Naoko said quietly, "but unfortunately my sword doesn't absorb your energy and throw it back at you like a mirror. True, my sword devoured your Kidou and true, it will use that energy to power its own attacks. But it digests it, it doesn't reflect it. Besides, as yet I haven't attacked you. Dokusou's assessments take a little time, and I wanted to find out who you were and why you attacked Suzuno first."

"That's possibly your mistake," the man said thoughtfully. "You've been letting your sword gauge my spirit power but in doing so you've allowed me to gauge yours, too. Your sword absorbs but it doesn't re-fire? It breaks down foreign reiatsu…and uses it for its own? You shouldn't give your enemy so much information about your weapon, Naoko. It's a dangerous thing to do when you don't know who you're facing."

"Who gave you leave to use that name?" Naoko demanded, a flash of irrational anger breaking through the haze of calm her sword had cast over her body. "You know nothing about me, and you certainly aren't someone I'd allow to call me by my given name!"

"Your friend Amai-dono didn't mention any other name," The man's gaze flitted to Suzuno's fallen body and he let out a sigh. "It seems a little late to ask her now, so 'Naoko' is all I know. I'll balance out the equation a little, shall I? I'll tell you my name, and then we'll be even."

"I already told you I don't care what you call…"

"Keitarou," Keitarou broke across her, offering her a benign smile. "Kei-ta-rou."

"I _said _I didn't care," Naoko was too angry now to really absorb what her opponent had just told her. "I've found out all I need to know about you with my sword, and you soon won't have enough spirit in you to care about a name. Your injury means your spirit power's broken and all over the place, and you can't fight, which gives me two advantages. You've cast an unpardonable insult against my family by hurting Suzuno. I don't intend to leave here without killing you – whatever retribution it brings down on my head."

She swung the blade down in a straight line towards him, the haze of energy surrounding it growing greater and more dense with each passing second.

"I'll take the spirit power you used to hurt my friend and I'll stop you from hurting anyone else with it," she muttered. "_Dokusou Houshi - Kyuushuu o_!"

The moment the command slipped from her lips the whole of the area was lit up suddenly with tiny specks of vividly burning light, scattering through the air like cinders from a bonfire cast up in the wind, and as Naoko swept her weapon across once more in Keitarou's direction, the tiny, brightly glittering objects honed in on him like a cloud of mosquitos searching for a place to bite.

"_Bakudou no Hachi – Seki_."

A clear, disc-shaped barrier flared briefly up between them, but Naoko's eyes hardened and the tiny green objects clustered around the spell, clustering around the edges as they piece by piece began to break through the condensed spiritual energy. Yet more flooded over and under the reach of the barrier, some landing on Keitarou's face, some on the legs of his black _hakama_, and yet more making a direct assualt towards the half-exposed Chudokuga in the scientist's hand.

"There are too many of them to escape with Bakudou," she said dismissively. "Putting a spell between them and you just gives them more to feed on. I'm sorry, but since my sword doesn't absorb energy in order to re-fire it, there isn't a limit to how much it can take in. It breaks down the _reiryoku_ and therefore it can keep ingesting it and turning it back into raw spirit power. It does that constantly, over and over, until there's nothing more for it to draw in. I told you, didn't I? My sword doesn't exist to fix things, but to destroy them. Bit by bit it will suck the life and energy out of you, until there's nothing left but a husk of nothing at all."

"You students seem to be quite clever." Despite the fact he was now surrounded by glittering green predators, Keitarou did not seem particularly perturbed. "I must admit, your sword is fascinating and a little different again from the kind of weapons Ive studied in the past. Unfortunately, though, I'm not really interested in Clan _zanpakutou_."

He raised his hand, and Naoko's eyes widened slightly as she realised that the weapon he held in his grip was glittering with silver energy.

"_Ore, Chudokuga_," he said softly, and several sharp-pointed barbs of silver thread shot out across the copse at speed, driving forward to pierce through Naoko's own body in the same way as they had clearly penetrated Suzuno's.

But Naoko was not Suzuno, and before the weapon could hit her, she brought her own blade up, deflecting the most dangerous of the threads and diverting two or three others off their course. One scraped against her cheek, causing a thin trickle of blood to roll down towards her chin, and a second lashed through the sleeve of her _hakamashita_, drawing a thin reddish line across her pale skin.

"Your attack is fast but it's useless," she said derisively. "My sword has now touched your sword directly, which will only speed up the process of absorbing your spirit power. It's not a very pleasant way to be defeated…but I'm not particularly choosy about my methods when it comes to avenging the honour of my Clan."

"I see. So that sped things up? I had hoped as much," Keitarou's smile now was eerily content, and he nodded, watching in thoughtful silence as Naoko's tiny green specks converged as one body on the exposed edge of his blade. "I am in a bit of a hurry – and I don't want to risk being found talking to you here when I have other things I need to do. It's been fun playing with you – and for your gall and your skill with your sword, I won't take your life. But in return, I am going to take something from you."

Naoko's heart suddenly lurched in her chest at the ominous tone in her opponent's voice and her eyes darted to his _zanpakutou_, her expression becoming one of alarm as she realised that where a moment earlier the weapon was entirely cloaked in clusters of green energy, now there was a decidedly silver sheen beginning to emit from the sword's spiritual core. She struggled to redouble her concentration, but it was to no avail, for Keitarou's _reiryoku_ had focused now and with a jolt she realised what he had done.

_He's not trying to fight off my sword. He's doing the opposite…he's feeding it!_

"Dokusou Houshi, retreat!" she exclaimed, drawing her weapon back and Keitarou tut-tutted, shaking his head playfully as though scolding a small child.

"Don't ruin the fun by running away half way through," he said reproachfully. "Chudokuga doesn't often get a chance to play with friends that are more or less on his wavelength."

"What are you doing!" As the greenish clusters began to flicker and spasm with silver light, Naoko felt something cold run through her body, and she glared at him in fear and indignation. "Why are you flaring your spirit power – what are you trying to achieve!"

"Your sword's absorbtion power acts rather like a swarm of mosquitos," Keitarou's smile was cold now, and in the green light he looked particularly foreboding. "Unfortunately for you, Chudokuga is a spider. Spiders are predators to many insects - and some spiders prove to be very poisonous."

"You…"

"I already said I would not take your life," Keitarou flicked his wrist to disperse the remaining clusters of green with a smile. "I've realised from this encounter that it would be a waste of a useful talent, so it appears to be better to leave you alive. Have a _safe_ journey back to Seireitei, Naoko-dono. I trust you'll consider the reiatsu you've stolen from me ample vengeance for your friend."

With that he was gone, his flash-step so quick that even Naoko's sharp senses could not pinpoint the moment that he had left the scene. The next instant all thought of him was gone from her mind as a sharp and painful sensation jarred through her system, clamping itself firmly around her airways and stifling her breathing with one crushing blow. Her sword slipped from her grasp as she fell to her knees, desperate hands clawing at her throat as she fought to draw air into her lungs. Suddenly lightheaded, her head began to whirl, fear overloading her senses and sending her back into a spasm of panicked gasping.

As quickly as it had come, however, the feeling was gone, and she hunched against the cold stone, rested her palms against the uneven surface and greedily dragging oxygen into her battered chest. Her concentration well and truly broken, the fragmented pieces of her sword's spiritual energy dissipated into a hazy grey-green mist before fading away completely, and as the weapon sealed itself back into its static form, Naoko reached out a shaking hand to touch the hilt.

_Houshi-sama, are you there?_

There was silence, and Naoko wrapped her fingers more firmly around her blade, drawing it carefully and tentatively towards her. It appeared completely normal, but as she touched a finger to the silver surface, she felt a faint shock and something juddered through her once again.

_It felt like an electric charge. Houshi-sama? Houshi-sama, please, respond to me. What did he do to you?_

There was still no response, and a shiver ran through Naoko's body, alerting her for the first time to the coldness of the Real World night.

There was a faint murmur from the crumpled form at her side, and pushing her own concerns away for a moment, she clumsily sheathed her blade, dragging her protesting body across the short distance to where Suzuno lay. The blood that fanned out around the other girl's body was a considerable amount, and despite the darkness, Naoko could make out her friend's pale complexion, waxy and ash-white in comparison to the thickly sodden crimson of her school uniform. Rips across the front of the fabric told with cruel clarity how quickly Keitarou's attack had cut through her clothing to the flesh and bone beneath.

"Suzuno?"

Naoko spoke in low tones so as not to startle her companion.

"Suzuno, can you hear me? I'm going to help you. Somehow, I'm going to help you."

There was no answer, but Naoko saw the faintest twitch of her classmate's fingers and she nodded, slipping her own trembling hand into her companion's grip.

_I'm not a healer. I can't heal your wounds._

The reality struck through her like lightning.

_A healer mends broken shinigami, but who's there to mend the healer? _

"I'll get help," she said aloud, but as she made to loose her hold on the other girl's hand, she felt Suzuno's fingers tighten slightly against her own.

"Suzuno?"

Naoko bent over her friend as the fragile girl mouthed something. Though the wound at her throat preventing her from forming the words, Naoko knew her companion was asking not to be left alone.

In that moment Naoko regretted more bitterly than she had ever done in her life before that she had been born with a fighting blade and not a healing one.

_I've always been an abberation within my Clan, and I've always pretended not to care. I do care though, Suzuno. _

She rested her free hand against her friend's chest, feeling the faltering beat of the other girl's heart.

_If Mitsuki was here, she'd be able to save you. If Mitsuki was…but she isn't. There's only me, and I'm not enough. I can't save your life. I don't have that power and I don't know how. _

_Why did you try to help him, Suzuno? Maybe Mitsuki's right. Maybe I don't understand what it means to be a healer. Does it drive you forward to help so much that you discard the risk to yourself? Does being a healer mean having the courage or conviction to die at the hands of someone you healed? Whose life is more important – yours or theirs? I never understood these things, but right now I wish that I did._

Tears glittered against her lashes as this realisation sank in, numbing the pain in her heavy limbs with a deeper pain she had never before felt quite so keenly.

"I'm sorry, Suzuno," she whispered, and as she met the girl's gaze, she saw a flicker of resignation in eyes that were already becoming glazed and empty.

_"Shikibu!"_

The yell was Kanshi's, and as bright light illuminated the whole area Naoko turned, making out her classmates in the glare. Something about the approaching students spoke for the remainder of her composure and the tears trickled unchecked down her cheeks as she broke down into heavy, exhausted sobs.

"We're too late," Hirata murmured, and the next minute Naoko felt someone's rough hands on her body, pulling her forcibly away from Suzuno's fallen form.

"Aoi, take care of Shikibu," That was Akira's voice, and dimly Naoko was aware that it was the Yamamoto who had dragged her back, bending down himself over the fallen healer and putting his hand against her throat. "You too, Kanshi. She looks worn out and she's covered in blood. Some of it might be hers – we need to find out for sure."

"I'm…I'm not…" Naoko managed, but the words stuck in her throat and she coughed, another shiver running through her exhausted body.

"Just take it easy," Kanshi told her firmly, and Naoko was aware of him on her left and Aoi to her right, both of them supporting her so that she did not fall. "We'll help you if need be, Shikibu – just breathe for a moment, all right? There's no danger now. Whatever happened…it's over now."

"What should I do, Yamamoto-kun?" Hirata asked, and for a moment Akira didn't answer. Then, at length, he spoke.

"Endou, you said that tonight Kuchiki was attacked, didn't you?" he said softly, and Naoko's head jerked up, a look of horror in her grey-green eyes.

"Kuchiki-kun…was…?"

"So Kai-kun and I believe," Hirata nodded his head slowly.

"Shihouin oughtn't be left on his own," Akira's brows knitted together, and Naoko was somehow comforted by the resolution in his expression. "Go get him, and then go find the other group. If they're heading to the _Senkaimon_, go there and wait for us with them. Your friends will listen more to you than to me – so tell them what's happened and make sure they don't go through the gate without us. We're going through together. Opening the gate more than once is a risk – especially since whoever attacked Suzuno is obviously still at large."

"He…called himself…Keitarou," Naoko managed, and on her right side she felt Aoi suddenly tense.

"Endou was right," he whispered.

"So it appears," Akira got to his feet. "Well? There's no time to hang around waiting, Endou. I gave you an order – are you going to ignore it or do you simply not care whether Shihouin gets attacked next?"

"I'm going," Hirata said softly, "but…if I went to Juushirou-kun first, I could get Edogawa-san, and then Amai-san…"

"There's no need for that," Akira's brusque words sent fresh spasms through Naoko's body and she collapsed back against Kanshi, her usual pride and composure shattered as her emotions overwhelmed her.

Hirata glanced at Akira for a moment, but did not object, merely slipping into shunpo and disappearing into the night.

"Kanshi, you and Aoi manage Shikibu. I'll see to Suzuno."

Akira's next words were sharp and to the point, allowing for no disagreement or questions to be asked, and Naoko felt herself hauled into a more upright position, Kanshi's strong arms looping around her shoulders.

"I've got her, Aoi. It's all right," The words seemed far away, as if spoken by a stranger in a foreign land, and as the colours and lights blurred before her gaze, Naoko gave up on her attempts to stay conscious.

As she slipped into oblivion, she thought she saw the faint shadow of a spider scurry across her consciousness, and then all went black.

* * *

"At this rate, we're going to take till sunrise to get back to the gate."

Shunsui let out a heavy sigh, his gaze flitting to the unconscious form still clutched protectively in Enishi's strong grip.

"I thought the most important thing to do was get out of this area – why are we taking so long to do it?"

"We're following Mitsuki's guidance," Juushirou pushed back a low-hanging branch, turning to glance at his friend. "I know you're not happy, Shunsui, and I understand why. But we're all together again now, and I doubt anyone's going to attack us in team formation. You wounded Keitarou once, and Enishi dealt with Onoe. The likelihood is that we won't cross their paths again."

"Taking Ryuu through shunpo is a risk," Mitsuki spoke up herself at this juncture, reaching out to rest her hand on Shunsui's arm. "The amount of poison in his system isn't a lot, but if we were to rush, it would move more quickly and do him more harm. Although I don't think there's enough to kill him, I'm still only in training. If it's designed to act slowly and it just hasn't fully exploded yet…moving him too fast might set off a dangerous chain reaction."

"Nobody's doing anything to put Kuchiki at risk," Enishi said firmly, and Shunsui's gaze flitted to the tall Yamamoto, taking in the uncharacteristically preoccupied expression in his friend's dark eyes. "If Edogawa says we walk it, then we walk it. You can shunpo on ahead if you like, Kyouraku – maybe even prep the gate for opening – but I'm going to follow Edogawa's instructions. She's our healer, and therefore her opinion counts."

"What about the others?" Sora hopped anxiously to Shunsui's other side, chewing on her lip. "We can't go back without warning them, can we?"

"We can't," Juushirou agreed. "The place Ryuu was attacked wasn't far from the divide between their area and ours, so we can't ignore the possibility that Keitarou-san at the very least is still lurking around."

"I can't believe you slashed open his shoulder," Sora cast Shunsui a resigned look. "You've no sense of self-preservation sometimes, you know that? This is _Aizen Keitarou_, Shunsui! The guy the Council's looking for – and you just go tossing your sword at him like he's some common thief out to steal Juushirou's coins!"

"I'm glad he did," Juushirou said blackly. "Though I agree it was idiotic, it was well timed idiocy, and I'm grateful. I really didn't think Keitarou-san'd come after me again, which shows that I obviously underestimated his interest in me. Perhaps something that happened in the period of time I don't remember made me more significant to him – but since I can't remember, I really don't know."

"You're not going to remember, either," Shunsui sent him a meaningful look. "That would be playing into his hands – and what happened in the snows in District Seven is better off left forgotten."

"You needn't worry," Juushirou shook his head. "I'm not going to be his – or anyone's – puppet again. Sougyo no Kotowari protected me then and I'll work with them to make sure that he can't repeat the experiment. All in all we've learned a lot tonight – providing Ryuu is all right, perhaps the gamble has been worth it."

"I'm not sure," Mitsuki murmured, and Enishi cast her an anxious look.

"Edogawa? Is it Kuchiki? Am I holding him too tight? Too loose? Is the poison spreading?"

"No…no. It's not Ryuu," Mitsuki shook her head, offering him an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry, Houjou-kun. I didn't mean to alarm you. It's nothing to do with that – I was just thinking about the others, and whether one of us ought to go to find them. Whether _I_…ought to go to find them."

"You? On your own?" Juushirou stared at her, and Mitsuki bristled.

"Are you going to tell me that it's a foolish idea?" she asked archly. "I'm pretty sure _you're _currently considering going on your own, and aside from the fact you're our group's leader, we already know you're on Aizen Keitarou's want list. How is my wanting to go any more stupid than yours?"

Juushirou reddened, and despite the gravity of the night's events, Shunsui stifled a smile.

"That told you," he observed, amused. "Well? What's up, Mitsuki-chan? Something must be, if you're willing to leave Ryuu's side. Hurry up and spit it out – we're already literally walking around in the dark so you might as well shed some figurative light on the matter."

"I'm not sure how to explain it," Mitsuki looked troubled. "It's just a feeling. That's all. In this world it's not easy to be clear…but…I think I feel it all the same."

"Someone else is hurt?" Sora demanded, and Shunsui's eyes narrowed.

"Someone worse than Ryuu?" he asked softly. "If you're willing to take off and leave us to look after him, that means someone else is hurt and their life is in more danger, doesn't it?"

"Maybe," Mitsuki agreed cautiously, "but like I said, I'm finding it hard to pinpoint exactly what. I certainly felt…something happen. But now I don't really sense anything at all. Just spirits on the wind – and that could be anything."

"Well, we've reached our destination, anyhow," Juushirou paused, running his fingers tentatively through the gap of air between two trees, and nodding his head. "This is the place all right. Even by moonlight, I can tell – we're back at the _Senkaimon_."

"Ryuu's breathing is also still pretty steady, and his pulse is all right," Mitsuki confirmed, reaching across to brush stray wisps of hair from her cousin's brow. "He's not fine, but I think he's stable. If Retsu-sama sees him, I'm sure he'll be all right."

"Then one of us should go and alert the other group," Shunsui cast a glance at his companions. "I don't mind going, if you like, Juu. I'm quick when it comes to shunpo, and I don't suppose Keitarou'll want to see me again while he's still gushing blood."

"There's no need," Mitsuki murmured, before Juushirou could respond. "Someone's coming – at speed, this way."

"Coming?" Juushirou's fingers brushed over Sougyo no Kotowari's hilt, but before he could do anything else Hirata, followed by Kai materialised on the scene, each one of them breathing hard, as though they had pushed themselves to cover the ground in the shortest possible time.

"Hirata...Shihouin?" Enishi's eyes widened, and Shunsui saw a sudden look of guilt and consternation cross his features. "What are you doing here? Where are Yamamoto and the others?"

"We thought to meet them here, but felt your reiatsu instead," Kai said frankly. "Hirata…knows more than me. He's had orders…we're to stay here and since…you're here too…nobody need go looking…for you."

"Orders?" Sora blinked, and Hirata nodded, pausing for a moment to catch his breath.

"Aizen," He managed at length.

"Aizen?" Juushirou bit his lip. "Keitarou-san crossed paths with you people too?"

"_Too?_" Kai's eyes darkened and his gaze flitted to Ryuu's still form. "Houjou, about Kuchiki…"

"He's alive, Shihouin-kun," Mitsuki was the one who answered, her voice grave. "Thanks to Houjou-kun, he's all right. He's been knocked out by some drug but nobody managed to finish the job."

"More to the point, what _else_ has happened?" Shunsui's eyes became slits. "You two hared over here like crazy people – what did Aizen do to you to make you run like rabbits to the _Senkaimon_?"

"He had a run-in with Amai and Shikibu," Kai said briefly, but Shunsui could tell his classmate was unsettled. "I didn't see any of it, so I only know what Hirata told me. But Amai was pretty badly hurt, and Shikibu was in an emotionally delicate state."

"She was crying," Hirata agreed. "I've never seen a girl cry so much as that before, let alone a girl like Shikibu-san. I think Amai-san was very badly hurt – but Yamamoto-kun took charge of her immediately and sent the rest of us to take care of everything else."

"That's what you felt," Sora turned to look at Mitsuki, who nodded.

"It must have been," She agreed uneasily. "I had hoped I'd read it wrong, but if Amai-san is hurt…if that happened, then…"

"Yamamoto-kun instructed us not to open the gate till they arrive. He said that it would be dangerous opening it twice since there are attackers on the loose," Hirata cut across the healer's words, meeting Juushirou's eyes with serious ones of his own. "We know about Onoe-kun…but he wasn't here alone."

"No. He wasn't," Juushirou let out a heavy sigh. "All right. Yamamoto-kun's probably right. If Amai-san is hurt, it's better we don't waste time and energy opening and closing the gate only for them to have to do the procedure again. We might draw Hollows to this place if we release too much _reiryoku_, and that would make things complicated."

"I don't think that it will make a difference how quickly we open the gate," Mitsuki murmured.

"It doesn't hurt to be ready," Shunsui pulled Seibara's blade from its sheath. "I'll open it, Juu – when we did the safety test, I got the quickest score for releasing the _Senkaimon_, so if the situation's like that, I'll do it."

"Okay," Juushirou agreed. "In the meantime, the rest of us will watch out for any sign of Yamamoto-kun and the others – and also any sign of danger."

"Shihouin, about Onoe…" Enishi began slowly, and Kai came to stand beside him, glancing at the unconscious form of the young Kuchiki before shaking his head.

"I know," he said frankly. "You needn't mention it again. You did what you had to – probably better than anybody else would have done given the same circumstances."

"Maybe," Enishi shifted Ryuu's weight slightly in his arms. "But…"

"Tomoyuki was dead already," Kai cut across him. "I knew that. We all knew that. The Shihouin family as a whole know it – Oneesama kept him alive as a reminder of what had gone before, not because she really believed he could be saved."

"Now perhaps he really is saved," Mitsuki said sadly. "The one who made the mistake was me in the first instance – if I hadn't tried to hard to hang onto his life force in First year, he wouldn't have been put through all of this."

"But he wasn't the one who killed Ribari-sama," Juushirou said gravely. "Hirata…"

"Mm," Hirata nodded, and Shunsui realised that their young friend already at least partially suspected what was about to be said. "Eiraki did that, didn't she?"

"I'm afraid so," Enishi nodded. "I'm sorry, Hirata. We all are. Something like that…"

"She's made her choice," Hirata said simply. "Mine is to stick with my family, therefore there's nothing more to be done. Thank you, Houjou-kun – but Eiraki's decided to become like Seimaru and Grandfather, and therefore I won't…there isn't a way…to simply forgive her."

"She would have taken Ryuu too," Mitsuki murmured. "If not for us, she would have taken Ryuu too."

"Then I'm glad you were there," Hirata's expression gave nothing away, but Shunsui knew his friend too well not to notice the ripple of pain that flickered just beneath the surface of the younger boy's pale eyes.

"Open the gate."

Before anyone else could speak, Akira's voice cut through the conversation, and at the impatience in the Yamamoto boy's tones, Shunsui turned to make a neat retort. His words died on his lips, however, as he caught sight of his classmate, something red and bloodsoaked clutched in his arms and a grim expression in his dark brown eyes. Instead he nodded, thrusting Seibara's blade through the air and feeling his _zanpakutou_'s spiritual energy reach out and connect with the mechanism of the _Senkaimon_. Wood slats hazed apart, revealing a dark passageway beyond, and he sheathed his weapon, watching the small, slightly drunken butterfly flutter feebly out into the Real World air.

"Amai-san!" Mitsuki darted forward, but Akira raised an arm to push her aside.

"You're not needed," he said gruffly. "Tend to Shikibu instead. She needs you more."

"Naoko…?" Mitsuki's eyes widened, colour draining from her face as she registered the second, unconscious form clutched tightly in Kanshi's grip. "What…how…"

"She's just fainted. She's still breathing," Kanshi said hurriedly. "Her spirit is fluctuating all over the place, Edogawa, and she's bloody from tending to Suzuno so it's hard to know if she's been hurt. If you can stabilise her, then taking her through the gate will be easier."

"No Kidou inside the passage. It's too dangerous," Akira warned, and Shunsui watched Mitsuki reach out to touch a tentative hand against Naoko's skin.

"She's not badly hurt," She said at length. "Just…just very upset. I think…it will be all right to carry her through without using any kind of Kidou to support her."

"But what about Amai-san?" Sora demanded. "Yamamoto, you can't just stand there dripping blood everywhere and tell Mitsuki not to help her! Surely you don't think you can fix her yourself?"

"Don't be foolish," Akira turned to glare at the unfortunate girl, and Shunsui was struck cold by the expression in the older boy's eyes. "What can be done for Suzuno now I can do, and I_ will_ do it myself. Edogawa's talents are useless here. She's better tending to Shikibu – and to Kuchiki, by the looks."

"Wait a minute," Juushirou held up his hands. "Yamamoto-kun, are you saying…"

"We're wasting time," Akira did not pause to listen to the end of the sentence, striding forward into the tunnel, and Kanshi sighed, moving forward to follow his friend inside.

"We should go," he said softly.

"But Amai-san?" Juushirou had not given up, and Shunsui bit his lip, reaching out to grasp his friend's _hakamashita_ by the sleeve.

"Leave it, Juu," he murmured.

"But..!"

"There's nothing to be done for her now," Shunsui shook his head. "That's what Yamamoto's telling us. Suzuno-chan is dead."

* * *

_**Author's Note: Dokusou Houshi**_

_Naoko's zanpakutou, Dokusou Houshi _毒草法師_, is somewhat different in some respects from the swords of her peers. Although it has particular characteristics that are not out of place in a healer's sword, her zanpakutou's key driving force is not to heal but to damage the things that its reiatsu surrounds, and therefore she is considered a 'spiritual abberation' by her Clan._

_Naoko is very proud and very opinionated and her ability to see things in such caustic clarity is a characteristic her zanpakutou shares._

_The name Dokusou Houshi is a slightly odd one, too. Dokusou is a poisonous plant of some kind. 'Houshi' can mean several things depending on the kanji used. In the case of Naoko's sword, it carries a dual meaning - the kanji for the sword name_ 法師 _mean "priest" or "preacher", however 'houshi' can also indicate 'spores' _胞子_(as in poisonous/fungal spores).  
_

_Dokusou Houshi's forms of attack are threefold. On basic release, Naoko can use the tiny flecks of emitted reiryoku to draw information about her surroundings and her opponent without doing anything in the way of clear attack. However, in shikai form (the only level Naoko has power over) she has three possible commands._

_Those commands are "__**Suimin o**__", "__**Doku o**__" and "__**Kyuushuu o.**__" In simple English terms - "bring sleep", "give poison" and "absorb." Against Keitarou, Naoko chose to use the final one of these attacks in order to try and weaken Keitarou's spirit power and therefore defeat him. _

_Naoko's zanpakutou spirit is a poe-faced priest who doesn't smile and scarcely ever shows any kind of warmth or sympathetic emotion. As an anomaly among the Unohana, Naoko's spirit power is quite harsh and judgemental - rather like Naoko herself!_


	59. Nageki

**Senior Fifty Seven: Nageki **

Sunrise.

Eiraki sat back against the cold stone of the mountain, her vivid blue eyes taking in every change in the sky's colour as the sun forced its way through the low hanging cloud.

The morning dew soaked the ground around her, but she paid no attention to that or to the ragged hems of her kimono that told of a wild scramble through the darkness to reach this place before the dawn. They had agreed to rendezvous here after the night's work was done – but though she had refused to even let herself stop to take water from the nearby stream, her partner in crime was nowhere to be seen.

_You said dawn, Kei-sama. Where are you? Why are you not here?_

Panic rushed through her young heart as she considered the alternatives.

_Could you have been hurt by one of Niisama's friends? Onoe was cut down by that brute with the long blade. What if you ran into similar trouble? Smart as you are, you can't fight with a sword._

Her eyes narrowed, darting across the landscape for any sign of her husband's silhouette.

_For all of his intellect, Otousama was almost killed because he couldn't fight his own battles. It's a weak position to be in, Kei-sama. A man who can't hold a sword is always vulnerable to attack and your knife isn't the same as the weapon that cleaved through Onoe. Surely you can't rely just on intelligence alone? There are more of them than there are of us…and you said yourself that after last night it would be dangerous to stay here. Have they caught you already? In which case…_

Her fingers crept down towards her stomach, hovering briefly against the ragged sash and then slipping away with a sigh.

_I don't know it for sure, so I'm not sure whether I should even try and tell you. If there is a child growing inside of me, Kei-sama, that child must learn to fight. _You_ must learn how to do it too…in order to defend your family in the way Father never could._

She got slowly to her feet, resting her hand against the sheer stone wall of the precipice and gazing pensively out across the Real World landscape.

_Being here is not like being anywhere. I don't feel as though anything is quite real. I want to go back to Seireitei – I wish Kei-sama would hurry up and demolish the Clans so that we can live there in peace. Whilst there are folk hunting us, nowhere will ever be safe. If I have a child within me, that child shouldn't have to grow up always on the run. _

"Eiraki-chan?"

She had not heard him coming, but at the sound of his voice a mixture of emotions flooded through her young body. Fear, relief and anger all competed for dominance and she turned towards him, hurrying forward to fling her arms around his slender frame. As she did so, she registered the tattered fabric of his robes and the unmistakeable darkening of blood against his skin and she faltered, resting her palm against his chest and raising anxious blue eyes to his muddy brown ones.

"You're late," she said reproachfully, "and you said you wouldn't get hurt, but you have."

"I'm all right," Keitarou glanced at his arm for a moment, flexing it a couple of times, then offering her a smile. "A few things happened that I wasn't expecting, and so it took me a little longer to return here than I anticipated. I'm glad to see you safe, Eiraki-chan."

"Don't," Eiraki pushed him back, holding him at arm's length as she fixed her gaze more firmly into his. "Kei-sama, listen to me. People in Seireitei want to hurt you and they will. I know the way they think about you – I had to live around it and I remember the last time when they tried to hunt you down. I don't want you to get hurt or killed – leaving a blood trail for people to follow will only put us in more danger."

"You were worried about me," Keitarou observed, and Eiraki sighed, sinking back against him.

"I always worry about you," she murmured. "I spend my life doing that. Ever since the first time I met you, it's been that way. You have such big ideas and you want to do such earth-shaking things that I become frightened for you every time we're apart. I didn't like that you took so long to come here, Kei-sama. I thought you might have been captured, and then…"

"I'm not going to become prey for the Council's wolves just yet," Keitarou slipped his arms more securely around her body, and Eiraki closed her eyes, comforted by his familiar scent and the warmth of his hold. "I'm sorry I worried you though. It wasn't my intention to get quite as involved in things as I seem to have done."

"Did whoever it was…get away?" Eiraki glanced up at him, and Keitarou frowned.

"Yes," he admitted, "I won't lie to you. He's a potential enemy that concerns me. He's a block in my plans to take the District shinigami and that irks me more than I'd like to admit. I had hoped that making contact with Juushirou would be a step towards bringing him back towards our side – but it seems that those protecting him have got stronger than I realised they had."

"We don't need him," Eiraki pouted. "There's no point you risking your life over someone like that. Maybe he's powerful, but that also makes him dangerous. Kei-sama, you almost lost everything the last time because of him. Why not just abandon it? There are other strong people in the Districts, isn't that what you keep saying?"

"True, but none of them are quite the same as him," Keitarou's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Juushirou has Kuchiki blood, but none of the unnecessary Clan trappings that you and I are trying to eradicate. That blood makes him very powerful, Eiraki – perhaps, with training, he could be as powerful as I am."

"Then we don't need him at all," Eiraki said decidedly, sliding her fingers into Keitarou's grip and squeezing them tightly. "Anyone as powerful as you can turn on you and hurt you. Leave the Ukitake boy alone, Kei-sama. We can do plenty of things without him – it's too dangerous if there are other people now involved."

"It's not as simple as that."

Keitarou unwound himself from the embrace, putting an arm around her shoulders and leading her away from the precipice and into the darkness of their cave beyond. "When Juushirou was in my custody before, he took the full force of my Bankai. He's the first person to have done so and then remain alive afterwards. My sword believes part of its spirit is still trapped within that boy's heart, and therefore it will not let me call Bankai on anyone else. If I had been able to do that, things might have been different – I would've been able to manipulate that idiot Seiren to kill his own son, for a start. Whilst Juushirou still remains at large, Chudokuga is hampered. I can't simply ignore him – unless you want me to turn my back on my strongest technique."

"Kill him, then," Eiraki's response came without hesitation. "When you killed my Grandfather, your sword returned to normal, didn't it? All you have to do is kill Ukitake-san. If you do that…"

"That would be a considerable waste of a very interesting test subject," Keitarou scolded her. "Besides, such ruthless judgements don't suit one so pretty. What of your brother? Isn't Juushirou a friend of his? He'd be sorely grieved, wouldn't he, if we took the District boy's life?"

"This is a war," Eiraki said flatly. "Whatever I feel or don't feel towards Nii-sama or my family, I've chosen my side and I understand that means making sacrifices. I'm not a little girl any more, Kei-sama. Please don't treat me as though I am. I've decided to come with you and I've decided to believe in the things you do. You don't have to play the gentle nobleman or try to conceal from me when you decide to take someone's life. I was raised as an Endou. I'm not as delicate as people think."

"I don't think you're delicate at all," Keitarou said ruefully, resting his hand on her head. "If I did, I would never have let you come with me, much less allowed you to see so far into my heart. Killing Juushirou might prove problematic, though. The one who flits over him is the Kyouraku _bocchan_…the same one he fought in the snows in District Seven, and someone of considerable spiritual power."

"Shunsui-sama?"

Eiraki frowned, her mind flitting back to a winter's morning in District Eight when she had sat across from the then Kyouraku heir, and been asked question after question about the whereabouts of a missing District shinigami. For just a brief instant the friendly, genial Clansman had disappeared, and he had spoken with resolution about the safety of his absent friend.

_Juushirou's life is at risk._

Even now Shunsui's words echoed through Eiraki's thoughts, piercing through to her very core.

_I won't help to protect anyone who won't help me to protect him. Understand that now, Eiraki-hime. Juushirou is important to me. Very important to me. You may think of him as just District – you might think of him as beneath your or my notice. But even so, I won't forgive you if you keep secrets that end in his death._

Slowly she nodded.

"I've met him," she said aloud now, "when you took Ukitake-san hostage and he was trying to track you both down. Shunsui-sama made it clear on that occasion that he had no mind to forgive anyone who brought harm in Ukitake-san's direction."

"I'd heard him to be a lazy individual. One of the students last night said similar things, but that much is clearly a façade," Keitarou grimaced. "Unfortunately for us the Kyouraku _bocchan_ is_ not_ idealistic, nor foolish about the world around him. I don't suppose he'd be easy to deceive, nor would it be possible to manipulate him even with the full thrust of Chudokuga's power."

He sighed heavily.

He's only a student, so I didn't anticipate it, but at his current level he was able to do me physical harm. Chudokuga has also warned me about confronting him too rashly in the future, which confirms the fact he's an enemy not to be ignored. It's all right, Eiraki. I have no plans to approach Juushirou again at present. I'm hoping that our brief encounter in the forest last night might spark his memories of that snowy confrontation. Chudokuga thinks if that happens, it might be able to establish a connection to those severed threads of spirit power still locked away in Juushirou's heart. If I can do that, I can use the boy even without his consenting to it. If I can't…at the very least I might be able to restore my sword to its full strength."

"Don't do anything stupid," Eiraki said quietly, taking his arm in hers and examining the sealed wound that lay beneath the tatters of black fabric. "This wound has been healed – did you do that, or..?"

"No. One of Genryuusai's more foolish students stitched it for me," Keitarou shook his head. "She mistook me for a Gotei squad member and offered me her aid."

His eyes darkened.

"You shouldn't worry about her," he added. "When she'd finished healing me, I ensured that she couldn't share her story with anyone else."

Eiraki sighed.

"So where do we go now?" she asked plaintively. "Onoe was killed and I didn't have a chance to administer the poison to Ryuu the way I did to Ribari. We should've used more of the hallucinogen – but Mitsuki-neesama was with them, and…"

"You talk to me about having soft spots," Keitarou chided her lightly. Eiraki frowned.

"Not any more," she said sadly. "I realised that nobody's going to understand just by us explaining to them how wrong this world is, not even someone like Mitsuki-neesama. The only way to make them see is to do something about it."

"Yes," Keitarou became thoughtful. "So Ryuu still lives?"

"I'm not sure," Eiraki's eyes narrowed. "I think he was alive when the other students crowded around him – that brute with the big sword seemed likely to carry him away. He took in the hallucinogenic, but I don't think he took in enough for it to kill him. Probably he'll live…he might even remember the assault."

"Well, if he remembers Onoe attacking him, it does us no real damage," Keitarou rubbed his chin. "A Shihouin assassin chasing a high-born Kuchiki is nothing new. It's a little more serious that we've been placed here – if it was a trap by the Council, we've all but fallen into it. While they're looking for us here, it seems prudent to go to where they're not. We'll head back to Seireitei at once. I want to go to District Six, and speak to that fool Seiren for one last time."

"But if we didn't kill his son, what's the point in going so close to danger?" Eiraki was alarmed. "Kei-sama…"

"I have my suspicions that the Kuchiki-ke didn't give consent for their precious heir to be sent to the Real World," Keitarou said quietly. "If I was Guren – and thankfully I'm not, but if I were – I wouldn't let someone as important to the family out of Genryuusai's close protection. I think Ryuu was sent as bait to lure us in – and if so, I want to use that fact to our advantage. If Genryuusai sent that boy without permission from the main Kuchiki house, he'll probably delay reporting Ryuu's injury until he can be sure that the whelp will survive the attack. That being the case, we have a little time to create some mayhem of our own."

"You're going to tell Seiren his son is dead, aren't you?" Eiraki eyed him impassively, and Keitarou nodded.

"I am," he agreed, reaching up to tear some shreds of blood-stained fabric from his sleeve. "I'll use this as evidence of his demise. Seiren's spirit power is currently wild and out of all rational control, so he won't be able to tell the bloodstains of one shinigami from another. Shinigami operate in black, so there's every reason to suppose Ryuu might have been robed in _shihakushou_ when he was cut down. If we can reach District Six before the truth does, there's a considerable chance of causing mayhem."

"It's a risk," Eiraki sighed heavily.

"Everything is a risk," Keitarou admitted, "but to change Soul Society and take full revenge for the people it's oppressed, risks have to be taken."

"I know," Eiraki's fingers drifted to her waist again. "I know that, and I'm not running away. But…Kei-sama…"

She trailed off, meeting his eyes with soulful blue ones, and Keitarou sighed, patting her on the head.

"If you think I haven't realised, I have," he murmured. "I know what you want to tell me, but are not quite sure how. That fact alone makes me more determined to work hard, Eiraki-chan. Our future – and the future of our children – needs to be on more solid ground. Daisuke took risks for his children to survive, and so will I for mine."

He bent to kiss her on the forehead.

"Your duty in this is now over. I won't ask you to kill for me again," he murmured. "Your task now is more significant than stalking through the night hunting down those who might want to hurt us. The child is important, Eiraki. The child must live."

"It will," Eiraki's eyes blazed with determination. "It will, and I'll make sure of it."

"Good," Keitarou smiled, "then we go to District Six. It seems to me that if they're so keen to hunt me down and lure me into a trap, I'll create a scenario in which they can entrap me."

"What?" Eiraki's eyes registered shock, but Keitarou chuckled.

"Distraction is as important a weapon as direct attack," he told her playfully. "If I'm in District Six, causing chaos there, why would you look for me anywhere else?"

"Meaning…?"

"I need Juushirou, or at the very least, the power that lives within him," Keitarou said matter-of-factly. "In Seireitei, Juushirou's in a place surrounded by other potential weaponry. That school is training people from the Districts to take up arms and believe themselves equal to the Gotei and the Clans that rule over them. Genryuusai's doing our job for us – all that's left for us to do is take them."

"You're going to annexe the school?" Eiraki stared. "But…hang on…what? How? If you're in District Six…and that old man, what about…?"

"I told you. Distraction is as important a weapon as direct attack," Keitarou's eyes danced with amusement. "Last night I stumbled on something very interesting. It's something I can use without needing my Bankai…something I believe I can have a certain amount of influence over even at a considerable distance. I'll go to District Six and make myself so conspicuously troublesome that the Council will doubtless call the old man to help deal with my mischief-making. When I do, that Academy will be open for the taking. They'll be so busy trying to hunt me down that they won't realise until it's too late."

"What if those students don't want to come with us? What if they're brainwashed by the Clans?"

"Eiraki, whether they come or not isn't important, not yet," Keitarou said frankly. "We can't fight this war yet because our army isn't trained and we don't have the facilities or the allies to build it in time to fight the Council as it currently is. I'm not thinking of recruiting Genryuusai's young ones – not for now."

"Then…?"

"The Academy is full of Clan students and District ones," Keitarou's voice became cold, and Eiraki bit her lip, seeing the glimmer of hatred surface in her companion's gaze. "The Clan ones are superfluous to our needs and so we'll work to eliminate them; the District ones we'll preserve. Think of it as a lesson that Clan children who claim superiority have no real power and can be killed very easily indeed. The Clans cannot protect them, but we can help them to protect themselves and gain that equality Genryuusai is fond of pretending he can give them. In time the Districts will become the powerful ones…and little by little, our allies to change this world."

He stretched out a hand towards Eiraki's stomach.

"I risk my life as much as Daisuke risked his, but if I have children of my own, the fight can continue beyond my existence," he said matter-of-factly. "This is only the very beginning, Eiraki-chan. It will take a mixture of time, patience and willpower in order to bring the whole of Seireitei to the brink of active war."

"I wish you wouldn't talk of your life like it's expendable. It isn't," Eiraki scolded. "Without you, there is no cause – you're needed and important and you ought to realise it more. If I have your children, those children need you to guide them and make them understand what their duty is. There's nobody to guide Daisuke-san's children because he gave his life – you have to be here to guide yours, regardless of what you do now."

"I see," Keitarou's eyes softened, and he nodded his head. "That's true. But I also have you, Eiraki-chan, to act in my absence. Besides, I don't intend on dying just yet. I do have other things to do. I'll escape District Six and we'll take cover in Rukongai. I've discovered that large swathes of it are ignored by Seireitei's people, so it seems to be the perfect place for us to hide."

"Rukongai, huh." Eiraki let out a sigh of resignation. "And I thought living in a cave in this world was bad enough. Still, I suppose Rukongai will be easier. Shinigami never go there…while the Council search Seireitei and the Real World for us, they'll never think of a place with no resources."

"Exactly." Keitarou tapped her gently on the nose. "It's decided, then. We'll go to District Six before the Council's troops start breaking through the _Senkaimon_ to investigate this world. Let them draw what evidence they can from our encounters – they'll soon learn that we're far from beaten yet."

* * *

"Genryuusai-sama?"

"Come in, Retsu."

The old man glanced up from his desk, a sober expression in his dark eyes as he gestured for his young companion to enter his office. She did so in silence, and as she came to stand before his desk, Genryuusai's sharp gaze took in the fact that in the place of the white Clan_ haori_ she wore a simple black robe over her shoulders – a sign of mourning for the young girl whose life had been stolen on the other side of the divide.

At the sight of it, his lips thinned.

It was the morning after the night before, and very few of the school's staff had got any sleep for the chaos that had suddenly descended on the school. The instant the _Senkaimon_ had been activated, Genryuusai had known that the trap had been sprung – but even he had not anticipated the tragedy that had presented itself through the open spirit door.

Akira's expression was still firmly etched into Genryuusai's memory as the student had gently placed Suzuno's lifeless body down onto a snow white pallet, his eyes a mixture of anger and guilt. He had taken painstaking care to ensure that, despite the blood, his classmate was laid out as neatly as he could manage – a mark of final respect for one he had known since the very First year. Akira's uncharacteristic gentleness towards Suzuno's final remains told Genryuusai that in the wilderness his arrogant kinsman had finally crossed from petulant boy to shinigami man – and the white strapping that covered one of his arms had not escaped the old man's keen attention.

There had been no time to ask questions about it, however, for Kanshi and Enishi, bearing Naoko and Ryuu respectively had not been far behind him and at the realisation both were still alive, the Healing Bay had sprung into immediate activity. Once clear that Naoko had suffered no obvious physical injury but had just passed out from grief and terror, Retsu had ordered her to be taken, bathed and put to bed in a quiet room at the back of the Bay, and then had turned her attention to Ryuu's pale form, listening all the while to Mitsuki's hurried explanations of what had happened.

Genryuusai had been quick to dismiss all of the other students to bath and bed, though he knew none of them would sleep any more than the school's staff would, and only Mitsuki had insisted on remaining behind. Knowing that her skills would likely be of some good, Genryuusai had allowed it – and as a consequence Mitsuki was currently keeping a careful watch over Naoko in case the girl should wake.

Before he had left, Akira had paused at Genryuusai's side, and he had spoken in tones so low nobody else in the room could hear. His tones were flat and emotionless, his eyes clouded and strained, but he had met Genryuusai's gaze head on.

"Shikibu said Keitarou," he had said softly. "The one who hurt Suzuno was called _Keitarou_."

That was all, but it had been enough to confirm the worst of Genryuusai's fears and more.

Once all had fallen quiet, a slim shape had slipped out of the shadows of the Healing Bay, pushing through Retsu's various assistants to reach Ryuu's side. Genryuusai had held out a hand to hold him back, but Shirogane was not to be dissuaded so easily, and in the end the old Sensei had allowed him his way.

"Ryuu's life may again come into danger," he had told his former student. "In the chaos that's to come, you must not leave his side. This is your duty as a shinigami, Shirogane. Protect your cousin from danger and ensure that he is all right."

Shirogane had acquiesced immediately, relief burning in his slate grey eyes, and Genryuusai had reflected once more on how much he too had grown through the hardships he had had to face.

But some hardships were worse to bear than others.

He raised his gaze now to Retsu's once more.

"I am sorry," he said quietly, and Retsu inclined her head slightly in acknowledgement of his words.

"Suzuno-san had no active involvement in any of the recent intrigues," she said softly. "There was no reason to suspect her life to be in any danger, therefore you owe me no apology."

"I made the decision for them to go," Genryuusai shook his head. "Any lives lost are my responsibility."

He rested his hands on the surface of the desk, pushing aside the sheaves of parchment paper on which he had begun writing out a full report of the previous night's events.

"I have made preliminary examinations of my kinswoman's body," Retsu's voice was almost as calm and gentle as normal, but there was a slight waver in it that told Genryuusai it was an effort for her to maintain her cool composure. "The attack was made by a _zanpakutou_ of unclear origin, and she suffered several wounds in what I believe was a single attack. These wounds, coupled with the tremendous loss of blood are what took her life. I think that had another healer been on hand the moment she was hurt, her blood-loss might have been stemmed – but the wound at her throat would likely have caused permanent disfigurement and I cannot be certain her life could have been saved. I will release her remains with your permission to my family and her immediate kin to take proper care of, but I felt that there was some need for me to report my findings to you in order that you are able to pass them to the Council on my behalf."

She paused for a moment, then,

"I am not sure whether I will attend the hearing of this evidence," she admitted. "It may be easier for me if I do not."

"Indeed," Genryuusai nodded gravely. "You have my consent to send Suzuno home to the people who loved her. I appreciate your loyalty to my students and your attention to the things that need to be done even in a time such as this."

"I am a shinigami," Retsu said heavily. "I believe in life, but to do so does not make you oblivious to the reality of death. Suzuno-san's passing troubles me most because I know that she felt pain. Naoko-san has reported the same to me…Suzuno-san did not die immediately, but lingered some minutes before losing her life."

"Shikibu has regained consciousness?" Genryuusai was alert at this, but Retsu held up her hands.

"She has, but I will not permit anyone to question her at present," she said firmly. "Naoko-san was close to Suzuno-san and is very very upset by last night's events. She took some kind of hit herself, though the bulk of her distress seems to be emotional, and I will not have her troubled further by insensitive interrogators from the Council of Elders or from First Squad."

"The evidence she has may be of importance," Genryuusai frowned. "If Akira's words about Suzuno's killer are true, she may have witnessed something of significance."

"It may be, but for now Naoko-san's respite is more important," Retsu's eyes were suddenly like steel. "I have left her in Mitsuki-san's immediate care and perhaps she will speak to her friend where she might not speak to uniformed men and women armed with swords. It will be up to Naoko-san to decide what needs to be said – I intend on keeping her quiet for the next couple of days until she herself feels ready to face anybody else."

"If things are that way, I will see Edogawa Mitsuki in my office when it is convenient to do so," Genryuusai said quietly. "I presume Kuchiki Ryuu still remains asleep?"

"I have ensured that it is so, yes, though I think he will probably soon rise."

"Ensured that…?"

"Kuchiki-kun was assaulted with the same hallucinogenic that Nagoya-dono and his peers inhaled when Ribari-sama met his death," Retsu said frankly. "Such a drug is quite distressing to the nerves and has no clear antidote. It appears to be a chemical created for this exact purpose, and we do not yet have a way to reverse its effects. Unlike in Nagoya-dono's case, not much of the poison appears to have entered Kuchiki-kun's blood stream and his life is probably not in any danger. Therefore on his arrival here I sedated him as deeply as I dared to with a Kidou-based anaesthesia and with luck he will be over the worst by the time he opens his eyes."

"Shirogane?"

"He remains at Kuchiki-kun's side, by his own request. Given your instruction to him last night, I assumed you would not object to his being left alone with his cousin."

"No. I would have commanded him to remain there, so that he's done so of his own accord is one less thing to concern me," Genryuusai glanced down at the parchment, then sighed.

"Thank you, Retsu. I will take on board what you have said…you may return to your patients now."

"Yes sir," Retsu bowed her head before him, then withdrew from the office and Genryuusai fingered the ends of his long moustache absently, reminded of the days when she had been a much younger student following his commands with just such polite obedience.

_Retsu is not often emotional, but she cares deeply for each member of her Clan. Losing Suzuno is an unexpected blow – but whilst I must allow her the time she needs to deal with the aftermath, I must not delay in my own duties either as Headmaster of this school or as a Clansman of Seireitei._

He reached across to pick up his brush once more, but as his fingers touched against the worn instrument's scratched veneer, he paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. The next moment there was a soft knock at the door, and he drew back his hands, folding them together beneath his chin.

"Come in," he called, and the door slid back to reveal first Juushirou and then, behind him, Enishi and Shunsui, all three wearing looks of deep consternation.

"We're sorry to bother you, Sensei," It was Juushirou who spoke, approaching the desk and bowing his head respectfully before his teacher. "As Anideshi, I realise that this is probably an intrusion and that you'd rather we stayed well away…but…I wanted to speak to you, and so did Shunsui and Enishi. We decided to come here anyway, just in case you had time to see us and, well, discuss…last night."

"I would have sent for all of you sooner or later," Genryuusai assured them, gesturing for the boys to settle themselves more comfortably before his desk. "Perhaps not all together, but I have no objections if you feel happier discussing events as a group. I understand that the mood of the Senior Class is extremely subdued at present – you are all aware of the death of Amai Suzuno, I think."

"Yes, sir," This time it was Shunsui who spoke. "We are."

"What doesn't make sense to us is why Amai-san was hurt, Sensei," Juushirou murmured. "She wasn't anything to do with…well…anything."

"That's a mystery to us as well," Genryuusai said blackly. "When we're able to investigate it further, you have my word that we shall. In the meantime, I imagine the reason you three are here relates to another matter – you've come to speak to me about Kuchiki Ryuu, haven't you?"

"Yes sir," Now Enishi raised his voice, and Genryuusai could see the conflicting emotions in his kinsman's eyes. "Please, is Kuchiki going to be all right? We've not been allowed to see him since last night, and…"

"Ryuu will probably make a full recovery. Unohana Retsu-dono has just made a report to me and you can consider that the latest medical information on your friend," Genryuusai assured them. "He's sleeping at the current time, but the poison in his bloodstream should lessen and dissipate of its own accord."

"Thank goodness," Enishi let out a heavy sigh of relief, then he covered his mouth, as if realising his emotion was inappropriate in the aftermath of a girl's murder. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I didn't mean it like…just, Kuchiki and I were assigned together, and so…"

"I have it on good evidence that we have you to thank for Ryuu's likely recovery, Enishi," Genryuusai looked his student straight in the face, watching carefully for any signs of strain or guilt in the tall boy's expression. "Edogawa Mitsuki has reported to me the circumstances of Ryuu's collapse and your involvement in the following events. Some men from First Division retrieved Onoe Tomoyuki's corpse from the glen she described, and it also bore distinctive signs of Kyoshingeki's reiatsu. This seems to back up her account of what happened, though I'd like to hear anything you have to say on the matter as well."

Enishi's eyes flickered for a moment, then hardened with resolve and he nodded his head.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said earnestly. "I know cutting people open isn't really a good thing, and I realise I might be disciplined for it. Perhaps you'll even decide to send me home, and I'm all right with that, if that's what you want to do. Kuchiki's alive and that's what matters – I didn't want to let him down, so as long as he'll recover…"

"Enishi…" Juushirou shot him a concerned glance, and Genryuusai shook his head.

"Send you away?" he asked softly. "Don't be foolish. I don't believe I trained you to think in such idiotic terms – please tell me on what grounds I might want to exclude you?"

"Well…Sensei…I sort of…gutted Onoe," Enishi reddened. "It wasn't…very pretty."

"And in doing so, you prevented him from taking Kuchiki Ryuu's life," Genryuusai said softly. "The world is a violent place, Enishi. You understood what you were doing and I'm glad you haven't made any excuses for it, because there are none to be made. You took a decision to act and in doing so saved your friend's life. That fight also cost another person their life. You've accepted that, haven't you?"

"Yes, sir," Enishi straightened in his seat, nodding his head firmly. "I don't really like it, but I'm not ashamed of having done it. I don't like gutting folks or anything like that – my sword's not there for those kinds of things and I don't want you to think I want to swing it around slashing people into pieces for the fun of it. Onoe had his sword right over Kuchiki's spine, though. When it's a situation like that, there's not really any thinking to be done. I thought afterwards you might be cross that I killed him and didn't bring him back for evidence…but it was a bit late then to worry about it."

"Indeed," Genryuusai nodded soberly. "Juushirou, Shunsui, do you have anything to add to your friend's account?"

"Neither one of us were present for any of it," Shunsui met Juushirou's guilty glance with a resigned one of his own. "The first we knew about it was when Sora came hurtling through the trees to fill us in on everything. We really came to give Enishi some support – and to talk to you about something else when that was done."

"We didn't think you'd send Enishi away," Juushirou added honestly. "Onoe-kun was beyond help and being controlled by someone else. He would've killed Ryuu, and so…"

"Taking a life is taking a life. Enishi hasn't tried to justify it as anything else, so you two needn't do so either," Genryuusai said quietly. "His decision was an immediate one – either he took a life and saved a life, or stood back and let someone die. I don't believe that was much of a choice for you, was it Enishi? I assigned you to Ryuu because I was certain if that kind of a decision had to be made, you were the one best capable of making it. It seems as though you haven't let me down."

"…Sensei?" Enishi looked blank, and Genryuusai sighed.

"You have little enough faith in your ability that sometimes I wonder what kind of a shinigami you believe yourself to be," he said bluntly. "Your adventures in the Real World are proof for you as well as for everyone else that your vocation is the right one. When you leave this school it will be as one of my graduating officers, not in any form of disgrace. Last night you acted like a squad shinigami defending one of his division from external attack. Those are the ones that the Gotei seek most of all…they are the kind of people who become leaders and who gain the admiration and the support of those they lead. Hold that and take it with you, Enishi. Last night you saved the life of someone whose death might easily have prompted civil war in District Six."

"Last night…last night I…I saved a friend, Sensei," Enishi looked dumbstruck, but somehow he managed to find words, shaking his head and holding up his hands in hasty protest. "I never thought of anything else – squads or whatever, or being thought of as a leader, or…any of that. I wasn't trying to be clever. I just thought that I didn't want Kuchiki getting killed. He's my friend and I was assigned with him – I didn't want to be the one who let him get killed."

Genryuusai gazed at his kinsman for a moment, and slowly Enishi turned a deep shade of red.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "That was…sort of cheeky, wasn't it?"

"Sensei's telling you to be proud of yourself, Enishi," Shunsui reached over to tap him on the arm. "You should be. We all are."

Enishi was silent for a long while, and Genryuusai could tell that his student was turning over this information in his brain. At length he sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know about the politics of it all," he admitted. "Kuchiki is my friend and I'm glad he'll be all right. Whether he's heir to District Six or just another shinigami, I'm glad he'll come through this. I promise not to gut anybody else while I'm a student here, though, Sensei. It wouldn't give you very good press if I did."

Genryuusai nodded solemnly, knowing that in any other circumstances his kinsman's honest words would have been some cause for amusement.

"Then is that all?" he asked quietly. "There's nothing else I need to know about what happened to Kuchiki Ryuu?"

"Mm," Enishi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Onoe was definitely not the one fighting me. I know you know that, but from fighting him I could tell that it wasn't the way he used to fight when he was himself. Edogawa said she sensed something dark from his body when he fell and it was something she'd sensed before. Oh yes…and one other thing."

His expression became clouded.

"Endou Eiraki-hime was also in the Real World last night. She claimed to be the one who killed Ribari-sama, and Edogawa and I think she was coming to repeat the same attack on Kuchiki."

"I see," Genryuusai's expression became grave, his lips pursing together as he took in the identical gravity in both Juushirou and Shunsui's expressions. "Mitsuki omitted to pass on that information in the quick appraisal she gave me of Ryuu's situation, so thank you. I shall add that to my report. You are dismissed, Enishi. Thank you for your hard work."

"Yes sir," Enishi got to his feet, then paused, eying Genryuusai doubtfully.

"You've not let anyone see him," he said slowly, "but I wondered…might I visit Kuchiki and see for myself how he is? I won't wake him if he's sleeping, or cause the nurses any trouble. It would just put my mind at rest to know that he's really all right."

"I suppose I can't refuse you that," Genryuusai's eyes softened slightly. "All right. I'll allow you alone to visit him for a brief time – on the understanding that if you do, anything you see or hear whilst within that room is not to be repeated outside its walls. Understand? The Council are involved in this affair and Ryuu is a significant political figure at present. For his sake and the sake of the investigation, everything must be kept completely secret."

"I understand," Enishi's eyes became big, but he nodded his head. "I won't even tell anyone else I've been there."

"Then you may go," Genryuusai gestured towards the door, "and Ukitake and Kyouraku can share with me whatever other concerns they feel they have to add to the conversation we've just had."

"Thank you, Sensei," Enishi bowed his head, then left the office, shutting the door behind him with a characteristic bang. Shunsui let out his breath in a rush, casting a slightly envious look in the direction of the divide.

"I wish I could see the world how he does," he murmured, more than half to himself. "To Enishi he did his job and nobody's angry, so it's all all right. He doesn't let things eat away at him. It must be a very peaceful existence, to be able to look at things that way."

"I gave Enishi the task of guarding Ryuu because if something occurred, he'd be the one least likely to take deep harm from it," Genryuusai agreed. "He doesn't realise it yet, but there are already people within the Yamamoto Clan looking at him very carefully based on my recommendations of his skill. This matter will probably raise his profile considerably among the other Clans, too. I imagine that when he graduates, there will be a position of rank and responsibility awaiting him – it just remains to be seen exactly where."

"Can I have him?" Shunsui looked plaintive, and despite himself, Genryuusai laughed, shaking his head.

"If I gave someone as hard-working as Enishi to a lazy student like you, you'd never do any work of your own," he said bluntly. "No. Enishi will find his own niche, just as the pair of you will have yours."

He frowned, suddenly serious once more.

"You have more to say to me, don't you?" he murmured. "You weren't with the others last night, and you knew nothing of their fight. That means something else happened to distract you both – I trust you'll now tell me what that something was."

The two students exchanged looks, then Juushirou let out a heavy sigh.

"Shunsui and I both saw him, Sensei," Hhe said reluctantly. "Aizen Keitarou."

"I see," Genryuusai's heart clenched in his chest, but he kept his voice even. "And?"

"He's still after Juu," Shunsui said flatly. "I told him that he'd do better to give that up."

"You..._told_ him?" Genryuusai's eyes became slits, and Shunsui looked sheepish.

"I may have released my sword," he admitted. "I know what you said to me about it being a future consideration...but he was there, and he was taunting Juu, and..."

"I see," Genryuusai let out a heavy sigh. "Why is it that the only time you become motivated is when one of your peers is in some kind of danger?"

"I don't think I was in danger," Juushirou looked pensive. "I don't think Keitarou-san means me harm...exactly."

"No. He just wants to string you up as his puppet again and make you turn on more people," Shunsui said acidly. "That's not trying to hurt you at all."

"I've no intention of letting him do that," Juushirou objected. "Besides, he told me he couldn't use his Bankai at the present, so it's not as though..."

"He said he couldn't use that _because it was still trapped inside of you_!"

"How much of our conversation were you actually listening to?"

"Enough of it! I told you, I wasn't going to let him get anywhere near you, even if it meant blooding Katen's blade in the process!"

"And _I_ told _you_ that I didn't need to be protected!"

"Both of you seem to have forgotten where you are."

Genryuusai did not raise his voice, but at the slight flickering of his reiatsu the two boys faltered, both turning to send him a look of contrition.

"I'm sorry," Juushirou rubbed his hands through his lank white hair with a groan. "What happened last night is still bothering both of us a fair bit. We didn't come here to dispute things in front of you, Sensei - we came to report about Keitarou-san."

"I wish you wouldn't still call him ~san. It makes him sound like someone respectable," Shunsui muttered.

"Stop it," Juushirou sent him a reproachful glance. "We didn't come to Sensei for that."

"Shunsui, you seem considerably distressed," Genryuusai observed. "Would you like to explain to me why exactly you're so concerned about Keitarou's intentions? What did you mean when you said that his Bankai was still inside Juushirou?"

"I don't know if it is," Shunsui said unwillingly. "Keitarou believes it is, though. He told Juu he couldn't release his Bankai and he thought that threads of his spirit power were still inside Juu's body somewhere."

"Keitarou-sa...Keitarou's Bankai works on one person at a time," Juushirou murmured. "He said everyone else he'd ever used it on had died, so he had never had a situation like this before. I'm still alive, and he thinks...because he didn't withdraw his sword's magic from me, some of it may still be locked away inside of me."

"What do _you_ think?" Genryuusai sent Juushirou a piercing glance, and Juushirou spread his hands.

"I don't think it's there," he admitted. "Sougyo no Kotowari has protected me, I know that - but I think that if there was any of Chudokuga still inside of me, I'd have been more aware of it when he was there in front of me. Perhaps the way I was defeated in the snows damaged his sword, or maybe he was lying. I don't feel as though anything alien is still stuck anywhere inside of me."

Genryuusai's gaze rested thoughtfully on Shunsui for a moment. He had noticed, though Juushirou had not, the involuntary flinch that the Clan Senior had made at the mention of the snow battle, and his expression became grave.

_That fight caused you to raise your sword, but it left its scars. I suppose it's little wonder you still want to protect your friend from harm, with the memory of that still vivid in your mind._

Out loud he said,

"Neither Retsu-dono nor I were able to detect any residual sign of foreign reiatsu around Juushirou's body once he started to really recover from his injuries. Your own lingered there longer than any other, Shunsui - but Juushirou has worked a lot with his sword since then and at no time have I ever sensed anything that shouldn't be in his aura."

"I don't suppose that's important," Shunsui's gaze flitted to Juushirou, and he chewed his lip. "I think Sougyo no Kotowari might have been the one who sealed it away so that Juu - and you, and Unohana-sensei, and I - weren't aware that it was still there. If it was a part of Juu that did that, it wouldn't show up in his reiatsu so easily, would it?"

"Now you're just being stupid," Juushirou's expression became one of exasperation, and Genryuusai held up his hand to prevent another spat beginning.

"You are both clearly very tired and last night brought considerable stress on you," he said lightly. "Juushirou, you have no memories of that encounter in the snow, do you?"

"No, sir," Juushirou said firmly.

"You can talk about it freely because of that fact," Genryuusai reflected. "Please remember that there are others who have more vivid recollections, and bringing up the subject might do them more harm than it does you."

Juushirou's eyes opened wide with realisation, and he turned, sending Shunsui a stricken look. The other boy met it with a rueful one of his own, then let out a heavy sigh.

"I won't ever forget, but that doesn't mean you ought to remember - or tiptoe around it," he said softly. "It happened and there's no way of changing it. I'm glad you don't remember it, Juu - so please don't try."

"Keitarou-s...Keitarou thought that if I did start to remember, it would mean that his power inside of me would be unsealed," Juushirou remembered, his expression becoming grave. "He said Sougyo no Kotowari had been clever...but that now we'd met up, maybe I'd start to recall those things."

"And have you?"

"No sir," Juushirou shook his head. "If Sougyo no Kotowari did lock the memories away and it wasn't from the trauma or Keitarou's control then it did it for my benefit. I trust my sword, Sensei, and I won't question its actions. It's obviously something I don't need to remember - and I don't intend on trying."

"Tell Sensei about the dream, Juu," Shunsui nudged his friend's arm, and Juushirou's eyes clouded slightly.

"I'm not sure it meant anything except that I was on edge," he said reluctantly. "The night before last, I had a dream about a spider who shot its web out of the sea and wrapped itself around my arm. When I woke up, it was as though something really had touched my arm - but that's all. If it was anything, I think it was Keitarou spying on us...he said he'd overheard a conversation of Shunsui and mine, so that would make sense."

"Shunsui, what exactly did you do with Katen Kyoukotsu?" Genryuusai asked.

"I threw my blade at him from the shadows," Shunsui's answer was quick and concise. "I didn't aim to kill, but I wanted him to know that if he kept stalking Juu, he'd find himself missing limbs."

"I really don't like it when you talk like that," Juushirou shivered. "It makes you creepy. That shadow trick of yours was bad enough without you suddenly talking about doing people physical harm. It doesn't sound like you. No matter how traumatic the fight in the snow was for you - that kind of attitude really isn't Kyouraku Shunsui."

"Mm," Shunsui ran his fingers over the hilts of his weapons. "Katen Kyoukotsu contains a demon and a goddess. Light and shadow - I can go either way."

He smiled sheepishly.

"I don't intend on falling to the dark side, though," He added, his eyes lighting up momentarily. "Keitarou makes me angry, and I find it difficult to be rational around him because I do remember the things that you don't. It's him and only him who can make me react like this."

"I think it's an understandable feeling for one who will become a Gotei Captain," Genryuusai observed, "but we're moving off the point. Keitarou withdrew from your presence after you wounded him, Shunsui?"

"He did,"

Shunsui faltered, then,

"Sensei, was it that...was that why Amai-san was..."

"Amai-san?" Juushirou stared at him. "What are you talking about now?"

"I injured Keitarou," Shunsui said bleakly. "Amai-san was a healer. She wouldn't have known anything. Did she stumble into danger because I lost my temper?"

"The reason Amai Suzuno died is still not clear, even to me," Genryuusai said firmly, his eyes boring into Shunsui's troubled brown ones. "The only thing that is known for sure is that the one who killed her did so without reason or conscience. You have no blame in the equation, Shunsui. If Suzuno approached a stranger without care for her safety, she is at fault. If the stranger killed her, he is at fault. You are not. As I said to Enishi, you made a decision. Part of being an adult is accepting all parts of that decision."

"I'm not as much of an adult as Enishi is," Shunsui admitted. "He has two years or more on me, Sensei, and an attitude to the world I'd really love to have."

"Sensei, just suppose...Keitarou and Shunsui are right," Juushirou bit his lip. "I don't know that they are, but just suppose there is some of Keitarou's sword inside of me. If Shunsui hadn't interrupted our conversation...might he have found a way to reactivate it there and then?"

"If that supposition has any basis in truth, then I imagine that was his purpose for meeting with you," Genryuusai said grimly. "I know you've spent time with him in the past, and it's possible he doesn't mean you any harm, but Juushirou, don't be deceived into thinking that means he has a level that can be reasoned with. The Council already know him to be guilty of many crimes - with the cooperation of the Endou and the Shihouin, we've established that the catalogue of innocent lives sacrificed to his _reidoku_ experiments is a long one. There are probably many more victims who remain unlisted and unnamed. If he doesn't mean you harm, you are probably part of a minority. Shunsui understands - as I do - the danger this man poses to you and to all of your companions. He was undoubtedly the one who killed Amai Suzuno - almost certainly without motive. Don't underestimate his intentions, however innocent his way of speaking to you might have been."

"Y...yes sir," Juushirou looked suitable cowed by this, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Then let us address the matter of Endou Eiraki," he said quietly. "Did either one of you happen to see her in the Real World?"

"No, sir," Shunsui shook his head. "Mitsuki and Enishi did, but nobody else seems to have done. We...we thought she might be around, and we were looking...kind of. We didn't find her, though."

"Judging by what Enishi and Mitsuki found out, it's probably a good thing," Juushirou muttered. "She was probably carrying a lethal poison, and I don't suppose she'd have hesitated to use it on someone who launched their sword at Keitarou's shoulder."

"Probably it hasn't done much for her opinion of me," Shunsui acknowledged.

"Keitarou made it clear Eiraki was with him and he said by her own choice," Juushirou added. "I didn't believe him, but I guess that was true."

"It seems that way," Genryuusai agreed. "It will be distressing evidence for the Council and particularly for Misashi-dono and Sumire-dono, but it cannot be concealed. If the killer of Kuchiki Ribari is a young girl, then that's what it is. Clearing the names of those who are innocent is more important a task at present, and that lies with me to do."

"By innocent...do you mean...Nagoya-senpai?" Juushirou;s question was tentative, and Genryuusai saw Shunsui's eyebrow arch, his brown eyes flickering in his friend's direction as if to say, 'shut up!'".

"It will be a means of exonerating _all_ of the Kuchiki Clan who might have come under suspicion, as well as the Shihouin Clan for any part in the conspiracy," he said evenly. "I cannot disclose more information to those who are simply students. I am grateful for your information, both of you - unless there's more you need to tell me, you can consider yourself dismissed."

The two students exchanged glances, slowly getting to their feet.

"Juushirou, one last thing," Genryuusai called them back, and the white-haired boy paused, turning to eye his teacher with trepidation.

"If you have anything which may be construed a flashback or memory about that fight in District Seven, I want you to report to me," Genryuusai's words were quiet, but they rang through the room nonetheless. "If there is any element of that man's magic still inside of you, I will be the one ensuring it is properly expunged."

"Yes sir," Juushirou paled slightly, but nodded his head, and, a wry smile on his lips, Shunsui grabbed his companion by the arm, pulling him physically from the study and closing the door behind them.

Once more alone, Genryuusai let out his breath in a rush.

_Their trial is over, but maybe for Seireitei it's only just begun._

He reached for the brush, dipping it pensively in the ink.

_Unpleasant as it may be, I have a report to write. The Council of Elders must know with all expediency the circumstances of my gamble...the good and the bad. More pressing than that, though, I have a message I must send to District Six and it cannot wait. If Aizen is widening his web to bring innocent students into danger, there's only one course of action I can take short of contacting Guren directly. It's another risk, but a calculated one. Given what Ryuu has said in the past, and Shirogane too, I can only assume that now that rogue's attentions will move back to his other targets...and if what I believe to be the case is true, there is no time to waste at all._

He pulled across a fresh sheet of parchment, carefully inscribing two characters at the top of the page and pausing to re-read them with a sigh.

_It's been a long time since our last meeting, but distant though we have become, I trust I know your nature well enough to judge your will from afar. More lives are undoubtedly in danger and Guren may be too close to that danger to see it clearly with his own eyes. I hope my assumptions of your viewpoint are correct. With this attack having failed, I think it almost certain that Keitarou's next target will be Ryuu's father Seiren._

_I must do whatever I can to prevent that meeting from taking place._

_

* * *

_

_The forest was cloaked in mist._

_Breathing hard, Ryuu pushed the branches aside, breaking some and almost tripping over others in his haste to get away. All around him the woodland was dark and every path looked the same, an endless string of tall, forbidding trunks and dark roots that snaked across his path trying to slow his progress._

_Something silver glittered from the right, and with a sudden burst of adrenalin Ryuu managed to dodge it, swinging around to see two glowing golden eyes gleaming out of the hazy black._

_He put his hand to his waist for Shizurugi, but his sword was not there, and try as he might he could not remember the release command for his weapon. As he groped futilely at thin air, he felt a thin, knotted branch curl itself tightly around his arm, then another and another, the warped lengths of wood tugging him backwards until he fell into a heap on the dew-sodden grass._

_The sky swirled round and round, mottled by shadows that might have been more branches or maybe the predators of the night circling overhead as they prepared to swoop in for the kill. Unable to wriggle free, and Ryuu struggled to control his rising panic, realising that he had been abandoned and was now completely alone in a place he didn't know. The heavily laden boughs creaked and leaned in over him, blocking the heavens from view. The trees seemed to be moving closer together now, trying to shut off any hope he had of escaping their grasp he let out a faint murmur of fear, clawing himself up onto his hands and knees and forcing his uncooperative body one inch at a time towards the closing gap between the trunks._

_**Aruji.**_

_The voice was so quietly spoken that at first Ryuu thought he must have imagined it, but the next instant through the mist came a searing shard of violet light, striking through the nearest tree and splintering it completely in two. Forced back, the other trees started to waver and bend, and as the light grew stronger, Ryuu saw for the first time that it was highlighting a pathway through the forest._

_It was showing him the way out._

_Ryuu scrambled forwards, his body trembling so hard with each movement that he felt certain he would not be able to go any further, and yet he forced himself to keep moving, not wanting to be left alone again. His thoughts were strange and disconnected, the swirling world around him scattering his memories of why he had even come to a place such as this. The clothes he wore, the empty scabbard at his waist, even his own name were all a blur in his frightened thoughts, yet he clung onto the one thing of which he could be sure._

_If he could only reach the light, he would somehow find a way out. If he could only reach the light, he would somehow be all right._

_**Aruji.**_

_The voice was stronger this time, and Ryuu stretched out a shaking hand to brush against the edge of the purple glow, feeling a sudden warmth flood through his whole body. The trees around him began to fragment and disappear as the light engulfed him more and more, and Ryuu dropped his defences, trusting implicitly in the sensation of comfort and strength that now flooded through his terrified body._

_**All is well now, Aruji. You are safe.**_

_Shizurugi._

Ryuu opened his eyes, the last of the mist slipping away into the recesses of his brain. Instead of dark woodland, he found himself surrounded by white. He was lying down on something firm yet comfortably familiar, and his surrounds were a bright, clean chamber, sunlight streaming in through the window and piercing through the murky fog that had filled his mind.

"You've returned to us, then, Kuchiki-kun?"

The voice was soft and reassuring, and Ryuu blinked, bringing the figure of the Unohana's calm Clan leader into focus. At his movement, the woman smiled, touching a pale white finger to his brow and nodding approvingly.

"Yes, you seem to have calmed down considerably. I'm glad."

"Unohana...sensei?" Ryuu wetted his lips, then, "Where...am I...back at school?"

"You and your comrades returned here late last night," Retsu nodded her head. "You've been asleep for much of the day, but I believe you have risen in time for afternoon repas."

"Food?"

As Ryuu tried to bring his body into a sitting position, a wave of dizziness washed over him, and someone put out a hand to stop him, pushing him firmly back down onto the white pallet.

"You don't want to do that. Trust me."

The voice was brusque but familiar, and Ryuu's eyes opened wide.

"S...Shirogane...senpai?"

"I'll leave the boy to your care, then, Nagoya-dono," Retsu got to her feet. "As you know, I have another patient to whom I must attend. I trust he will be quite all right in your hands?"

"He will, Unohana-taichou. You have my word," Shirogane's words were quiet but resolute, and Retsu bowed her head, withdrawing from the small chamber and pulling the divide shut behind her with the softest of clicks. Though she had said nothing of it, Ryuu realised that the healer had understood only too well the dull ache that pervaded his brain and he was grateful for this small kindness.

"You should stay where you are and not do too much moving," Shirogane was now at his side, and Ryuu shifted his gaze across to look at his companion, taking in the older boy's features with a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

His cousin was robed simply in the plain black of a shinigami, a white _obi _at his waist and the sheathed sword at his side indicating that although he was far from his home and in disgrace, he still considered himself an active member of Sixth Division. His thick curly dark hair was pulled back from his face in a long tail, tied not by a Clan clasp but a simple knot of white ribbon, and as Ryuu ran his gaze over his companion more carefully, he registered the complete lack of unnecessary adornment in his kinsman's apparel. The badge of a Vice Captain was noticeably absent from his arm, and Ryuu's eyes narrowed as he remembered the reports he and Mitsuki had received from their home District.

"Senpai," he murmured. "But why...?"

"Why am I here and not in a prison cell?" Shirogane arched an eyebrow, fixing Ryuu with searching grey eyes. "Or why am I sitting guard over you like this when there are other things to be done? You probably don't remember a whole lot about what happened to you last night, so we'll leave that till the last and focus on the first if it's all right with you."

"Did Guren-sama..."

"Guren-sama's not yet been informed that I'm here," A faint, yet hollow smile twitched at Shirogane's pale lips. "Right now, Genryuusai-sama is preparing a detailed statement for the Council and for our Clan which - he hopes - will go some way to exonerating me of any blame or conspiracy. Until then, my orders are to stay here and ensure no harm befalls you - and whether you like it or not, those orders I intend on following through."

"To...protect me?" Ryuu was rapidly regaining his wits, and he raised his arm, gazing at the thick bandage that swathed half of it in white.

"I was fighting in the forest," he murmured. "An assassin who had no soul attempted to take my life. Something was on his blade, and I...everything went strange. Then...nothing."

He lowered his arm.

"Please, Senpai, I'd like to sit up. Even if it makes me feel dizzy, I feel more vulnerable lying flat like this, and I should like to be able to converse more comfortably. It seems we have much to discuss, and there may not be a lot of time in which to do it."

"All right," Shirogane sounded reluctant, but he nodded, leaning forward to help his cousin into a more upright position. "There. But really, don't make any sudden movements. What's swirling through your body isn't as potent a dose as I took, so Unohana-taichou thinks you'll sleep the thing off in a day or two and probably that'll be that. In the meantime, though, there's no sense in making yourself feel worse than you have to."

"I was drugged."

Ryuu's lips thinned.

"A hallucinogenic - the same as that used to strike down Sixth Squad?"

"Unohana-taichou confirmed it, but Mitsuki already thought that to be the case," Shirogane nodded, and Ryuu saw a sober look come into his companion's grey eyes. Although there was barely a year of age between them, Ryuu was struck by how much older his cousin now seemed, and he processed this realisation carefully, wondering what exactly his companion had been through in the time since they had last met. Stripped of everything that he had ever understood, Shirogane had been forced to find his own way to safe ground. Probably he had suffered hardship and injury, his safety under threat at each juncture. Yet, as he looked at his cousin, Ryuu realised that in the few moments since he had returned to consciousness Shirogane had not made a single complaint, nor cast any judgement on the plain nature of his clothing and situation. Instead his words had been matter of fact, his overriding concern for his companion's condition rather than his own.

As he digested this, Ryuu's gaze became thoughtful.

"Senpai seems...different somehow," he murmured, and Shirogane offered him a dry smile.

"Do I? Because I'm not dressed in fancy Clan fabrics? Or because I'm not currently throwing my weight around with inflated opinions of my own position within this world? It's hardly surprising - I have no position, so there's very little to say. That being the case, I thought to save time."

Ryuu winced at the direct matter-of-factness of his companion's words.

"I didn't mean..."

"A lot has happened," Shirogane held up a hand, "but we're both alive, and that's what matters most. The last few weeks have taught me that my life is the most precious thing I have and that it's something that can't be easily taken from me, no matter what else can. At present both of our positions are complex - you are the heir apparent to the Kuchiki Clan whose life was threatened last evening by assassins - and I am the exiled shinigami whose presence is not welcome even within the boundaries of my home District. I am assigned to be your bodyguard - I have no other purpose here than that, so anything else is superfluous."

"You're not guilty of conspiracy or treason," Ryuu said stolidly. "If you're asking me whether or not I've changed my stance towards you, the answer is no. You are my cousin and my Senpai - the one who trusted me with Ribari-sama's final words in the hope I might be able to find out something to bring him justice. I have never suspected you of anything, Shirogane-senpai. Please do not speak to me as though I do."

Shirogane eyed him for a moment, then a faint smile touched the older boy's lips.

"My orders are to protect your life," he said softly. "They're orders from Genryuusai-sama and Unohana-taichou, since I can't currently receive orders from my own Clan leader. I'll carry out those orders to the greatest of my ability, Ryuu. I won't let another heir have his life taken right in front of me - so you should resign yourself to that."

"Senpai...were you worried about me?"

"Worried?" Shirogane sat back, eying Ryuu pensively. "When I saw them bring you in here quite unconscious and white as a sheet, I was terrified."

"Terrified?" Ryuu stared.

"I thought it had happened again," Shirogane's grey eyes darkened, and Ryuu could see the faint signs of a storm brewing in their depths. "I thought that the people who took Ribari-sama had been allowed to strike a second time, and had taken another of my kin away. These past several days I have been making my home here in the recesses of the Healing Bay, and last night in all the chaos, Genryuusai-sama instructed me to watch over you. This morning I spoke to Unohana-taichou about remaining here and making my lodgings in this chamber instead. She understood my wishes and agreed that it would be a good place for me to be until things were more settled. She expressed a need for someone she could trust to watch over you until you awoke, and therefore here I am. I can't heal you, but at least if I was watching over you, I could report quickly any change or deterioration in your health. Unlike with Ribari-sama, there are healers easily on hand here and I would not have hesitated in summoning them if the need had arisen."

"Mitsuki and I worried about you too," Ryuu let out a heavy sigh, somehow comforted by the honesty in his cousin's normally austere tones. "Neither one of us were quite sure what had happened when you left District Six, and whether or not you would be able to make it here in safety. There was the risk you might be arrested on sight, if people in other places thought you guilty of treason."

Shirogane's eyes softened, the storm fading to a more pensive cloudy grey.

"You and she have kept faith with me, and I won't forget that," he said quietly. "I have lived my life thus far making many assumptions and I have been taught in recent weeks how several of those assumptions have been mistaken. Throughout it all, however, I believed that if I came here, you and she would not have forsaken me. I had no other hope to hold on to but that when I reached District One, I would have support. So I find it now. I am nothing to the Kuchiki Clan at the present time - I don't even bear the family's name, and I am quite sure there are still plenty of people there who would like rid of me thanks to Seiren-dono's misapprehensions. But in two kinsfolk I had never paid much attention to before Ribari-sama's death I have found two loyal allies - and I wish to be able to repay that loyalty, in whatever way I am able."

"I'll speak to Guren-sama. Things will be straightened out," Ryuu promised. "Father too, if need be. I've stood up to him once and I shall do so again if he persists in being obstinate about your standing in the Clan. I have no desire for you to remain exiled and I shall make sure he knows that. If I must become heir to the Kuchiki, I am certainly of no mind to do it without your situation being resolved to my exact satisfaction."

"You intend on making conditions on your accepting such a position?" Shirogane was taken aback, and Ryuu's expression became resolute.

"If it becomes a necessary evil, I shall do all I can to temper the damage," he said acerbically, "but first of all, I want to see justice for Ribari-sama. Nothing else matters until that is laid to rest."

"Agreed," Shirogane nodded his head, closing his fist around Ginkyoujiki's hilt for a moment before releasing it with a sigh. "In the meantime, whilst there are Council agents moving into the Real World, I'll uphold my duty here. They wasted their one chance to kill you and they won't be allowed to get another."

"I can protect my own life," Ryuu frowned, and Shirogane snorted derisively, shaking his head with a hint of his usual impatience.

"If you had been left to do that in the Real World, you and I wouldn't be having this conversation now," he said flatly. "One of your classmates came to your rescue and cut down the Shihouin boy - Onoe, was it? Whatever his name was, he's quite dead. Genryuusai-sama sent some members of First Division to recover the remains from the forest, and it was a thoroughly done job. I saw the corpse myself."

"Onoe Tomoyuki," Ryuu swallowed hard, feeling faintly nauseous. "One of my classmates?"

"Mm. I heard it was a Yamamoto - I don't recall his name," Shirogane agreed.

"Houjou?" Ryuu's eyes widened, and Shirogane shrugged.

"That sounds familiar," he agreed. "I think it was something like that. It seems you should be glad of his intervention - not all of your party were so fortunate to return here with just a morning after headache."

"What do you mean?" Ryuu's heart stilled in his chest as he realised who was most significantly absent from his side. "Mitsuki! Senpai, where is..."

"She's safe. Relax. She's all right," Shirogane put a hand on his shoulder. "She's tending to another of your year - a Shikibu Naoko, who passed out from shock or some such thing. One girl was killed out there - she was a mess of blood too when I saw her. I think she was an Unohana - but I don't really understand what happened. All I know is that the one who killed her was involved in the death of Ribari-sama...and I'd dearly like to sharpen my blade on him, if ever I get that chance."

"Amai Suzuno," Ryuu murmured the name numbly, his blood running cold as ice through his veins as he stared at his companion in consternation. "Amai-san was killed?"

"Amai Suzuno. Yes. That was what Genryuusai-sama called her," Shirogane nodded soberly. "I've never seen Unohana-taichou visibly shaken by anything before, but I could tell when she examined the girl's body that she was genuinely upset. I didn't ask, but I imagine they had some kind of significant blood connection - perhaps a niece or a first cousin, something of that nature."

"I don't know. I didn't meet Amai-san till this year," Ryuu said unsteadily. "She had nothing to do with any of this - nothing to do with the Kuchiki and nothing to do with me. Why on earth would anyone kill her? What purpose would that serve?"

"The other girl - the one who fainted - seems to be the only one who'd know the answer to that," Shirogane said matter-of-factly, "but she's being kept quiet and nobody's allowed to speak to her. Nobody except Mitsuki and Unohana-taichou herself, that is. I suppose it'll be reported to the Council - but all the school will be told is that Amai Suzuno was killed in the Real World and that's that. Probably they'll make out she was attacked by a Hollow - though that's blatantly not the case. Before she collapsed, the other girl apparently said the name Keitarou - and that's been reported back to Genryuusai-sama too. It seems pretty certain the mastermind behind Ribari-sama's death is the exiled scientist Aizen Keitarou and those who share his political values."

"Aizen Keitarou," Ryuu's eyes became slits. "I know that name."

Shirogane nodded.

"I thought you might," he agreed levelly. "He's the man behind the assassination of Endou Shouichi a few years ago and the main participant in the creation and distribution of illegal _reidoku_ chemicals. He's a highly wanted individual in the eyes of the Council – I suppose you'd call him a radical. Following the chaos surrounding the Endou-ke some years back, Sixth Squad were involved in the search for him and the young girl he was supposed to have taken prisoner, but no trace of either was ever found. It's a story that most Clan folk know something of – I'd be surprised if you hadn't heard about him."

"No. No, that's not why," Ryuu shook his head. "Aizen Keitarou is the one who abducted Ukitake and made such a mess of him in the snows that winter. He's the reason Ukitake didn't return to the school with us for the third term of Second year. We all knew the reasons why, and I don't suppose we'd ever really forget."

"Ukitake, huh?" Shirogane's expression became contemplative. "Wherever I go, his name keeps on coming up. I wonder what it is about that District brat that can get so many people so worked up about his safety."

"Senpai?" Ryuu looked confused, and Shirogane shot him a resigned smile.

"I trained him, so I take some credit for his fighting skill," he reflected. "Now you mention it, I also remember the boy's disappearance that winter and the Council's attempts to retrieve him at the same time as trying to bring Endou Seimaru and the scientist to justice. Seimaru was killed in battle, Aizen disappeared. Ukitake was injured but he was located and he made a full recovery from his wounds – correct?"

"Yes," Ryuu's expression became grave, "and now that man is acting against our family?"

"So it would seem."

"His motive?"

"Unknown, though it's been mooted that he's a true extremist who wants to see the destruction of all of the Eight Clans," Shirogane shrugged helplessly. "I'm out of the loop now, so what new information has surfaced I cannot tell you."

"Of course," Ryuu looked guilty. "I'm sorry. You must have had a difficult time escaping District Six without trying to discover information on your way."

"Mm," Shirogane was silent for a moment, a thoughtful look in his grey eyes. Slowly he nodded, offering his cousin a faint smile.

"I have been very lucky," he said at length. "I've also learned a lot of things about myself and this world that I did not know before. Perhaps in time this experience will be of overall benefit to me – at present it is too soon to tell, but I want to make sure I don't forget about it anytime soon."

He pulled something from the folds of his _obi_, and Ryuu saw it was a cheap and simply crafted flute. His eyebrows disappeared into his fringe, and Shirogane inclined his head.

"This was given me by a young girl who is currently in the custody of the Ukitake family," he said softly. "My own flute is still at home, so when she realised I could play, she lent this to me in order that I might make my passage here in the guise of a travelling musician. I owe my life to his kin, Ryuu. I was hurt by your father's soldiers, but they found me wounded and took me in. They first helped me because I had been Ukitake's _shishou_, but my debt to them is greater than simply that. It's hard to put into words what I mean, but the week I spent in their company has made me think about the Districts a good deal more. Suffice it to say I understand what Ukitake is fighting to protect a good deal better now than I did when we were training."

"Ukitake's family…" Ryuu's brows knitted together thoughtfully. "I have not had the fortune to meet more than one sister, but I understand from Kyouraku that their manner is much as his is. They are welcoming people, and so is he. I am somehow not surprised they showed you kindness – though it must have put them at considerable risk."

"Yes," Shirogane's lips thinned. "I don't think the Clan has learned their role in my escape yet and I trust that they won't – it could be unpleasant for them if Seiren-dono found that out."

"No…I don't think so," Ryuu's tired brain flitted back to his meeting with the Lord of the Coastal Province, and he shook his head. "Ukitake's family has someone to watch over them and I don't suppose Father would be able to cross him."

"Someone to…?"

"Ukitake's grandfather makes his home there, Senpai," Ryuu explained. "Kinnya-sama – or had you forgotten? You were the one who helped us to look out those files."

"I've never met him," Shirogane frowned. "I did encounter retainers of his, true enough, but I was under the impression Kinnya-sama was a hermit who never left his manor."

"Possibly," Ryuu acknowledged. "I have only had the fortune of meeting him once."

"Which was when?" Shirogane's eyes became suspicious. "If I've not met him, and I'm older than you and closer to the heart of Clan politics, why…"

"Before I returned to school, I rode there to speak to him about something I discovered in the archives," Ryuu admitted. "Since the document had disappeared, I felt that he was the only other person who may have known its contents at the time of writing, and so I made the decision to go."

"The day the stablehands were murdered!" Shirogane breathed, and Ryuu nodded.

"That day indeed."

"No wonder we couldn't find you," Shirogane clicked his tongue against his teeth, then, "Well? While there are only the two of us alone, will you tell me now what you wouldn't then? What had the old man to say about it? I can't imagine he was expecting you to call."

"No. He had no apprehension of my coming whatsoever, and perhaps suspected me of trying to curry favour with him at first, on account of my Father's letter about the inheritance," Ryuu sighed. "Once I made it clear to him that my motives lay elsewhere, I found him an interesting person with whom to speak. He is a man of frail health, or so it appears – but his memory and intelligence are intact and I did not dislike meeting him. He assured me that he had no intention of publicly discussing the matter I had unwittingly uncovered, and then invited me to stay for the midday meal. I could not rightly refuse him when he had been so accommodating of my visit, so all in all I spent some hours visiting his manor."

"That's why you came back so late."

"I confess so," Ryuu agreed. "During the course of our meeting, the name of his daughter entered the conversation, and I soon discovered he had no knowledge that Ukitake was alive. The expression on his face when I told him was something I remember only too clearly. I think my being invited to dinner was more a chance for him to ask me questions about his grandson than it was anything to do with Kuchiki politics. Perhaps there was nobody actively interested in that family before I rode there, but I am fairly sure there is someone who is interested now."

Shirogane's eyes became like slits.

"He sent his retainers out to disperse Seiren-dono's men and to tell me to leave the area because he didn't want the peasant folk disturbed," he murmured, more than half to himself. "One such retainer told me that Kinnya-sama wished to have his land left in peace. He must have known that Seiren-dono would resort to having houses searched for me…now I understand the reason for his active concern."

"As I said, his intelligence is quite intact," Ryuu nodded. "I am not the best judge of a man's character or personality, Senpai, so I may be in error with this judgement, but it seemed to me as though my disclosure of Ukitake's being alive brought life back to his expression. Perhaps he has begun to show a keener interest in the Coastal Province than he was previously inclined to do."

"And the other matter?" Shirogane eyed his cousin keenly. "The matter you refused to speak to me about some months ago – can you tell me about it now?"

"I will," Ryuu nodded his head. "It might sound strange, but the fact I was targeted does give me a little measure of relief. If my life is in danger, it absolves Father once and for all from my suspicions. I found it hard to completely eradicate that thought before."

"What you found in the archive relates to Seiren-dono, doesn't it?"

"It does," Ryuu agreed. "It was a piece of paper from Senaya-sama's _nikki_ – I am quite certain of that. How it came to be in the archive I am not aware – nor the reason for its disappearance soon after I saw it. What it contained were details of my father and Guren-sama's birth…something which has been kept a closely guarded secret for a long, long time."

"About Seiren-dono and Guren-sama…" Shirogane said thoughtfully. "This has a connection to Seiren-dono's power being removed?"

"Somewhat, though that is a well known fact."

"It is," Shirogane conceded. "Very well. What other information did it contain, then? If it was something so secretive I wonder that Senaya-sama made note of it at all."

"I am not sure, but I have the impression that Senaya-sama may have originally used his _nikki_ for wider purposes than political legacy," Ryuu said thoughtfully. "At one point it may have been genuinely a diary of sorts, but on his death, records were removed. You suggested it yourself – what if that was done on Senaya-sama's own command, in order that the impression left to posterity was of a calm and reasoned leader whose flaws and doubts were nowhere in sight?"

"That would imply Senaya-sama _did_ know he was going to die and made arrangements accordingly," Shirogane pointed out. Ryuu nodded.

"I think there to be a good amount of possibility in that theory of yours," He agreed. "Kinnya-sama warned me off the topic of Senaya-sama's death, which implies to me not only that there was something irregular in what happened but that Kinnya-sama was probably cognisant of those events and may even have been involved. However, setting that aside for the time being, if Senaya-sama's _nikki _was indeed used to record Senaya-sama's inner thoughts and hesitations, the sheet of paper I saw would have been from the original but soon after removed. Perhaps it was written, but he thought better of it and concealed it among some other papers which were meant to be destroyed. For some reason it never was – and now is in unknown hands."

"It may be in the hands of Aizen Keitarou," Shirogane pointed out.

"It very well may," Ryuu reflected. "I think it unlikely that he has not had a spy within our family's walls. The poison I took in last night has odd effects so I cannot be sure I have recalled correctly, but on hearing Aizen's name, something has clicked inside my head. There was a young maid who I occasionally saw at the manor and on reflection, there was something familiar about her. I was foolish not to see it sooner – but I believe it possible she was Endou Eiraki."

"I think that's almost a certainty," Shirogane said grimly. "I had a face to face conversation with her calling herself something else and I believe it's probably her testimony that caused me to be cast out like I have been. But you're digressing. Though it's possible that wench stole this document, you read its contents and now you know Seiren-dono is only guilty of being easily fooled, you can disclose what it contained."

"Mm," Ryuu bit his lip. "Mitsuki does not know of this, Senpai, and I should prefer to keep it a secret between ourselves, since it remains dangerous information. You know I was looking for reasons why I should not inherit the Clan – but instead I found the opposite. You didn't understand my words then – now I will try to explain them. I do not believe Guren-sama is cognisant of these facts – for the sake of the Clan, I believe them better kept hidden."

"All right. I understand," Shirogane nodded. "If you trust me that far, I'll not share them with anyone else – not even Mitsuki."

"I trust you," Ryuu assured him. "I did before, only it was hard to explain with so many things rushing through my head."

He paused for a moment, smoothing the blankets out absently as he considered the best way to explain.

"Father was born with overwhelming spiritual power," He began softly. "It was not simply powerful, but toxic and extremely dangerous. His life was in danger, and therefore that power was sealed. Since I was small, I have been told Father's power was severed, but Senaya-sama's _nikki _implies that not to be the case. Senaya-sama did not want to render his son no better than someone from Rukongai, and I believe an individual with no reiatsu whatsoever might struggle to live in Seireitei with its rich level of spiritual energy. Having visited the Real World and knowing that _Sekkiseki _is used in Rukongai to protect against spirit levels becoming too high, this decision seems to be a logical one. The end result was that the offending strength was sealed away with powerful spells instead. The Kuchiki court may also have been told that it was severed completely. Apparently it is unusual and considered ill luck to let the twin brother of a future Kuchiki Clan leader survive, so probably Father's complete absence of spiritual power was the reason the Kuchiki court allowed him to live. From Senaya-sama's way of writing_,_ my impression was that he wanted to keep both of his sons, and so meddled in politics to ensure that he could. He intended Father to grow up to support Guren-sama when he came to power – a hope that eventually became reality."

"After some more meddling and possibly the sacrifice of his own life," Shirogane muttered, and Ryuu inclined his head, twisting his fingers together pensively against the smooth covers.

"What most people do not know is that Father's spirit power being removed was only the surface controversy," He murmured. "Guren-sama was the stronger twin, and it is an almost assumed fact that the stronger twin is always born first. The Kuchiki court does not appear to have even questioned this state of affairs. In _this _instance, however, that was another deception. Guren-sama was indeed the stronger twin – but it was _Father_ who was born first."

_"What?"_

Shirogane's eyes almost fell out of his head, colour draining from his face, and Ryuu nodded.

"Father is the older brother," He whispered. "Making me…"

"The rightful Head of the Clan," Shirogane swallowed hard. "At least, if the Kuchiki court discovered it in an unsteady situation like this one, a claim for that could very likely arise. Ribari-sama is dead, and some of the more suspiciously traditional Clansfolk might see that as a judgement on Senaya-sama's line for tampering with the inheritance so badly."

"I'm not sure it goes that far. I wasn't born when Guren-sama inherited, but with Father's spirit power sealed, there's no questioning my rank as rightful heir," Ryuu said heavily. "I thought that if Father knew that, it might be a motive, because whilst Ribari-sama was alive, pushing that claim would be a difficult thing to do."

"Possession being nine tenths of the law," Shirogane said grimly. "_Does _Seiren-dono know?"

"I'm not sure. I couldn't find a way to ask him, just in case he did not," Ryuu confessed. "I am quite certain Guren-sama has no idea of it, and did not wish to cause upset. I have no aspiration for the Clan, so to voice this would not be in my own interests."

"No kidding," Shirogane ran his fingers through his thick black hair, loosening the white tie in his agitation. "I understand why you were so reluctant to talk about it. Without paper proof, a rumour is just a rumour, but a dangerous one could cause rifts in the Clan."

"Indeed," Ryuu nodded. "I have kept my silence, and hoped for a sign that my worst fears were not true. I believe now Father has probably been manipulated into hunting you down, but is likely also innocent. We exchanged cross words some weeks back, but I do not believe him capable of plotting my death since without me he has nothing to pursue at all. Knowing that gives me some comfort, and since we are here, in neutral territory, I feel less risk of telling you the truth."

"What if that document is in enemy hands, though?" Shirogane's brain was clearly working at speed now. "You aren't going to talk about it and nor will I – clearly Kinnya-sama has his reasons for keeping quiet about it too. If this remained a Kuchiki internal matter it could probably be well suppressed – but if you believe this document to be in the hands of rebels…"

"Senaya-sama's tone when writing it was one of someone looking for some kind of forgiveness. I think he felt he'd gone too far somehow in putting his own wishes ahead of the Clan," Ryuu said pensively. "He must have realised as soon as he'd done it that writing about it was a mistake, and so he took the page out. For whatever reason, it never got destroyed. I expect anything else removed from the _nikki_ – political meetings or references to Kinnya-sama – were done at a different time, and might well have been burnt. This one sheet is still outstanding, but it's the most damning of them all."

"It's a very dangerous piece of ammunition that could do serious damage to the structure of our Clan," Shirogane said darkly. "Their attempt to kill you implies they know your significance as the most likely next heir, but maybe they know more than that."

"It cannot be ruled out," Ryuu said solemnly. "If they have such evidence, the only reason I can think for them concealing it thus far is that they wanted to eradicate other heirs before going for the core of Clan leadership. They cannot kill Guren-sama, I don't imagine, but maybe they don't have to."

"Not if they can topple him," Shirogane's expression was bleak. "I have been driven away, Seiren-dono has also been manipulated and Guren-sama's only son is dead. Again I realise I should not have been so easily coaxed into fleeing. My place as Vice Captain was at Guren-sama's side, and yet I am not there."

Ryuu was silent for a moment, digesting this. Then he let out a heavy sigh.

"My loyalty is to Guren-sama," he said firmly. "He is Head of the Clan as anointed and accepted by the Kuchiki court. I will denounce any claim to the contrary as slander and lies, and if I am asked to, will swear my allegiance to him before the Kuchiki court."

"There's a good reason for these rebels to kill you, then," Shirogane said acidly. "You're loyal to Guren-sama, and therefore can't be used as any kind of pawn in their plans."

"What are you thinking?" Ryuu gazed at his companion quizzically, and Shirogane sighed.

"I don't know. I don't know, but there's something in this that remains outstanding," he murmured, rubbing his temples. "I have spent much time ruminating on every possibility regarding the Clan and I feel I am still very much in the dark."

"Do you think you and I are still in danger?"

"You? Certainly. Me? It depends," Shirogane grimaced. "Sensei thinks that if something happened to you, my safety is important. He believes Seiren-dono's paranoia has been manipulated that way, too. Apparently there is a long past precedent in the Kuchiki Clan for a Clan leader to adopt a nephew in order for him to inherit. Guren-sama and I haven't thought of this, but _Seiren-dono_ clearly has. Sensei has too – he's openly told me that his reason for protecting me is as a back-up plan should anything happen to you."

"Clinical, but somehow comforting," Ryuu's expression became thoughtful. "I had not thought of such a thing, either, but if Sensei says so, it must be true."

"I have no aspirations that way, Ryuu. You have my word that if you are named Guren-sama's heir, I will be the first to swear allegiance to you."

"That is Guren-sama's decision," Ryuu said simply, "not yours nor mine. In the meantime…"

"Since the attack on you failed, it's probably a case of waiting till the next clue surfaces," Shirogane sighed. "I have doubts that the Council's people will find anything in the Real World, since this has been an organised operation from the start. I had heard Aizen Keitarou was a genius and I believe he probably is, to be able to stay so far ahead of so many people with so little effort and resource behind him."

"What will you do?"

"Aside from protect you?"

"I mean after that. You're only guarding me because I am not fit for purpose, but that will wear off and if you insist on seeing me as the next Clan heir, I must be able to fight my own battles," Ryuu said frankly. "I meant in the long-term – till your name is cleared, what then?"

"Remain here, I suppose, in secret and under Sensei's command."

Shirogane shrugged.

"It's more comfortable than sleeping in the forest, though a little less free. I quite liked sleeping with the moon watching over me…but I am a Clansman at heart and there are certain comforts it is hard to live without."

Before Ryuu could respond, there was a brisk knock at the door, and the two cousins exchanged glances, surprise mirrored in each.

"I thought you were to have no visitors," Shirogane's brows knitted together, his fingers twitching once more towards Ginkyoujiki's hilt, but Ryuu held out a hand to stop him, shaking his head.

"It's all right," he said evenly. "Come in, Houjou. I am awake."

"Kuchiki?"

The next instant the divide was flung back to reveal the broad-shouldered Yamamoto, his brown eyes eager and full of anxiety as he strode into the room. At the sight of Shirogane he stopped dead, his jaw literally dropping, and despite the severity of the situation Ryuu grinned, gesturing to his friend to close the door.

"I'm to be kept quiet," he said lightly. "I advise you to keep your voice down, Houjou, otherwise Unohana-sensei will likely evict you."

"Oh. Right. The door. Right," Enishi gathered his wits, hurriedly pushing the sliding divide shut behind him with an exaggerated amount of care and then turning back towards the bed. "I'm sorry. Sensei said it would be all right for me to come, but I didn't think…I didn't realise you weren't alone. I mean, Nagoya-senpai…"

He trailed off, and Shirogane pursed his lips, glancing at Ryuu and arching a quizzical eyebrow.

"_This_ is Houjou?"

There was a note of clear incredulity in his cousin's tones, and Ryuu's expression became rueful.

_It's easy to see Houjou as someone awkward or boisterous or unreliable until you know him and realise he's none of those things at all. I had those same thoughts about him once, Senpai – but now he's someone to whom I owe my life._

"It is," was all he said, however, indicating for his sturdy friend to come sit down. "Houjou, I believe I owe you my thanks. Your quick actions in the forest appear to be the main reason I am suffering little more than a dizzy headache following last night's events."

"I was assigned with you," Enishi's expression became grave and he dropped heavily down at the opposite side of the pallet bed with a sigh. "I shouldn't have let you take off in the first place, so it's partly my bad you're feeling rough now. Still, Sensei said you'd be all right, and you look a heck of a lot better than you did when I hauled you in here last evening, so I guess I needn't worry too much about you any more."

His gaze flitted to Shirogane.

"_That's _why Sensei said I had to keep what was said in this room a secret," he realised. "Nobody knows you're here, Senpai…everyone thinks you're hiding out somewhere in the wilds of the Districts."

"For the time being, Senpai's being here has to be kept quiet," Ryuu said evenly. "His name isn't cleared yet, and that will take a little time to achieve. Even though we all know what the reality of this situation is, Clans do not always move with lightning speed."

"No. True," Enishi nodded his head. "It's all right. I promised Sensei I wouldn't say anything or even tell people I came here, so if they don't know that, they can't know I saw Nagoya-senpai at all."

"I'm going to assume there was logic in that explanation, although it appears to have passed me by."

Shirogane sighed, stretching his hands over his head.

"I can, however, believe that you were the one who gored that unfortunate Shihouin into his component parts. You look capable of doing that - your sword must be something of a brute too, judging by what was left of that boy's body."

"Senpai," Ryuu cast Shirogane a sharp look, but Enishi offered a good-natured smile.

"Kyoshingeki's pretty strong when it's released. I probably did more damage than was really necessary," he said matter-of-factly. "I half thought he might get up again, though, if I wasn't thorough. I wanted to be quick so he didn't suffer - but I don't know if he could even feel anything. He seemed like a dancing corpse to me."

"Me too," Ryuu agreed. "I remember vaguely that I cut through his fingers before my vision went giddy and I collapsed. My confrontation with him is hazy in my recollections, but I had the distinct impression he was not really 'there' at all."

"Aizen's puppet," Shirogane said succinctly, and Enishi nodded grimly.

"It's a low hand, something like that," he said soberly. "I never much liked Onoe and I won't pretend otherwise. I almost broke his nose with my fist once, so that should say everything about our relationship as students. He didn't deserve that, though."

His gaze flitted to Ryuu.

"I would've taken him out whether he had been in his wits or not," he admitted evenly. "He was trying to kill you, and I wasn't having that, so it wasn't really something I stopped to think over. It wasn't a fair fight in any respect. I think that Aizen guy is a coward, if you want my honest opinion. He used Ukitake to do his dirty work once before, and now Onoe. Plus he stole away Hirata's sister and brainwashed her into believing whatever rubbish he thinks makes sense. I don't like that kind of opponent. It's all secrets, lies and intrigue - I'd rather clash blades and be done with it. It seems a fairer way of settling things that way."

"I see," Shirogane looked pensive. "Secrets, lies and intrigue make up a good part of Clan life. You're Clan, aren't you, Houjou? You don't believe in that kind of power play?"

"I'm not much for all of that," Enishi shook his head. "I don't fit great into the Clan social scene and I've given up trying to follow through on who's supposed to be allied to who and when. I know who my friends are and I stick to that. I'm cut out to be a shinigami more than a Clan lord, I think."

"I would not disagree," Shirogane's lips twitched into a smile, but this time there was no mocking note in his tones, and Ryuu knew that his cousin had understood.

"Last night they were serious about bringing death," he said quietly. "Senpai told me about Amai...that brings home to me how real this threat truly was."

"Amai was messed up pretty bad. Akira's torn up over it - feels it was his fault, though I've spent good time before I came to see you trying to shake into him that it wasn't," Enishi grimaced. "Souryou tried too, but he wasn't having it from either of us. What happened to the girl only she and Shikibu know, but Akira was nowhere nearby and couldn't have prevented it even if he had been, I s'pect. From the looks of her, she was seared right through chest and throat with some kind of garrotte wire - there was a hell of a lot of blood."

"I suppose we'll never really understand why," Ryuu pressed a finger to his brow, closing his eyes briefly against the swirling mist that still threatened to dominate his thoughts. "In the meantime, what of Shikibu? I cannot imagine her to be one who would faint easily...is it true she collapsed from hysteria?"

"Seems it from what Souryou told me, but I have no clue," Enishi shrugged his huge shoulders helplessly. "She was out cold by the time I saw her, and I don't understand girls anyway. You're asking the wrong classmate - better speak to Edogawa when you can."

He frowned.

"She's not here. I half thought she would be."

"_I'm_ here," Shirogane said simply. "Mitsuki's needed to help the Shikibu girl, so I'm in charge of Ryuu's safety."

"You are?" Enishi eyed the other boy doubtfully. "Are you a healer too, then, as well as a Vice Captain?"

"Not as a healer," Shirogane shook his head impatiently. "Ryuu's obviously coming out of it now, so he doesn't need medical assistance. I'm here to make sure nobody else lays a finger on him - I've lost one cousin in recent months and I've no intention of losing another."

"What Senpai is trying to say, Houjou, is thank you for your help last night," Ryuu murmured wryly, and Shirogane shot him a startled look.

"Ryuu?"

"Ah, it's okay," Enishi grinned, clapping his hand down on Shirogane's shoulder as if they were equals in rank and training. "There's no need for that. I didn't really want to bring him back dead, and he didn't want to go back dead, so it worked out pretty well for both of us in the end."

"I am glad," Shirogane eyed Enishi thoughtfully, but to Ryuu's surprise, made no attempt to pull his more slender frame free from the other boy's friendly grip. "This is not a Yamamoto problem, however, and it might prove dangerous if you were to be assigned such a responsibility permanently. Ryuu may yet inherit the Kuchiki Clan and my duty is to ensure his safe recovery. I intend to do that to the best of my skill."

"In that case, I don't have to worry," Enishi sat back, folding his arms across his chest in clear satisfaction. "I'm relieved you're here, Nagoya-senpai. It means you're not dead in the forest someplace, and since Edogawa and Kuchiki believe you're not a bad guy, I'm pretty sure you're probably not. Sensei was right to bring you here - it can't hurt to have a Vice Captain ranked officer on duty when there are assassins lurking in the shadows."

"You have a very...interesting view of all of this," Shirogane observed, and Enishi looked surprised.

"Do I? I don't think I said anything all that strange - Kuchiki, what do you think?"

"I think that I'm beginning to feel better," Ryuu offered his friend a rueful smile. "Perhaps well enough to consider writing a letter home. Fuzzy as my head may still be, I don't think that I can delay doing so, given the circumstances."

"A letter? To say what?" Enishi blinked. "Nobody Kuchiki died, and nobody there knew you went to the Real World. District Six won't really be fussed over Amai, so what exactly are you going to write?"

"Aizen Keitarou is a dangerous individual, Houjou," Ryuu said blackly. "He is also a manipulator who achieves his aims by cowardly deception. You said as much yourself, didn't you? Think of all the webs he's spun since this began - creating doubt between Senpai and Father, trying to point blame at the Shihouin...using Hirata's sister as an agent to potentially incriminate the Kyouraku. He knows Onoe attacked me last night - do you think he'd delay in reporting my death back to District Six whether it be true or not?"

"Ryuu's probably right," Shirogane acknowledged darkly. "A man who likes playing games instead of tackling things directly is probably the kind of person who'd do that."

"I'll write, and I'll ask Sensei to send it by his fastest messenger," Ryuu decided. "I'll write direct to Guren-sama, and ask him to advise Father as well. That way I can hopefully prevent more misunderstanding - and use it as an opportunity to put Shirogane-senpai's innocence into words. I can tell him who is guilty of Ribari-sama's murder - so I can try to exonerate Senpai at the same time. My reason for going to the Real World was to establish the guilty parties. Now I can do so with some authority."

"Seiren-dono may listen to you," Shirogane acknowledged, and Ryuu groaned.

"Last time we spoke, I was defiant and he slapped me for my trouble," he said grimly. "He happened upon me training with a classmate of whom he clearly did not approve. I became frustrated, and we argued. I have neither seen nor heard from him since then - I wonder very much if he would consider anything I say of value at the current time, but I am willing to try regardless."

"You defied him?" Shirogane's eyes became slits. "What classmate was this, pray, that you risked Seiren-dono's paranoid wrath?"

"Shihouin Kai."

"Shihouin, huh..." Shirogane murmured the name softly. "The same Clan as the corpse in the forest."

"Shihouin is on our side. Shihouin Kai, I mean," Enishi said firmly, and Shirogane raised an eyebrow.

"I believe I just told you this was not a Yamamoto problem, Houjou. Surely there is no 'our' side in this business so far as you are concerned?"

"I'm on Kuchiki's side. Kuchiki and Shihouin are on the same side. That makes it _our_ side," Enishi stuck to his guns, meeting Shirogane's quizzical look with a matter-of-fact one of his own. "Like I said, I don't go in for this Clan intrigue business. I'm backing my friends, so I'm involved. After last night, you can't really say otherwise. This has become Senior Class's business, and so long as Kuchiki's in danger, it'll remain that way."

He turned to Ryuu.

"Shihouin's asked for Onoe's remains to be returned to District One. He's busy writing to his sister now to explain and ask for him to be given a proper burial," he added gravely. "I think he's right. Onoe didn't choose to die how he did, nor cause the trouble he's done of late. His family ought at least to bury him right. Then it's really over for them and the Shihouin can move on. I offered to write something too, as an explanation or apology for what happened, but Shihouin thought Midori-sama would be fine without that, so I'm going to leave it alone."

"Where the Shihouin are concerned, probably wise," Ryuu reflected, "but that is a gesture I did not expect. Onoe tried to kill Shihouin in the First year, and yet..."

"Shihouin said he'd forgiven Onoe," Enishi said simply. "I forgive him too. I don't know if he forgives me, of course, but that's fine. He's not the one the Council really want, so this way seems best to me. He's got family back home in Second who are hurting, so even if he can't know all of this is happening, it'll be closure for them."

"Closure for the Shihouin," Shirogane murmured. "I'm somewhat relieved there won't be a war."

"Not yet," Ryuu said acerbically. "Houjou's right in a sense, Senpai. This isn't everyone's fight yet, but it may become so. Also, Aizen has laid down his gauntlet to the Senior Class by killing one of our number with no apparent motivation. He is everyone's enemy, not just the enemy of the Kuchiki...Ukitake, Kyouraku, Hirata, even Kai all have past scores to settle with him and we must simply add ourselves to the line. He is a foe we cannot defeat just as a Clan alone. This time the Kuchiki must look to outside help."

"Far as I understand it they have been," Enishi mused. "Nagoya wouldn't know about that, of course, being he's been wandering round forests and stuff, but it's still the case."

"Nagoya..._senpai,_" Shirogane said pointedly, and Enishi offered him a sheepish grin.

"Sorry. I forgot," He said good-naturedly. "We're pretty much of an age, so it's easy for something like that to slip my mind. I didn't mean any disrespect."

Shirogane sighed heavily.

"Whatever," he said frankly, getting to his feet and moving to the window, and Ryuu was struck by the sudden and unexpectedly casual turn of his cousin's speech. "At the moment I don't have any status anyway, so I shouldn't bother about what you call me, should I? It's all the same in the end - Shirogane, Nagoya - they're both names that don't belong to anybody much and I've no right to expect you to use any kind of honorific towards me."

"Senpai, you sound like..." Ryuu stared, and Shirogane turned, eying his cousin with a simple, faintly bittersweet smile.

"Like I come from the Districts?" he asked softly. "Perhaps I've learned how to blend among them, but no. Now I am among Clan I am once more becoming as Clan are...my Kuchiki pride is something not easily suppressed when other Noble houses are watching."

"Nobody ever said it should be," Ryuu was taken aback.

"True," Shirogane rested his hand idly against the window glass. "This is indeed everyone's fight, not just ours. I know that, I just find it easier to slip back into old habits and declare that we can stand alone as a Clan to face down this threat. We have proven that we cannot. Aizen Keitarou is an evil individual with little respect for anything but his own radical ideals. To stop him, every person who can help should. It will not end with the Kuchiki, just as it did not end with the Endou or the Shihouin some years past. He will not rest and so nor must we. Whatever his next assault, we must be ready to face it, District and Clan alike. I suppose that includes those not yet graduated from this Academy...since they are surely the Gotei shinigami of the not too distant future."

"Well said," Enishi nodded approvingly. "If we work together, I'm sure we can nab this coward and put him where he belongs."

"Chance would be a nice thing." Ryuu sighed, but inwardly he was comforted.

_Senpai is safe. Houjou is unaffected from what last night called on him to do, and they both have resolution. I must have it too. I know who the people are who have been tormenting my family now. I will write home and, once I recover my strength, I must also do my part in stopping them. That is my duty as a member of the Kuchiki Clan...whether I am named Guren-sama's heir or not._


	60. Seiren Unleashed

**Chapter Fifty Eight: Seiren Unleashed**

Time was running out.

Shibata closed the door of his master's study with a soft click, a look of consternation marring his features as he turned on his heel, making his way slowly along the hallway and up the flight of stairs that led to Seiren's particular quarters.

It had been something of a fight between his conscience and his obedience to commands, but, with Guren's words still lingering in his ears, Shibata had made up his mind. Whether Seiren wanted to listen to him or not, leaving him isolated in the study was not an option any longer - and so that morning he and a group of Seiren's most trusted retainers had forced their way inside, each one half-expecting a violent wave of resistance from the man who - despite his lack of spiritual power - was a far superior swordsman to them all.

The room had been quiet, however, and as Shibata had cautiously crept forward he had made a startling and disturbing discovery.

Slumped in the corner of the chamber, the wall the only thing preventing him from falling headlong was his master, pain etched onto his brow and an eerie greyish tinge to his features. Shibata's first thought had been that the man was dead, but with some relief one of his subordinates had reported Seiren's breathing, and Shibata had made up his mind.

If it brought wrath down on him later, he would deal with that then. Whilst Seiren was in no position to give orders to the contrary, he would act.

It had taken four or five retainers to transport Seiren's limp body the short distance from his study to his quarters on the floor above, for though he was only one person and had lost a considerable amount of weight since closeting himself away, something about making contact with the man's skin had made the errand all the more difficult. Shibata had only brushed his finger against his master's neck to ensure that the lord still had a pulse, but the sudden shock of energy that had shot through his body at that vague contact had made him pull back, instructing his men to deal with their mission with the ultimate amount of care.

Oblivious to the majority of spiritual vibes, Shibata could not feel the pulsing waves of ever darker reiatsu that polluted the upper levels of the house. Shouko, had she been inclined to show any concern for her husband might have noticed, but since Seiren had returned home the lady of the house had made a pointed effort to steer well clear of him, and Shibata knew that even if he had asked her if she had noticed any changes, the likely response would be that she had not.

Leaving two trusted guards on duty outside his master's chamber, he had returned to the study alone, glancing around the scene for any sign of anything that could have caused or contributed to his lord's ill health and unusual behaviour. Though the room was in some disarray, there was nothing of particular significance that Shibata could see and with a sigh he had given it up as a bad job, resolving to return to Seiren's side.

_I should call a physician, even though he ordered me against it. I'm no medic, but I can tell that he's in no good state, and without help he may not last too much longer. I'm not sure how to help him and I know how hard he resisted the idea before - but a vassal is meant to show ultimate loyalty to his master. Sometimes that means disobeying orders, surely...if those orders are contrary to the lord's well being._

He sighed, pausing outside his master's chamber and nodding to the two guards that they could go. They did so, saluting sharply before hurrying off to continue with their daily errands, and Shibata pushed back the divide, stepping into the sunlit chamber.

As he did so, he realised Seiren was not alone, and he stopped dead, his eyes full of wary confusion as he registered the lean, tall figure who was now sat at the other man's bedside. His fingers moved towards the hilt of his sword, but at his arrival the stranger raised his head, offering the man a faint smile.

"Ah. You _are _here. Shibata-dono, wasn't it? I thought it too good to be true that you'd abandon your master's side in a situation such as this."

"Who are you and why are you in Seiren-dono's chamber?" Shibata demanded. "How did you get in here with my men stationed outside the door?"

"Those aren't really questions for a soldier to ask, nor for me to bother answering."

The man turned his attention back to Seiren's body, resting his hand pensively above the other's chest.

"Your lord is in a bad way, isn't he?"

"That's no business of yours," Shibata strode forward, reaching to push the newcomer's arm away from his master's body, but the stranger laughed, lifting his index finger lazily in the retainer's direction. From nowhere a sudden wave of invisible energy flowed out across the room and Shibata stumbled, reaching out to the wall to steady his balance, and the interloper smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

"I've not come to hurt him," he said quietly. "I wanted to speak to him, but it seems I was too late. I doubt he'll regain consciousness - in this condition I'm amazed he even still has functioning internal organs."

"Who are you?" Shibata said blackly, and the man sighed.

"I have many names," he said dismissively. "You might call me 'Masaki', I suppose. Yes. Masaki is adequate. If you must have a name, that one will do."

"Masa...ki?" Shibata's brow furrowed. "I don't know who that is. Why are you in Seiren-sama's chamber? I'm warning you..."

"I can heal him a little," Masaki cut across Shibata's words, offering the retainer an even look. "I'm not a healer, and I don't practice medical magic as a rule. My knowledge of such things is extremely limited, but in this particular case I think there's something I can do to help."

He spread his fingers across Seiren's chest more firmly, and Shibata was aware of a faint glitter of light shimmering at the edges of the man's skin.

"What are you doing!"

"Mending the damage to his heart," Masaki explained simply. "I wouldn't expect you to pick up on it, but at this distance from his aura I can feel that the rhythm is erratic. I'm using the threads of my spirit magic to pull together the torn tissue and allow it to beat more firmly. It's not a technique I'm used to using, but recently I learned a way that such threads could be used to knit the body together, and this seems a perfect opportunity to see whether my spirit threads work as well as a healer's do in the same circumstances."

He fixed Shibata with a searching gaze.

"As his servant, you'd prefer him to live the day out, wouldn't you? A dog is not much use without his master. This much I can do, and so I'll do it. I've no interest in seeing Seiren-dono come to harm. On the contrary, I consider him an extremely valuable individual with a unique ability and position within the Kuchiki Clan. As a result I seek to negotiate with him...on matters relating to District Six and the wider good of Seireitei."

Shibata's gaze flitted to Seiren's features, his eyes narrowing as he realised that some of the grey pallor had begun to leave the sleeping noble's face. Was it imagination, or did the lines of pain seem to have thinned out a little? He eyed Masaki doubtfully.

"Robed as a commoner and with no name of meaning, I find it hard to call you an acquaintance of my master," he said slowly. "I am Seiren-dono's chief retainer and there are few things he engages in that do not in some way or another involve me. I want to know your reason for coming here, Masaki-dono. Whether you wish to help my Lord or not is not the issue - _why _you wish to help him troubles me more."

"You are an intelligent man," Masaki's eyes became calculating and he nodded, withdrawing his hand from Seiren's chest. "There. More than that I cannot do. I imagine the nature of our discussions don't involve you, however. Contrary to my simple appearance, I am a Clansman, just as he is. See, I will prove it to you."

He slipped his hands into the folds of his clothing, pulling out a Kyouraku emblem and setting it down at Seiren's side. Shibata stepped forward cautiously, scooping it up and glancing at it with suspicious eyes.

"Kyouraku?"

"As you see. Your proximity to Clan should tell you that it's a genuine insignia - not a fake."

"I grant you that," Shibata's lips pressed together thoughtfully. "I know Guren-sama has treated with the Kyouraku of late, but that doesn't explain why you should come here, Masaki-dono. An ally of my master you may be, but I think it unlikely we would not have met before."

"As it happens, we have," Masaki told him lightly, "only you wouldn't remember it. I travel largely incognito and mostly undercover - my errands are secret ones and I use spiritual magic to conceal myself from others. You are doubtless a brave fighter, but you are not a spiritual man. You would not be able to see or sense me if I chose to conceal myself from you."

"On what errand have you come?"

"That is a subject between your master and myself."

"Perhaps it is. However, at present Seiren-dono is gravely ill. As you can see, he is in no state for negotiations - I was about to send for a physician."

"This sickness cannot be so easily cured," Masaki shook his head. "It was born into him - I imagine it will also kill him."

"Born...into...?"

"You knew your master always was in possession of spirit power, didn't you?" Masaki eyed Shibata quizzically. "Sealed at birth, but born with it nonetheless?"

"Of course, but that's an ancient story."

"Not any more," Masaki smiled. "The seal around Seiren-dono's magic has begun to erode. Spells have limits, and this one appears to have reached that point. Doubtless the stress of the Clan's current insecurity has preyed on him."

His gaze flitted back to the sleeping man.

"Lord knows the news I bring him will go no way to soothing it. Still, I have my orders. I must convey my information to him in person...I can't return with my mission left undone."

"News?" Shibata was suddenly ill at ease, and Masaki nodded, reaching into his _obi _once more and pulling out a bundle of what Shibata could see were scraps of torn black cloth. The visitor tossed them in his direction, and Shibata's eyes narrowed, taking in the faint shadowing of a darker stain that had seeped through the fibres.

"Blood?" he murmured, and Masaki inclined his head once more.

"As a soldier, I'd expect you to notice that right away," he agreed frankly. "I've come from District One, and I bring no good news to this house. What I have to say relates to his son Ryuu-dono - a young boy in his final year at Genryuusai-sama's noble Academy, correct?"

"Yes," Shibata's sense of unease grew. "What news? What news of Ryuu-sama?"

"The Senior Class were sent to the Real World by their sensei as shinigami experience," Masaki got to his feet. "Thirteen students left District One, but only twelve returned alive."

He gestured at the scraps.

"Those are proof of my story's accuracy," he added. "Blood was spilt and life lost. I was charged with the errand of bringing that information here right away - it seems the confusion within the Kuchiki-ke has managed to claim another life."

"Ryuu...sama?" Shibata grasped up the fabric, staring at the visitor in undisguised alarm. "No...no, you can't...you must be wrong. There's no way...Genryuusai-sama knows the situation, he would never..."

"I understand the boy _wanted_ to go and chose to of his own accord," Masaki's smile held the faintest hint of pity. "It seems he wanted to prove his kinsfolk innocent - both Shirogane-dono and his own Father. He wanted to establish for himself who was guilty in this affair. Perhaps this is a good indication that he did."

"Ryuu-sama...is dead...?" Shibata whispered, but before Masaki could respond, there was a faint voice from the bed.

"Ryuu...?"

"It appears for today that I've outstayed my welcome," Masaki said softly. "Your master would better hear the news from someone he trusts rather than an agent born of a different Clan...I can return at a better time, when things have settled down."

"But..."

Shibata faltered, lost for words, and Masaki paused at the bedside, gazing down pensively into Seiren's confused grey eyes.

"Lords live with the decisions they make. Sometimes they die by them," he said quietly, and Shibata got the distinct impression that his words held a deeper meaning than they appeared. "Ryuu-dono appears to have made decisions of his own, and decided to accept the consequences of doing so. I tried to tell you, Seiren-dono - I warned you your son was no longer in Genryuusai-sama's protective custody, but you would not listen. I won't be blamed for the result."

"_You...!_" Seiren's entire body became rigid as recognition flooded his gaze, and he lurched his heavy body forward, his hand shooting up towards Masaki's neck in a definite attempt to grab him by the throat. Shibata could see Seiren's arm trembling yet there was no hesitation in his movement, nor in his apparent desire to grasp his visitor and pin him down. Masaki merely laughed at his efforts, stepping neatly out of Seiren's reach and bowing his head in what was almost a mocking gesture.

"We shall meet again, I expect," he said playfully. "I'll allow you some time alone to come to terms with your decisions first."

With that he was gone, though Shibata did not know if he had truly left the room or whether he had used his spiritual abilities to further conceal himself from the retainer's sight.

"Ryuu..."

Whichever was true, neither one of them were important now and Shibata hurried to his master's side, aware that Seiren was struggling to move his body into a more amenable position. The pain lines that had seemed smoother a few moments before once more carved deep into his brow, and as Shibata hurried to support his companion's thin frame, he was aware once again of the prickle of unfriendly energy racing through his master's body.

"Seiren-dono, please, lie easy," he begged. "You are unwell - I will fetch help. You should lie here and sleep some while longer...your body is weak and..."

"Where...is...Ryuu?" Seiren's words cut through his vassal's appeals, and Shibata was aware of genuine panic surfacing in the Clansman's grey eyes. "Shibata, _where is Ryuu?_"

"My Lord, Ryuu-sama is not in District Six. You should not concern yourself with him - at present what's best is..."

_"Tell me what happened to my son!"_

Seiren's words were quiet, yet they echoed around the whole room and Shibata found himself flung back against the wall by some unknown force as the whole chamber began to tremble and shake.

"Seiren-dono, please! Calm yourself!" he begged. "We have no confirmation...we have no information from Guren-sama nor District One except the word of a stranger! There's no reason to believe...no reason to assume..."

"Is _this_ what proof he brought me?" Seiren's shaking hands slipped beneath the scraps of blood-soaked fabric, lifting them up before his gaze. "Is this the final evidence of my son, Shibata? Tell me the truth. What did that creature say to you - _tell me what he said_!"

"That creature?"

"Yes! That monster...that _Aizen Keitarou_!"

"_What?_" Shock flared in Shibata's eyes at his master's words, all thought of manners and rank deference flying out of his head. "That man...that man was...Aizen? The man the Council seek...the one who killed Shouichi-sama of the Endou-ke?"

"Tell me what he said, Shibata," Seiren did not seem to be listening. "Tell me everything. _Everything_! Tell me now, or I swear I'll take your head from your shoulders with these bare hands!"

The Clansman was almost beside himself with anger now, but though there was something unstable in his gaze, Shibata knew that it was fear most of all that was dominating his master's actions. Slowly he dropped to the floor, lowering his head in submission towards his lord.

"With respect, sir, if that man _was_ Aizen Keitarou, there is no reason to believe a word he says."

"There is _every_ reason," Seiren spoke in low tones, and the room shook again as if rocked by an earth tremor. "By his own lips he admitted to the killing of Ribari-sama and the conspiracy against Guren-niisama. By his own lips he threatened to take the life of my son if I did not cooperate with him and become his ally. _He_ is the one who did _this_ to me! He was the one who ripped my body open, tore apart Father's seal on my spirit power and condemned me to dying in this way. Now I want to know what he told you about Ryuu. I want to know, because I swear...I _will not rest _until I tear him limb from limb!"

The room shook a third time, and Shibata gulped, swallowing hard. In all the years he had served at Seiren's side, he had never once had cause to be afraid of his master - but in that moment he knew he was.

"He said that thirteen of Genryuusai-sama's students went to the Real World but only twelve returned," he murmured softly. "His implication was that Ryuu-sama...Ryuu-sama...did not come back to Seireitei. He said that the...the young lord chose to go there to prove the innocence of his kinsmen and find out who had killed Ribari-sama."

Seiren's expression changed, all remaining colour draining from his features, and Shibata got to his feet, hurrying to his master's side.

"Like I said, my Lord, there's no indication from the main house nor from District One that his story is true. There's no reason to believe..."

"This cloth is stained with blood, Shibata," Seiren's voice was soft and somehow unreal to Shibata's anxious ears. "That man...that man has told me nothing but painful truth since the first time he stood before me. Ribari-sama's death. Nanaki-hime's involvement. Unsealing my spirit power so that it could take me apart piece by piece. All of those things he stood before me and told me."

"He's truly been here before?" Shibata's eyes widened.

"The last time he was here, I refused to ally with him," Seiren's voice shook. "I told him he had no power over my son's life, and that I would not betray my brother. He warned me that my decision would have consequences. I should have seen...that his weapon is truth, not lies."

He closed his eyes, and Shibata was horrified to see the glitter of tears on his master's lashes.

"If Ryuu is gone, there is nothing left," he murmured. "Nothing left...nothing at all."

"Seiren-sama!"

Before Shibata knew what was happening, the room shook and lurched violently a fourth time, the trembles growing greater and greater all around him. Cracks split across the walls, shattering the glass at the windows and sending shelves and other pieces of expensive furniture smashing to the floor. Unable to keep his balance, Shibata struggled forward to where his master lay, but Seiren himself seemed to be the epicentre of the earthquake and try as he might he could not get close to his master's body.

"Seiren-sama, please! Please rest! Calm down! _Please_!" he yelled out, projecting his voice over the sound of breaking ceramics and creaking floorboards, but Seiren seemed oblivious to anything his retainer had to say. With an unearthly scream that sent the blood curdling throughout Shibata's body, the Clansman was engulfed in a haze of vivid white light, his body becoming more and more shielded from Shibata's view.

The next moment there was a huge explosion, and everything went black.

* * *

The chamber was quiet, the lights dimmed and the curtains and shutters drawn shut at the windows as if to keep out prying eyes.

Akira hesitated for a moment in the hallway, then slid the divide back, glancing each way to make sure he was not observed before crossing the threshold and entering the tiny room beyond.

The door had been locked when he'd arrived – presumably to keep anyone from interfering with or even finding the distressing scenario that this room contained. If he was to be caught here, probably he would be scolded and perhaps worse – but despite himself he had not been able to so easily keep away.

She looked as though she was sleeping.

As he tentatively approached the bier, the strangely peaceful expression on her young features made him stop, for a moment doubting his own recollections of the blood-stained corpse he had so carefully ferried back from the Real World to District One. Retsu had done a good job, he acknowledged grimly to himself, of concealing the worst of the damage, for she had been cleaned and re-robed in a fresh white _hakamashita_, the ugly weal at her throat concealed by a swathe of soft white bandaging. Her hair had been washed and fastened neatly back from her face, and for a moment he just stood there, staring down at her in silence.

He brushed a finger against her cheek, noticing with bitter clarity the coolness of her skin. There was no movement, no colour, no life in this body now – all the bathing in the world could not conceal her pallor, and although it seemed as though she might wake at any moment, Akira knew that she would not.

He drew back his hand, bowing his head towards her.

"I'm sorry, Suzuno."

The words were soft, but they seemed to echo in the chamber.

"I couldn't protect you."

He closed his eyes, his memory flitting back to the first time he had met his classmate. She had been gentle and quiet from the start, yet with an inner strength that he had never quite fathomed. She had never been afraid of him in the way some of her friends had, and he remembered only too clearly the times when she had faced him with that calm, even expression of hers, telling him in clear, soft tones that she could heal a lot of things in people, but healing his attitude she could not do.

He opened his eyes, kneeling down beside the bed.

_That night in the Real World when I saved Shihouin from the Hollow, you scolded me then, too. You always scolded me for something or other, didn't you? I could never really answer you back, though, because somehow you were always right. You were like a fussy older sister or a mother hen at times…but I was fond of you. We all were._

He slipped his fingers into her ice cold ones, squeezing them gently.

_Maybe me more than the rest._

He drew breath into his lungs, remembering the scene that he and his friends had stumbled onto in the mountain clearing. Naoko in tears, everything in chaos…and Suzuno, soaked in blood, still and quiet against the black stone floor.

_If I had been quicker, I might have taken you back alive. When Edogawa wanted to help you, maybe I could have let her. When Endou wanted to go fetch her, maybe there would've been a point. I didn't know what kind of enemy lurked in the forest, Suzuno – and clearly, nor did you. Neither one of us were prepared for what we were going to find out there…and because of that, only I came back alive._

He bit his lip.

_I broke my promise, didn't I? If you knew that, you'd scold me. I know you would._

"_**I'm a healer. I don't fight."**_

Her words penetrated clear and fresh into his thoughts, as though she was speaking to him from beyond the dead.

"_**It's my job to protect people's lives, Akira-kun. That's the reason that I'm here. We're all here to protect something – what are you here to protect?"**_

He had answered her quickly, as he often had, with proud words of his family and their heavy expectations of success and honour. Yet she had rebuffed him, fixing him with that piercing gaze of hers and she had asked him yet again what it was he truly wanted to protect. His answer then had surprised even him, but he had never taken it back.

"You," he whispered now, getting slowly to his feet. "I wanted to protect _you_. You laughed at my Clan pride and I got all cross and told you I would protect you with my sword while you protected lives with yours. I couldn't do it though, Suzuno. I wasn't able to. What Endou and Shihouin were saying about this Aizen Keitarou tells me that Seireitei's a lot more dangerous for all of us than I ever thought it was before. If even you can be murdered…someone as peaceful as you…"

"I thought you might be here."

Kanshi's voice jolted through him like a bolt of electricity and he spun around, his expression a mixture of defensive anger and embarrassed guilt.

"What are you doing following me?"

"I was worried about you. I still am – so is Aoi," Kanshi spoke gravely, moving to join his companion and gazing down at Suzuno's still form as he did so.

"Rest in peace, Suzuno-chan," he murmured, casting his hands together briefly over her body as if saying some kind of prayer. "If there's another world and another life beyond it, I hope it's as happy and as peaceful as you deserve."

That was almost too much for Akira, who swallowed hard, turning away from his friend before his emotions overwhelmed him. Kanshi did not speak for a moment, but then Akira felt a friendly hand on his shoulder, and he knew his companion understood.

"It wasn't your fault," now Kanshi's words were quiet. "My saying that is pointless, because you always pull everything onto your own shoulders – but it wasn't, and I'm telling you so now. This burden belongs to all of us, too. Suzuno was our friend too – she was everyone's friend. Her murder is something none of us will forgive – so don't go off doing crazy things in the name of vengeance, all right?"

"I wasn't going to," Slowly Akira turned to face his classmate, "but it isn't over. From what Endou and Shihouin were saying, it really isn't over. Aizen Keitarou, the Clan exile…"

"Mm," Kanshi's eyes darkened. "This is no longer just the Council's fight. One of ours was killed, two of our classmates were hurt. If we're not careful, we'll wake up one morning and find ourselves embroiled in the battle too."

"We already are. Suzuno's death is proof of that."

"I thought you said…"

"I know," Akira nodded. "I'm not going to hare off anywhere or do anything right now, Kanshi. Not alone, not without knowing more…not without training more. I can't."

He glanced at Suzuno's body once more, then,

"If I'm going to make her ghost angry with me for fighting in her name, I at least want to be sure of winning," he added bitterly, "but I'll tell you something now…I won't forget. I'm not ever going to rest until I've carved Suzuno's memory into that man's body with my own blade."

"She really wouldn't like that," Kanshi scolded, and Akira shrugged.

"I know, but she's not here," he said sadly. "If she was, she'd scold me - and maybe for once I'd listen to what she had to say with more focus than I have before. She always said that fighting everyone was a futile way of protecting comrades...maybe this is the proof."

"You are blaming yourself," Kanshi let out a heavy sigh.

"Who else is there to blame?" Akira asked hollowly. "Shikibu? She at least raised her sword and tried to fight back."

"This Aizen is the one I'd put top of the list," Kanshi said acidly. "He's the one who shot his sword into her."

"True," Akira agreed. "I was group leader, though, Kanshi. And more than that..."

He gazed at Suzuno one last time, then turned back towards the door.

"We're talking about Suzuno," he whispered. "There's no way I can leave this alone. As a Yamamoto, as a Clansman, but most of all as her classmate...this is my war now too."

* * *

"Guren-sama! Guren-sama! Urgent news!"

Guren glanced up from his desk, weary irritation in his ash-grey eyes as the messenger flung back the door of the study, skidding to an ungainly halt before colliding with the wood and hastily bowing his head.

"Please, Guren-sama, there's an emergency message from Seiren-sama's manor!"

"An emergency message from Seiren?" Guren bit back the retort that had been simmering on his tongue, setting his brush aside with a frown. "What kind of message? My brother seals himself away and now this? Explain yourself - what has he to say?"

"No, sir. The message isn't from him, sir," the young boy shook his head hastily. "It's something...it's from..."

"What kind of common-born idiot leaves a lady waiting before running off around the halls like a mad creature?"

The unmistakeable sound of Shouko's voice penetrated the conversation, and Guren's brows knitted together as his sister-in-law entered the room, his consternation growing as he registered her unusually dishevilled appearance. She was robed in her usual fine fabrics, but instead of smooth, immaculate cream the cloth was dusty and torn around the edges, and her sleek dark hair had come loose from its elaborate ties, large sections hanging loose and unfettered around her face. It was the first time in the whole of their acquaintance that Guren had ever seen his sister-in-law with a less than flawless appearance, and for a moment he stared, absorbing the novelty of the sight with some amount of curious fascination.

"Shouko...dono?"

"I want to speak to you directly, Guren-oniisama," Shouko stalked up towards the desk, ignoring the messenger who now grovelled at her feet as she cited her prey. "This is a matter that cannot wait. I will not stay there another minute...I demand you make other arrangements at once."

"I beg your pardon?" Guren blinked, completely at a loss, and Shouko's silver eyes glittered angrily.

"Your brother," she said coldly. "I knew him to be a coward, now I realise it is even worse. His desire to spite me runs so deep inside of him that he even blows up sections of his home to force me out from under his roof! Well, with pleasure, I'll go! I've come here to demand your permission to cut ties with him and for an allowance of my own to live away from that place - in the circumstances I hardly think that anything else is fair! You are my brother in law, and therefore in the place of your late Father, I demand my rights be considered as they should be!"

"Wait a minute," Guren frowned, gathering his wits as he eyed his sister-in-law anew. "Shouko-dono, what did you just say? Seiren's done what...?"

"Blown up a good part of the manor," Shouko said grimly. "I always knew he was a small minded man, but his behaviour towards me especially of late has been extremely unreasonable. He shows no interest in the future of our son, nor in anything else of any value, and now this! I won't stand for it, Guren-oniisama. I won't! I've stood his company these past several years and birthed him five children, and yet this is the way in which he treats me. A _hime_ of my lineage should be treated with some respect, don't you agree?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about at present," Guren sighed. "In the circumstances, I see it will be impossible for me not to investigate it further. However, whilst I am aware your relationship with my brother has become a little strained over the years, I find it hard to believe that he'd go to the trouble of blowing up part of the manor. Father left him that house - therefore..."

"It's true, Guren-sama."

Futsuki pushed back the door, pausing to bow his head towards Shouko before entering. "One of my agents just came to bring me the message - there's been a significant explosion at Seiren's manor, and one wing is more or less in rubble. I've had people dispatched to that vicinity ever since your visit there, and primed them to come through the most urgent channels if any significant developments occurred, and so they have. It seems Shouko-dono's carriage beat my messenger, however."

"Of course," Shouko tossed her head, eying Futsuki with clear dislike. "What would you expect? My servants are far superior to your muddy little spies."

"In any eventuality..." Futsuki returned the look with an impassive one of his own, "her words appear to be founded in some truth. The cause of the explosion is unclear, but appears to have been somewhere in the heart of Seiren's quarters. I can only assume Shouko-dono was as far as possible from that part of the house and didn't venture towards the dangerous area following the explosion, since she seems to be largely unscathed."

"You have no concept of the injury to my nerves," Shouko glowered at him malevolently. "I suppose that's to be expected of one with such inferior blood."

"Yet you seem to have been well enough to mount a carriage and flee here," Futsuki pointed out evenly. "In those circumstances, I trust we can give thanks for your safe escape."

"Hrmph," Shouko tossed her head, but didn't respond, and Guren frowned, turning this information over.

"Has he lost his mind?" he murmured.

"He never had much of one to begin with," Shouko said pettily. "Well? Can I count on you to ensure I'm properly provided for? There's no way I'm returning to that place. You have no idea how frightened I was. Contrary to Futsuki's unsympathetic observations, it was quite a traumatic experience! The whole building started shaking and then a whole wall came down and I was lucky I wasn't killed! Several of my maidservants took minor injuries, and the whole of the west wing is in pieces."

"Was anyone else hurt? Seiren himself? Any of his men? Other staff?" Guren asked, and Shouko snorted.

"Do you think I'd stop around to see if the idiot who caused the whole business had survived it?" she asked disparagingly. "Don't be foolish. Of course not. My concern was to get away from there before he decided to bring the rest of the place down around my ears."

"An errand so urgent that it apparently took precedence over looking for injured survivors," Futsuki muttered. "I have since sent a message back to my people to approach the property with extreme caution and see what they can discover - but from the nature of this, I suspect one of us - you or I - will have to go ourselves, Guren. Being that it's Seiren's manor, nothing else would be appropriate."

"I imagine it best and quickest that I go myself to see the damage," Guren decided. "Seiren's behaviour has been concerning me - it's my responsibility to go."

"You might as well leave him to rot," Shouko muttered. "He never was much use to this Clan anyway...even your half-born errand boy here is far more helpful."

"Futsuki is my brother, Shouko-dono," Guren observed mildly, and Shouko snorted.

"Half-blooded is half-blooded," she said dismissively. "You should not consider yourself so cheaply, Guren-oniisama. _You_ are the son of Senaya-sama, don't forget. There is a significant difference between your bloodline and his."

"There is a second message, Guren-sama," Futsuki sent his sister-in-law a long-suffering look, but did not rise to her provocation, instead producing a folded sheet of white paper and holding it out. "It comes from District One by means of a fast messenger. I think it's from Genryuusai-sama - though to what end I do not know."

"Guren-oniisama!" Shouko's expression became petulant, and Guren pursed his lips, nodding his head.

"You," he said to the scared messenger boy, "make yourself useful. Take a message to my chief of staff and instruct him that all efforts are to be made to accommodate Shouko-dono in the most suitable manner possible. Make sure they also make contact with her daughters - I believe Kinka-hime is still at court and I expect she will be only too willing to offer her mother some support in this difficult situation."

"Thank you," Shouko's scowl was replaced by a sweet smile now she had got her way, and she bowed her head towards Guren in a play of respect. "I knew you wouldn't treat me as disgracefully as Seiren has."

"You are my sister, therefore you have certain rights," Guren agreed. "Please, Shouko-dono, go with this boy. I promise all that we can do will be done for you - including getting to the bottom of this situation."

"I wish her rights included locking her in an underground cell and throwing away the key."

Once the wilful _hime_ was gone, Futsuki sighed, closing the door and leaning up against it. "I'm sorry, Guren, but I've never had any time for Shouko or her scheming. She's as shallow and superficial towards people as ever - and you heard her just then. Whatever's happened at that manor, her only concern was to get herself away safely."

"Shouko is Shouko. Apparently even an exploding house can't change that," Guren said wearily. "For the time being, I want to get to Seiren's manor and see what's happened for myself. It strikes me that this might be another message from the people attacking our Clan, and I want to ensure our brother is not harmed."

"You don't think Shouko is right?" Futsuki pursed his lips. "I wonder."

"What about?" Guren paused, staring at his older brother in confusion. "You dislike Shouko far more than I ever have - you believe her account so readily despite the fact she obviously fled the scene at the first opportunity?"

"An assassin would not have allowed her to easily escape, surely?" Futsuki's brows knitted together. "I grant you, an explosion of some kind within the manor is a possible sabotage, which is why I told my men to approach with caution. However, it's a considerable oversight to allow a squawking peahen to flee the scene quite so successfully. It takes good horses and a capable carriage driver to beat my men back to base - if you're planning sabotage, surely the first thing you do is close off the means of escape."

"I don't deny that," Guren acknowledged, "although to date the assassins have worked very specifically as regards their targets. They killed Ribari, but not Shirogane or the rest of Sixth Squad. Perhaps the target was Seiren, and so Shouko was an unnecessary consideration."

"Perhaps," Futsuki looked doubtful.

"Do you think Seiren has become so unbalanced that he'd do something to destroy part of that house? Despite the state of him the last time we met, I find that hard to imagine. He's always loved that house - it's been his pride and joy since Father gave it to him."

"Mostly because it caused you so much jealousy, I seem to remember," A wry look touched Futsuki's expression. "I don't know what I'm suggesting, to be honest. I'm confused by this...it's so different from anything that's happened so far."

"The attacks so far have followed no particular pattern except that they've come without warning," Guren pointed out. "Seiren may be hurt, Futsuki, and he's my twin brother as well as one of my most trusted advisors. Whatever the cause of this - accident or sabotage - my duty is to ride there at once and see the damage for myself."

"If you're right and this _is_ the assassin's work, I wonder at your eagerness to travel in person. I could easily go in your place."

"Seiren is your brother too, I know...but he's my subject, just as you are," Guren said wearily. "This is my duty, Futsuki. You may accompany me, but it won't stop me from going myself."

But if this is the work of those people, it might very well be designed to lure you there, you know. The Clan can ill afford to lose it's leader, whereas I'm far less significant to the Kuchiki as a whole."

"So it might," Guren's eyes hardened and he patted the sheathed weapon at his waist. "That's why _this_ would be coming with me. I'm already resolved not to lose any more of my kin, Futsuki. Seiren, you, Ryuu...Shirogane, if the poor boy still lives...I won't see anyone else sacrificed as a martyr to the Clan. If I go, I'm going with the intention of finding that man and if he's involved, I intend on killing him."

"Killing...? Aizen Keitarou, you mean?"

"Yes," Guren's eyes became slits. "The Council might want him, but I have first claim. If I find him, Futsuki, he won't leave my land alive."

"We don't have absolute proof of his involvement yet," Futsuki warned, "and if we are dealing with Aizen, he's also meant to possess Bankai."

"I don't need proof. I already know beyond all doubt who it was who killed my son," Guren snapped. "Him and his Shihouin puppet are manipulating us all like players in his game. I'm fed up with dancing to his rules. There are very few individuals in Seireitei who can meet my blade and hope to survive the encounter - do you think me so easily at risk?"

"I grant you, your sword is very powerful," Futsuki conceded. "Far more powerful than the weak blade I command and probably more powerful than anyone else in District Six. The enemy's strength is an unknown quantity, however. It's never wise to go into a fight assuming victory."

"I don't assume anything," Guren ran his finger thoughtfully over the hilt of his weapon. "Seiren has had his blade to my throat in the past despite the disparity in spirit power - I learned a long time ago that fights are not always won on strength, and I'm also aware that, strong as I am, there are always individuals with the potential to be stronger than me. All right - what would your counsel be?"

"My men are there," Futsuki said simply. "In the meantime, you have a second urgent message and since it's marked with Genryuusai-sama's seal, I'd imagine it's of equal importance to Shouko's report."

"In which case, I'd better read this and then go," Guren glanced at the folded white paper. "If it's not one thing it's another."

"I wonder why Genryuusai-sama would be sending you such a message at a time like this?" Futsuki's eyes narrowed. "Do you think something has happened in District One?"

"Something connected with Seiren's apparent desire to turn his house into a firework display?" Guren arched an eyebrow, and Futsuki nodded.

"Maybe," he said grimly. "It occurred to me that it might have something to do with Ryuu."

"Ryuu…." Guren's eyes became grave and he nodded, slitting the seal on the paper with his nail and unrolling it carefully. His eyes widened.

"Well, I think your deductions are some way correct. It's not from Genryuusai-sama at all. It's from Ryuu himself," he observed, and Futsuki's brows knitted together.

"From Ryuu himself? But that was definitely Genryuusai-sama's high speed messenger who brought it...and it bears Genryuusai-sama's distinctive Yamamoto seal. It was apparently sent from District One last night – despite the distance, it's here already at this time today. Even if it went via the toll roads, for a messenger to manage that from One to Six implies some use of speed, maybe even internal _Senkaimon_. How would Ryuu be able to authorise sending that kind of message? Unless…"

"It was sent with Genryuusai-sama's direct blessing, and using the seal means it's important that we know its contents," Guren returned his gaze to the paper, gesturing for his companion to join him. "Maybe Ryuu felt that using any kind of Kuchiki messenger was risky at the present time. Whatever his reasons, obviously it carries some news which could not wait even a day to transmit. Let's see what our nephew has to say."

_"To the honoured Lord of the Kuchiki Clan, Guren-sama, _[he read]

_"I must write to you an apology for my clear carelessness and defiance, but I wish to advise you of my return from the Real World."_

"_Real_ World?" Futsuki's eyes widened in dismay, and Guren's lips pressed together.

"Now I think of it, Shirogane also went to the Real World," he murmured. "It's part of their Senior syllabus, but to think that Genryuusai-sama would send Ryuu..."

He turned his attention back to the letter.

_"Although realising the considerable risk of such a venture, I entered into this action by my own will. I did so in order to discover the true perpetrators behind Ribari-sama's murder, as Genryuusai-sensei and I believed those people to be lurking in the Real World. Having offered myself as bait, I must report that I took injury, but thanks to the intervention of a classmate it was not a severe one. Please be advised my life is in no danger, whatever reports may reach you to the contrary. Please also advise Father of the same, so he has no cause to concern himself over my safety. Given the nature of this enemy, Sensei and I both fear a risk of a false report being transmitted to District Six that worse fate has befallen me. For this reason I am penning this letter in my own hand and with Sensei's seal so that you can be assured it's authenticity._

The ones responsible for causing such harm to our family are Aizen Keitarou and Endou Eiraki, both acting under assumed names. The Shihouin who attacked you was Onoe Tomoyuki, acting under Aizen's direct control. There are witnesses at the Academy who can back up all of these assertions with proof. My cousin Shirogane is innocent in any of these affairs and I beg you to reconsider his status as an exile wanted for crimes in District Six.

Please understand that I have no intention of returning to my homeland or considering my future within this Clan unless Shirogane-senpai's name is officially cleared of all accusations levelled against him. I cannot with clear conscience accept matters as they are when such an injustice has been done to a kinsman of honour. I feel, given my position as Seiren-dono's son, it is essential for me to insist on a re-evaluation of the evidence against him. I believe all suspicion will be quickly dismissed when examined under close scrutiny, for Shirogane-senpai is as loyal to Guren-sama as I.

This letter written this day with the knowledge and blessing of Genryuusai-sensei and witnessed by Unohana Retsu-sama, in whose care I currently remain.

With the greatest and most sincere respect, your humble servant and nephew,

_Ryuu."_

"Someone really needs to tell that boy he doesn't need to use so many words," Futsuki murmured. "Some urgent message when it goes into multiple paragraphs."

"The manner in which it is written does indicate Ryuu himself probably wrote it," Guren said thoughtfully. "Seiren would know better than me his handwriting, so I'll take it with me to the manor when we go to find out what's going on there. I wonder why Ryuu would take such special care to write a message like that and send it by emergency messenger...Genryuusai-sama must suspect that something more is afoot to endorse something like this."

"Aizen Keitarou and Endou Eiraki. Your suspicions are confirmed, by the looks of things," Futsuki reflected. "There's probably good reason for Ryuu wanting us to know in his own words what happened. Maybe he thought because he'd taken some small injury on his idiotic dash to the Real World, somehow that report would come back to us as more serious than it actually is."

He smiled faintly.

"Shirogane is innocent and there is now proof," he added. "Cheeky as Ryuu's final sentences are, it looks as though he's chosen his allies, too. It wouldn't surprise me if this means he's spoken to Shirogane...I wouldn't bet my life on it, but I wouldn't be surprised if both boys are together under Genryuusai-sama's auspices in District One."

"Shielded by the Academy, you mean? That's a possibility," Guren folded the paper, slipping it into his _obi_. "They won't say as much while they think there's a risk of my launching an attack and demanding his immediate return, but I feel inclined to leave them both where they are for the time being. Kinnya-ojiue said something about the Clan needing the both of them, and maybe he was right."

"Kinnya-sama did?" Futsuki looked surprised, and Guren nodded.

"You talk of strength in District Six, but I'm still not an equal to him or to Father," he mused. "I think he's been counselling both Seiren and I of late, at a distance and without sharing each other's fears with one another."

"Kinnya-sama...huh," Futsuki's expression became calculating. "I'd written him off as a feeble old man wracked by ill health and no longer at the heart of anything, but if you say that..."

"He chooses to exile himself and his spiritual power alike. Whether he is still the shinigami he was is somewhat in doubt given his long years without action of any kind," Guren nodded. "He never speaks of it, and I never ask him. In terms of intellect, though, he's a valuable ally...he has experience that goes back further than mine, and in the absence of Father, he's the only one whose advice I can really seek when it comes to Seiren."

"Maybe you should think about sending an official summons to bring him to the main house, then," Futsuki suggested. "We might find we need that intelligence, since Aizen Keitarou is meant to be a genius."

"I'm considering it," Guren admitted. "It depends on what we find at Seiren's manor - which we must not delay visiting any longer. If nothing else I can convey news to him of his son - but truthfully I'm just hoping to find he's alive."

"Do you think Aizen Keitarou could have been the cause of the explosion at Seiren's manor?" Futsuki demanded. Guren sighed.

"It is possible. If so, it may be too late to help Seiren, though I refuse to think that until I see for myself," he murmured. "Shouko got out alive, and so there's hope yet. When I was with Seiren last, he was in his study, not his personal quarters. If he's still shutting himself away in there, it may not be as bad as it sounds."

"Then I'll go get horses prepared and we'll ride," Futsuki suggested. "Since you suggested it, I'll come with you."

"Very well," Guren acquiesced. "Then let us go."

* * *

The scene was eerily silent now, faint clouds of dust stirring occasionally on the autumn breeze. As Guren and Futsuki rode their horses into the front courtyard of Seiren's beloved family manor, it was clear from first glance the scale of the devastation and, despite Futsuki's criticisms, Shouko had probably been lucky to escape the blast unscathed. The west wing of the house was almost entirely in a state of collapse, the few remaining wooden beams creaking and splintered to the point where it seemed unlikely they would keep upright for very much longer. The central concourse of the manor was a mess of dust and debris, the entirety of one dividing wall pulled down by the force of whatever had done such violent damage, whilst the east wing stood largely unscathed, a lonely survivor in a field of disarray.

Despite himself, Guren's heart caught in his throat. From Shouko's attitude he had assumed the damage to be far less serious - but as his gaze ran over the remains of the west wing he realised that it was not simply Seiren's residential quarters that had been destroyed but also the floors that lay below - rooms that had housed not only his brother's study but several meeting rooms, parlours and beneath that the domain of the working staff.

"It seems foolish to suggest that everyone escaped that without serious harm, doesn't it."

Futsuki's grim words echoed Guren's own heart and he nodded, reining in his horse and preparing to dismount.

Huddled on the grass outside, bloody, dazed and confused were a handful of the manor's servants, some sobbing, others staring in fright and disbelief at the chaos that now faced them. As the horses approached, one girl got unsteadily to her feet, hurrying towards them and dropping down in a desperate bow before them.

"Guren-sama! Guren-sama, please, help us! Please do something...!"

"Futsuki, where are your people?" Guren dropped neatly down from his horse, bending to touch the woman on the shoulder and taking in the scratches that marred her young features. "You said you'd sent them here, but I don't see anyone in uniform except a few scattered members of Seiren's own guard."

"Futsuki-sama's men are inside the manor, sir," The girl was the one who answered, tears glittering in her dark eyes. "They've been rescuing people, but there are...there are a lot...and..."

She gulped, swallowing hard, and Guren's grasp on the woman's shoulder tightened briefly.

"How many dead?" he asked softly, and at his question the woman shook her head miserably.

"I don't know," she whispered, her tones full of grief. "Futsuki-sama's men are bringing everyone out...but those who are alive before...the rest."

"Girl, where is Seiren?" Futsuki brought his horse alongside the two, carefully dismounting and looping his hands through the reins. "Your master - was he at home when this happened?"

"Lately, Seiren-sama has not left the manor. He's barely left his quarters," the girl's eyes became frightened. "Nobody has seen him, sir. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Very well," Guren's eyes narrowed and he thrust the reins in her direction. "Take these and find a safe place to tie them up. You're not to go near the house until Futsuki or I tell you it's safe - understood? There may be deep structural damage and we don't know what caused this therefore it's not worth risking more lives."

"I'll have some of my men escort any who can away from the premises completely," Futsuki spoke in low tones. "Any of Seiren's who are able to stand can help ferry the injured to a safer location - there's clearly no way they can stay here in light of the current situation. We'll need to set up a full investigation - and there are bound to be a significant number of casualties."

"Agreed," Guren nodded his head gravely. "Come on. We'll see more clearly for ourselves what things are like in the midst of the disaster zone - your Kidou should be good enough to displace falling masonry."

"I imagine so," Futsuki flexed his fingers. "Besides, I want to hear the report of my people. Those I dispatched here are men with experience and they've obviously acted promptly - perhaps they've further information that the staff do not."

"If Seiren was in his quarters when the place collapsed, I don't suppose we'll find him quickly, will we?" Guren's words were soft. "That girl's words may be true, Futsuki. If he was inside there..."

"We don't know anything," Futsuki said briskly. "We should both be well on our guard...there's been no report of earthquakes in Sixth District for well over four centuries, therefore the chances of one hitting in this specific area is remote."

"Futsuki-sama!"

As they reached the central portion of the manor, a man dressed in the colours of a Kuchiki retainer, Futsuki's crest stitched across his breast hurried out, his uniform thick with both blood and dust. There was a mixture of relief and consternation in his gaze, and he faltered for a moment, taking in the fact his master was not there alone.

"Guren-sama? But with all respect, sir, this place is not safe. If you are planning on entering..."

"I am perfectly capable of protecting my own body," Guren said acerbically. "Report, please. I wish to know the exact situation and anything you have discovered since you have been here."

The man glanced at Futsuki, who inclined his head.

"Guren-sama's orders are the Clan's orders. There should be no hesitation in obeying them," he said quietly. "Report, please. Leave nothing out."

"Yes, sir," The man bowed again, then, "We did as you instructed, Futsuki-sama, and approached the property with caution. At that time some of the west wing was still standing, but it collapsed pretty soon after we arrived. The east wing has been completely evacuated, along with Shouko-sama, who I believe is out of harm's way. The central portion is mostly steady, though the walls connecting to the west wing are largely missing and some of the rooms there seem unsafe. All of the staff from there have been safely evacuated also - three of our unit have gathered together those who are unharmed and have moved them well into the grounds to prevent them from becoming involved in any further trouble."

"A wise precation," Guren sighed. "Also, a welcome thing to hear - it sounds as though there are more survivors than just the few gathered out the front here."

"Yes, sir. Those are only the most recent to be evacuated," The man agreed respectfully. "Some of them suffered minor scrapes and bruises, but their injuries are minor ones."

"And inside the manor still?" Futsuki's thoughtful grey eyes strayed to the rubble of the west wing, and Guren knew what he was thinking. "What of Seiren-dono? Is Shibata here? Who of any authority can report to us about the events in the house leading up to whatever caused this?"

"All of the house staff we've evacuated have agreed the explosion came from inside the building, sir. Most believe the west wing, and a few are sure that it began in the vicinity of Seiren-sama's quarters," The retainer looked troubled. "There's so much damage that we've not been able to get through more than the first layer yet...two of my men have suffered broken bones trying to rescue folk from the rubble, and we've found what we think are the remains of six or seven guardsmen gathered together in a lower room. Probably they were taking their break from duty - they didn't have time to get out."

"And Shibata?"

"Nobody has seen either Shibata-dono or Seiren-sama," the man responded. "One retainer reported that he and some of his companions helped Shibata-dono to take Seiren-sama to his quarters earlier this morning, but after that is unknown. Seiren-sama has been quite unwell lately, from what I understand - this morning he was found collapsed in his study, and so Shibata-dono took the decision to move him somewhere he could rest more easily."

"Seiren was unwell."

Guren gazed at the remains of the building's wing and let out a heavy sigh.

"There's no doubt that when I spoke to him last, he was considerably under the weather. He spoke strangely and didn't want me to come anywhere near him. You say he collapsed, and was taken to his room?"

"Yes sir." The man confirmed.

"In which case, he was inside there when the explosion happened," Futsuki said sadly. "It seems you were right, Guren-sama. Seiren was the victim of an assassin - I wonder if anyone could have survived a collapse like that."

"Not without knowledge of barrier Kidou," Guren swallowed hard, forcing his attention back to the waiting retainer. "Very well. Continue what you are doing. Send one of your comrades to the main manor and tell them by my direct command to release more men to help with the rescue effort. This is an emergency situation and it takes priority over normal drill. Those who are alive must be rescued, and those who are injured must be treated. So far as anyone else knows, the explosion was an accident - until we know anything otherwise, no other version of events will be tolerated. Do you understand? Your life will be forfeit if you break that command."

"Yes, sir," The man saluted hastily, then hurried off to carry out his order, and Futsuki clicked his tongue against his teeth.

"That was overly forceful, if I may say so. He's a loyal man and he won't talk."

"I'm feeling forceful," Guren said flatly. "Seiren obviously knew something - from his behaviour towards me, I wondered if he was concealing something in order to protect me and the Clan. He said it to my face, too - _'sometimes things are better off not said'_. I couldn't get him to confide in me - and now this happens."

"We'll keep looking," Futsuki promised. "Until we have a corpse, there's still something to look for. We won't give up on him, Guren."

"Mm," Guren took a few steps towards the ruins of the house, bending to touch the edge of a piece of torn fabric fluttering on the wind.

"Seiren and I never had the kind of bond that you and I have," he muttered. "We never had the kind of rapport I had with Raiko, before she was sent away. He and I were rivals for Father's affection if not for the Clan itself...and lately we've allowed those rifts to return. Those rifts stopped my brother from confiding in me something that's obviously endangered his life. I don't like it. Rivals or not, we shared a womb."

He stood upright, dusting his hands together.

"If this is Aizen's work, I will have another reason to blood my blade."

"I hear something."

Futsuki clambered up over haphazard pieces of stone and broken plaster, pausing for a moment with a frown on his features. Carefully inching his way around splintered sliding doors and a beam of wood sharp enough for a careless someone to impale themselves on, he hesitated for a moment above a particular area, then nodded his head.

"From here, Guren. I can hear something moving. It's only very faint, but it sounds like rats."

"Do you think this the time to care about rodents?" Guren demanded, and Futsuki shook his head impatiently.

"I didn't say it _was_ rats. Just that it sounded like it," he responded. "Something or someone is trying to get out - with your kidou, maybe you could help them."

"A survivor?" Guren's expression changed and he skipped nimbly over the broken timber, crouching at his companion's side to listen. Sure enough, faint though it was, there was the sound of something scraping against wood.

"Fingers...trying to claw a way through?" he murmured.

"Possibly," Futsuki agreed. "With all this on top of them, it's a miracle if they're actually in one piece - but there's definitely something or someone living down there. What do you think? My Kidou isn't accurate enough to risk it, but yours might be..."

"Tell your men to clear the scene. You too - get out of the way," Guren stood upright, pulling his sword from its sheath and holding it out in front of him. "I'll do my best to prevent flying debris, but there's absolutely no guarantee."

"If you're going to use the spell I think you are..."

Futsuki frowned, then raised his voice, gesturing to those of his men in the immediate vicinity.

"Get back and get down, all of you! If you value your lives, clear the scene!"

_"Hadou no Gojuu Hachi - Tenran!"_

Almost before the startled soldiers had scrambled out of range, Guren had put his hand to his weapon's hilt, spinning it around and focusing a tiny piece of his powerful _reiryoku_ against the blade to create a minor whirlwind. Though he wanted to blow as much rubble clear of the scene as he could, he was all too aware of the risk of overdoing it. Creating more casualties would do nothing to help the current situation nor the confidence of his shaken subjects, and so despite his anger and his grief he forced himself to control the spell, releasing only so much energy as to push back the heaviest pieces of broken building.

"Guren-sama, stop! Stop, I see something!" At Futsuki's exclamation, Guren grabbed hold of his sword hilt firmly, sweeping the blade through the remaining swirl of energy to break the spell, and, ignoring the danger, his brother hurried forwards, crouching down at the side of something bloody and still on the ground.

"Futsuki?"

Guren stepped slowly forward, catching sight of fingers moving feebly against a piece of splintered window shutter. His heart caught in his throat as he registered what the person was wearing.

"Shi...bata?"

"It is," Futsuki bent to touch the injured retainer with a gentle hand. "He's alive, but having had all of that lot on top of him, I rather wonder how. Obstinacy, perhaps - he's covered in blood and I'm sure there are broken bones."

"Futsu...ki...sama?"

A hoarse voice came from the injured man, and Guren hurried to his brother's side.

"He's conscious?"

"So it would seem," Futsuki brushed some of the blood-caked hair from the man's bruised face. "Shibata, report. What happened? What can you tell me?"

"Where...Seiren-sama...where is..."

"That is a question I hoped to ask of you," Guren knelt carefully on the ground. "You would not have left his side, would you?"

"He was...with me," Shibata was obviously finding it hard to talk. "Such...a bright...light. Seiren-sama...that man...he said it was that man..."

He coughed, wincing as though the movement brought him pain, and Guren and Futsuki exchanged looks.

"What man?" It was Futsuki who voiced the question. "Seiren himself said something to you before this? Then there was a light?"

"That man was...here," Shibata whispered. "He...Ryuu-sama...is...he..."

"Ryuu is quite all right. I've had a direct communication from him from District One just this morning," Guren said briskly. "My concern right now is for Seiren's safety. I realise you're in great pain, Shibata, and I'm sorry to press on you so greatly for information when you clearly are in no fit state to answer my questions. However, time is of the essence and your testimony may be vital in finding out what happened here. If you can, please tell me. What man was here? Who did you see?"

"Aizen...Keitarou," Shibata swallowed hard, reaching out a feeble hand to grasp Guren's sleeve weakly. "Seiren-sama...the light...exploded..."

His eyes fluttered closed, and as the grip on his sleeve lessened, Guren frowned, putting his fingers gently against the soldier's throat. A faint but resolute pulse continued to beat through the man's body, and the Clan leader let out his breath in a rush.

"He reached his limit," Futsuki said quietly. "Still, he was with Seiren and he survived. If we get him to a place of safety - perhaps even within the east wing, it should be possible to treat him, I think. He may then be able to tell us more. I'm not a healer, but despite the blood I've seen men more broken who survive battle and I think he will live."

"Aizen was here," Guren spoke numbly, getting to his feet. "Aizen Keitarou was here, and then my brother's house exploded. There is no doubt in my mind, Futsuki. That man...no, that _monster_ came here to take Seiren's life. He is the one who did this...I will make sure that he pays."

"We have to find him first."

As two of Futsuki's men hurried to carefully gather up Shibata's broken body in order to move it to a safer place, Futsuki's expression became dark. "It bothers me that Shibata asked about Ryuu. Maybe that boy's foresight had some merit...sending that message means that we know he's alive and well."

"Aizen may have brought bad news to Seiren's door, then killed him," Guren said blackly, his eyes glittering with cold anger. "That makes the unforgivable even more beyond redemption. Seiren has no spirit power and none of his retainers do either. Nobody would have seen a rogue shinigami until it was too late to do anything about it - I imagine that's how it was done."

"Outwitted again," Futsuki rubbed his temples. "I mean it though, Guren. We won't stop looking until we find him. Dead or alive, Seiren must be in here somewhere. If he was ill enough to be taken to his bed and Shibata did not leave his side, the only conclusion is that he's still here. We'll keep looking until we know for sure."

Before Guren could respond, the ground beneath their feet began to shake and tremble with a sudden burst of energy, and the Clan leader let out an exclamation, reaching out to grab onto Futsuki's arm as he almost fell headlong into the sharp-edged rubble. The next moment something dark and acrid seared through his senses and he reeled back, gasping for air as the oppressive energy slipped in through his nose and mouth, threatening to block his respiration and stop his heart. A cold sweat began to bead on his brow, his hands shaking and clammy and he struggled to grasp hold of the plaster and wood to stop himself from falling headlong. Time felt as though it had slowed to a virtual stop, the world around him flickering in and out of black and white and the movements of Futsuki's men suddenly happening in a strange, surreal kind of slow motion.

"Guren? Guren, can you hear me?"

It was Futsuki's voice, but Guren could no longer see his brother, and though he reached out his hand, he found nothing but empty air. For a moment the pressure on his chest eased and he managed to gasp in hungry gulps of oxygen, but then a fresh swell of negative energy burst forth from the ruined building, pushing him back against the ground as if he was no more than an insect being taunted by the wind.

Desperately he struggled to get a grip on his senses, grabbing once more for the hilt of his _zanpakutou_ and reaching out with all his remaining strength to the balance and calm that resided in his blade. His weapon was with him. He wasn't alone. Whatever monster haunted this place, they would be able to fight it as they had often fought before.

This thought brought slithers of rationality back to him and he blinked, able to see for the first time that the pulses of dark energy were coming from one single source. It was unchecked_ reiryoku_, he realised with a jolt - raw and angry and full of pain, and he fought to pull himself to his feet, flaring his own reiatsu slightly as a shield whilst all the time focusing his mind on the task ahead. Almost immediately the impact of the creature's power began to diminish, and as flickers of his own perfectly controlled _reiryoku_ darted around his body and his sword, Guren slipped into the mindset for battle.

His brother was probably killed - perhaps in order to lure Guren to this place to face this beast head on. The Clan leader's lip curled in cold derision. Was that all that they thought they needed to take his life? If so, they were fools. He was Guren, one of the few souls in Seireitei to possess Bankai in his blade - and more than that, he was a swordsman and tactician of the highest calibre. He had not spent long years as an adolescent training against his father's formidable weapon for nothing - the monster had taken him off guard, but now he was ready to fight back.

Comforted by this thought, he found control returning to his body. Something lay unconscious at his side, and with a frown he realised it was Futsuki - the oppressive waves of negative reiatsu having proven too much for his brother's weaker spirit power to stand.

_I'm not Futsuki, though. I'm Senaya-sama's chosen son, and I have the reiatsu to prove it._

His eyes darkened with determination.

_If it's a Hollow, then I can take it down. I may have to use my sword, but I can still take it down. Aizen's experimented with monsters in the past and this is probably no different - but I've yet to face a Hollow of any kind I couldn't swipe in two with my blade. In comparison to the force Father used to unleash when he brought his weapon to Bankai, this level of power is nothing I can't stand. A Hollow is still just a Hollow, and I am not just any Clan shinigami. I am not Endou Shouichi, Aizen. I am the head of the Kuchiki Clan with superior blood running through my veins._

He readied his blade, taking purposeful steps forward towards the being which now he felt certain could not be anything other than one of Aizen's mutated Hollow people.

_My sword is there to protect my people, and so I'll use it and I'll protect them. Father taught me how to do that and so I will, dammit, no matter who the enemy might be._

As he approached the figure, he gathered together his _reiryoku_, preparing to release his weapon into _shikai_, but as he did so, he caught his first clear glimpse of the being whose terrifying spirit power was still pulsing unrelentingly out across the surrounding area.

The apparition was slender, not as tall as Guren, and with long dark hair flowing loose on the wind. His face was mostly concealed by an ugly veneer of thick chalky white, slashed with red across the eye socket and curved unevenly at the edges. The very top of the grotesque mask was broken on one side, revealing part of the left orbit and a dust smudged inch or so of skin, but the eyes glowed a malevolent yellow, sparking dark energy out into the surrounding atmosphere. Around the creature's body shimmered a haze of fuzzy white light, its apparently pure colour in complete contrast to the poisonous nature of its effects, and as Guren stared at this spectre, he felt his heart freeze in his chest.

From the neck up, his opponent was a Hollow.

From the neck down, the creature was a man, and more, from the shredded remains of his clothing, Guren knew with horrific certainty who that man was.

Despite himself his grip loosened on his sword, his reiatsu flickering and fragmenting into confusion as the weapon clattered to the ground below.

His lips parted, dismay flooding his senses as he struggled to put his terrifying realisation into words.

At long last it came, two broken syllables that fell heavily in the stifling silence that suddenly surrounded the ruined manor.

_"S...S...Seiren?"_

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

So, there you have it O.O. Seiren's back in the plot.

I'm off to scold the Kuchiki family for doing as they please and rewriting my story plans so liberally.

Happy Easter to any who celebrate!


	61. Truce

**Chapter Fifty Nine: Truce**

The school seemed unnaturally peaceful.

Mitsuki carefully refilled the mug with warm water, setting it down beside the bed with a heavy sigh. Given the chaos that had dogged them in the Real World, it felt almost impossible that they could all be back at school now, surrounded by the security and safety of Genryuusai-sama's protective aura, but although they were no longer in active danger, Mitsuki could not settle.

She knelt at the bedside, stretching out gentle fingers to brush back the thick waves of auburn hair that scattered across the pillow. Naoko had roused up once since her return to the school, but she had become emotional again very quickly and Retsu had decided it would be best to give her a mild sedative in order to let her sleep. Mitsuki was too perceptive not to understand the healer's own pain in dealing with Suzuno's death and so had volunteered to take charge of Naoko herself, watching over her as if somehow by doing so she could protect her classmate from the fear and pain.

Across the other side of the Healing Bay, the rousing spirit of her cousin comforted her shattered thoughts ever so slightly. Ryuu had survived the trip to the Real World and already she could tell that he was feeling better as the minor dose of hallucinogenic poison worked its way out of his system. Ryuu was a pragmatist and not a dreamer, therefore Mitsuki was confident that he would soon come to terms with what had happened and move on.

Naoko on the other hand was different.

Mitsuki hovered her hand over her classmate's body, reading the torn shards of the girl's aura with a troubled frown. In the years she had known Naoko, she had never once seen the girl upset in such a wholesale way – angry, yes, but never grief-stricken or frightened to the point of hysterics. Although they had studied together a few times that year Mitsuki had not known Suzuno well enough to be personally affected by her death. In spite of that, however, she was sensitive enough to absorb Naoko's feelings and it was impossible for her to view the matter with any level of objectivity.

_We fought about all kinds of silly stuff, didn't we._

Mitsuki sighed, lowering her hand.

_I suppose there are things even healers can't see about the people they're surrounded by. You cared about Amai-san, and you probably saw her die. That kind of thing would affect anyone – even an Unohana without the capacity to heal_.

"Mi..tsuki?"

Naoko's eyes fluttered open, and Mitsuki turned to meet the hazy grey-green gaze with a gentle one of her own. Her companion was still blurry from the sedative, blinking in confusion as she tried to bring the room into clearer focus, and Mitsuki slipped her fingers into Naoko's, squeezing the girl's hand tightly.

"You should rest," she said softly. "There's nothing else more important for you to do now but that."

Naoko did not speak for a moment, then she let out a heavy, shuddering sigh, and from the tears that glittered on her lashes, Mitsuki knew she had remembered.

"Suzuno."

It was just one word, but the depth of the pain in those three syllables cut Mitsuki through to the core.

"I know," she said quietly. "It's all right, Naoko-chan. I know how you feel, and it's all right if you feel that way."

"I suppose you do," Naoko's expression became one of tired resignation. "Help me sit up, please? I don't want to sleep any more. I've done that enough."

"If you like," Mitsuki agreed, obediently helping her companion into a more upright position. "There, is that better? You shouldn't push yourself too much right now. Retsu-sama is worried about you and she'd rather you rested – a lot has happened and nobody expects you to adjust to it right away."

"You're being very nice to me considering we're not speaking," Naoko observed softly, and Mitsuki shrugged.

"That's that and this is this," she responded evenly. "I'm not angry with you about anything at the moment, Naoko-chan. I'm worried about you – just like you worry about me."

"Mm," Naoko's eyes became sad. "You know, I've never wanted to be a healer. Not once. I don't like being around sick people and I've no wish to feel everyone else's pain. But in those mountains, at that instant, I wanted to be able to heal. I never felt as helpless as that…seeing her look at me and knowing that despite my b…bloodline I c…couldn't do anything for her. My name means 'healing child'...but I'm the Unohana who can't heal anyone. I just have to s...see them die."

Her words shook slightly, and Mitsuki slipped an arm around her friend's shoulders, hugging her tightly.

"Nobody is cross with you," she said gently. "You did nothing wrong. Amai-san didn't die because of anything you did or didn't do – the person responsible is the one who caused her harm."

"Keitarou," Naoko murmured. "He said his name was…Keitarou."

"You spoke to him, didn't you?"

"I…tried to fight him," Naoko admitted. "I would…I wanted to…for Suzuno…I wanted to…"

"To kill him?"

"Yes."

"I see," Mitsuki chewed down on her lip.

"You're not going to scold me for thinking that way?"

"No," Mitsuki shook her head. "I got pretty angry myself last night. Ryuu was attacked too – you and Amai-san weren't the only ones harmed."

"Kuchiki-kun…?" Naoko's eyes narrowed. "Someone said…I'd forgotten, but…is he…?"

"He's all right, thankfully," Mitsuki let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know what I would have done otherwise. My sword isn't a fighting sword, but Naoko, last night I felt my Kuchiki pride rise up in protest inside of me."

"I suppose that's your strength, isn't it?" Naoko murmured. "As a healer, you have more than just the desire to mend."

"Meaning?"

"Suzuno healed that Keitarou person's injuries. That's why she went to him – to help him to heal," Naoko glanced down at the bed covers. "I don't understand why but I guess she was drawn to him – the same way as you've said it, in the past. Someone's hurt and you just can't help wanting to heal them…Suzuno followed that instinct and instead it got her killed."

She raised her gaze to Mitsuki's.

"Knowing that weakness, I was worried about you," she whispered. "Being a healer means all kinds of things, and I didn't think…because you were Kuchiki…you could understand the burdens that it brings the same as members of my kin do. However, I don't think you would have dashed in to a situation like that in the way Suzuno did. I think…being Kuchiki…you'd have held back. If it had been you…you wouldn't have been so easily killed."

"The urge to heal is a strong one," Mitsuki settled herself more comfortably at her friend's side, not releasing her supportive hold of the other girl for a moment. "Amai-san was very gentle-natured, too. To see anyone in any kind of pain…must have been difficult for her."

"I don't know exactly what happened," Naoko admitted. "We were patrolling and she suddenly stopped dead, as though someone had called her name. The next thing I knew she was haring off into the mountains, and I was struggling to follow her."

She clenched her fists, banging them down in frustration against the low slung pallet bed.

"That world is hard to adjust to," she muttered. "Following spirit vapour on the wind isn't as easy as it would be here. I felt her release her sword, but it was hard to pinpoint and so I got there too late to stop him attacking her."

She drew a heavy breath into his lungs.

"It's all academic now, though, I suppose. She's dead."

"You don't need to shut it out. You can't hide how you're feeling from me, so there's no need to try and be strong about it," Mitsuki said matter-of-factly.

"It's better than feeling empty and helpless," Naoko's hand drifted to her chest, her fingers spreading out pensively across her ribcage. "I haven't ever dealt with death head-on like that before…maybe that's why I feel so stifled here. I can breathe, but even though I can, it feels wrong. I can't explain it…it just feels wrong."

"Mm," Mitsuki moved her own hand to cover her friend's, extending her senses so that they penetrated all aspects of Naoko's body. "Your spirit is wrenched all over the place and unsettled, so I suppose that's why. I heard you released your sword…but you don't seem to have taken injury from it."

"No. He told me that he'd let me live," Naoko's words became bitter. "Something to do with my gall in facing him and it being a waste of good talent. He hid his real strength from me, and I didn't realise it until he started to turn his power back on my sword…I had to withdraw it in a hurry, and then he just laughed and left."

"That man is someone you shouldn't speak to, not ever again," Mitsuki said firmly. "Amai-san is only the latest in his line of victims, Naoko-chan…he's killed a lot of people, including some far stronger than you or I already."

"When I said his name to Yamamoto-kun and the others, their expressions changed. It was as if they knew," Naoko murmured. "Keitarou…said he was known to Ukitake-kun and that he and Kyouraku-kun had clashed as a result of that. I feel out of a loop somewhere…Kuchiki-kun was also attacked and that was connected to this?"

"The man who killed Amai-san is Aizen Keitarou, a man wanted by the Council for the assassination of Endou Shouichi and the creation of _reidoku_ poison," Mitsuki said quietly. "He's also the man who kidnapped Juushirou some winters back and almost saw to killing him by using him as a vessel for his magic. He's a very, very dangerous man – an exile from the Urahara who's said to be a genius but uses his skills for chaos and destruction instead of for good. That's the kind of man we're dealing with, Naoko – given that, I'm just relieved that you're alive."

"Aizen…Keitarou?" Naoko paled. "I didn't even…the name I've heard before, but so long ago, and I…"

"If you and I hadn't argued, maybe you'd have been better prepared," Mitsuki observed guiltily. "I wish healers had the power to see the future instead of just the ability to react to other people's pain. It'd be so much better preventing suffering than having to deal with it afterwards."

"I'm sorry that we fought like we did," Naoko's tones were soft. "I'm even more so considering that it's you who's sitting here with me. I don't really want to be alone...and you understand that, don't you? I don't have to say it, you just know. You're here at my side because of that, although I know you're worried about Kuchiki-kun as well."

"Ryuu's life isn't in any danger, now," Mitsuki shook her head. "He doesn't need me in a healing capacity, and as an anxious cousin I think I'd only get in his way. Besides, whether we argued or not doesn't change my instinct to help you. At the moment you need my help – so I'm here. I wouldn't leave you alone, not feeling this way."

"I see," Naoko sank back against her pillows, a tired look entering her grey-green eyes. "I wonder, you know, whether Suzuno understood the gamble she was taking. She chose to heal someone…and it struck me that a healer never really knows whether the person they choose to help will turn on them or not. The instinct is just there to help – isn't it? Suzuno wasn't foolish…she was smart and capable and good at what she did. Even despite that, she was taken off guard by someone else's pain and distress, and that instinct cost her her life."

Her gaze flitted towards Mitsuki.

"Would _you _do that? Do _you_ feel that? If someone is hurt, do you never wonder whether your help might actually bring you into danger?"

"I anticipate that my instincts will bring me into danger often, and it will become more dangerous as time goes by," Mitsuki said gravely. "The place where people most need healers is the heart of a battle zone – and in that situation, it's very easy to become vulnerable. I can use Kidou and I can defend myself, but it's against my nature to actively try to cause someone harm. I suppose the same was true for Amai-san. Whatever her reasons for helping Aizen…she probably felt that the need to stop his pain outweighed the danger it could pose to herself."

She sighed.

"A healer can't always read someone's intentions or nature, not if they're good at concealing their true thoughts," she added. "There are people like Juushirou who are like an open book, and then there are others who are closed and can't be broken into. Sometimes getting to know those people helps to break that barrier down – but in the case of treating a stranger, there's always a gamble involved. A healer has to be willing to face danger, Naoko. Some of us can fight, like Retsu-sama, if we have to - but many of us face danger with less means of defending ourselves. It means trusting in our ability to move quickly and in the support of others who can defend us if the danger arises."

"Suzuno didn't want me to leave her," Naoko's tears trickled silently down her cheeks once more, but Mitsuki was relieved to see that the hysteria had passed and instead it was raw grief now driving her friend's fragile emotions. "She knew I couldn't heal her, and she didn't want me to go for help. I think she knew she was going to die…and accepted it. She just didn't want to die alone."

"Then her wish was granted," Mitsuki said gently. "If that was Amai-san's decision, Naoko, then that's how it was. She _didn't_ die alone – she had a friend who loved her at her side and people who worried about her to the last. Yamamoto-kun was clearly very upset about things last night and so were Michihashi-kun and Souryou-kun. They were classmates of Amai-san's since First year – I think she'd have been happy that Yamamoto-kun insisted on tending to her himself even though he couldn't bring her back to life."

"She was…a very easy person to love," Naoko reached up to brush her tears away. "It would have been better for the Clan as a whole if I'd been the one killed."

"You shouldn't say things like that," Mitsuki grasped her companion by the shoulders, giving her a gentle shake. "Nobody would be happy if you died, and you shouldn't think they would be."

"No…but…instead of Suzuno, I meant," Naoko shook her head. "Suzuno was a proper healer with a future in the Clan squad and a lot of respect among the family. I…I don't fit in. I'm not a healer – my sword is in conflict with the ideals my people live by and I…they're never unkind to me, but I know I was sent here because of that reason."

She offered a sad, bittersweet smile.

"I understand you better than you think," she murmured. "You're a Kuchiki who doesn't fit into the Kuchiki Clan, and I'm an Unohana who doesn't fit into Fourth District either. I know what it feels like to hunt for your own path and to be knocked back or discouraged by the people around you. Being surrounded by empathic, peaceful people becomes trying after a while. I'm not saying the whole of the Unohana Clan is like that, but it's like missing a sense that they all have."

She sighed heavily.

"You have that sense, too," she added. "I never wanted to be a healer, but maybe now I envy you a little for having that skill."

"You always tried to protect me," Mitsuki reflected. "Was that because nobody protected you?"

"The Kuchiki are a much harsher Clan than the Unohana," Naoko responded simply. "They're more judgmental and more likely to alienate someone who isn't the same. You're also a healer, which makes you more sensitive to that rejection than most. Of course I looked to protect you…but I'm not sure it was anything to do with people protecting me."

She shrugged.

"My family may not, but I suppose there will be some in the Unohana Clan who secretly think it a shame that Suzuno died and not me," she added matter-of-factly. "I don't have a path beyond graduation…I suppose I imagined that you wouldn't have one either. I know it isn't easy to break into a different Clan or a different society…and I have thicker thorns than you do when it comes to other people and their remarks. You and Sora always took me along with you, even though I know you and she are closer and it's a bond I wouldn't try to break up. Perhaps I saw you as younger sisters and it was my duty to make sure you were both all right. You're a kind person, Mitsuki. You and Sora both are, but you especially. It's hard to forget the way people sometimes looked at you in the First year and how you pulled away from things and hid behind Sora and I. Now graduation is so close, I wasn't sure you'd cope with the reality of facing everything on your own. Healers absorb so much from other people…but maybe in some of this I'd forgotten that you're not an Unohana healer. You're a _Kuchiki_ one – it's not the same thing."

"Perhaps it isn't," Mitsuki acknowledged. "It's true that this last few months I've come to understand how Kuchiki I really am deep down inside. I don't think it's a bad thing to have feelings or loyalty towards that Clan, either – although I'm not like them, they are still my family."

"I feel the same about the Unohana," Naoko agreed.

"Retsu-sama wants me, too," Mitsuki continued. "When we graduate, she wants me in Fourth. She has plans for me already…and I'm almost certain I'll take her up on them if I have Guren-sama's blessing. I'm lacking in a lot of areas of training, but I have to start somewhere and if I refuse this chance there may never be another. Though it's a frightening path, Naoko, I understand that I can't be a Clan _hime_ like other Kuchiki _hime_ can. I don't want to get married, so it's all right if I feel how I do about Juushirou. I don't intend on marrying him either – for me, being a healer comes first."

"Maybe I'm starting to understand that," Naoko acknowledged, "but I hate that…that someone had to die…before I did."

"Amai-san's murder was Aizen Keitarou's doing. You're not to feel guilt for something that wasn't your fault. Retsu-sama's said that too," Mitsuki scolded her companion gently. "The Council are hunting him and with any luck they'll track him down. Then he can be punished for all the things he's done…and people like Amai-san won't have died in vain."

"I need to speak to the Council, don't I? I need to give them my evidence."

"Not for now. For now you need to rest," Mitsuki shook her head. "Nobody but Retsu-sama, Sensei and I are allowed to visit you, and Retsu-sama seems keen to keep Sensei away if she possibly can. Anything you want relayed, you can relay to us and we'll pass it along – when you're fitter, you can speak to who you like, but till then…"

She paused, offering a faint smile.

"Amai-san would prefer it that way, I think," she concluded. "She cared for you and she wouldn't have wanted you to suffer unnecessarily for her sake."

"I suppose she would," Naoko acknowledged. "All right. I suppose I couldn't do it right now without losing my composure completely."

"Nobody expects you to swallow your grief. It's better to work through it as it comes," Mitsuki advised.

"That's probably the thing that frightens me the most about it," Naoko sighed. "I can't look at it rationally at the moment, but I…I'll try."

She reached out a tentative hand to grasp Mitsuki's once more.

"Thank you for being here with me. I'm grateful. You didn't have to…given the last conversation we had, I thought that we'd never speak on terms again, but I guess I was wrong."

"I think…we both understand more than we did," Mitsuki said thoughtfully. "Maybe we have Amai-san to thank for that."

"Maybe we do," Naoko smiled through the tears that once more had begun to fall. "She would have liked that, I think. She kept urging me to talk to you and to try and see it from your point of view…I wouldn't listen, but I think she'd be satisfied if she knew her…if she knew that we had begun to talk as a result of…"

She faltered, and Mitsuki nodded her head, understanding the things her companion couldn't say.

"You should think about what kind of path you want to follow, too," she said quietly. "I'm resolved to being a healer – if Guren-sama will let me, I'll begin as soon as I graduate. You've already said you have no future in Fourth squad…maybe you need to consider speaking to Retsu-sama in the same vein."

"Maybe." Naoko conceded. "Probably I've been thinking that way too, only I've been afraid to actually do it. It's an admission that I don't and can't belong with the people who raised me…I suppose I'm guilty of imposing that thought onto you too."

"A little, perhaps," Mitsuki agreed, "but you still worried about me. And conversely, your interfering where Juushirou was concerned had a positive outcome too. I've spoken to him honestly and openly about everything – my plans, my feelings, and how we'll probably be parted come graduation, and he's accepted it as a good friend should. Having you looking out for me isn't entirely a bad thing…so long as you realise I'm not the child I was when I first came here, and I…I have my own mind."

"Are we friends again, then?"

"I would say so."

Mitsuki clasped Naoko's hand in hers, inwardly feeling relieved. "Sora will be happy when I tell her…but I'm glad too, to tell you the truth. I didn't think we'd find any common ground to meet on after the last conversation we had, but I don't really like being at odds with people. In a situation like this, too, we have real enemies to contend with. Fighting among ourselves is unhealthy and bad for team morale."

"This has become_ our_ fight as well, hasn't it?" Naoko rubbed her chest absently, settling herself more comfortably on her pillows. "It isn't just the Council's battle, but with last night, it's ours as well. I don't suppose that it's the last time we'll hear the name Aizen Keitarou."

"I don't suppose it will be," Mitsuki agreed with a sigh. "With any luck, though, our part in this particular conflict is over. Losing Amai-san is far too heavy a blow already…I hope that the Council can deal with it from this point on."

* * *

Juushirou made his way slowly along the corridor that led away from the Headmaster's office, his brow creased and his expression one of deep thought. It was a full day and night since their adventures in the Real World had led them to flee through the _Senkaimon_for safety in District One, and though all classes for the Senior year were still suspended, all around him the other students were still going about their scheduled lessons as though nothing at all had changed. That morning Genryuusai had summoned him, but their conversation had not dwelt on the subjects they had discussed the day before - instead the old man had advised him that both Naoko and Ryuu were doing well and that he was at liberty to tell the rest of the class that they were both expected to make a full recovery.

Of Suzuno had been said nothing.

For Juushirou, the past twenty four hours had been an ordeal. The death of one of his classmates had been hard enough to stomach, but although he was grieved for Suzuno's family, his mind had been drawn to quite another matter.

_Aizen Keitarou._

His eyes narrowed as he remembered the conversation in the forest.

_He came out of nowhere, and he didn't expect a fight. He thought he knew me well enough that he didn't have to defend himself in my presence - and he was right. He read me perfectly. Is that because he's a genius, or because part of his sword's power really is still sealed inside of me?_

He put a hand to his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his beating heart. After the battle in District Seven, he knew that the organ had been seared right through by the ghostly manifestation of Shunsui's _wakizashi _blade, and then restored to its full health by the gentle healing barriers of the girl who had since become an integral member of his family. Of the event in question he remembered nothing - from a conversation with Keitarou to waking up in the Endou manor there was nothing but a black empty space. He had never troubled himself about those memories before, but now, in light of Genryuusai's warning he found himself fearful of them, wondering what forbidden secrets that stretch of time might contain.  
_  
Enough to make Shunsui look that way and take his blade to someone else...?_

Juushirou sighed heavily, shaking his head as if to clear it. He didn't remember, and he wasn't going to fall into Keitarou's trap by trying to - that much he had resolved the moment the scientist had left the scene. Yet even though he had decided that, his mind still strayed to that past encounter, and with a jolt he realised that this too had been part of Keitarou's manipulative plan.  
_  
Out of sight, out of mind - but once drawn to mind, impossible to ignore._

Suzuno's death had made him realise that had really not known anything at all about the man who almost three years ago had lured him into the snows. Keitarou had told him everything and nothing with every conversation...and though Juushirou knew him capable of murder, he had not perceived that the scientist who had generally treated him with good humour and respect had the ruthlessness to slay an innocent girl who had simply strayed across his path.

_Was it because she went to heal him? If it was, that makes it twice as unforgivable._

Someone who could kill without a second thought...both he and Shikiki had spent time in that man's company, but in the end it had been Shunsui who had understood his ways the best.

He clenched his fists.

_I was naive again. Shunsui warned me, but I dismissed it. I knew Keitarou killed Hirata's grandfather, but Shouichi-sama was ruthless and did evil things, and so maybe in my mind I tempered that fact with the way Keitarou's family were treated by the Endou. That was still life and death, though. Sensei said as much to Enishi - a life is a life, and that it makes no difference what kind of life that is. Keitarou was capable of killing for personal gain. Probably Shouichi-sama's death also served as personal gain - even if there was an element of revenge in that action._

_I need to learn from this. I must learn from it! In the Gotei, I won't have Shunsui always there to watch my back. He'll have his own things to see to running Eighth._

_I think...he's ready for that. From how they spoke in Sensei's office, it's as though Genryuusai-sensei also sees things that way, whereas I'm still a long way from the mark. What was that about Shunsui's sword as a future concern? What has Sensei entrusted to Shunsui that he hasn't told me? Maybe it's simply a case that Shunsui's past makes him more able to clearly see the future...but...I don't want to always be the protected instead of the one who protects._

"Anideshi?"

At the sound of the girl's voice, Juushirou paused, turning to gaze quizzically at the anxious junior student who out of nowhere had appeared in his slipstream. Books clasped tightly to her chest, and her blue eyes big with consternation was Kaoru, Shunsui's young _deshi _who had helped to rescue his sword that night he had faced the storm. Remembering that evening made Juushirou realise how little time had truly passed since the start of the Senior year, but the way he felt right then it could have been an entire lifetime ago.

"Anideshi, can I speak to you, please?"

Kaoru's expression was apprehensive, and Juushirou was sure that she could tell from his body language that although he had physically returned to the school, mentally he was a long way away from it. However, something in the girl's appeal forced himself to manage a faint smile, nodding his head and leaning up against the wall of the corridor.

"You may," he agreed quietly. "What's troubling you, Nagasata-san? Are you looking for Shunsui? If so, I don't imagine he'll be around to train with you today or tomorrow - we've only just come back from our assignment, and..."

"It wasn't that," Kaoru cut across him, shaking her head hastily. "I know you're all very busy, and...but..."

She faltered, chewing on her lip, and Juushirou eyed the young girl keenly.

"What's on your mind, then?" he asked curiously. "If it's something you need to report, probably you should take it to one of the staff."

"No...no," Kaoru shook her head again, clearly unsure about how to word her next question. "It's just...I...when you came back from the...your mission..."

She trailed off again, fingering a loose lock of dark hair absently between her fingers.

"People are saying someone was killed in the Real World," she whispered. "Did a Hollow...was it really...is it true?"

"Who told you that?" Juushirou only just managed to keep the sharpness from his tones, and Kaoru flinched back.

"It's not my business," she admitted, her cheeks flushing red. "My friend Sakura-san heard Souryou-senpai and Michihashi-senpai talking about it. She shouldn't have heard anything, but Sakura-san likes Souryou-senpai, and she thought he seemed upset."

"I see," Juushirou sighed, rubbing his temples. "Listen, Nagasata-san. Until a formal announcement is made, you shouldn't run around asking questions. I don't know exactly what your friend heard, but I...I'm not going to discuss the Real World with anyone until I have leave to do so. Understand?"

"Y...yes," Kaoru hugged her books more tightly. "I...I know that it's not my place to ask any of this. Just I saw...Kyouraku-senpai a little while ago. He was...in the gardens and he was by himself. Well, he had his swords...laid out on the grass, like he was...I don't know what he was doing. I don't think he was training...and he seemed...really sad."

She stifled a shiver.

"It's cold outside," she added. "I thought about going up to him, but he...didn't seem to want any company. I don't think he even knew I was there. I haven't seen him like that before, and so I suppose I was worried...about him. Did something happen to Kyouraku-senpai in the real world?"

At the earnest expression in his junior's eyes, Juushirou's gaze softened and he rested his hands lightly on her shoulders.

"Shunsui would probably be happy to know you're worried about him," he said gently. "There's no need, though. He didn't take any harm from our trip. On the contrary, he was...his skills were very useful."

"Really?" Kaoru looked doubtful. "That's not how he looked. His face was...as though something bad had happened."

"Mm," Juushirou crossed the hallway to the window, leaning against the sill as he gazed out across the grounds. Sure enough, in the empty expanse of green he caught sight of a flash of white and blue and he frowned, knowing that his companion had been right.

_Worrying about me? Worrying about Amai-san's death? Worrying about Keitarou's next move? Kaoru's perceptive. I wonder if she read the change in your aura because she's so used to training with you, or because you've become more than just a shishou where she's concerned._

He turned back to face her.

"Shunsui works things through in his own way and his own time. He doesn't talk about things unless he feels that he needs to, and most of the time he prefers not," he said evenly. "That's what I've learned about him from four and a half years as his friend. Whether something's on his mind or not, neither you nor I will get it out of him until he's ready. Try not to worry too much, Nagasata-san. Unlike you or I, he has the burden of the Kyouraku Clan's shinigami squad in his future, and so he can't afford not to take things seriously from time to time."

"Maybe," Kaoru sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "I know he's an important person...but Anideshi, when he's training with me, he never acts like that. He's always friendly and he always explains everything if I don't understand, no matter how stupid I might be. I know I'm only a Fourth year, but I'd like...he's helped me so much so far, and I wanted...if he was all right..."

She trailed off, her cheeks pinkening, and despite the situation, Juushirou offered her a rueful smile.

"Then I promise you I'll talk to him, and make sure all is well," he said evenly. "All right? I'll tell him that he shouldn't cause his students such concern - you've plenty of your own things to be focusing on without that."

"Thank you," Kaoru's cheeks reddened further, but relief flickered in her eyes and she bowed her head, thick tail of dark hair falling over her shoulder. "I know it's silly, but I didn't like it, seeing him looking sad."

With that surprising statement she turned on her heel, fleeing down the corridor, and Juushirou's lips pressed together pensively as he interpreted her words.

_Shunsui's capable of being a leader and a teacher. He's capable of inspiring devotion of that level in a junior that before this year he didn't even know. He's capable of reading things that I can't read into situations and yet he's always patient with my idiocy when I race on ahead and don't see trouble coming. Even now..._

His gaze flitted back to the window.

_He said that he was going to do some private training with Katen Kyoukotsu and I didn't think anything of it - truthfully, I suppose I wasn't wanting to. We've all had so much on our minds since coming back that we're all going to deal with it in our own ways. I wonder if what Sensei said is something to do with this as well. Did I drag up painful memories for him by talking so carelessly about that fight in the snow? I really don't know what kind of impact that had on him, but if it was enough to make him hate Keitarou that much..._

Resolution flickered in his hazel eyes.

_I'll go talk to him. I should have done it already, but I haven't. Since we spoke to Sensei, both of us have avoided the issue – but no more._

His mind made up, he turned on his heel, heading away from the stairs that led to the Senior annexe and instead pushing open the doors that led out into the school grounds. A bitter wind whipped through his body as he stepped outside, but he paid it no attention, hurrying instead along the winding pathway that led to the furthermost expanse of green. In the summer, most of this area would be covered in students of all ages as they made the most of the good weather, but once autumn had taken hold District One was a less pleasant place to spend time outside in, and Juushirou suppressed a shiver, hugging his _hakamashita_ to his body as he took a short cut through a patch of trees to where he knew his friend was.

As he pushed his way through a particularly dense thicket, something else assailed his senses and he paused, resting his hand against a tree as he tried to place the sensation. It had been familiar, raw and determined...but try as he might he could not place it.

Shunsui momentarily forgotten, he slipped through the woodland and out the other side, glancing all around him for any sign of company. At first he saw nothing, but then he caught the glint of silver in the hazy sunlight as a distinctive blade came flying through the undergrowth, embedding itself in the tree that stood right ahead of him.

Juushirou stopped dead, his heart skipping a beat at how close it had come to shearing through the flesh of his ear, and as he struggled to regain his composure he heard the sound of footsteps. Instinctively tensing, he swung around, surprise glittering in his hazel eyes as he registered the source of the noise.

"Yamamoto...kun?"

"_Ukitake?_" Akira's eyes narrowed, and he let out a sigh. "What are you doing here? Are you trying to be target practice for my weapons? I came all the way out here so as nobody would disturb me."

"Why are you throwing short-swords around anyway?" Juushirou was indignant. "That could've impaled me - haven't we had enough blood shed already this week?"

"You shut up!"

Before Juushirou knew what was happening, a thick fist had grasped itself around the collar of his _hakamashita_, and he found himself pushed bodily up against the broad trunk of the tree, Akira's free hand retrieving the embedded weapon with a determined tug. "That kind of comment only proves exactly why you - and those like you - are never going to be ready for the Gotei."

"Why?" Juushirou shoved his classmate away, rubbing his throat as he stifled the urge to cough. "Because I don't think throwing weapons around school grounds is a good idea?"

"I wasn't throwing anything! The blade slipped my grip, that's all," Akira bristled. "I told you - I came this far out so that nobody would get in my way. I didn't ask for a self-righteous lecture on what is and isn't a good idea in school grounds, _Anideshi_!"

"Then keep a better hold on your blades!" Juushirou shot back. "You of all people should realise that everything is every which way right now!"

"Better than you do," Akira spat out. "You barely even knew her...you have no idea whatsoever."

"She was my classmate, and so I care," Juushirou said flatly. "I didn't have to be close to her to be bothered or upset by it. In the circumstances, though, I don't suppose Sensei would approve of you throwing your swords around, whether accidentally or on purpose. That being the case..."

"This isn't about what's acceptable at school, damn you!" Akira's reiatsu prickled around his body, his eyes full of frustration and anger. "This isn't about the Academy! You don't understand, do you? This place is no more safe than anywhere else when it comes to a war!"

"A...war?" Juushirou's brows knitted together.

"You're not so foolish as to assume it's over, are you?" Akira rammed the_ tanken_ into its sheath, folding his arms across his chest. "You're not going to tell me we're just students, and so this doesn't concern us? You won't make me listen, if all you're going to tell me is that we ought to leave things like this to the grown ups and mind our own business. We're _not _children now, Ukitake. The Real World trip was proof of that."

"I don't think I ever said that we were," Juushirou said indignantly. "Don't talk to me as though all I know of the Clans is what I've learned within these walls, Yamamoto-kun! I'm not your social equal and I won't ever pretend to be, but I'm your academic equal - and I understand better than you think everything that's going on!"

"Really?" Akira snorted. "I find it hard to believe. If you did, you'd be here training with your sword too. If you knew, you'd be prepared. You'd know that it's far from over. Suzuno's death isn't going to be shoved under the carpet. Things haven't finished yet."

"I know that just as well as you do!" Juushirou exclaimed. "No, maybe I know it _better _than you do! You say I barely knew Amai-san, and it's true. I never did know her, not like you and Souryou-kun and Michihashi-kun knew her. But I _do _know things that you don't know. I've never believed that the Academy, or District One, or any of that is safe from danger. On the contrary, I know that it's not. The enemy that Seireitei are hunting down is the kind of enemy who strikes where he wants to strike and takes no prisoners when he does."

"Self-righteous and stubborn," Akira growled. "Get lost, will you? You're not going to waste my time with another of your idealistic lectures on how the world should be."

"Training with your sword is a waste of time too."

"What the hell makes you think that?" Akira snorted. "Swords are our main weapons. If we don't have those..."

"The enemy we face is one who uses his brains, not his sword," Juushirou spoke softly, a weary note in his voice. "I know that better than anybody, Yamamoto-kun. I know this enemy better than you do. You can train as much as you like, but you won't take his life that way. You'll not avenge Amai-san's death by wielding your blade in his face."

"What do you think you know?" Akira demanded, reaching out to grasp Juushirou by the wrist, and Juushirou sighed, carefully prising his classmate's grip free.

"I've met him," he said in level tones, "three years ago, in District Eight. And again the other night, when he came to find me in the Real World."

_"What?"_ Akira's eyes became wide with disbelief, and Juushirou nodded.

"Aizen Keitarou is our enemy," he murmured. "His weapon is truth. He told me so himself. He doesn't use a sword to hurt people. He uses his intelligence to fool them instead. Your sword skills are already above his, Yamamoto-kun - but facing him as you are...just like this...it won't avenge Amai-san. More than that...killing Keitarou won't bring her back."

"Why would a District student know anything about a Clan exile?" Akira's expression became one of confusion. "That doesn't make sense, no matter how you look at it."

"I know for exactly that reason," Juushirou offered his classmate a cold smile. "Three years ago, on the night of Kyouraku Tokutarou's wedding, Aizen Keitarou manipulated Hirata's sister and used her as bait to lure me into his grasp. He wanted to use me to fight his battles with, because I'm District and not Clan and yet I have this."

He brushed his fingers against the hilt of Sougyo no Kotowari.

"He hates the Clans, but he doesn't hate strength," he added sadly. "I was a shinigami without noble protection – so he thought – and so he decided that he could make me his weapon. I didn't want to, so once he tried to force me to obey him with abilities of his _zanpakutou_'s release. Using it's manipulative power, he made me fight Shunsui in the snows of District Seven. Shunsui came away with a shattered arm, and I very nearly died."

His gaze flitted in the direction from which Shunsui's uneven aura was coming, and he sighed heavily.

"I don't remember anything about that fight, but Shunsui does," he murmured. "I'm not sure what other damage he took from it, not really, but I know that because of it he's determined to take Keitarou down. In the Real World, neither he nor I knew Ryuu was in danger because Keitarou accosted me and Shunsui got in his way. Shunsui wounded him...and for that reason...maybe..."

"Suzuno was murdered," Akira's eyes darkened with anger. "Suzuno went to heal someone, and instead she met with the devil - that's what you're saying?"

"I'm saying that I understand the gravity of what's at stake," Juushirou said simply. "Shunsui isn't to blame for Amai-san's death, but whether it did or didn't happen that way, I know he'll feel some responsibility for it. He'll remember the fight in the snow, and it'll hurt him. I don't like that, especially knowing that Keitarou came after our class for two reasons. He didn't come to kill Amai-san or to bring Shikibu-san down. He came to kill Ryuu, and he came to take me captive again. He failed in both objectives...so he'll almost certainly come again."

A hollow smile touched his lips.

"Ryuu and I are both currently at the Academy," he concluded. "Why would I ever believe this to be a safe place?"

Akira was quiet for a long time, then,

"All of that is true?"

Juushirou inclined his head forward.

"All of it," he said gravely. "I'll swear to it on Sougyo's blade if you like – everything I've said to you is the truth."

He sighed heavily.

"Sensei would probably be cross with me for telling you any of it," he reflected. "He doesn't like us talking about Keitarou even between ourselves. With Amai-san's death, though, it's no longer something that can be kept secret. Just like three years ago, it's moved beyond a point where ignorance can protect people. On the contrary, ignorance can kill people…I understand that far too well, and Amai-san's death seems to be further proof of that fact."

"Ignorance is dangerous, but further training is pointless?" Akira frowned. "If I believe you at your word, your combat logic still doesn't add up."

"Aizen Keitarou's sword possesses Bankai," Juushirou said frankly. "He used that Bankai once to make Endou Shouichi-sama kill himself, and once to make me attack Shunsui. You probably consider yourself above me in terms of ability, but whether you can honestly say you're superior to an experienced leader of a Clan is probably another matter."

He sighed.

"Keitarou can't just leave things as they are, either," he added. "I have something he wants, and therefore he probably won't leave me alone until he reclaims it. The last thing I want is for people to get in his way by behaving hot-headedly and trying to take revenge. I've done enough hot-headed things in my time here and none of them have ever ended up as I thought. Normally they result in burdening people I care about. There are a lot of things I believe in doing or changing and maybe you're right when you call me idealistic – I don't want to lose that, because it's part of who I am and my reason for holding this sword. That said, though, I understand things other people don't where Keitarou is concerned…knowing those things means that I don't want to see other people dragged into his spider's web."

"You have something he wants?" Akira was nonplussed, and Juushirou nodded, rubbing his hand absently across his chest.

"Apparently," he agreed. "Something I wasn't even aware I had until all of this began, and something I don't know how to give back, even if it was safe for me to try and do so."

He groaned, rubbing his brows.

"If this is a war, we're involved in it. Some of us were before we even knew it," he said softly. "Amai-san was a friend of yours and I understand her death has hurt you. I also know that in the Real World you helped Kai and you were a good group leader...you're a good shinigami and I won't speak against your ability. What you don't know is Keitarou, and just because you and I don't get along, it doesn't mean I want to see you his next unwitting victim. Amai-san didn't know what to expect and paid with her life. I don't want anyone else to do the same."

Akira did not speak for a moment, apparently digesting this. A long silence followed, and Juushirou was about to call it quits and return to his earlier errand when his classmate spoke.

"Suzuno's death happened on my watch," he said quietly. "It's not my fault, but as group leader I take some responsibility for not bringing everyone back alive."

"I know," Juushirou looked surprised. "That's why you're training now, isn't it? I would be the same."

"Then you know it's pointless to tell me to keep out of it."

"I know that, too," Juushirou agreed.

"Then you might as well save your breath," Akira muttered. "I'm a Yamamoto of First degree and this is my family's land. Anything that happens here is more of an insult to me and my family than it even affects you or yours. That's the part you don't understand. I couldn't do anything in the Real World – nobody could. But if he comes here…"

"Sensei hasn't trained you so that you can kill yourself recklessly chasing up family pride," Juushirou's words were scathing, and despite himself Akira paused in his tracks. "If you think your skills are cheap enough that it's worth you dying in order to use them, then be my guest – but it won't do you or your family any good if you get slashed to pieces before you even graduate."

"Suzuno is _dead_, dammit!" Akira growled, anger flaring in his dark eyes once more and he lunged for Juushirou's throat again. This time, however, the District boy had anticipated him and he neatly side-stepped out of the way.

"Amai-san was a gentle person. Everyone says that," he said quietly. "Do you think she'd be happy if you killed yourself trying to avenge her?"

"That's neither here nor there. The truth is…"

"The truth is that you can't undo what's been done," Juushirou said frankly. "There's no point in throwing your life away simply for the sake of pride."

"You're wrong," Akira let out a heavy sigh, his anger fading as he sank back against the tree trunk. "That's what makes you an idealist, Ukitake. Fighting in this world has no meaning unless there's something driving you forward. If you have something to protect, then you'll fight to protect it. You'll kill to protect it and you'll die to protect it – that's what Sensei's been teaching us, even if you don't understand that yet. Your sword is designed to protect souls from Hollows and you've used it to do that already, but it's also designed to protect other people. Their lives, your life – it doesn't really make a difference. In a combat situation, you have to know what you're fighting for. If you have no reason to fight, that's when you die."

"What's your point?" Juushirou looked quizzically back at his companion. "So far I don't disagree with you, but that's still a long way from…"

"You have to learn the difference between fighting to protect lives and fighting to protect honour," Akira cut across him. "Protecting lives is one thing – but protecting honour isn't just about self-gratification. It's about everything…everyone around you, too. Sometimes you fight so as you don't let down your comrades. Sometimes you fight in order to help them keep heart – especially if you're in a position of authority where they look to you for that lead. Sometimes there's nothing left to do but fight…to defend the honour of something worth defending. You can't tell me you'd never fight to protect someone's honour, can you? Your District family surely aren't so low born they don't know what that is?"

"Don't say bad things about my family!" Juushirou's brows knitted together and he felt his fingers curl around the hilt of his sword. "Insult me if you like, I'm the one intruding on your Clan space with my District values – but leave them out of it. You know nothing about them, so don't bring them into your rhetoric about how wars are fought!"

"There. You did that without my saying anything more," Akira gestured to Juushirou's hand with a shrug. "You'll fight to defend their honour. You just don't understand that sometimes it's the only thing left to fight for."

"I…" Juushirou's anger faded and he gazed at his right hand pensively, loosening its hold from around Sougyo no Kotowari's hilt.

"I would," he admitted. "I just…would rather fight to protect their lives."

"So would everyone who takes up a blade," Akira said frankly. "Sometimes, though, it's not possible."

His expression became sad, and with a jolt Juushirou understood the things his classmate had left unsaid.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "You were…fonder of Amai-san than just as a classmate, weren't you?"

Akira flinched, and then he sighed, shrugging his shoulders helplessly.

"All I can do is fight to defend her honour," he said evenly. "That's all that's left. She probably wouldn't like it, but she'd probably expect it of me all the same. We never spoke about it, but she knew…"

He paused, seemingly realising who he was speaking to, and he shook his head as if to clear it.

"My sword is my strength, and I have no other way to get stronger," he said matter-of-factly. "As a shinigami, I'll fight for Seireitei. As a Yamamoto, I'll defend this land. And as a student of the Academy, I'll avenge Suzuno's honour. That's my resolve, Ukitake. I don't know anything about this enemy, not like you seem to do. But I know he's someone I won't forgive, so if he crosses my path I won't step back and let him go by. You understand that, don't you? If not, maybe you should ask Kyouraku…from what you said about it, he does."

"I understand," Juushirou nodded his head thoughtfully. "I don't think it's something you should be doing alone, though. As students of the Academy, we shouldn't compete or worry about status. You and I especially…aren't we fighting on the same team? We don't have to like each other or agree with each other, but we do both want a stable and peaceful Seireitei, right? That's one area we _can_ both agree on, so we should focus on that and put everything else aside. There are now twelve members of Senior Class, Yamamoto-kun. In order that those twelve graduate and go on to bolster the Gotei, let's work together from hereon in."

He hesitated for a moment, then he held out his hand, and Akira stared at it in surprise. Then he snorted, reaching out to grab it roughly in his own paw.

"I don't like you and I probably never will," he said gruffly, "but I hate the person who killed Suzuno even more. I won't forgive them, Ukitake. If you don't forgive them either, that makes us allies. This may not be directly our war yet, but we're on the fringes of it being and there's a chance that things could still happen. If the Council can't stop it now, in the future it'll be up to us to do. So we should do it. All of us."

His eyes narrowed, and he released his grasp.

"That said, don't expect me to fight with you unless the person we're fighting figures higher on my hitlist than you do," he added acerbically. "I still owe you for that fluke fight at the start of term, and I don't forget things like that very easily."

"Fine, but we won't have a rematch," Juushirou responded levelly. "You can take it as a fluke win on my part, or a cheat, or anything – I don't care. I suddenly don't feel like fighting with you at all any more, Yamamoto-kun."

A small smile touched his lips.

"So long as we're both on the same side when it comes to danger, I don't suppose I even mind if you hate me. If I know you won't be trying to slash through me from behind in battle, I guess it's all right to leave it like that."

"Likewise," Akira returned. "It's not my habit to tackle things from behind."

"Mine either," Juushirou acknowledged.

"Then we understand each other," Akira observed. "I won't ever acknowledge you as Anideshi, Ukitake. I won't ever consider you my equal in birth or ability and I certainly won't pander to you the way other people seem to…it's not my style. But I will acknowledge you have skill and that you probably are of use to the Gotei. Therefore I'll accept you as my classmate…but nothing more."

With that he was gone, turning his heel and disappearing in the direction of the school.

Juushirou watched him go, a thoughtful look on his face.

Though they had far from made friends, he still felt that something important had been resolved between them that morning.

_It's all right if people don't always like me. Mitsuki's said it, Shunsui has…In'you said it too. I had to get my head around it, but in a sense I'm relieved that Yamamoto-kun and I have reached this kind of an accord. Being disliked is fine…being distrusted is a bigger problem. I'm learning the difference between the two. From hereon in I'll probably work with many people I don't necessarily like, and doubtless there'll be some who won't like me. However, if I can trust that they're fighting for the same things I am, that won't matter. Yamamoto-kun is trustworthy, even if he's not someone I can befriend. In the aftermath of the Real World mission, that's sort of reassuring._

He coughed, realising how cold it still was.

_Standing still for a period of time isn't good in this weather. I'll be useless to everyone if I pick up a chill._

"What are you doing?"

Shunsui's voice startled him and he turned, offering a sheepish grin.

"Looking for you," he responded. "I understood you were outside doing something with swords – Nagasata-san was worried about you."

"Kaoru-chan was?" Shunsui looked surprised. "When was she outside? I didn't see her at all."

"She said you didn't notice her," Juushirou nodded, falling into step with his friend. "She worried you were upset about something. I didn't tell her anything about the Real World, because Sensei hasn't given us leave to – but it made me decide to speak to you on her behalf. I was concerned you might be worrying about me and what Keitarou said to me, among other things."

"You came out in the freezing cold to make sure I was all right?" Shunsui snorted. "If you were worried I was concerned about you, why the heck are you out here with no cloak on? Idiot."

He grimaced, removing his own heavy cloak from his shoulders and tossing it at his friend. "There. Put that on, else you'll take sick and I'll get yelled at for dragging you out in the murky weather. You look blue around the edges...some things never change."

"I suppose I should've brought my cloak out," Juushirou conceded, wrapping the thick fabric around his shoulders with an appreciative grin. "It was a spur of the moment thing, though, and I didn't expect to be out here so long."

"Was I so hard to find?"

"No, but I got a little sidetracked by Yamamoto-kun," Juushirou pulled the cloak tightly around his thin body. "Aren't you cold?"

"I'm fine. I'm a lot sturdier than you are when it comes to cold," Shunsui assured him. "You surely didn't come all the way out here to ask me that."

"No…" Juushirou faltered, then, "About Keitarou…what he said about my memories and the fight in the snow…"

"I really would rather not regurgitate that particular experience, either in my mind or yours," Shunsui said pragmatically. "You know that, though, right?"

"I do," Juushirou agreed. "I should've realised how much it still bothered you – if it was the other way around, I know it would still bother me."

"Mm. So?" Shunsui eyed him keenly. "What about it, then?"

"I don't remember anything about that fight and I don't intend on trying to," Juushirou said slowly. "There's no guarantee that Keitarou was right, but even if he was…I'm not going to fall into his trap. I won't ever be his puppet again, Shunsui. If I had any doubts before, Amai-san's murder has cast them all away. Keitarou is someone who can't ever be trusted, not by me, not by Shikiki, not by anyone at all. Probably not by Eiraki-hime, either, in the final analysis. I won't let him toy with me a second time."

He paused, chewing on his lip.

"I don't like your sword's shadow technique," he added, "but if having it helps you to deal with what happened in District Seven, I won't say any more bad things about it. Not even if you use it…to do things that I might not like."

"Ah, that," Shunsui slipped his hands into the folds of his _obi_, casting his friend a rueful smile. "Why do you suppose I trained for it in secret? I didn't expect you'd like it."

"In secret..." Juushirou's brows knitted together, then, "Hang on. You wouldn't have done this during the night, would you?"

"Yeah," Shunsui agreed. "It wasn't a case of not being able to sleep - I just had other things to do."

He shrugged.

"My grades slipped but Sensei overlooked it because it was for Katen's sake," he said gravely. "I wasn't going to tell you this either, but since we're talking like this, I will. Sensei's said to me that my sword...probably has the potential to fight Keitarou's on even grounds. He warned me against using it yet, but I got stupid and didn't listen to him because you were in danger, so there's no way of knowing how much that man understands about my _zanpakutou_. The fact that I was able to take him off guard like I was indicates that Sensei might be right, though. In the future, for Seireitei's sake, it might be my duty to take him down."

He sighed.

"I don't like that any more than you do," he admitted. "If it gets him away from you and from hurting other people I care about like Hirata and Ryuu, then that's fine. I won't make a secret of the fact I hate him, either - more than I've ever hated anyone, I expect. Resigning myself to killing him, though, that's still a long way off. I know I'm capable of doing it - or I maybe will be, in the future. Actually having to do it...is probably going to take its toll."

"Sensei said that, huh," Juushirou rubbed his chin pensively. "He has high expectations of you...Keitarou's strong."

"He is," Shunsui acknowledged. "That can be a weakness too, though. He didn't expect my attack, and I could have probably killed him there and then, if I'm honest. My aim and Seibara's resolve are both quite reliable."

"Yet you didn't," Juushirou realised. Shunsui nodded.

"I'm not ready to kill someone in cold blood yet," he said matter-of-factly. "It doesn't really fit with my character to go around assassinating from the shadows. I'm not a Shihouin, I'm a Kyouraku. I'd rather not be the one who ends up dispatching him...even more so because I realise it's probably not something I can do yet. Maybe with time, I'll find the mindset to do it and not take harm from it. Right now though that's hopeless. All I remember is our fight in the snow...and I get frightened that I'll somehow become inured to doing things like that."

"I don't think that's possible," Juushirou said thoughtfully. "You're not that way inclined by nature, and it would take a lot to change that. You've said many times how much you hate Keitarou, yet though you had the chance to kill him, you didn't. Maybe the Council will take him and it won't ever become our fight...you never know."

"Do you believe Sensei would've said that to me about my sword if he thought it would end that easily?" Shunsui asked. Juushirou shook his head.

"No," he admitted. "I'm prepared for it to be our fight in the future too. I'm going to hope, though, that that doesn't happen. Call me idealistic if you like, but I don't think it's wrong to hope for better things to happen."

"I really was right on the ball, wasn't I, when I chose the snowdrop as your family insignia," Shunsui laughed despite himself. "Hope sums you up better than any other word...except maybe idiot. That one's a pretty good match too."

"Hey," Juushirou glared. "You're one to talk - I could pin 'layabout' on you just as easily."

"I don't really mind," Shunsui reflected. "There are worse things to be labelled, and that one's at least true."

He sent Juushirou a warm smile.

"We should go inside, and you should take a hot bath before any of the staff see how blue you are," he advised. "They're distracted at the moment, but it won't last forever."

"Probably," Juushirou agreed. "I shouldn't have come out like this, but I wanted you to know that you don't need to worry about what happened before happening again. Keitarou himself said he thought Sougyo no Kotowari was an equal to his sword even if I wasn't ready to use it to that level yet. He may be an evil manipulator, but he does tell the truth quite a lot, too. If he's right about that, Sougyo and I have a lot of work to do. The only thing that I'll take from that conversation with him is the belief my sword and I can be a lot stronger and can protect a lot more people. I'll protect myself too, Shunsui. It'll probably take me longer than it will you to reach the limits of my _zanpakutou_ because of my health, but I'll get there all the same. Perhaps Sougyo isn't the kind of sword who can take Keitarou down - I don't know yet. However, if the time comes when you and your sword have to make that choice, hopefully I'll be there with you and it won't be something you have to do alone."

"You realise you're trying to reassure me by making a pact over one day maybe killing a person," Shunsui said dryly, and Juushirou nodded soberly.

"I am," he agreed. "I don't like it either, so hopefully that day won't come. Just, I wanted you to know that if it did, I'd be with you. Whether you wanted me to be or not, Keitarou is more my enemy than he is yours, now. I won't forgive him for killing Amai-san, nor for making me do things to hurt you, nor for stealing away Hirata's sister and brainwashing her to his ideas."

"You really don't believe there's any redemption where he's concerned now, then?"

"No. I don't," Juushirou shook his head. "Right now I'll say to you what I said to Yamamoto-kun, too - nobody should try and fight this battle or this person alone. Therefore I won't let you fight him alone, whether now or in the future. We're a team, aren't we?"

"Team Stupid. Yes," Shunsui nodded, amused. "All right, I get it. Probably that's how it should be, anyway."

He ran his fingers over the end of Amaki's hilt.

"I've said it before, but I really don't think it's coincidence that the only two people with twin _zanpakutou_ in the whole of Soul Society should be classmates or friends," he added. "Whatever the reason for it, I don't think it was an accident. I really believe we get along so well because of Sougyo and Katen being how they are...and probably that's why I was able to trust you right from the start. I'm a suspicious-minded loner, whether you believe it or not - but I'm not suspicious of you, so it's important to me to make sure nothing bad happens to you."

"I know," Juushirou nodded. "I'm not going anywhere, though. Nor is Sougyo. Whatever the future holds, I'll fight to hold my own and we'll face things together. All right?"

"All right," Shunsui nodded, patting his companion on the shoulder. "Now let's get inside before we both get yelled at!"

* * *

For Guren it felt as though reality had suddenly become sucked into some kind of surreal nightmare.

The apparition let out a tremendous shriek, the sound sending vibrations of toxic energy surging through the atmosphere. In the ruins of the west wing, surviving beams juddered and gave way, sending plaster, wood and stone tumbling to the ground and creating clouds of dust through which the creature's glowing yellow eyes seemed all the more vicious. Guren's heart stilled in his chest as the monster swivelled its gaze around the scene of devastation, locking those horrific eyes on him as the last one standing in the wake of his spiritual assault.

"Seiren?"

He whispered the word now, only half-aware that he was speaking aloud as the spectre took a slow step towards him and then another, its grotesque, cracked mask glinting slightly in the hazy autumn sun. Despite himself, Guren took a step back. Head of the Kuchiki Clan he might be, with the pride and honour of the most influential Noble family at his beck and call, but in that instant the only emotion his brain could process was fear…fear strong enough to make him turn tail and flee.

The creature opened its jaws again, emitting another blood-curdling screech of defiance and despair and Guren flinched as the unpleasant sound etched itself into his soul. His sword lay forgotten at his feet, the _zanpakutou's_ spirit clawing at his senses as though trying to make contact but it was as though the head of the Kuchiki no longer clearly understood how to speak the weapon's language and its cries went unheeded. Guren's entire attention was focused on the beast that stood before him – not quite Hollow, not quite man.

Yet although the creature's face was mostly concealed by the white mask, Guren knew that this was his brother.

Seiren seemed confused too by Guren's presence, for he hesitated, the glittering golden eyes surveying his companion as if trying to decide whether he was a friend or a foe. There was no recognition in the creature's gaze, but for a brief period there was a lull in the bitter waves of unfettered _reiryoku_, and, as the oppressive flood of dark energy ceased to pour into his senses, Guren managed to drag his thoughts back into coherent order, hurriedly assessing the situation that now faced him across the ruined estate.

One glance at Futsuki's still body told him that there was little likelihood of this brother coming to consciousness any time soon, and a quick sweep of the grounds indicated that anybody in the immediate vicinity of Seiren's poisoned offensive was now similarly laid out on the ground, their weak senses no match for such a powerful level of spiritual energy. Guren alone had withstood it – but only just, and as he bent cautiously to retrieve his weapon, he thanked his father from the bottom of his heart for teaching him so remorselessly how to face oppressive reiatsu.

_Did you expect a day like this would come, Otousama? I wonder if you did. Still, even you could not have forseen…_

His fingers closed around the _zanpakutou_'s carved hilt once more, his gaze never leaving Seiren's masked face as he struggled to distance himself from the situation and think rationally as a Gotei Captain should.

_Shibata said that there was a bright light._

His eyes narrowed as he digested this, fixing his gaze on his opponent and trying to see him not as his blood kin, but as an enemy about whom he cared nothing.

The stifling shockwaves of dense _reiryoku _were still causing the few surviving parts of the west wing structure to judder and vibrate, cracks searing through the plaster and sending occasional showers of dust onto the ruins beneath. Seiren's body was pulsing with reiatsu of a high frequency, intense enough to shatter through stone and splinter wood from some distance away. An explosion of this kind of spirit power would be enough to bring down part of a manor house…the miracle was that it had not destroyed more.

Guren's gaze darted briefly towards the surviving east wing, faint relief in his heart as he realised that that part of the building at least had so far escaped the spiritual onslaught.

_Shouko was right. Seiren did blow up the manor – although without a doubt it wasn't his intention. Shibata said Aizen came to this place, but what if he did not come here to kill my brother? What if his reason for coming was more sinister – to use his dark wiles to make a monster and have him face me down where he himself dared not? Seiren has no spiritual power of his own – against a manipulator like Aizen, he would have been helpless._

His heart froze in his chest at this thought.

_Seiren was hiding something from me. He told me to discard him, and that he wouldn't come near the court. What if he knew that this was going to happen? Aizen might have been here before, and maybe Seiren's been fighting it all alone all of this time. But why wouldn't he tell me? Have we become so distant that he could not confide in me something as serious as this?_

He shook his head in frustration, and the apparition cocked his masked visage to one side, observing his companion's movements intently.

_Regardless of that, this reiryoku is enough to knock a shinigami of my calibre back, and render one of Futsuki's completely unconscious. Is Aizen capable of creating that kind of a monster?_

His eyes widened.

_Is this…reidoku?_

His hand tightening around the hilt of his weapon, he stood upright, his own _reiryoku_glistening faintly around his body as if acting as a protective shield against the noxious atmosphere that he now found himself encircled by. As a shinigami of rank and talent, Guren's ability to fight back was without doubt – but that same ability also put him at a disadvantage, for the despair and rage that was rooted deep within his brother's rogue spiritual aura was almost stifling him. Though he could stand and though he could maintain rational thought, Guren knew that it was taking a good amount of his focus to prevent Seiren's dark spiritual energy from seeping through the cracks in his own defences and bringing him once more to his knees.

Whether or not he could release his sword was doubtful, given the amount of focus he was already using just to stay on his feet.

_This is another step in Aizen Keitarou's plot to destroy my family._

Rage curled up inside of Guren's heart, spilling through his body in relentless waves almost as potent as the toxic aura Seiren was still spreading out across the ruins of his estate.

_You already killed my son, besmirched one nephew's name and brought injury to another with the intention of delivering death. Now you attack my own twin brother, and seek to use him as a weapon against me where you are too cowardly to fight your own battle. _

_Surely you'd want to see the effects of your handiwork for yourself._

He gazed around him, studying the landscape for any break in the spiritual atmosphere that might indicate a hidden watcher lurking in the shadows of the damaged estate.

"Aizen!" he exclaimed, raising his sword high above his head. "Show yourself! I know you're here…show yourself and face me like a man!"

There was no response, but at Guren's threatening action, Seiren's head suddenly jerked up, his glittering gaze focusing in once more on his brother's body. His whole form tensed, and he let out another blood-curdling scream, launching himself bodily in Guren's direction with a clawed hand outstretched. Guren froze for a moment as the level of poisonous _reiryoku_ in the atmosphere rose once more, then he gathered his wits, slipping into shunpo and reappearing across the other side of the manor. Seiren did not hesitate for a moment, launching a fresh assault in Guren's direction, and the Clan leader realised in dismay that although his brother was no shinigami, from somewhere he now held a sword in his right hand.

_When did he…_

It was not the man's own custom weapon, appearing far more like one of those belonging to the rank and file of his guard, yet Guren had not seen Seiren pause to take the instrument from the prone body of any of the felled soldiers.

He must have done it at speed – a speed which had been quicker than Guren's eyes had been able to move.

_A speed…like shunpo?_

From childhood, Guren had had all the spiritual skills, but Seiren had always been the better swordsman. Though Guren had always been loath to admit it, he knew that to be the case as much now they were adults as when they had been young. Where Guren had come to rely on his other abilities to balance out his basic fighting, Seiren had put all his attention on harnessing his own strength and flexibility with the blade, making him a formidable opponent even against a trained shinigami. Since Guren had reached Bankai, he had resolutely told himself that he had proven himself superior – but he knew deep down that he had only done so in the spiritual sphere of battle. If all his shinigami abilities were to be stripped from his body, his sword skills alone would always be second to his twin. As had happened when they were boys, Seiren would doubtless manage once more to get a blade at Guren's throat.

Even as this thought was running through Guren's mind, Seiren suddenly vanished, the landscape distorting slightly through the mix of dust and spiritual energy that hazed the air like a heavy morning mist. The next instant the monster was almost upon him, those gleaming yellow eyes mesmerising Guren with fear as the half-hollow creature bore down on him, emitting a shriek of defiant intent and raising his weapon as though to run his brother through.

It had been _like_ shunpo, yet at the same time, Guren knew it had not been.

There was neither recognition nor mercy anywhere in Seiren's bearing. On the contrary, although he still retained for the most part the form of a man, it was entirely as though Ryuu's father had taken on the mentality and killing instinct of a real Hollow, intent only on wreaking damage and destruction to the enemy in his path. Was it that Hollow instinct that had driven Seiren to attack Guren, or something else? Did this masked being recognise Guren as his brother, or was it simply that he saw a shinigami, and knew to cause it harm?

These thoughts and others poured through Guren's frantic brain as he narrowly managed to bring his sealed _zanpakutou_ up to meet the other's swinging silver blade, using what little spiritual energy he could pull together to force his brother's weapon back.

"Seiren, stop this!" he exclaimed desperately. "This isn't right – you're not meant to fight me! Come to your senses and realise who you are – whatever that man did to you, you can surely overcome it!"

"I think that to be unlikely, Guren-sama."

As Seiren flung back Guren's sword, lunging forward again without the slightest moment of doubt, the Clan leader was suddenly aware of another spiritual presence on the horizon, faint yet unmistakeable like a distant scent on the autumn breeze.

"_Hadou no Ichi! Shou!_" Guren's fingers twitched together into a Kidou spell, basic yet with his level of training, powerful enough to push Seiren bodily away from him. The spell drove through the heavy atmosphere, driving through the waves of _reiryoku_ and cannoning into Seiren's upper body, forcing him back. In the gap that opened up between them, Guren suddenly caught sight of the speaker – a slender man dressed in unremarkable black, a plain greyish-white cloak wrapped around his shoulders.

He was watching the encounter with a detached kind of interest, thick sandy brown hair pulled back from his face, and intelligent brown eyes calmly absorbing everything as though he was a spectator viewing through a glass divide, completely disconnected from the toxic cloud of energy that lingered low over the manor grounds.

Although Guren had never met the Urahara exile before, he knew exactly who this man must be.

"_Aizen!"_

He let out a roar, lunging in the man's direction, but before he could get even a few steps closer, Seiren was once more between them, his weapon glinting as he thrust it down towards Guren's heart. Belatedly Guren managed to parry the blow to his left, but the sword scraped across his arm, drawing blood that ran down his forearm and across the white glove that half covered his hand, staining it red.

"You should pay closer attention," Keitarou seemed amused, rather than put out by the Clan leader's anger. "Seiren isn't so easily distracted, so you shouldn't be, either. I expected an interesting fight…a battle for Clan leadership should always be an eventful affair."

"A battle..for…what did you say?" Guren did not take his gaze off Seiren's weapon this time, parrying a succession of short strikes and finally managing to push his brother back, slipping into shunpo and re-appearing some distance away. "Don't try to fool me into thinking that my brother betrayed me, because I know that this is your doing! I know that you…"

"You don't know anything," Keitarou's voice was condescending. "You don't understand even the slightest thing about your brother."

"And you do, I suppose?" Guren's aura prickled angrily around his body.

"Yes," Keitarou said evenly. "I understand Seiren far better than you do."

"What did you do to him!"

"You make it sound as though I did something terrible," Keitarou tut-tutted. "_You _were the one who made things this way, always forcing him into your shadow. I thought it was somewhat tragic, seeing the forgotten brother whose spirit power was taken away from him. All I did was return it so that he could claim what was rightfully his – although I admit, even I hadn't envisaged a result of quite this nature."

"Make him stop!" Guren demanded. "This isn't his will, it's your will – stop him and face me yourself! Or is it true that you only lurk in shadows and make others do the cowardly things you don't dare to do yourself? Are you really so weak a shinigami as that, Aizen Keitarou?"

"Unfortunately I lack the ability to fight you in fair sword to sword combat," Keitarou said regretfully. "The skills my sword uses aren't skills you'd consider acceptable, perhaps – but if they get the job done, that's more important. It would be just as unfair for me to let you unleash your superior sword combat ability on me when I was denied that training as a boy – would you really consider that a 'fair and even' fight, if I let you cut me down in a battle style of your choosing?"

"Stop playing games with me!" As Seiren came again, Guren's fingers flexed out in his brother's direction, sending a powerful stream of golden rope towards his opponent and wrapping it firmly around the apparition's body. "Making a puppet of my brother is not justifiable no matter what pretty words you use! Your sword spoke for the life of Endou Shouichi – don't pretend you don't know a way in which to fight!"

"Mm. True enough," Keitarou agreed.

"Then come at me and let me show you why I'm not the same kind of Clan leader as an Endou!"

"I already know what kind of Clan leader you are. Why do you think I have no interest in fighting you?" Keitarou shook his head. "You're something of a legend among most of the Districts, you know…the Kuchiki Lord with his powerful Bankai and his exceptional combat history. Your Clan are the only one of the Noble houses to not need alliances with outsiders – no, perhaps you even disdain the idea of allying with anyone not of Kuchiki blood. Why would I want to fight a battle against a man whose skill probably outstripped Shouichi's by five times to one? I have been accused of many things, Guren-sama…but being foolish is not one of them."

"_You killed my son_!" Guren growled. "Whether you choose to fight me or not, I'll speak for you here and now. Don't draw your blade if you don't wish to – but I _will _speak for you, dammit, on the end of my sword!"

"On the contrary, I did not kill Ribari-sama," Keitarou shrugged his shoulders. "If you kill me outright with all that self-righteous rage in your eyes, you probably never will know who did, either. I wasn't there when your son was murdered. I was in District Eight."

"Spreading your poison and lies and killing innocent commoners like you had my stable-hands killed," Guren's eyes became predatorial and cold. "The crimes you have committed against my family stack up one upon the next. Whether by your hand or by your manipulation, _you killed my son_. I know that...you won't convince me otherwise."

"You are surprisingly more intelligent than I had you pegged for," Keitarou admitted regretfully. "You didn't seem inclined to declare war on your old foes the Shihouin, no matter how nicely I laid the groundwork for you. I would have thought you wanted to sharpen that blade of yours on enemies of that nature – but it seems you're more of a diplomat now than you were in the past. I suppose we all grow and change with age…even heads of Clans."

He cast a glance in the direction of Seiren, whose body was prickling and dancing with light as he fought against the restraints of his brother's _Hainawa_ spell.

"I wonder how long that _Hainawa_ can hold him, by the way. It's a bit of an unknown quantity at the moment, the kind of strength your brother has at his disposal. I'd hate for you to be distracted talking to me when he's obviously in the mood to do you harm."

"Release him. Now," Guren's hand covered the guard of his sword as if preparing to unseal his _zanpakutou_, but Keitarou laughed, shaking his head in amusement.

"I can't," he said lightly. "I'm not the one controlling him. I haven't made a puppet of your brother, Guren-dono. Much as it pains me to admit to it, that is the truth."

"_Liar!_" Guren's reiatsu flared out around his body, and Keitarou neatly spread a barrier between them to prevent him from becoming harmed. He clicked his tongue against his teeth reproachfully.

"I don't tell lies unless they're of benefit to me. Lying to you now clearly would not be," he said matter-of-factly. "The truth is I haven't been able to use my Bankai since I released it into that District boy almost three years ago now. To control someone of Seiren-dono's current spiritual ability is beyond me at the present time. If you dislike your brother's conduct, you'll have to appeal to him directly. Personally I find it intriguing, but each to their own."

"You did something to him. Don't pretend to me that you did not!" Guren bore down on Keitarou, _reiryoku_ still flaring around his body and his sword. "You were here…Seiren's manservant saw you, and told me that you were."

"I was. I still am, as you see," Keitarou said dismissively, slipping into shunpo and re-materialising just out of Guren's easy reach. "I wanted Seiren to work with me, and so I helped him to release the seal on his spiritual energy. Sadly, it seemed that Seiren had no intention of betraying you to work for me. I visited him three times, and each time he gave me the same response. That being his final answer…I gave up."

"You expect me to believe that?" Guren demanded.

"If you don't, I have no other answer for you," Keitarou responded simply. He flicked a careless hand in the direction of the still struggling spectre.

"_That_ is entirely of his own doing," he added contemplatively. "Your brother's spirit power is particularly unusual – in ways even I hadn't anticipated it to be. It was also sealed, not severed – which implies either that your Father didn't want a son with no spiritual fingerprint at all, or that he couldn't sever it because it was too malignant and too strong. I hoped that undoing the seal might cause it to explode and cause damage, of course – and I worked very hard to drive him to a level where that could be achieved. However, I never had even the slightest inkling that it would manifest itself like this, nor that he'd take his blade and try to kill you without my powers of suggestion. It appears his subconscious bears more negative emotion towards you than any of us knew, doesn't it? I must admit that this scenario wasn't in my plans, but I'll settle for it all the same. I may not be able to fight you blade to blade…but Seiren obviously can, and seems determined to oblige without my needing to use Chudokuga on him."

"Seiren's…own spirit power?" Despite himself, Guren was floored, and Keitarou nodded.

"Senaya-sama obviously had good reason for locking it away," he murmured. "It's only a pity I didn't discover it sooner. I might have had more use for him…but like this, I probably wouldn't be able to control him even if I had the full use of my Bankai. This is a level beyond even my expertise in Hollowfication…a theory I had wondered about, but something I never thought to see face to face."

He smiled, his expression infuriating Guren to his core.

"This world always provides us with surprises," he observed. "Your family has given me some interesting future data…for that you have my gratitude. This place seems to be getting dangerous, however – so I'll take my leave. It's never too good an idea to become involved in family disputes."

With that he disappeared, his spiritual presence dispersing into the muggy air, and Guren cursed, clenching his fist more tightly around his sword.

_He came to mock me. He came to mock all of us, believing that he had us defeated. Does that mean he believes Ryuu is killed? Or does it not matter now that he's found a new angle of attack?_

As these thoughts crossed his mind, there was a sudden flare of light from across the manor and Guren turned just in time to see his tightly wound rope of Hainawa explode into a rainstorm of light fragments, each blackening and falling like ash to the ground as Seiren's more pernicious spirit broke through his brother's kidou bonds. This time Seiren's roar of anger made the whole of the surrounding area shake, and Guren swallowed hard, understanding for the first time the true nature of his twin's power.

_This is what Father sealed from you when we were born. This is what he didn't want you to live with – this is the strength that might have killed you. This is the reason you were always a weak child – your body had to recover from having this locked away inside of it. Now the seal is broken and Aizen's opened the door – you no longer have any sense of anything but this power, do you? Your face is covered by a mask…your reiryoku feels like a Hollow's spirit. It's only a matter of time before you turn completely…and then I will have no choice but to act to bring you down._

He readied his sword, but Seiren was too quick for him, vanishing and reappearing mere inches from Guren's face. Startled, the Clan leader stumbled back, and Seiren discarded his sword, two pale hands shooting out towards his brother's neck with the clear intent to kill. The white-masked face was pressed close to Guren's own, those malevolent golden eyes searing deep into the Clan leader's soul, and Guren's heart froze, his body no longer able to move as Seiren's thin fingers closed around his throat.

The level of spirit power was frightening now, so stifling and heavy that Guren did not know whether it was the pressure on his windpipe or the oppressive waves of energy that was making it difficult for him to breathe. Seiren's skin was ice cold, as though blood was no longer flowing through his veins, and though Guren struggled to focus his thoughts on releasing his sword, any attempt to draw together his own _reiryoku_ was immediately fragmented by the despair in the half-hollow's poisonous spirit.

Seiren had beaten him in battle before, and had put a blade to his throat. The sensation of being defeated by his twin's ruthlessness was not a new one for Guren to absorb. However, no matter how much they had hated each other as children, this was the first time Guren had ever known his brother intended to kill him.

The hands tightened at his throat, and Seiren let out another deafening scream of triumph.

Guren could already feel his reiatsu scattering, breaking apart under the dense pressure of his brother's aura. He was losing pieces of himself, his far-too-sensitive wits easy prey for a monster with this much power. He was head of a Clan, but that seemed irrelevant now. The Shihouin had not been sent to kill him – but this time Guren knew his death was assured.

Whether Keitarou was still watching from the shadows or not he did not know. As he fought to cling on to consciousness and life, Guren hoped he was not.

_Father…_

For a fleeting moment Guren thought he saw his Father's face, and heard Senaya's troubled words ringing in his ears.

"_**You fight so much, sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice."**_

That was all, but the phrase resonated through Guren's body, suddenly carrying a deeper meaning than he had ever realised before.

_You knew Seiren was a monster, but you sealed it and tried to move on._

Consciousness was slipping away, but Guren clawed at the fragments of his awareness, determined to hang on.

_You knew that there was danger inside of my brother, but you let him live and kept both of us when Clan tradition would say otherwise. _

_Is this now punishment for that decision, Otousama? _

_Are Seiren and I to pay the price for the path you chose to walk?_


	62. Inner Evil

**Chapter Sixty: Inner Evil**

As Guren felt certain the last of his consciousness was about to slip away, something dazzling split apart the cloudy sky, cutting a jagged line through the heavy reiatsu cloud and striking directly down to where the two brothers' battle now stood.

Startled by the sudden intrusion on the scene, Seiren released his hold on Guren's throat, dropping his brother as though he was nothing more than a stuffed doll and turning instinctively to search the horizon for the source of the new threat. Guren fell to his knees, gasping and choking as he fought to drag air into his lungs. All recollection of his position as Kuchiki Clan leader was forgotten in that first moment when he realised he had staved off death – but for how long was still an uncertain factor.

Seiren had lost interest in him, but only for the time being, and Guren struggled to pull himself together, grasping his weapon and using it to support his body as he tried to steady his racing heart.

The sudden blaze of light had been _Byakurai_, but where it had come from, he did not know.

Had it been Futsuki? The older man had been unconscious on the ground, but if he had somehow managed to return to his wits, maybe he had fired the spell in order to break Seiren's concentration and allow Guren a chance to get free?

If so, Futsuki's own life would now be at risk. If he did not act, Seiren would demolish another kinsman before returning to Guren to sate his appetite for blood further. As Head of the Clan, Guren could not allow that to happen. A fleeting memory of the tapestry that hung in his study flashed before his eyes – the Clan leader existed to protect his subjects, regardless of the sacrifice to himself.

In order to protect the people here, wounded and rendered unconscious, he would have to act.

_While I have the chance…while he's distracted, I must…_

Slowly he pulled himself to his feet, light glittering falteringly around the blade of his weapon as he summoned more and more of his spirit power together to power the blade's release. Seiren's gaze was no longer locked onto him, instead hungrily scouring the surroundings for a new target to wreak his vengeance on, and Guren knew that, honourable or otherwise, he had a slim window of opportunity to cut down the monster and free his brother permanently from this demon's curse.

_You said I should discard you, Seiren. I understand those words now. It was your wish for me to do this…I won't ask for forgiveness for acting as a Clan leader should._

He raised his sword, the light that surrounded it becoming more steady as his resolution grew.

_I need to right Father's wrong. I promise to do right by Ryuu in your absence, Seiren…for now it's my duty to bring you some peace. Your son may come to hate me…but I will do my duty to the Clan._

He took an unsteady step towards his brother, then another, moving cautiously so as not to draw the creature's attention back his way.

He was almost within striking distance now. A couple more steps and it would be over. With one sweep of his _zanpakutou_'s blade he could take his brother's head from his shoulders – a quick, clean swipe that would be over before Seiren even knew about it. One more step, and it would be finished. One more step…

A sudden haze of crimson energy blocked his path, knocking him back off his feet and wrapping itself tightly around his body. Alarm flickered in Guren's gaze as he recognised this too as a kidou spell – this time a restraining spell, '_Geki_', fired once more by an unknown hand. The next moment the landscape lit up a second time with lightning, and Guren stared as the white bolt carved itself neatly through Seiren's mask, shattering it into fragments of chalky dust and sending the pieces scattering into the atmosphere.

Seiren's body was engulfed in a translucent glow of snow white _reiryoku,_ then he stumbled forwards, falling heavily to the ground.

The red haze that cloaked his own body also began to disperse, and Guren heard a heavy sigh as for the first time the person who had fired the spell brought himself into clear view.

"Brothers who came from the same womb under the same moon should not fight in such an ugly way, Guren. You were born as allies – not as foes."

The words were soft, and faintly reproaching, and Guren knew he had heard them before. As a boy, his father had repeated them many times, and he had listened, indignant and defiant, the tell-tale bruises hidden beneath his expensive Clan clothing. This was not his father's voice, however, but another – just as familiar, and in its own way, just as strict.

"Kinnya…ojiisama?"

"I'm sorry. I stunned you," Kinnya paused at Guren's side, resting his weight on his stick and offering his nephew a hand to help him up. "I didn't want to restrain you, but I thought it would hurt you less if I used Kidou than if I didn't. You were already clearly at your limit."

I didn't even release my sword," Guren shook his head, pushing the old man's hand back and dragging himself to his feet. "Why did you stop me? I'm not a weak shinigami, Uncle, I'm capable of fighting my corner and releasing my own blade! More to the point, Seiren…I had to…"

"Your Father would not have forgiven you if you had killed your brother."

"He was trying to kill me first," Guren wheeled on his companion accusingly. "You knew, didn't you? The thing you didn't tell me, the thing Seiren didn't tell me – this was it, wasn't it? You knew Seiren was a monster from birth, and yet you kept it from me all the same!"

"Your brother is not a monster, Guren," Kinnya's eyes darkened, and despite himself Guren was reminded of his days as a child when his Uncle's strictures were second only to his Father's when it came to Clan discipline. "Seiren is your ally and your supporter – he is your twin, not a creature of some unknown creation."

"He is a monster now," Guren's gaze flitted to the still form that lay a few feet away. "He's become a Hollow of some kind."

"Doubtless this is a Hollow's reiatsu," Kinnya ran his fingers through the air, dispersing the heavy particles that had begun to drift away in the aftermath of the confrontation. "Seiren himself is still far from being a Hollow, however. You are not honour bound to kill him – and I wasn't going to let you do so. You must realise the repercussions that would bring, if you were to take down a man who, so far as the Kuchiki court knows, has no means to defend himself against you. Everyone here was rendered unconscious. There are none to bear witness to Seiren's unexpected transformation."

"But…" Guren's anger faded and he sighed, realising the logic in his companion's words.

"What would you have had me do, then?" he murmured, reaching up to touch his throat. "He meant to kill me, Ojiue. That much is for certain."

"Mm," Kinnya's expression became troubled. "I've never seen this before, either. I knew…of course I knew that Seiren's spirit power was damaged and deformed, and I counselled your father in his plan to have it sealed. That seal should not have come loose so easily, though. When I saw your brother not so many weeks ago, there was no sign of this in his aura then. From that to this in such a short time…there should have been more warning of danger. Your father and I believed that the seal would hold good for a lot longer…and to manifest in that way…"

"The man who had my son killed engineered it this way," Guren said bitterly. "Ojiue, did I ever mention the name Aizen Keitarou to you?"

"No," Kinnya's eyes became slits. "I don't believe you did."

"Then what of Urahara Keitsune – you must remember that incident, and Father's vote to have him put to death?"

"Yes…" Kinnya nodded slowly. "I remember something of that occurrence. This Keitarou has a connection to that event?"

"Keitarou is Keitsune's son. The Council have been hunting him for some little while in connection with the murder of Endou Shouichi and other crimes…including the solicitation and manipulation of your grandson Juushirou as part of one of his scientific studies."

_"What?"_ Kinnya's eyes widened in dismay, and Guren nodded.

"His latest crime is to unseal Seiren's spirit power, and today's confrontation is the result," he said heavily. "Shouko came in a state to the main house claiming her husband had blown up their manor…Futsuki and I came to investigate. It seems Shouko was right. With a little help, Seiren did…"

His gaze flitted back to his brother's body.

"Is he still alive?"

"Yes, just unconscious," Kinnya nodded. "I broke his mask."

"Ojiue, why are you even here?" Guren stared at his companion quizzically. "I was going to send word to you, but I hadn't yet…and…how…"

"Genryuusai-sensei contacted me from District One," Kinnya said simply. "He advised me of an attempt on Ryuu's life and that he had Shirogane in his custody. He assumed I was supportive of keeping both boys alive, and asked if I would speak to you on Shirogane's behalf, since he felt certain that there would be further assaults on your land. He seemed to think there was the danger of Ryuu being reported as dead…it was quite important to him that I conveyed to you the contrary, although Ryuu intended to write to you himself."

"I received Ryuu's letter," Guren agreed numbly. "I'd also assumed Shirogane might be with Genryuusai-sama, and your words confirm it. But…Ojiue, how much of this have you been involved in? I thought you had kept to your manor and spoken to Seiren and I but now you're here and…"

He stumbled slightly, as the weight of the day's events began to strike home, and Kinnya smiled, holding out a hand to steady his companion.

"You are a Clan leader with Bankai and your reputation as one of the strongest shinigami is Seireitei is not undeserved," he murmured. "However, you and Seiren are twins. Had Seiren's power been normal, you may well have been spiritual equals. It is not unusual for abnormalities to occur in twin births - the Unohana who delivered you advised us of this at the time. Kuchiki practice is normally to sacrifice the weaker twin and only keep the stronger, but your father didn't want that. That decision dictated the rest of his life, and when he died I made him a promise. In his absence, I would do what I could to keep this family together. I still consider that promise binding. Aniue wanted you and Seiren to work together for the benefit of the Clan. That's why I came here – because when I reached the main house and found you and Futsuki absent and everyone in a state about something, I had a bad feeling that something was going to happen."

"So you broke his mask," Guren murmured. "Did you know that would stop him?"

"No," Kinnya admitted, "but I'm a shinigami, and I've obviously fought Hollows in the past. When you break a Hollow's mask, they disappear. Seiren is not yet a Hollow – he hasn't disappeared. Breaking the mask shattered the core of his spirit power and probably broke his immediate ability to fight. It's like breaking your sword – at least, that was my hypothesis."

He smiled, resting his weight more firmly on his stick.

"I am an old man, in some circles eccentric and in others frail," he added, "but in my day, I was capable of matching that sword of your Father's blow by blow. Today suggests perhaps I still could…since Seiren's power is probably equal to yours, but perhaps not to Senaya-nii's."

"Or, therefore, to yours," Guren realised. "Your Kidou broke through it because you're stronger than both of us…even though you've done nothing for a very long time."

"I'm rusty," Kinnya admitted. "My Kidou still seems to be functional, though. I feel as though I've come out of a deep sleep…little by little things are coming back to me."

He surveyed the scene gravely.

"This is devastating," he murmured. "Seiren's rampage did all of this?"

"Seiren's target was me, but he undoubtedly caused the damage to the estate," Guren nodded his head. "Futsuki and everyone else here were laid out cold by that reiatsu…I was the only one who withstood it. It shook me, though. I won't deny…nobody has crossed me since Father with power that threw me quite that badly."

"In that case, the most important thing is that he isn't allowed to get up and fight again," Kinnya's fingers were already once more glistening with light. "I don't know how long a _Bakudou_ spell would hold him for – certainly not more than a few hours, but perhaps enough for us to decide what must be done. I'm not sure that re-sealing this level of power will be possible now it's been unleashed in this regard…I don't know what this means for Seiren's soul, and I'd rather seek other advice."

"Mm," Guren nodded his head. "Ojiue, the last time I spoke to him, he told me to discard him and to leave him to himself. He said that he was no longer useful to me. The time before that he said that he wouldn't forgive anyone who acted against the Head of the Clan, not even himself. I wonder if he knew things were going to happen…perhaps this began before Aizen got to him."

"Seiren is loyal to you," Kinnya sighed, suddenly looking weary. "Perhaps the burdens Senaya-nii placed on him have finally started to take their toll. I didn't realise he had known about everything for so very long…"

He trailed off, moving to Seiren's side and casting his hands carefully over the still form, encasing it in gentle but firm bonds of light.

"For Ryuu's sake, I'd like to see his father live," he murmured. "This is bad, though, Guren. I've no idea how to reverse the damage already done to his body or his soul. It might not be possible…just if there is a way…"

"You've met Ryuu," Guren stared at Kinnya in astonishment, and Kinnya chuckled, nodding his head.

"I shouldn't admit to it, but I have," he agreed. "I approve of him very much, to tell you the truth. I have never had much time for your brother, Guren – this brother, in any case – but I find myself thinking more fondly of him in light of how well he's raised his young son. Ryuu is very intelligent, isn't he? I don't suppose he's one who's easily fooled."

"I'm starting to believe he knows his own mind, also," Guren knelt at Seiren's side, brushing the chalk-dusted hair out of the face of his fallen kinsman. Seiren was ash-pale, his eyes now closed, but Guren could feel the humming of fragmented dark reiatsu beneath his brother's skin and he knew Kinnya's words were right.

"There may be no way back," he observed. "Father wanted us to work together, Ojiue, and we have, but he never legislated for something like this."

"Kinnya…sama?"

A hazy voice made both men turn, and relief leapt into Guren's heart as he saw Futsuki walking towards them, unsteady on his feet and rubbing his eyes but clearly unharmed. All around the manor, those knocked unconscious by the flare of Seiren's _reiryoku_ were little by little coming to their wits, and Kinnya smiled, inclining his head towards his oldest nephew.

"Genryuusai-sama notified him," Guren explained, getting to his feet, "and I found Seiren, Futsuki. It seems as though Shouko's account is correct."

"What on earth…?"

As Futsuki laid eyes on Seiren's collapsed form for the first time, dismay flooded his dark grey eyes. "Guren, what…this is…how…"

"Seiren's spirit power has been unsealed, and the reason Father sealed it is more than clear," Guren said grimly. "Seiren's spirit power is more Hollow than shinigami and it's not under any particular control. He came at me and tried to kill me – he didn't seem to have any idea who I was."

He fingered his throat.

"Kinnya-ojisama's intervention is the only reason both Seiren and I still live, but whether we can do anything to fix this is…"

He sighed, closing his eyes and then opening them.

"Futsuki, how steady are you on your feet?"

"Dizzy, but coming back to myself," Futsuki rubbed his brow. "Whatever it was that flooded through me is dispersing and I don't feel as bad as I did."

"Then gather as many of your people together as you can, and evacuate this property completely," Guren ordered, his nerves settling somewhat as the normal chain of command began to fall back into its normal place. "Anybody who is alive and who can be moved should be. Those who have houses in the near vicinity should be dismissed there – they should be told to expect their usual pay regardless of this business if it helps to convince them to leave. Any who live on the manor property should be accommodated at the main house through whatever means necessary. Those with minor injuries can be treated there."

"And the others?" Futsuki's expression became quizzical. "What of the ones who are more seriously hurt, Guren-sama? Moving them a great distance might put a strain on their bodies beyond what they've already faced."

"I want to confine Seiren here, in the east wing," Guren turned his gaze back towards the surviving area of the property. "It won't be safe for anyone else to remain here if his power explodes a second time. Regardless of the severity of injury – all who can must leave this place as soon as is possible."

"Keiichi and a small contingent of my people are currently at the main house," Kinnya put in now. "I instructed him to wait behind, in case of need – Futsuki, if you can make use of them, they are at your disposal."

He turned his gaze on Guren.

"There is another manor in this vicinity which is close enough to become a respite for those who are badly hurt," he said quietly. "Your sister's manor is currently vacant…is it not?"

"Masane's…manor?" Guren's eyes widened, and Futsuki nodded.

"Ginya's estate was much smaller than the main Kuchiki manors, and for the most part after he died Masane stayed at the main house," he remembered. "She and Shirogane both found their home there, because my wife and I also had lodgings there and we were very actively involved in Shirogane's childhood. I had forgotten about the Nagoya estate – technically it belongs to Shirogane now, but since it currently lies vacant…"

"I'm not sure Shirogane himself has even thought of it. To him, home has been the main manor," Guren rubbed his chin. "It is nevertheless close enough to this place to be of use. Very well. Those severely injured should be transported there. Send word to District Four for specialist healers…I want to ensure every life that can be saved will be."

"Understood," Futsuki bowed his head. "And Seiren?"

"Guren and I can see to Seiren," Kinnya answered this time. "There's probably nobody else who can safely be near him at present."

"Shibata will want to stay here," Futsuki pointed out. "As Seiren's chief retainer, he would choose to be at his master's side."

"Shibata may be the exception," Guren said at length. "He may stay…everyone else must go."

Futsuki inclined his head again, then turned on his heel, heading off across the grass. As he did so, Guren could hear him calling out various orders, and despite the chaos, he felt comforted.

"Seiren's retainer may find his life in jeopardy if he remains," Kinnya warned softly, and Guren nodded his head.

"True," he agreed, "but Shibata is loyal to my brother and would choose things to be this way. He has stood by Seiren's side in the last few weeks and he was there today when everything happened. Even so, his first words of concern were for his master, not one for his own physical state."

"Mm," Kinnya's expression became thoughtful, but he nodded his head. "Senaya-nii did well, then, when he assigned the man to your brother's side."

"It was always understood that I would have Futsuki and Seiren as my right and left hands," Guren said frankly. "Seiren had Shibata, and Futsuki commanded Ginya until his death. That's why Futsuki had such interest in Shirogane as a youth – Ginya's status really wasn't fitting for my sister's hand."

He sighed heavily.

"He was a good man, Ojiue, and I don't regret that Masane was allowed her way. The consequences for her son have been considerable however…his rank will always be questioned because of Ginya's position on the precipice of the Kuchiki hierarchy."

"You're worried for Shirogane, even in the care of Genryuusai-sensei?" Kinnya asked gently.

"Not for his safety, but for his future," Guren frowned, suddenly weary. "I'm worried for everyone's future, perhaps. Ryuu's. Shirogane's. Seiren and mine. Everything…is not how it was before. Losing Ribari has made me realise how vulnerable a position we all hold in this world. Things can change in the blink of an eye and if we're not ready to face it, we risk losing everything."

He glanced at Seiren.

"Will your Kidou hold him at least long enough to get him within the east wing? There are confinement cells there and also spirit restraining bands…though I don't want to treat him like a common criminal, I want to try and keep him as secure as possible. When he's static we can put a barrier around him, but that's more difficult if we're going to move him."

"That sounds like a good idea," Kinnya agreed. "I believe the spell will last a little while, so there is probably time to make those arrangements once Futsuki has finished with the evacuations."

"Good," Guren chewed on his lip, then, "When Seiren is settled, Ojiue, I have a request to ask of you."

"A request?" Kinnya looked surprised. "Surely you mean a command?"

"I hardly feel I can command you to do anything," Guren said wryly. "You tutored me and scolded me enough when I was a boy."

"But rank has changed and time has moved on," Kinnya said wisely. "You are my Clan leader, Guren…I will bow to your will."

"In that case…in that case…I'd like you to leave District Six," Guren said slowly, formulating his thoughts one by one as he worked out what best to do. "I can't go to District One, because I have no diplomatic agreement with the Yamamoto to do so and I'd be in breach of Council law. Futsuki is far too tied up now and Seiren is obviously not available to help. Though I realise you dislike being involved in all these things and consider yourself retired, I have nobody else I can rely on. I would like you to therefore travel to District One and speak to Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni-sama."

"To Genryuusai-sensei?" Kinnya's eyes became slits. "On what particular errand?"

"I'd like to ask him to come to District Six, as well as Unohana Retsu-dono, if possible," Guren said quietly. "Her healing skill and his experience are both elements that might save Seiren's life – but most of all, the killer of my son is here in District Six. That being the case I should like to ask for their help in firmly securing this enemy. To that end I must send a kinsman of rank to voice my wishes – Genryuusai-sama is not a person to whom I can give orders either."

"This killer _was_ in District Six, but is he now?" Kinnya looked doubtful. "Wouldn't it be laying District One open to danger if Genryuusai-sama was to leave it?"

"Aizen came to see Seiren destroy me. His business is with me and with my kin, and he wants me to know that," Guren shook his head. "Ryuu is currently in Genryuusai-sama's custody and I would ask him to bring my nephew with him back home. By force, if need be…I don't care if the boy himself objects."

"…Guren?"

"I may be wrong, but from what Shibata said and from Aizen's own words, Seiren's spiritual explosion may have been triggered by false news of Ryuu's death," Guren said darkly. "It may be a long shot, but there's a possibility that if Seiren was to see Ryuu was alive…"

"It's a risky one, with Seiren's soul in such a poor, mangled state," Kinnya's eyes became grave. "That's why you want Genryuusai-sensei too, then? If Ryuu is here and you are here, and Seiren is still unstable…I see. You're giving this Aizen a clear target, and hoping that Genryuusai-sensei's skill and knowledge will put an end to this business once and for all."

"Something like that," Guren admitted. "I don't wish to ask the Council for help – I still have some pride as a Kuchiki and I don't want to resort to that. However, if Genryuusai-sama is shielding Shirogane and Ryuu, he is already involved by his own choice. Therefore I feel I can ask him, and probably he'll feel obliged to respond."

"And Shirogane?"

"He remains in District One."

"Even if Ryuu comes here?"

"Yes. Even so."

"Ah. So you do realise it," Kinnya's eyes became thoughtful. "You have thought of Shirogane's position in all of this, just as Seiren feared."

"Shirogane is like a son to me," Guren said simply. "Ryuu is the boy with the stronger claim, and is therefore I can't ignore his position in all of this – in the absence of my son, he is obviously my heir apparent. With that said, it never hurts to have a back-up plan."

"You do have a little of your father in you, after all," Kinnya looked amused. Guren nodded.

"I intended to adopt Shirogane when Ribari came of age and was officially invested as my heir, providing the court had no objections," he said quietly. "Now if I did that, it would generate questions over the succession and people would read too much into it. I had discussed the idea with nobody, but my idea was for Shirogane to be to Ribari what Futsuki has been to me – an older kinsman of lesser blood yet with wide knowledge and high standing in the Clan because of his ability."

"Perhaps it will be possible for Shirogane to act the same for Ryuu," Kinnya suggested.

"I believe it might," Guren acknowledged. "I will therefore leave Shirogane where he is in District One. I believe the danger to be here, and the threat will be confronted head-on. Shirogane is beneath their radar, since they have already overlooked him once. If nobody else is left standing at the end of this battle, I want to know that he remains alive."

He reached out a hand to touch Kinnya's arm.

"I'm sending you for the same reason," he murmured. "Shirogane would need someone of experience to guide him if the worst happened - someone who could push his position and garner support for his accession if everyone else was to be lost. Today's events have taught me that my life can be threatened and I am at risk. I must think how Father thought and look at the Clan over my own safety."

"Very well. When you ask me so seriously, I have no choice but to accept your request of me," Kinnya spoke quietly. "I will do so on the understanding you don't throw your life away unnecessarily, Guren. Yours, Seiren's, Futsuki's…your lives are all precious to this Clan and they were precious to your father too. Give me your word that you will fight to survive, not make sacrifices. If you make me that promise, I will go to District One."

"I'll do my best," Guren nodded. "Thank you, Uncle. I'm sorry to drag you back into things now, but…"

"I was already there, from _my_ promise to Senaya-nii," Kinnya said with a sigh. "I will leave for District One forthwith."

"Keiichi…?"

"He will remain here, and my other men also," Kinnya shook his head. "I will claim hospitality from the Yamamoto if need be – I still have my Kuchiki crest and I was known to Hashihiko-dono's father as well as studying under Genryuusai-sensei in my youth. Keiichi can be more useful to you and to Futsuki in clearing up this chaos. He will obey your commands as if they came from me, because he knows I am very fond of you."

"District One is also where Juushirou is, Ojiue."

"Perhaps so," Kinnya's eyes became sad. "At present my focus must remain on protecting my Clan family, not on pursuing the threads of Raiko's legacy. Knowing Juushirou is alive is probably enough for me to move on with my life…more than that is not necessary, and I doubt very much he has any need to know of me."

"But…"

"I have been charged with an important duty by my Clan leader and I will undertake it as a loyal Kuchiki should," Kinnya bowed his head, silver-streaked dark hair falling over his shoulder, and Guren felt the faint flicker of his uncle's spirit power, strong and resolute despite the man's oft-reported ill health. "I'll remain in District One and you can entrust Shirogane to me. Whether your fight is victorious or otherwise, I will make sure he's ready for what lies ahead."

* * *

"Where did you go to?"

As Keitarou ducked beneath the heavy fabric that cloaked the entrance to the small shack from sight, a voice came out of the shadows, her tones half-accusing and half fearful. "You left me here and disappeared to who knows where…Kei-sama, this place is dangerous! I thought we were going to Rukongai, and…"

"We are. Shh," Keitarou cast a faint spark of light towards the timber torch to light it, casting a dim, flickering flame around the tiny hovel. "There's no need to look so anxious, Eiraki-chan. I'm quite safe – as you see, this time I only went to watch and not to fight."

"You said you would be back more quickly," Eiraki's expression was sullen, her bright blue eyes all the more vivid for her pale features. She shivered, clutching the moth-eaten blanket more tightly around her shoulders, and Keitarou sighed, dropping down at her side and sliding his arm around her delicate frame.

"You're still not feeling well?"

"I'm fine," Eiraki said flatly, though she shivered again and Keitarou knew that she was trying to put on a brave face for his benefit.

_Bearing children makes women weaker than they would otherwise be. I remember that from when Irie bore Daisuke's two sons._

His brows knitted together in consternation.

_Can I protect her adequately alone when all eyes are looking for us?_

A flicker of anxiety stirred in his heart as he looked at her, taking in her frail, slightly melancholy form swathed in the heavy woven cloth, and he sighed.

_Caring about someone else's fate is also a weakness. It brought me into danger when Daisuke was in trouble, and now Eiraki too. After Daisuke died I was on my own – I've had experimental subjects but not true allies. Eiraki has become that…no, maybe more than that. Despite the manner in which we were introduced, have I come to care for her? My impulse now is certainly to send her away to a place where she is in no danger, to bear our child in secret while I risk my life for our cause. Maybe that's how Daisuke felt when he sent Irie to District Eight…I'll never be able to ask him, but perhaps for the first time I understand._

_I care what happens to Eiraki – and she's almost certainly the only person who cares what happens to me._

Out loud he said,

"You're worried about me because of what happened in the Real World, aren't you?"

Eiraki nodded, sinking back against him and raising her gaze to his.

"Shunsui-sama hurt you, you killed someone and someone else tried to take your life," she said darkly. "All of Seireitei now know who tried to kill Ryuu-sama…there must be people all over District Six hunting for us, and yet you brought us here. There are still Kuchiki nearby, Kei-sama. Have you forgotten that you're not just running on your own now?"

"I haven't," Keitarou put a gentle finger to her lips. "You're tired and you should be resting. Your body will only rebel more strongly if you refuse to take care of yourself – didn't you promise me that this baby would live?"

"I did," Eiraki sighed, closing her eyes. "You just make me worry about you a lot, that's all. I don't want this child to grow up without a father."

"I don't want that either," Despite himself, Keitarou's eyes became grave. "I lost my father when I was only four years old. I understand what's at stake, Eiraki. I would rather be here with you and with it – but it's important for me to also complete the things I've set out to do."

"Mm," Eiraki's expression became resigned. "I know. I'm important to you, and so is this baby. Still, your cause is the most important thing, isn't it? I might be your wife, and you might trust me with a lot of things – but I know deep down that if you had to choose…"

She trailed off, and Keitarou stared at her, a little unnerved by the intensity in her gaze.

"Eiraki…"

"I've accepted it," Eiraki offered him a faint smile. "I've decided that I want to be with you, so I can accept being second place to your convictions. So long as there's no other person in your life more important than me, I can settle for that."

"I can honestly say that's true," Keitarou returned the smile with a wry one of his own. "You understand me better than I thought you did. Your Clan underestimated your intelligence and your ability to do many things, Eiraki-chan. Their loss is my gain – our gain, I hope, with the future secured."

"Then you need to be careful about where you go and what you do," Eiraki said decidedly. "Well? What of today's jaunt? Did you manage to convey the bad news to Seiren-dono?"

"I did, and he didn't take it very well," Amusement glittered in Keitarou's muddy brown eyes. "It was a far more dramatic reaction than even I had anticipated. I had thought to control him, but I soon realised that there's really no need. He launched himself at Guren without a moment of hesitation and without my involvement."

"That foolish Seiren-dono killed Guren-sama?" Eiraki's eyes widened, and Keitarou shook his head.

"I had intended to watch the whole of the battle, but something interrupted it and I decided it was better to withdraw from the scene in case it was Council forces," he said honestly. "How it ended I really don't know, but Seiren's soul is beyond the point of return. His reiatsu is decidedly more Hollow than pure soul – probably he'll turn completely in a short space of time, and even if he doesn't, they won't be able to reverse it. Short of killing him or severing his soul chain and link and casting him out into the Rukongai wilderness, there's probably no way to alter the effects. He's like a firework – powerful at the moment of ignition, but useless once the explosion is over."

"There might be Council forces in District Six?" Eiraki was alarmed. "They've returned from the Real World already?"

"It wasn't a spiritual signature I recognised…but it was powerful enough for me to choose to withdraw," Keitarou said matter-of-factly. "If I hadn't have had you to think of, I might not have pulled back so quickly, but I didn't want you to fall into enemy hands. I still don't want that, Eiraki-chan…therefore…"

"If you're going to send me away, I won't have it," Eiraki's expression became stubborn. "I go where you go – I thought that was already established and clear-cut! This baby is your baby – I won't be cloistered away somewhere secluded where all I can do is worry about you and whether or not you're still alive. I left home to run with you and I'm going to stay by your side no matter what."

"You really are stubborn, sometimes," Keitarou sighed. "I admire that spirit of yours, and the resolution you have to follow things through. Losing you now would be the worst thing possible for me, though – you must realise this. My life can be sacrificed. Yours and the baby's cannot."

Eiraki's eyes became obstinate, and Keitarou rubbed his brow.

"Very well," he said quietly, "then I'll suggest a compromise. For the time being I want to stay in District Six and I don't want you where it's dangerous. Understand?"

"That would be sending me away," Eiraki said sullenly, folding her arms across her chest and suddenly appearing far more the sulky teenager than the young woman.

"On the contrary, it's giving you an assignment," Keitarou shook his head, pulling Chudokuga from beneath his cloak and tilting it so that it caught the flickering light. The blade was intact now, the fragment that had been locked away inside Onoe's heart long since returned to its place of origin, but there was an eerie greenish gleam to the weapon all the same and at the sight of it, Keitarou's lips twisted into a humourless smile.

"I'm going to stay here and my intention is to draw people towards me, just as we talked about before," he said matter-of-factly. "Guren has seen me here now, and knows that I'm responsible for the death of his son. He'll mass forces and try to hunt me down. He may call on the Council, or he may not – but in either case I expect him to call on the old man in District One for help. That happened the last time they searched for me – and I am still wanted for my involvement in your Grandfather's death. I think Guren will try and bring the old man here because he has the potential to finish me off…and so I intend to stay and wait for that to occur."

"That still sounds dangerous to me," Eiraki pointed out astutely. "What if he does come? Can you fight him?"

"No, but I don't intend to," Keitarou admitted. "My ability is in not getting caught, and I won't enter into any battles I can't win. The purpose is to bring him here. If he's here, he'll be away from the school. You remember what I said about that?"

"Ukitake-san again?" Eiraki eyed Keitarou wearily. "I thought we'd decided you'd give up on him?"

"I may or may not be able to take him alive, but I have to retrieve my sword's power from within his heart," Keitarou said matter-of-factly. "If I'm really going to be able to protect you and the child I have to have Chudokuga at full strength. Fighting this way is useless against foes at the level of Clan leader…you understand that, don't you?"

"So what do you want me to do?" Eiraki asked. "Go to District One and do what – lure Ukitake-san here? You said that what you had planned for the school was a forward concern – something to prove they weren't safe and that the Clans couldn't protect them. Is that still the case or are you just going to target him now?"

"No. I don't think Juushirou will be so easily drawn this time," Keitarou shook his head. "That kind of plan would bring you into danger more than it will achieve results. No, I still intend something else for the Academy."

He set Chudokuga down on the ground.

"I mentioned it before, but I discovered something in the Real World that I can use to create a major level diversion," he said simply. "I said I wouldn't ask you to kill for me again, but if you're determined not to be secluded away, it may come to that if need be."

"I don't mind," Eiraki shrugged. "What's the plan?"

"What I want you to do is make sure all the pieces fall into place," Keitarou replied. "It should work without needing your interference – I really hope you'll only need to watch over things and report to me when I arrive in District One, because it will save me time. This is the first time I've tried to use Chudokuga's magic in this way, however, so in case it doesn't…"

He slipped his hand into his _obi_, pulling out a vial and holding it out.

"Be careful not to drop this," he murmured. "It's highly volatile."

"Volatile?" Eiraki took it, glancing at it and then at her companion. "What is it?"

"_Reidoku,_" Keitarou said matter-of-factly. "I'm expecting that if Genryuusai-sama leaves District One, he'll put his family's squad in charge of overseeing security at the school. He has no authority to call on anyone else. In the event that my intended plan doesn't work, I want you to use that to sabotage those people in whatever way you can…in other words…"

"Make them Hollows," Eiraki breathed. Keitarou nodded.

"It's the last _reidoku_ I have, and I no longer have facilities to make any more," he said with a grimace. "At present, anyway, my research has had to be shelved. Don't waste it, understand? Only use it if my original strategy fails. I'll come join you in District One as soon as I've led the Clan folk into a merry dance and provided enough of a diversion – perhaps spilling some blood for good measure, if I can."

"Destroying the Kuchiki is still on the agenda?"

"It is," Keitarou agreed, "but protecting you is actually more important to me now than taking out that Clan. It makes me realise this battle can be won in other ways – so if all I can do is create a diversion and retrieve Chudokuga's full power, I'll consider that still a victory."

"You'd back down on your original goal…to keep me safe?" Eiraki's eyes became big with emotion, and Keitarou smiled, nodding his head.

"You and my cause are about equal in my mind now," He admitted. "That's even more true now you can give our purpose a future. We are two people, but given time, we don't need to fight a war with so few. Creating chaos and disruption in the Kuchiki Clan has been a positive statement of our intentions, but it's a worthless one if we're caught and we're killed since it's as you said before – there's nobody to carry the flag forward. I've reflected on it and I'll do what I can to create the maximum impact while I'm here. The most important thing is that you, I and the baby survive this and plan for the next time, however. There will be a world in which we take down the Clans – even if this isn't that time. What we've done will cause ructions and fall-out for a good long while to come…it may be this time we have to be satisfied with that."

"Kei-sama," Eiraki's lips twitched into a tiny smile and she nodded. "All right. I understand. I'll do what I can and if you need me to act, I'll act."

"All right, but for goodness' sake, don't let any of that potion spill onto you," Keitarou warned. "Whilst it probably can't hurt your body…it might have other effects on the child. We don't know yet if it has spirit power and…"

"I won't make a mistake that foolish," Eiraki said indignantly. "You can trust me. I'll take it and I'll go and I'll do as you say."

"Be careful, Eiraki."

"You too," Eiraki snapped. "Take your own advice first and then maybe I'll listen."

Despite himself Keitarou laughed.

"I like it when you argue with me," he admitted, touching her gently on the nose. "Nobody has for a long time. Nobody I could really trust in – I find it refreshing that you're not afraid of me."

"Why would I be afraid of you? You're my husband," Eiraki snorted. "That's a silly thing to say. Of course you wouldn't hurt me. Especially not now."

She shuffled her body into a more comfortable position, then, "You'd better tell me what it is you expect to happen in District One. I'll do as you say, but the more I know about what you intend to do there the better. Onoe's not there to protect me or take the fallout any more – so I want to be fully prepared for every eventuality."

* * *

Morning, and the first timetabled lesson since the ill-fated trip to the Real World.

Shunsui cast his gaze around the classroom with a pensive expression on his face.

There were only ten of them at present, for Ryuu and Naoko were still sequestered away in the Healing Bay under Retsu's watchful eye, and somehow the reduction in numbers made the chamber seem all the more oppressive and empty. Suzuno's desk stood out like a sore thumb, yet nobody had seen fit to move it, and though nobody had mentioned her name at breakfast that morning, each one of them had entered the room with the dead girl forefront in their minds.

_Our war has begun._

Shunsui met Juushirou's gaze across the classroom, seeing the same consternation in the other boy's hazel eyes that he knew was reflected in his own. In the time since they had returned to the school, everything had become deathly silent – but Shunsui knew that they were playing a waiting game, and that Keitarou would undoubtedly be back.

_If he can kill Suzuno-chan with absolutely no motivation, nobody is safe from his attentions. Clan, District – it doesn't matter if they're in his way or even if they're not. Riri's friend was killed because it was convenient to kill her – maybe Suzuno was killed for the same reason._

It wasn't the first time there had been a murder close to the school – Shunsui vividly remembered the death of a local tavern girl and the assassination of their Hohou instructor during their first ever term at the Academy. Yet somehow Suzuno's death cast a greater pall over proceedings. It was not just that she had been a gentle soul that had caused her death to bring such outcry, although Shunsui was quick-witted enough to realise that there were members of the group worse affected by the tragedy than others. It was the futility of it – a death with no motive and a direct attack on one of their own.

"Good morning, Senior Class."

The divide slid back at that moment to reveal Kazoe, his expression much as usual but a faint flickering in his aura told Shunsui that he too was grieved by the young girl's loss. Belatedly he remembered that Kazoe was an Unohana – though the Kidou instructor rarely showed any kind of emotion, Shunsui was sure that losing a kinswoman was as bitter a pill to swallow for him as it had been for Retsu.

The students rose to their feet without the usual soft murmur of chatter, bowing their heads to acknowledge his arrival, and Kazoe gestured with his cane for them to take their seats, turning his attention to the board.

"There are few of you today," he observed softly. "I realise this is your usual time for Sakusen, but Genryuusai-sensei has many things to see to at present and has asked me to undertake the class in his stead. I had hoped that on your return to class after your practical experience, we might be able to spend some time discussing what you found useful on your trip to the Real World. In light of events, perhaps that would be an inappropriate discussion, but I realise every one of you is fully aware of the gravity of the situation and there is no use my trying to pretend otherwise."

He scribed the kanji for 'Real World' on the board, then turned back to face his students.

"You are Seniors," he said evenly. "In less than a year your place will not be here behind a desk, but out in the field using the skills you have to take down Hollows and purify souls. It's not my intention to shield you from reality. Loss of life is also a part of living as a shinigami. You are trained here to be fighters, and there are not always happy endings. However,"

He extended his cane to tap against the two kanji on the board.

"All of you are at a level now where you understand the pressures placed upon you. How you deal with the negative side of your experiences is as important to your development as how you deal with the positive. I am going to leave it to you as a class to decide what the format of this lesson will take, based on the knowledge you now have."

There was a moment of silence, then across the room, Aoi raised his hand.

"Michihashi?"

"Sensei, are you asking us to decide whether we should report and discuss the Real World expedition now?" he asked anxiously, and Shunsui saw his gaze flit to Akira. "Like you said, it's a serious situation, and well, some things happened…"

"We should report on our mission, Aoi," Akira cut across him, his voice gruff but his words clear. "Suzuno would expect us to do that – that's our duty to her as well as to our own futures. We didn't go to the Real World to camp out or play war games. We went in order to gain understanding of what our role will be in the future."

"Akira?" Aoi's eyes widened, and Kai frowned.

"I agree with Yamamoto," he said grimly. "We should discuss it _because_ of the bad stuff that happened – otherwise how can we learn from it?"

"We're still missing two class members, though," Sora pointed out. "Naoko and Kuchiki aren't back with us yet. Should we be discussing this without them?"

"In Shikibu's case, it's better we do," Kanshi said darkly. "I don't know about Kuchiki. From the bits and pieces I've picked up it sounds as though he went out there with a target pinned metaphorically to his chest – in which case, he might already know more than we do."

"The Kuchiki Clan have been under threat for some time now," Mitsuki interjected. "Ryuu's decisions and our mission to the Real World are not the same thing, Souryou-kun. Sensei isn't asking us about that…at least, I don't think he is. He's asking us what experience we gained as shinigami, and nothing else."

"How can the two things be separated?" Enishi wondered. "I didn't use any Kidou, personally, but I did a lot of fighting and it wasn't easy to separate what was mission from what else was going on. That Aizen guy was pretty serious about laying Kuchiki out cold, so I suppose…"

"In your case, not using Kidou was probably of benefit to the local population," Kazoe said acidly. "However, Edogawa is correct. You were sent to the Real World because the experience of living as real shinigami live was a vital part of your education. Curriculum-wise, you will still be expected to sit the exams and submit the reports you were told about before you went – that is, if you mean to graduate and enter squads. I'm not pleased that you should have faced such a harsh lesson about that lifestyle so early in your training – but I want all of you to find your own way to overcome it."

His gaze rested on Suzuno's empty seat for a brief moment, then,

"The other unforeseen events of the Real World mission are not irrelevant. They were a lesson in dealing with the unexpected, and on making the necessary adjustments to comply with a new set of circumstances." He spoke crisply, but Shunsui was certain that his brisk tones were masking his own personal views.

_I don't think Kazoe wanted us to go to the Real World. Maybe he's cross with Sensei…that's how he seems to me._

"Ukitake, Yamamoto, stand please," Kazoe did not give his students much time to ruminate on his words, flicking his long thin cane out in the direction of the group leaders. Hesitantly both obeyed, and Kazoe thinned his lips, nodding his head.

"You both were entrusted with the leadership of your respective groups," he said quietly. "I'd like to know how you evaluate your time there – and whether you felt you succeeded or failed in your responsibilities."

Akira visibly flinched at this, and despite himself Shunsui found he felt sorry for his arrogant classmate.

"Ukitake, we'll begin with you," Kazoe also seemed to realise that the Yamamoto boy was fighting with his emotions, for he turned his piercing gaze on Juushirou, eying him like a hawk. "You don't need to go into great detail, but if I was to ask you to assess your personal performance in the Real World as leader of your group, how would you describe it?"

There was a moment of silence, then Juushirou bowed his head.

"One of my group came back injured," he said quietly. "As group leader, protecting him was part of my duty. In that regard, I failed."

"So because one of your team took injury, overall you feel you failed?"

"I feel…that there's much more I have to learn about everything," Juushirou said honestly. "I…I don't know if I failed, sensei. I think I failed Ryuu, because I wasn't anywhere nearby when he was attacked. However, in other regards…as an individual shinigami, I think…I did better. I managed to face Hollows and bring them down, and bury souls that needed sending to Rukongai. I think I learned a lot of things – but I'm not sure that as a group leader I passed."

"Very well," Kazoe's gaze flitted across the room. "Houjou, stand."

"Sir?" Enishi scrambled to his feet, a perturbed look in his dark eyes.

"Your assessment, please, of Ukitake's performance as leader of your group."

"Sensei?" Enishi looked horrified, and Kazoe nodded, impatience glittering in his gaze.

"Yes. You're not children any more, and I won't treat you like you are," he snapped. "Answer the question and be quick about it. Assess Ukitake's performance, if you please."

"I don't think Kuchiki's injury was Ukitake's fault, sensei," Enishi reddened, but nodded his head. "I don't think he was a bad group leader at all. I was assigned to Ryuu and I was the one who should've been watching out for him more closely. That wasn't Ukitake's bad call, it was mine."

"Meaning what, exactly?"

"Well, I guess…what I said, I suppose," Enishi blinked, then shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure how to say it otherwise. Just, Ukitake was group leader, and so he was overall in charge…but when we were dispatched out, it was different, so…"

"What you're saying, in fact, is that this is a matter of delegation," Kazoe sent Enishi a long-suffering look, gesturing for him to sit down. "Honestly, it's like taking blood from a stone sometimes, Houjou. Shiba, you next."

"Me, sir?" Sora scrambled up, looking surprised. "I don't have anything to add to what Houjou said. I think we worked together pretty good as a team and that's about it, really."

"I suppose that can be considered concise," Kazoe grimaced. "I advise you to spend a little more time thinking about it before your examinations, however, Shiba."

"Y...yes sir," Sora pinkened, sinking back down into her seat.

His gaze flitted across to Mitsuki.

"Edogawa," he said curtly, and Mitsuki got quickly to her feet. "How would you assess your group leader's performance?"

Mitsuki met Juushirou's gaze for a moment, then she sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

"I agree with Houjou-kun. I think Ukitake-kun was a good group leader," she said softly. "However, I think…if he has a failing that needs to be corrected, it's that he wants to worry about everything all of the time instead of letting people take care of their own instructions."

"Mitsuki-chan!" Shunsui's eyes widened, and Juushirou reddened even more than Enishi had done moments earlier.

"It's not an unfair criticism," Mitsuki stuck to her guns. "Juushirou is my friend, but Sensei's asking us as future shinigami, not based on our friendships. I think he was a good group leader - and that he has to delegate and give trust and responsibility to other people in the group rather than assume it all on his own shoulders."

"Surely the group leader is ultimately responsible," Juushirou recovered himself. "A Captain is responsible for his squad, and although we weren't division members, it was the same kind of exercise."

"Even so, there's a difference between trusting your people to follow through with what they're meant to do and trying to take charge of all of that yourself," Mitsuki said simply. "Ryuu's injury was Ryuu's choice, because he went to face the danger he perceived to be there. He'd be the first to acknowledge that was the case. You weren't in charge of that decision, so how did you fail him? You didn't give him the instruction to go chasing after suspicious signals in the wilderness, and so you're not responsible for it."

"I see," Kazoe's expression became thoughtful. "You appear to have developed quite a firm opinion on such things, Edogawa."

"Yes, sir," Mitsuki agreed softly. "I don't blame Ryuu for what he did. I just think that it's separate from our assignment and Juushirou doesn't have to feel responsible for something that relates to our Clan, not to our class mission. Like Houjou-kun said, we have to make our own call in the field too. If we don't, the only person who learns anything is the group captain - everyone else just perfects the art of following through without bothering to think."

"Obedience to orders is meant to be a good thing," Shunsui said dryly.

"Of course it is," Mitsuki agreed, and Shunsui was struck by the expression in her grey eyes. "However, there are times when you have to think things through for yourself as well. What use are you to a squad if you can't do that?"

"I agree with Edogawa-san," Hirata said pensively. "There are times when something happens and you have to make a quick decision on what to do about it. You can't always refer back to a commander to find out the best course of action. Houjou-kun made a decision of that nature when he went to help Kuchiki-kun. If he'd waited for orders, Kuchiki-kun might have been much more badly hurt."

"Well, Ukitake?" Kazoe turned his gaze back to the group leader. "Now you've heard your companions, what do you think? Do you still think that you failed? Or have you changed your mind?"

"I think...maybe Mitsuki's right," Juushirou said reluctantly. "I worry about people, and I want to make sure everyone is safe. Therefore..."

"Of course you do, you idiot," Akira interjected bluntly. "As group leader, that's your job. Whether they obey or not may not always be in your control, but if you didn't damn worry about them, you'd be not much use as a commander of any kind. You don't send people out and forget about them, do you? Your job might be to wait for them to come back, but you still want them to come back safely."

"Yamamoto, I don't remember asking you to speak," Kazoe's reproach was mild, but Akira's eyes became sullen. "We will come to your group in time."

He turned back to Juushirou.

"All right. Sit," he said brusquely. "Having faith in your companions' abilities and strengths is also part of being a leader. Sometimes all a Captain can do is wait...that's just as much part of the job of leadership as it is taking control in difficult situations. You aren't wrong to consider your responsibility in these cases - but you must also look at it from a wider angle. If you become bogged down in one or two small matters instead of reviewing the big picture, you lose sight of the real objectives. Injuries are a fact of fighting life...sometimes they aren't avoidable."

"Yes sir," Juushirou murmured, looking somewhat crestfallen as he re-took his seat, and Shunsui frowned, raising his hand.

"Sensei, you didn't ask what I thought of Juushirou's performance as group Captain," he said evenly. "Is that because you think I'm going to say nothing of value, or because you think I'm too biased to put across anything objective to add to the discussion?"

"_Do_you have anything to add to the discussion?" Kazoe arched an eyebrow behind his glasses. "If you do, I believe it will be a first."

He sighed.

"Very well. If you have something to share, I suppose I must let you share it," he said wearily.

"I just wanted to say that I agree with Yamamoto," Shunsui said frankly. "Waiting and worrying is something a leader does. I also think it's something Juu's about half nailed, but he still needs to work on the other half. He's got the worrying down, but the waiting is something he could use more practice in."

He shot his friend a lazy smile, noting how Juushirou's expression had gone from preoccupation to irritation.

"With that said, I think all this stuff about group leaders and evaluating their performance is useless really," he added blithely. "The Real World was only a simulation of what it would be like to work in and fight with a real Gotei squad. We all know each other - in the case of our group, we know each other very well and we get along just fine. That's not realistic. If you were going to have a proper mission, you wouldn't ensure the chemistry of the group beforehand. Divisions aren't that convenient...I doubt there's a single Gotei division in which all the members can honestly say they like everyone else."

"Kyouraku, now you're going off on a tangent," Kazoe looked annoyed. "Whether or not that's the case, please remember that you're not a Gotei shinigami at present. You're a student. That being the case..."

"No, sir, I'm not," Shunsui cut across him calmly. "Horrific as it might sound, however, come the spring I will be. Whether I graduate this school or I don't, this time next year I will wear the _haori_of Eighth Division. You'll have to forgive me for thinking this forward a little."

He tilted his head on one side.

"You can fight with people you like or with people you don't," he added. "I think Genryuusai-sensei sent us to the Real World in the groups he did because it was damage limitation. It's not a realistic example of what Gotei life is going to be like, though. Team spirit can be generated, but it's not necessarily going to be all buddy-buddy. That kind of exercise promotes a false impression of being a shinigami - it makes it easier to work with people, and it makes it a harder blow when a life is lost. Neither one of those represents reality to a fair degree."

"Shunsui, shut up," Sora sent him a dark look. "Of course we knew each other. We're classmates. Duh."

"Yes, we are," Shunsui nodded. "Juu said just now that he felt like he failed Ryuu, but that's because he knows Ryuu's personal situation and more than anything else, he's Ryuu's friend. How many of us acted in the Real World out of friendship, not group loyalty? Enishi went to Ryuu's aid because he was saving a friend. Right, Enishi?"

"Yes, of course," Enishi looked surprised. "Shinigami or Clan or whatever he is, Kuchiki's my friend first and foremost so of course I went after him. Why?"

"I did a similar thing where Juu was concerned," Shunsui said plainly, "and Naoko-chan also acted in the same respect for Suzuno. Being part of a squad is also about distancing yourself from bonds as well as upholding them, isn't it? You have to be professional so long as you're in uniform. If you're not, all kinds of unforseen things can happen."

"So in your opinion, Kyouraku, you all failed?" Kazoe's annoyance had disappeared, and instead a curious look glittered in his sharp eyes. Shunsui pursed his lips.

"Yes," He said at length. "I think as shinigami of the Gotei, we failed. As Senior class students, maybe we didn't, but it's not just Juu who's to soft on people. We're all guilty of caring about people too much and worrying beyond our brief when it comes to their safety and I don't think it's fair just to single out one or two people. We all went on this assignment and like Mitsuki said, we all should learn from it. That's how I see it, anyway."

"I agree."

Before Kazoe could respond, the door of the classroom slid back and Shunsui's eyes opened wide with surprise as he registered the slim figure stood between the gaps in the wooden divide. Pale though he still was, there was resolution in Ryuu's grey eyes, and as he stepped into the classroom, Shunsui could see that he was neatly robed in his school uniform, his hair tied back from his face in its usual single tail.

"Kuchiki," Kazoe gathered himself more quickly than any of the students. "I had understood that you weren't to return to classes until further notice?"

"I have decided to overrule that advice and come anyway," Ryuu admitted, moving across the classroom and taking his usual seat. "Unohana-sensei relented when she understood how keen I was to return to my studies, and I should not like to miss anything of great importance on account of my reckless behaviour in the Real World."

"I see," Kazoe's eyes narrowed to slits, but he nodded his head. "If you feel you are well enough to come to class, I won't object. There will be no leniency, however - I have no time or patience this morning to nanny those who should still be convalescent."

"I assure you I am quite well, Kazoe-sensei," Ryuu bowed his head. "I would not wish to inconvenience you or the class any further by being otherwise."

"Then we'll continue," Kazoe turned back to the board. "Kyouraku has just, rather surprisingly, made some good points. Does anyone else have anything to add to this?"

"Are you really sure you ought to be here?"

Shunsui leaned across to Ryuu's desk, casting him a quizzical look. "None of us have seen hide nor hair of you since Enishi carried you back here unconscious - and you still look white as a sheet."

"I am not entirely recovered, but I am well enough for this," Ryuu responded simply. "I would also rather - when the messenger comes from District Six - it was to be seen that I was up and around and quite unharmed from my escapade."

"Messenger from...?" Shunsui blinked, and Ryuu nodded.

"Both Genryuusai-sensei and I sent messages home regarding Aizen Keitarou," he said darkly. "I cannot believe that nothing will come of such a communication, although it had to be made."

"At least your kin are absolved of guilt in this now," Shunsui pointed out.

"That is true," Ryuu agreed. "Guren-sama will have to acknowledge that, which will make my gamble hopefully worthwhile. That said, though..."

"Mm?" Shunsui eyed him curiously.

"I wonder how angry my Clan leader will be with me for taking matters into my own hands," Ryuu admitted. "I suppose that's the other reason I wished to be here. It is better than dwelling on matters I cannot change."

"I suppose so."

"What you said about the squads and our mission was interesting, by the way. I heard it as I came to join the class," Ryuu offered him a faint smile. "It appears you have learned something from being at the Academy all these years."

"Yeah. I've learned that I like having friends and I don't like the idea of losing them," Shunsui muttered. Ryuu's eyes became grave and he inclined his head in agreement.

"I also," he confessed.

"Kuchiki, if your only purpose for returning to class was to whisper across desk divides with Kyouraku, you can easily be sent back to my kinswoman's gentle ministerings," Kazoe did not even turn from the board, but like naughty children both students flinched, exchanging guilty looks. "Kyouraku needs little or no excuse to distract himself from his studies and since he bothered to make an interesting suggestion this class, I would suggest neither of you mar it by spending the rest of this period exchanging news."

He glanced across at Akira.

"Yamamoto, it's your turn," he said quietly. "Stand, please, and give me your appraisal of your time in the Real World."


	63. Guren's Messenger

**Chapter Sixty One: Guren's Messenger**

"I've been expecting you."

Genryuusai turned from where he had been carefully checking through the old volumes that lined the far wall of his office, his moustache twitching slightly as he made eye contact with his visitor.

"I thought it was only a matter of time before someone came from District Six - from the fact that Guren-dono's sent someone of such high standing means that this message is a serious one, isn't it, Kinnya?"

"You're really not easy to surprise, even after all these years."

Kinnya offered his former teacher a wry smile, bowing his head towards the other before stepping into the study fully and closing the door behind him. He was robed in the cream and green of his Clan, though the more subdued style befitted one of his bloodline and rank who had long since entered retirement, and about his throat hung the insignia of his branch of the family, marking him out as a member of the true Kuchiki line. His mourning robes for Raiko were nowhere in evidence, and as he crossed the floor to join his companion, Genryuusai's sharp eyes took in the man's movement, realising with each step Kinnya took that the stick he clutched in his left hand was more for show than it was out of necessity.

"You seem well," he murmured. "I had heard otherwise, but I'm glad to see that my reports were wrong."

"I have found a new lease on life in recent months," Kinnya looked rueful, glancing at the cane and then back at the old teacher. "I wouldn't say that this old body of mine has fully re-adjusted to the kind of power I wielded when Senaya-nii was still alive, but I certainly feel a lot further from death than I did this time last year."

"I suppose it was easier to cross into District One in the guise a frail old man than in full regalia and _zanpakutou_ blazing," Genryuusai mused.

"You say you expected me, though?" As the old teacher gestured for his companion to sit down, Kinnya did so, laying the polished walnut cane at his side. "If so, you must have some idea already as to what business brings me here."

"I imagine you've come for Ryuu," Genryuusai said simply. Kinnya nodded.

"In part, I have," he agreed. "Guren would like Ryuu returned to the main house as soon as is possible. I received your letter and Guren received the boy's, so I realise that as yet he may not be fit enough to travel."

"He seems fit enough to go to class, so I don't see why he couldn't make a journey," Genryuusai reflected. "That isn't your only reason for coming though, is it, Kinnya? I think with all that has been going on, the quicker you tell me your Lord's wishes and everything else you need to disclose the better. One of my students died in the Real World - I am not in the mood for playing mind games."

"A student died?" Kinnya looked momentarily stricken, and Genryuusai realised with a jolt where his guest's mind had gone.

"You know about Juushirou." It was a statement, not a question, but Kinnya slowly nodded his head.

"Ryuu came to me and among other things, told me of the boy's existence," he said softly. "Sensei, I realise that is no concern of yours, but..."

"The student who died was an Unohana," Genryuusai shook his head. "Your grandson returned from the adventure relatively unscathed."

"Oh." Genryuusai eyed his visitor keenly, taking in the palpable relief that now flooded Kinnya's grey gaze. "I'm sorry - I'm not glad for the school's loss nor for the tragedy faced by the Unohana. It's just that for a moment I thought..."

"Would you like me to send for him? Then you can see for yourself that he is well," Genryuusai suggested, but Kinnya shook his head.

"Probably he has no reason to know or care who I am beyond a name...most likely I'm not someone he'd want to see, considering how badly I've derelicted my duty towards District Six's coastal regions in the last twenty or so years," he said sadly. "I don't think I have a face to meet the boy with at the present time, and so I will not. Besides, I am sent here by direct order of my nephew Guren...and you are right. Time is probably of the essence."

He pursed his lips.

"Shirogane is also here, isn't he?"

"Indeed," Genryuusai nodded. "I'm sure I already advised you of that fact - it's not really a secret any more."

"True enough," Kinnya clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, then, "Sensei, what I have to tell you I don't fully understand. None of us do. I'll try and explain what I can, but it may not be a satisfactory explanation. First and foremost, Guren would like Ryuu home - but not just Ryuu. He would like...if at all possible...for you and Unohana Retsu-dono to accompany the boy across borders."

"Retsu and I?" Genryuusai's thick eyebrows twitched upwards, and Kinnya nodded his head.

"That's his reason for sending me," he responded. "There's nobody else of rank that he can dispatch at present. It's believed by him that Aizen Keitarou is currently within District Six. Not more than twenty four hours ago this Aizen launched an attack on Ryuu's father Seiren, and we don't believe that he's left the area in the way he has done before. Guren has had Sixth Squad dispatched across the District looking to find and seal up any active _Senkaimon_...but my nephew believes strongly that Keitarou's business with the Kuchiki is not entirely finished. To put it in plain terms, so long as Guren and Ryuu remain alive, this Keitarou will not give up."

"Seiren-dono was attacked?" Genryuusai's eyes became grave. "I'm surprised that this is the first news I hear of it."

"Guren doesn't want it discussed on a wide scale," Kinnya said uneasily. "The truth is, we neither of us fully understand what was done to him."

"Is he dead?"

"No, but I'm not quite sure that I should describe him as living, either," Kinnya gazed down at his gloved fingers. "It appears that this Aizen rogue did something to unseal the spirit power Senaya-nii and I locked away when he was born, and it's reacted violently. Seiren has apparently been ill recently, but nothing like this."

"His sealed spirit power...exploded?" Genryuusai frowned. "And Aizen was the trigger?"

"The only correlation I can draw from it is the memory of those struck and poisoned by _reidoku_ during Urahara Keitsune's incident," Kinnya admitted. "In this case, though, there doesn't seem to have been any chemicals used. I believe it's only Seiren's own native spirit power that has overloaded this time. When I saw him, the sensation of his spirit was the same as it was the day he was born, only...more potent and full of a greater level of despair."

"I see," Genryuusai rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "In what way exactly did this power manifest itself?"

"Guren believes Seiren is becoming a Hollow," Kinnya responded. "It might be true, too. Seiren certainly had a mask - but when I broke it, his fight collapsed and so did he. He's currently restrained within the bowels of his manor - cuffed to restrict his spirit power and locked within a kidou barrier - but neither Guren nor I know how to reverse the damage done to his soul. I don't think that I can replicate the seal Senaya-nii and I put onto that _reiryoku_ now that it's reacted in this way...but if something isn't done, Seiren's life is probably forfeit."

"And so Guren-dono wants Ryuu," Genryuusai said softly. "To say farewell to his father? Or..."

"The trigger seems to have been Aizen telling Seiren that Ryuu was dead," Kinnya said heavily. "Guren knows this better than me, but he and Futsuki have both said how much Seiren dotes on his only son. I understand that emotion only too well myself - when you love a child so much then lose that child, your will to live folds and dies within you. Seiren was probably fighting against the explosion of his power for Ryuu's sake, but once he heard his son had been killed..."

He trailed off.

"The letters Ryuu and I wrote to you and to Guren-dono arrived too late to prevent that," Genryuusai sighed wearily. "Very well, I understand. You seek my assistance in ridding District Six of this renegade Urahara exile, correct?"

"Something of that nature, yes," Kinnya looked apologetic. "Seiren's violent reaction led to him attacking Guren and it appears that right now he doesn't recognise anyone - we've tried to keep him unconscious, but when he's awake he's fighting against his bonds and it might not be long before he breaks them. Keitarou said he wasn't controlling Seiren, but Guren isn't so sure. He thinks that because Seiren's attempt to kill him failed once, Keitarou will stick around to try and make sure next time it works. The Aizen isn't strong enough to fight a fair fight, from what Guren said - but Seiren undoubtedly is strong enough to kill his brother if he was to get free."

"You think Ryuu might be able to change that?"

"It's a risk, but if Seiren saw Ryuu was alive, it might penetrate the psychosis and calm him enough for us to be able to do something to help," Kinnya responded. "Guren doesn't want to involve the Council, but he believes that, since you have appointed yourself in charge of Ryuu's safety, it would be wise to ask you to accompany him to District Six. He'd like to avoid having his prospective heir killed if it can be helped. It's a cheeky request in many regards, but he also seeks Unohana Retsu-dono on account of the fact that there is nobody with healing skill to rival hers anywhere in Seireitei."

"And what of District One in our absence?" Genryuusai asked lightly. "Hashihiko's squad are here, of course, but I have a school of students to protect...do you expect me to only guard the life of one?"

"With all respect, Sensei, that's Guren's other reason for sending me," Kinnya looked faintly sheepish. "He's charged me with Shirogane's safety, since if anything goes wrong - if Guren and Ryuu were to be killed - Shirogane is the only one left who could mount a claim and Guren wanted to be sure I would act for him as need be. I am not as strong as you are, it's true, and probably in comparison would be a feeble protector of any kind. However, I was able to subdue Seiren even with my power as rusty as it is. I will remain in District One with your permission...and I will watch over your students in your absence. Guren would surely approve of my doing so, considering the weight of the request he has placed on you. Shirogane will also be here - I understand he has quite promising spirit power, too."

"Shirogane will probably one day rise to the level Guren-dono currently stands at - possibly Ryuu will also, if he works hard." Genryuusai said slowly. "Neither one of them are anywhere near the level of student you and Senaya were when I was first called on to train you."

His gaze drifted to the walnut cane.

"That's why you brought that with you, isn't it? You hoped you could convince me that, frail and sickly though you've been in recent years, you are enough to keep watch over my young ones and make sure all remain safe from harm."

"Yes," Kinnya agreed. "I haven't used it in a very long time - perhaps not properly since Senaya-nii's death. I have something to protect here for my Clan's sake, but also for my own sake, Sensei. I'm content to remain in District One for as long as your Clan will tolerate me. I have no intention of letting anything happen to Raiko's son."

His eyes darkened.

"Guren said that this Aizen made a puppet of my grandson already," he said blackly, and for a moment Guren saw a flicker of his former student's true spirit power flare in the composed grey gaze. "That makes him an unforgivable enemy in my mind, whether or not he is responsible for causing my Kuchiki kin so much grief. As a Kuchiki and as Raiko's father I am involved in this and I will not easily walk away."

"Your grandson has a lot of spiritual potential, Kinnya," Genryuusai placed a wizened hand on his companion's thin shoulder. "Shirogane and Ryuu may not attain the same level of spirit power that you and your brother used to wield when I trained you...but Juushirou is another matter. It will take time, but there's a very good chance that he will."

Kinnya's eyes opened wide with surprise, and Genryuusai smiled.

"There are two students in my class at present who in potential stand out above the others," he said quietly. "One is a Kyouraku, and one is your grandson Juushirou. Though they're both still growing and developing, it's already clear to me that they are something different from their companions. When I give them to the Gotei, it will be a great loss to me and to my Academy...but a great gain to the spiritual future of this world."

"Juushirou is...that powerful?" Kinnya whispered.

"He takes after his grandfather, and, perhaps, his mother," Genryuusai nodded. "I never could train Raiko long enough to really know what the true level of her spirit power was, but whatever it was, it was passed on in full to her son with more besides. You should be proud of him, Kinnya. More, you should rethink your decision not to meet him. His spirit power and his nature are such that even when he graduates here he will have much to learn. I won't be able to teach him forever - but there are few people in Seireitei with enough skill and knowledge to undertake the next step."

"He would not want to speak to me if he knew who I was," Kinnya's eyes became sad. "I learned recently that his father had been killed by a Hollow, and I - the Kuchiki charged with protecting the Coastal Province - I did nothing to intervene. Hidenobu-dono's blood is on my hands and nothing can change that."

"Ah, I see the family resemblance," Genryuusai observed dryly. "Juushirou likes to blame himself for things which are not his fault, too. His idealism and naivety are both strengths and weaknesses - so is his sense of responsibility. Well, I suppose I can't interfere in this beyond what I've already said. It's your decision, not mine. You've come here on another errand and I must look to that first and foremost. Please, come with me."

"Come with..." Kinnya looked surprised, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Shirogane's being here has been kept secret from most people," he said matter-of-factly, moving to slide back the door of the study and gesturing for his companion to follow him out into the hall. "We didn't want to create any kind of panic. Some of the Seniors are aware of it, and my staff, but nobody else. Shirogane himself has kept to this rule admirably. I am quite impressed with how far he's come on since the spoiled, arrogant young whelp I had to hold back a year."

"I have only seen Shirogane once," Kinnya admitted, falling into step with his former sensei and pulling the hood up on his cloak once more. "We have not been formally introduced, so I know little about him. He struck me as someone with his own ideas and his own thrust to follow through with those ideas regardless of what else is going on around him. In truth, it reminded me a little of my late brother."

"You miss Senaya, I think?" Genryuusai asked, and Kinnya nodded.

"I do," he agreed. "Although we were close and distant most of the time, I understood Senaya-nii and I worked well with him. The same understanding doesn't exist between Guren and Seiren...this business has been allowed to happen because of that."

He frowned.

"I cannot disclose to you my brother's secrets," he said sadly, "but I can't imagine that the decisions he made over a century ago have had no impact on the current situation in District Six. Sins cast long shadows...and Senaya-nii meddled with enough things to bring karma down on his people for a long time to come."

"Senaya loved his children, just as you loved Raiko," Genryuusai said evenly. "I don't think you can blame him for wanting to keep Seiren alive."

"I don't," Kinnya shook his head. "Even now I believe he did the right thing. Just...the cost has been a high one. Guren's son may be dead because Seiren was allowed to live...that's the reality of this."

"It's obviously more complicated than I know," Genryuusai acknowledged. "Senaya wasn't in the habit of confiding in me about anything much, not even when I was training you both. You took me into your confidence far more, Kinnya. His formidable lady wife aside, Senaya probably only ever fully trusted you out of everyone that surrounded him. For Guren to have you now in his time of need would probably make your brother the most content of all."

"I believe so," Kinnya sighed heavily. "Senaya-nii was fond of using me wherever it was convenient. I don't suppose he'd have considered his death a reason for that to stop."

Genryuusai opened his mouth to reply, but as they rounded the corner, Ryuu, Mitsuki and Shunsui rounded the corner, apparently deep in conversation about something. The moment their gazes met, however, Ryuu let out an exclamation, hurrying forward with wide, startled eyes.

_"Kinnya...sama?"_

"Ryuu, there is a place to yell and shout and it isn't within the halls of the Academy," Genryuusai chided the student before Kinnya had a chance to speak. "You surely haven't forgotten your etiquette so easily?"

"I am sorry," Ryuu reddened, bowing his head rather awkwardly towards his great uncle, and the other two students exchanged looks before following suit. "I meant no offence, Kinnya-sama. Sensei."

"It's well," Kinnya rested a hand on Ryuu's shoulder, casting him a faint smile. "I imagine this is the last place you thought we'd meet again, but I'm glad to see you in good health. Your uncle will also be relieved, since although he received your communication, a lot of stories have been circulating in District Six."

"Aizen," Ryuu's eyes became dark. "I knew he would try something in that vein."

"Meeting you like this is opportune, as it happens," Genryuusai added. "I was going to send for you, but since you're here, you might as well join us."

"Sensei, has something happened at home?" Mitsuki looked anxious, and Genryuusai nodded.

"It has, but for the time being, I don't believe it concerns you," he said softly. "You and Shunsui should return to your normal routine."

"We were going to try and see Naoko-chan, Sensei," Shunsui spoke up now. "Mitsuki-chan said she was feeling down, and she and Ryuu were going to go. I thought if I showed up too, she could yell at me and let off some steam. She's quite good at that."

"We were actually going to attempt to cheer the girl up a little," Ryuu shot Shunsui a withering look. "Mitsuki thought that Unohana-sensei might allow us. Shikibu appears to be making a slower recovery than I have done and naturally, since this affair directly relates to the Kuchiki, we were both concerned for her health."

"For the time being, you'll have to delay your visit, as I have a prior need of both you and the Healing Bay," Genryuusai said briskly. "If Retsu-dono is agreeable, you may return after dinner - Ryuu, you aside. As I said, I have need of you."

His thick white brows bristled for a moment, then fixed his gaze on Shunsui and Mitsuki.

"I should like you two to return to the Senior annexe for the time being," he said softly, eying both students with a look that told them he would brook no opposition to his orders. "You must also not say a word of this encounter to anyone._ Anyone at all_, Shunsui, no matter how close you consider them to be."

"Why was that directed at me alone?" Shunsui protested. "Sensei, I can keep a secret, you know!"

"Good. This will be a good chance for you to prove it to me," Genryuusai was unmoved. "I'm sure as Clan children you both understand that if people were to know a high ranking Kuchiki of Kinnya-dono's status had crossed into District One, it may create trouble for the school."

"Yes...yes, sir," Mitsuki looked anxious, but she nodded her head. "We understand."

"You're a Kuchiki too," Kinnya was startled. "I see it now in your face, but I don't believe I know your name. It's been some years since I ventured from my home province, therefore I'm afraid you're a stranger to these old eyes."

"Edogawa Mitsuki, sir," Mitsuki bowed her head. "My father is Edogawa Teitou, who is a third degree member of Guren-sama's honoured court."

"Ah. Teitou-dono is known to me, but not for many years I must confess," Kinnya's expression became one of comprehension. "I am Guren-sama's uncle, child - as Ryuu and Genryuusai-sama said, my name is Kinnya, but I don't expect you to have heard of it or of me."

"On the contrary, sir, I have," Mitsuki said politely. "Ryuu has mentioned you to me before, and your name is not unknown at the Kuchiki court, even now."

Her gaze flitted to Ryuu, who was looking anxious.

"Are you sure I shouldn't...come...with you?"

"Sensei said not, Mitsuki-chan," Shunsui spoke up now, putting a hand on her arm and sending her a glance. "Obviously it's something important, and nothing to do with us."

"Yes, but...I'm a Kuchiki too, and..."

"You've already done your part, Mitsuki," Genryuusai said gently. "You took care of Shirogane when nobody else could."

Mitsuki's eyes became big with dismay, and Genryuusai smiled.

"You didn't think I didn't know that, did you?" he reproached her lightly. "It was well done and I'm pleased with you. However, beyond this point, there's nothing you can do but remain here and focus on your studies."

"Y...yes, sir," Mitsuki reddened, bowing her head, and Shunsui grinned.

"We'll do as you say, Sensei," he said softly. "We'll leave Ryuu with you."

With that he gave Mitsuki's arm a little tug and with a backward glance the young girl nodded, reluctantly following her classmate in the direction of the Senior annexe.

Now alone with the two old men, Ryuu bit his lip.

"What has happened, Sensei?" he murmured. "Why is Kinnya-sama here? I don't...what..."

"Your uncle sent an urgent message via Kinnya-dono to me. It also concerns you," Genryuusai said frankly, moving towards the door of the Healing Bay and sliding it open, leading the way inside. "Fetch your cousin and bring him here. Retsu-dono is likely with Shikibu at present, but I will speak to her later."

"Yes, sir," Ryuu's eyes burned with apprehension, but he did not demur, darting off towards the small chamber that Shirogane currently called 'home'.

"He certainly seems in good health," Kinnya remarked. "Whatever injury he took in the Real World cannot have been severe."

"He fought with an assassin and took a cut from a poisoned blade, but not enough of the drug entered his system to be fatal," Genryuusai responded. "He's strong of health by nature, and so has recovered fairly quickly. Fortunately for him one of my kinsfolk was near at hand when he was attacked, and so no further injury was caused."

"Ah yes. I saw the letter he penned to Guren and it said something about that," Kinnya agreed. "That does tend to suggest the Yamamoto are aligning with the Kuchiki, does it not?"

"Enishi acted from friendship, not from political means," Genryuusai said dismissively. "Whether wise or unwise, that is the kind of person he is."

"Sensei?" At that moment Ryuu returned, Shirogane in tow, and at the sight of the hooded Clan visitor, the latter's eyes became clouded with consternation.

"Ryuu said word had come from Guren-sama," he murmured. "I've seen that badge before...in the forests of District Six. An old man on a horse wore it when he warned me to leave the Coastal Provinces."

"Hello, Shirogane," Kinnya offered the boy a smile. "Considering all I've heard of you, it's well that at long last we meet face to face."

Shirogane did not answer, clearly on his guard, and Genryuusai moved to shut the door, sliding across the lock to ensure they were not disturbed.

"Shirogane, word has at last come from Guren-dono," He said softly. "Both my message and Ryuu's sent to District Six arrived in safety and a response has come in the form of Kinnya-dono this morning."

"Kinnya...sama?" Shirogane's eyes widened, then became thoughtful. "I see. I thought that was the same badge. Then it was your manservant who advised me to leave the Coastal Provinces when I was attacked by Seiren-dono's men?"

"It was," Kinnya inclined his head apologetically. "Keiichi was following my direct instructions - I trust you are not too put out at his attitude towards you."

"On the contrary, I'm grateful for the intervention," Shirogane admitted. "Whether for your own reasons or not, you allowed me to escape."

"Well, the need for escape is probably at an end," Kinnya said pensively. "Ryuu, Guren-dono has sent me with the request that you return home to District Six immediately."

"What?" Colour drained from Ryuu's already pale cheeks. "Guren-sama is pulling me out of the Academy? Is it because I went to the Real World without his permission? But I had to go, if I hadn't..."

"Quiet yourself, boy," Genryuusai chided. "Nobody has requested your removal as an Academy student. Guren-dono's reason for calling you home is different."

"I don't believe he's cross with you regarding the Real World," Kinnya agreed. "That's not to say it's good news, so don't look so relieved. It's relating to your father - Seiren-dono."

"Seiren-dono," Shirogane echoed the name softly. "Does he still persist in believing of my guilt?"

"Whether he does or does not is currently an unknown factor," Kinnya said gravely. "He is presently quite unwell. Aizen Keitarou launched a direct attack on him and his manor and it carried heavy consequences. A good half of the manor lies in ruin and the rest has been evacuated. Your mother appears to have escaped without injury and is currently taking refuge with one of your sisters, but it is unclear as yet whether Seiren's life can be saved."

"Father...is..._dying_?" Now there was no denying Ryuu's unnatural pallor, and for a moment Genryuusai thought the boy might faint. "Aizen attacked him, and now..."

"Guren-sama wants Ryuu because of Seiren-dono, doesn't he?" Shirogane's brain was working more quickly. "If Seiren-dono's life is in danger, then it's only right that his son...even if that brings Ryuu into danger too."

"I have been asked to accompany you, and Unohana Retsu-dono also," Genryuusai interjected. "In the circumstances, I believe that may be possible. Kinnya-dono has offered to remain here - in fact, his orders seem to be that he should do so - but there's no doubt the situation we'll be going into is a serious one. Guren-dono apparently believes Keitarou is still in District Six and is waiting in the shadows for you to return home. You and Guren-dono are both still his targets - and if he can get you both in the same place, then..."

"In that case, Ryuu should not go," Shirogane spoke up quickly. "If it's that dangerous...even a trap..."

"Senpai, this is Guren-sama's will," Ryuu spoke softly, his complexion still deathly pale. "I have put myself in harm's way once for my Clan and I will do so again if need be. If that is what Guren-sama wishes of me, then I will of course return home as soon as can be arranged."

"I should come with you," Shirogane suggested, but Kinnya shook his head.

"You are to remain here."

"But...!"

"I understand you want to protect your kinsman. Your loyalty does you credit," Kinnya said softly. "Nevertheless, for you to remain here is also Guren-sama's order. You must obey his word over your own feelings."

"Guren-sama doesn't...want me home?"

"On the contrary, he does. Very much, I believe," Kinnya sighed. "Your uncle loves you a good deal, Shirogane. I think you'd be quite startled to know how much he considers you like a son, even though you are not. Guren is also a Clan leader, and that carries with it certain responsibilities. In this respect he's looking to the future of the Clan. He has the intention of passing the inheritance to Ryuu as Seiren's son - but this fight is far from over. If something should befall him and Ryuu both, there needs to be someone else who can take the reins of the Clan and hold the family together. The only person that could possibly be is you, and I have been charged to ensure that, in such a circumstance, there is someone to guide and support you to power."

"Guren-sama," Shirogane's eyes softened, and Genryuusai saw genuine emotion in the young man's eyes. "As his Vice Captain, I should be at his side defending him. Even though I'm not, he's forgiven me? He doesn't believe me to be guilty of conspiracy or murder?"

"He never did," Kinnya said simply. "You underestimate him greatly if you believe otherwise. You and Ryuu are both extremely precious to him, not just as future men of influence but as kinsmen he wants to protect."

"I must go, though, if Father is that unwell," Ryuu said quietly. "We've had our differences, but he is still my father and I have been unfair towards him too. I had suspicion about his involvement...but now he has become a victim, and I feel ashamed. Mitsuki tried to tell me that there was no way Father could be involved...but I was not sure and I doubted in him. For that reason we fought the last time we spoke - at the very least I must make amends for that conversation."

"I cannot guarantee whether he will know you," Kinnya warned. "At present his condition is...somewhat unstable."

"What exactly has happened to him, Kinnya-sama?" Shirogane's gaze flitted to Ryuu, then back to the old Clansman, a troubled look on his face. "Clearly it's something quite awful, but although you've mentioned Aizen's attack..."

"Seiren's sleeping spirit power has been unsealed," Genryuusai answered instead, folding his arms across his chest, and Kinnya inclined his head.

"A power that was never supposed to exist has been allowed to range free," he said grimly. "Ryuu, I will not lie to you. This _reiryoku_ was sealed when he was born because of how dangerous and deformed a force it was, and Seiren has no control over it whatsoever. Your father's current state is on the cusp of pure soul and tainted Hollow - he no longer recognises any who he would call kin, and has once tried to steal Guren's life. There is just as much possibility that if he sees you, he might also try to hurt you. He is confined, but there is no telling how long that confinement might hold up under the relentless pressure of such malevolent spiritual energy. That alone makes him a lot stronger than you or Shirogane at present - he was able to overpower your Clan leader on account of the toxicity of his reiatsu. Whether Aizen attacks you or not directly, Seiren is a threat to anyone who gets too close. We do not know how to fix this, or whether Aizen has any latent control over Seiren's actions."

He glanced at Genryuusai.

"I think we hoped - Guren and Futsuki and I - that you might have some advice," he admitted. "It's beyond all of us - well, so far as I know, Seiren himself may also be beyond help. The only thought we had was bringing Ryuu...since Seiren's explosion of power seems to have been triggered by reports of Ryuu's death, there is that faint possibility..."

"This is _my _fault?" Ryuu was aghast, a stricken look entering his reserved grey eyes. "I went to the Real World and put myself into danger and now Father believes...because of me, all of this..."

He trailed off, and Genryuusai could see that his student was visibly shaking from both shock and anger.

"Dangerous or not, I want to see my father," he said at length, raising a resolute gaze to Genryuusai's own. "I will accept any risks attached to it, since this is clearly a wrong I must somehow right. Genryuusai-sensei, I realise it is an inconvenience and a burden, but if you would accompany me I would be most grateful. I do not know whether help can be given in Otousama's case, but if there is the slightest chance of stopping the enemy and preventing anyone else becoming hurt, I hope that all that can be done will be."

"Ryuu," Shirogane put a hand on his cousin's shoulder, then,

"I'll remain here and help Kinnya-sama oversee the school," he said gravely. "If you and Unohana-taichou go, Sensei, I will do my best to help fill the void. I realise I'm still weak in comparison to more experienced shinigami, but if there is a way in which I can help, I will."

"I know, but your first duty is to ensure you stay alive," Genryuusai said firmly. "If Kinnya is here, I believe...all will be well. I will speak to Retsu-dono, and find out whether she is willing to trust Shikibu's health to another to accompany me. Given her recent loss, I imagine she will be only too happy to face and help deal with this particular threat to Seireitei's peace."

"Amai-san." Ryuu's eyes clouded. "Indeed so."

"Well, Shikibu is at least making slow progress," Genryuusai observed. "Her injuries are mostly psychological and I believe Retsu-dono may feel happy leaving her in Mitsuki's care. By all reports that young lady has become far more steady in her resolve in recent months. All right. Ryuu, you should come with me. You and I have much to arrange in a short period of time. Shirogane, I will take you at your word - if you intend to help, in my absence there will be classes to oversee and you can help to oversee them. I trust that a Vice Captain with a good education will be capable of advising youngsters in basic Sakusen precepts?"

"I should hope so, else I wouldn't be much worth my rank," Shirogane said acidly, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Then it's decided," he replied. "Guren-dono has accepted you are an innocent, and has given you firm instruction to remain in District One. There is no need for you to closet yourself away here any longer - you are free to move around, though I will advise Hashihiko that you are not allowed to leave this District _under any circumstances_, so I suggest you don't think of trying. I will also tell my kinsman to deploy some of his squad here to help keep the site secure," this last to Kinnya, "since Aizen Keitarou is not the only enemy. The one who killed young Ribari was his accomplice - a young _hime_ formerly of the Endou Clan, and her whereabouts are currently unconfirmed. Since she's clearly capable of dangerous behaviour, it would be as well to be on the alert for anyone matching her description in the local area."

"Understood," Kinnya nodded.

"This girl is known to me," Shirogane said blackly. "She gave me the name Kyouraku Nanaki, but there is no doubt she is Endou Eiraki. I will know her if I see her, Kinnya-sama. You need not worry...she will not take us off guard so easily, and she might find herself regretting any visit she makes to these parts."

"I want you also to keep an eye on Juushirou, Shirogane," Genryuusai said quietly, and Kinnya started, staring at his former teacher in consternation.

"On...Juushirou?" he murmured, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Since you are unwilling to meet your grandson face to face, I will trust the job to Shirogane," he agreed evenly. "I suspect that Kyouraku Shunsui will also be keeping close tabs on him, though."

"Why Juushirou, though?" Kinnya pressed.

"He was once controlled by Aizen, and it seems that Aizen believes he can take the boy and use him again," Genryuusai explained. "I think it's highly unlikely that he'd be able to manipulate Juushirou so easily a second time, but there is always the risk of that happening. Aizen can use his spirit power from afar, as he's proven before. Therefore if Juushirou acts even a little bit strangely, I would like him taken out of general circulation as quietly and smoothly as possible. I will deal with him when I return."

"Yes, sir," Shirogane inclined his head.

"You won't put his life in danger?" Kinnya was alarmed. "Sensei, earlier, when you said..."

"I believe Juushirou's sword is probably more powerful at its base than Aizen's currently is, and his training is further on than the last time Aizen tried that technique on him," Genryuusai said placidly. "Not only that, you'll remember I told you I had _two _students not of pure Kuchiki blood who carried exceptional promise this year. Kyouraku Shunsui has already taken a blade to and drawn blood from this enemy, although he is far from reaching the limits of his _zanpakutou'_s power. Shunsui is also very rarely far from Juushirou's slipstream or vice versa. The two are extremely close - and although Shunsui has a bad habit for laziness, where Juushirou's safety is concerned he seems to set that aside."

"Shunsui," Kinnya's eyes became thoughtful, then, "That was the name of the boy we met in the hallway, surely? The one you were with, Ryuu?"

"Yes, sir," Ryuu nodded. "That is Kyouraku Shunsui. Sensei is right - he's lazy, cheeky and appears unreliable, but if something was to threaten Ukitake - or indeed, any of us who he considers his friends - he is very capable of acting both sensibly and to our benefit."

"Maybe he is, but he's still only a student," Shirogane ran his fingers over Ginkyoujiki's hilt. "Ukitake was my _deshi_, and more, I owe his family a debt. It's all right, Sensei. I promise I'll keep an eye on him."

"Then Ryuu and I must go and speak to Retsu-dono," Genryuusai gestured for his student to follow. "The sooner we explain to her the situation, the sooner plans can be made."

* * *

"You trained Juushirou?"

Left alone, Kinnya cast Shirogane a quizzical look, and the Vice Captain nodded his head, sinking down onto the empty pallet with a heavy sigh.

"It seems an eternity ago now, but I did," he agreed. "I'll never forget the day he brought his sword out. The storm...the electricity...I thought he'd exploded a part of himself, to be truthful."

"I see," Kinnya was silent for a moment, digesting this. "That's why you were shielded by his kinsfolk when you fled the manor?"

"You knew that?" Shirogane was discomfitted, and Kinnya chuckled.

"I knew where you went, yes," he agreed. "I imagine they treated your wound and sent you on your way."

"You didn't do anything about it, though, even though your man told me to leave," Shirogane looked suspicious. "What is your involvement in all of this, anyway? Ryuu said he'd been to see you, and you hadn't been keen to get involved with anything then. Now you're here on Guren-sama's orders? Your manservant let me flee with an injury that almost killed me, but you did nothing to check up on me. Were you on my side or against me? I still haven't quite worked that out."

"I am your ally, Shirogane," Kinnya said calmly. "That should be clear enough from the fact Guren has entrusted you to my guidance. I'm very fond of your uncle, and I was quite fond of your mother as well."

"What if I'd bled to death?" Shirogane demanded.

"Spending time in the wilds of the Districts appears to have had an impact on your common courtesy," Kinnya looked thoughtful, and despite himself Shirogane reddened.

"Perhaps it has," he owned, looking sheepish. "I apologise for my informality, but these are questions that have troubled me. I had already assumed that because of Ukitake, you would not want soldiers trampling down your land and raiding peasant homes. Even given that, though, it is a surprise to encounter you here and on Guren-sama's errand. It makes me wonder that if you were well enough to come here now, why have you kept yourself so distant from everything else? If you are my ally, truly, as you say…why did you not do more to protect me?"

"What if my men_ had_ intervened?" Kinnya returned neatly. "Where would they have taken you that could be considered a place of safety? Seiren's men were all over my manor and grounds. If you'd been brought back for treatment, you would've been captured and returned to the main house. Who knows what your fate might have been then? You were foolish enough to get hurt and that was your problem, not mine. I let you escape...Keiichi was given clear instructions on what to say to you, and I don't think you enough a simpleton not to have understood those words. Whether you lived or died as a result was also your decision. There wasn't anything more for me to do in that situation."

"I suppose that's true." Shirogane acknowledged. "Just...you know...all about everything, don't you? Ryuu thought you did. Things about Seiren-dono, and now all of this happening..."

"Senaya-nii left me with a lot of secrets," Kinnya said quietly, "but I also understand the law of our land. I had no desire to see you lose your life, but I also had no reason to actively become involved until Seiren's men went too far and broke laws looking for you. We are strangers, Shirogane, but I see potential in you. Whether that potential is enough to become a strong shinigami or even a true leader remains to be seen. I am your ally now because Guren decreed it – but it is also my own wish to see you live. I believe you are of use to Guren both as comfort for the loss of Ribari and with the skills you clearly have. It's up to you to become responsible enough to use those abilities wisely."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"This includes following the laws set down by predecessors as well as by the current regime," he added. "The deaths of a couple of soldiers on my own territory might or might not be overlooked as justified in the name of protecting the peace, but beyond that I am bound by District law as much as any other member of the Clan. It was I who oversaw that the law was written that way, so I have less excuse than any other to claim ignorance of its demands."

"The deaths of…" Shirogane's eyes became slits. "Come to think of it, Kinnya-sama, why would it be that you'd know of my injured state at all? Could Keiichi-dono have reported to you in such detail as that? Yet you also know of the two soldiers…do you not?"

"Killed by Kidou, I believe," Kinnya agreed evenly. "They were two foolish men who were threatening life when I had clearly stated my opposition to violent behaviour."

Shirogane swallowed hard, reading the expression in the old man's eyes and understanding the things that had not been said as clearly as the things that had.

"You were there," he murmured, "firing Kidou from the shadows. It wasn't a squad shinigami, but it was _you_, wasn't it? You came yourself to find me, but you didn't reveal yourself to me. I was cuffed, and so I could not read the spiritual presence of the one who fired the spells, but I knew it must be someone of considerable power and skill. Your rank as a shinigami and a direct blood member of the central Clan line would not rule you out, surely? I had overlooked it on account of my assumption of your health, but if you are well enough to be here now, even protect the school…"

He faltered, then,

"Did you come then...to protect me? Or...?"

"I intended you be allowed to live," Kinnya did not admit or deny the accusation, a strange smile on his lips. "I'm glad that I've finally had a chance to meet you properly. I hadn't realised you were my grandson's _shishou_, but that makes me all the more glad that you recovered from your injuries and were able to escape. Although I might not ever meet Juushirou properly, I'm grateful for the time you spent with him. Thank you, Shirogane. If he becomes a great shinigami, it will be in some way thanks to you."

"Annoyingly, I think he will become just that," Shirogane said heavily, "if he doesn't get killed through idiocy first."

"I imagine that trait must come from me, since it certainly doesn't come from either my daughter or his grandmother," Kinnya rubbed his chin pensively. "Of course, I know little of the Ukitake family, but I do not believe them to be fools, either. Still, foolishness and idealism are not always bad traits to have."

"You are truly curious about him, aren't you?" Shirogane murmured. "Ryuu said that you seemed to be…I imagine Ukitake has no idea that he has someone of so much power and influence watching over him from the shadows."

"I believe it to be better he does not know, at least not for now," Kinnya said pragmatically. "For now my focus must be on you and also the things Genryuusai-sensei has entrusted to me. I have no intention to show myself before the school or the students, Shirogane – if there is an enemy attack, the less they know about my involvement here the better. My sword has not been unsheathed in a very long time – I hope I will not have cause to use it, but I would rather preserve the element of surprise just in case. I will only use it to act if a circumstance arises whereby there is no choice - it is a dangerous weapon to be in the vicinity of if it were to be released, and this is a location inhabited by students still in training. I will be trusting in you and Genryuusai-sensei's staff to act as a first line of defence if Aizen's young accomplice makes her presence known. I know nothing of this Endou Eiraki, but I understand she isn't particularly strong on her own."

"You mean, you're saving your sword in case Aizen returns early to target District One?" Shirogane asked shrewdly, and Kinnya inclined his head.

"In that circumstance, I would have no choice," he agreed, "but otherwise, I will be content just to watch and wait for Sensei to return home."

"How strong_ is_ your sword, Kinnya-sama?" Shirogane asked softly, and Kinnya smiled.

"The true answer is that don't know," he admitted. "That is another reason I am loath to use it unless there is no other option. Once it was enough to fight Senaya-nii's as an equal and sometimes come out victorious, but I am older now and time has passed by. Perhaps I am not as strong with my _zanpakutou _as I once was – it's hard to be sure. In its day, it was a sword capable of a good deal of devastation - I suppose that if I do have cause to release it, we'll find out exactly how much that is still the case."

Shirogane's eyes became thoughtful as he reasoned this out carefully for himself.

"Senaya-sama is supposed to be some kind of legend among the Kuchiki Clan," he said at length. "You were his brother and you knew him. Is it true?"

"Oniisama was and is a legend," Kinnya said pensively. "Whether he is or was the legend he's believed to be is another matter. I believe him to have been both a great Clan leader and a master of deception at the same time. He was a very clever man and very few really understood quite how clever. The Kuchiki Clan was his focus and everything he did was for its benefit – from the moment he was anointed leader to the moment he drew his last breath. Even now, in death, I feel he's watching over me and expecting – through the promises he made me make on his death bed, he still has control over the family he loved so much."

"Till the moment he drew his last breath," Shirogane's brows knitted together. "I was right. Senaya-sama knew he was going to die and planned accordingly in order to bring his sons to work together, didn't he? That's the truly great thing he did for the Kuchiki – he sacrificed himself to give the family unity."

"On the contrary, my boy, dying was Senaya-nii's last desperate measure in making amends for his one selfish whim," Kinnya sighed, moving to the window and resting his hands on the sill. "Oniisama's actions were always with the Kuchiki in mind, and he always took everything he could onto his own shoulders. Our Clan should not rely on outside influence, he'd say. We shouldn't pander to others to bolster a family of this standing and prestige. We are the Kuchiki and we hold our heads high – nobody can match us and nobody ever will. I still remember him, standing there as a young man the day the Kuchiki court officially acknowledged his position as Head of the Clan. 'This family is already great,' he said then, 'but I will make it greater still.' That promise he made and he died in order to ensure it was kept."

"Senaya-sama really did engineer his own death," Shirogane breathed, and Kinnya shot him a pained look.

"I should rather you didn't speak of that whether as theory or fact before anybody else," he said softly. "Senaya-nii _did not_ kill himself. Suicide is a sin within our Clan and I will not have shame brought down upon his head by false understanding. Guren and Seiren would also not have been so easily fooled had it been that way. Senaya-nii was murdered – that is the truth."

"But…then…" Shirogane's expression became one of confusion, and Kinnya moved towards him, resting his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"You are Masane's son," he murmured. "Masane knew all of this when it happened, yet she didn't ever reveal Senaya-nii's secret. No matter how many tears she shed for her father, or how angry she was with me for allowing it to happen, she never once gave the truth away. For Guren's sake and Seiren's sake she pretended…and took that secret to her grave. The story goes that the Shihouin murdered him during negotiations for a trade agreement, and that is how it has remained for a long long time. Ryuu hinted to me that he suspected something amiss with the official version - but I don't believe he came to that conclusion on his own, did he? _You_ came to the conclusion first of all, and shared the thought with him – didn't you?"

"I did," Shirogane looked uncomfortable. "On reading through all the documents, it struck me as odd that he would be considered so great yet be so easily killed. I felt as though the picture had been painted to show what he should be seen as, but not necessarily what he actually was. I'm sorry, Kinnya-sama. I've delved into things that were kept secret for a reason, haven't I? No wonder people became suspicious of me…I have a habit of doing things according to how I perceive is best, and I am learning that perhaps sometimes my judgement is awry."

"No. You are simply Masane's son and like her, you are not easy to fool," Kinnya said heavily. "For that reason I will tell you – and you alone – the truth about your Grandfather's death. If you truly want to understand why Senaya-nii was great, you must also understand why he was not. There are many complex problems involved in revealing these secrets – I would not have you damage the Clan by speaking half-truths of things you do not fully know."

"If I know everything, I'll understand why not to talk about it?"

"Indeed."

Kinnya sank down onto an empty pallet bed, setting his cane down at his side.

"Senaya-nii was murdered by members of a Kuchiki sect," he said quietly. "They had representation on the court, though their underground activities only became known following Senaya-nii's death. Once it became clear they were responsible for my brother's murder, Guren and Seiren, with Futsuki to help swept in and took all of them into custody. Several confessed and all were put to death. They implicated the Shihouin in their confessions, and Guren very badly wanted to wage war on District Two, but the court, I admit, with my advice behind them, would not sanction it. Relations between the Shihouin and Kuchiki were always negative, but became worse following this incident. The Shihouin withdrew to their homeland and there has been little successful discourse between the two families since."

His eyes narrowed and Shirogane had the impression that the old man was remembering things vividly that had long since slipped into the past.

"During this time there was a whisper of a marriage alliance between Guren and one of the Shihouin princesses," he reflected. "This too fell into nothing following Senaya-nii's demise."

"The Shihouin were innocent, though?" Shirogane asked, and Kinnya nodded.

"They were," he said heavily. "It's the one piece of guilt I still have over the whole affair, and why it's become so complex politically. I don't imagine that Clan would forgive very easily being scapegoats any more than they did being accused of complicity."

"The real culprits were Kuchiki," Shirogane's eyes darkened. "How was Senaya-sama so easily fooled by them? Surely…"

"Ah," Kinnya offered a rueful smile. "The simple answer is that he wasn't. Senaya-nii expected them to try and take his life. No, more than that…he _wanted_ them to take his life. The people who were found guilty of his murder…there was a huge scandal at the time because they were people considered to be in his trust. Of course, they _were_ in his trust. Each of them was a loyal Kuchiki willing to give his life for his master and even blacken his own name in order to protect the Clan for future generations."

"What?" Shirogane's eyes became huge. "Senaya-sama _ordered_ them to conspire against him?"

"Yes," Kinnya agreed, "and they complied. He chose people very carefully…those with no families or dependants to be shamed by their downfall…those close enough to him to have the right level of access, and those who he knew had unswerving loyalty and would not flinch away from dying if he asked them to. My job was to help make all of this possible – to twist political discussions in meetings in order to create dissent and then, of course, the final piece in the puzzle…the Shihouin."

He rubbed his temples.

"Senaya-nii ordered me to reach out to District Two with a promise of a potential marriage alliance and better trade agreements between the two families," he said sadly. "I often acted in this way in his name, so nobody thought there was anything amiss. The Shihouin were invited to District Six and discussions over trade began. Guren was still unmarried at this point, though there were other suitors, including your late aunt, and so Senaya-nii dangled that as a carrot into the mix, too. There was never any question that he would allow his heir to marry outside of the Kuchiki Clan, and Guren had already made up his mind to his future bride, but it provided a reason for the Kuchiki court to raise objections. In the midst of this furore, Senaya-nii died. The Shihouin and Kuchiki rebels were blamed and justice was served. Seiren and Guren united behind a common enemy and the future of the family was secured. Senaya-nii didn't believe his life was too great a price to ensure his family's prosperity. Whether you believe what he did – no, what _we_ did – to be right or wrong, I think it can still be seen as 'great'."

Shirogane was silent for a long time, digesting this with a mixture of consternation and disbelief in his grey eyes.

"Senaya-sama did all of that to ensure his sons worked together to build the Clan for the future," he whispered. Kinnya nodded.

"He believed it his duty to find someone both Seiren and Guren would hate more than each other. The only way he could see to doing that was to sacrifice someone they both loved dearly," he said flatly. "He assumed responsibility for their rivalry, and he knew that his sons adored him as much as he did them. To him the path forward was a clear one and he had no hesitations. I…had several. In the end it worked as he intended – but a truce forged in adversity and illusion is not always strong enough to stand the test of time."

He cast Shirogane a pensive look.

"Juushirou's grandfather has hands stained with both blood and deceit," he said quietly. "Senaya-nii chose his karma – and I believed that I had received mine when I heard that my daughter had lost her life. Juushirou's existence is precious to me – he's a sign of hope that I thought had been lost. I don't want to taint him with the weight of the past or with the burdens of the Kuchiki Clan. From how you – and Genryuusai-sensei – have spoken of him, he's not someone that should be tainted. If he's to be a great shinigami, it's better he becomes it without my influence hanging over him. I've done too many bad things to be entrusted with someone who's still young and innocent enough to be misled."

"To be quite honest, I don't think he'd pay a lot of attention even if you intended to mislead him," Shirogane said wryly. "He is a remarkably stubborn youngster, Kinnya-sama. He truly believes in everything he says and he will fight for it too, if given half a chance. He is a hot-headed and irresponsible dreamer full of great ideas of how the world ought to be…no amount of reality seems able to shift that from his brain."

"You sound quite fond of him," Kinnya observed, and Shirogane sighed.

"I am, in a strange way," he admitted, "and in other ways, not."

He cast his great uncle a sidelong glance.

"Ryuu told me about his father and Guren and what happened when they were born," he said softly. "Only me, nobody else. That's what he came to ask you about, isn't it? When he came to visit you before term began, it was because he'd found some evidence that turned everything upside-down. Both he and I believe that evidence was written by Senaya-sama and that it's now in the hands of the enemy. If that comes into the public sphere…"

"Ah. That," Kinnya's expression became one of resignation. "I had thought that might be the case. I warned Seiren about his actions but perhaps I warned him too late. With things as they are, it's possible that Aizen released Seiren's spirit power in the hope he could be used against Guren in a more political way…I don't know. As it stands, Seiren isn't much use to anyone, politically or otherwise."

"You're not worried?"

"You think I should be?" Kinnya snorted. "There exists one sole piece of evidence pertaining to the birth of my nephews, and very few individuals alive who remember the event. It seems quite likely Ryuu will be named as heir, and even if the Clan did know how things were arranged, the fault was with my brother and I and not with either Guren or Seiren."

"Even so, such a scandalous rumour…"

"You mean, a malicious falsehood," Kinnya interrupted frankly, and Shirogane stared. Kinnya smiled.

"I am my brother's servant, now until I die. I promised to take that secret to my grave and so I will," he said softly. "What Senaya-nii did was right and I stand by it now. Should that document appear, I will simply dismiss it as a forgery. _I _was the one who had custody of Senaya-nii's _nikki_ when he died. There was no reference to this event in that book then or ever, so far as I am aware. Why should I worry? False rumour never served anyone's cause, and there is no other evidence to back it up."

"You…" Shirogane was lost for words, and Kinnya chuckled.

"I am fond of Guren," he admitted. "This is something of which he knows nothing, and for the time being, that's as well. We'll see how Aizen moves, but no, I am not worried. Aizen's evidence – should he have it – is flimsy and unsubstantiated. My word on this will be considered far more valid to the Kuchiki court than the claims of an outlaw – you should not concern yourself too greatly about that. Rather, you should focus your mind on the job that must be done here. Guren is relying on us and so is Genryuusai-sensei. I do not intend to let either one of them down."

* * *

"So that was Juu's grandpa."

As Shunsui and Mitsuki made their return to the senior annexe, Shunsui pressed his lips together in consideration.

"I'm right, aren't I? Kuchiki Kinnya-sama…that's Juu's blood grandfather, correct?"

"Yes," Mitsuki nodded her head, a troubled look in her grey eyes. "For him to be here is unexpected. I didn't think he ever left the coastal manor, but to have him travel here like this…something really has happened back home."

"Something that concerns Ryuu but not you," Shunsui agreed. "Perhaps that's Yama-jii's way of telling you right now your job is at Naoko's side."

"I wasn't allowed to go to her just then, though," Mitsuki objected. "The Healing Bay was off-limits – remember?"

"I suppose that's negotiation headquarters. Nagoya's hiding out there, so that would make sense," Shunsui rubbed his chin. "I wonder if this Kinnya-sama's visit means that our senpai's name is officially cleared?"

"It should be. Both Houjou-kun and I saw and heard Eiraki-chan's testimony for ourselves," Mitsuki responded. "I should be glad, but I don't like it. It feels wrong. Sensei wanted Ryuu, but it's nothing to do with me. That means it's serious and I've been edged out because my rank isn't high enough to be included."

"Are you offended?"

"No. Just concerned," Mitsuki sighed. "I didn't realise Sensei was watching us so closely, either. He knew Shirogane-senpai was in District One long before he came to the school. I should have picked up on that when nobody came to arrest Senpai despite his living in a cave with so little protection."

"I think he trusted something to you that he couldn't do himself," Shunsui said wisely. "Well? The old man was pretty clear about what happens now. We're not to talk about this, presumably because he doesn't want us to send Juu into a frenzy about meeting his grandfather for the first time. Kinnya-sama's clearly here on business only, and we're not to get involved."

"I'd rather not be involved, but I'd like it if Ryuu and Senpai weren't either," Mitsuki stifled a shiver. "I also want to see Naoko. I promised her that I'd go and visit her each day for as much time as possible and though she knows I have to attend class, I don't want to break my promise."

"You and she are friends again, then?"

"I want to help her. I understand things I didn't before, and so does she," Mitsuki responded. "Most of all, Amai-san's death told me that a conversation you have with someone can be the last time you ever speak. If Naoko had died, then the last memory I'd have had would have been us arguing. Whether it was her fault or not, I would have hated that."

"Mm," Shunsui's expression became sombre and he nodded his head. "We're all thinking a lot more about life and death lately. I hate that we are, you know. This is our last year as students and reality will be there soon enough, but it's as though we're all racing towards it."

He ran his finger pensively along the uneven surface of the wall, tracing an invisible line against the pale coloured divide.

"I wanted to see Naoko-chan because I really can't imagine her hysterical and frightened," he admitted. "It's not that I don't believe she is, just that it doesn't seem right that she should be. I was tongue-in-cheek before, but I did think that maybe if I went, considering how much I annoy her, she'd get cross with me and it'd help make her feel better. It's a strange kind of thing…but I'd quite like it if things went back to the way they were before."

"Before…?" Mitsuki asked softly. "Before this year? Before the Real World trip? Before…?"

"Before Aizen Keitarou's shadow fell so long and dark over everything," Shunsui said simply. "Before he killed your kinsman, and before we became wrapped up in something sinister. I don't like being surrounded by fear and negativity, but it's here from all angles. Yamamoto's broken up over Suzuno's death, Juushirou's fretting about Aizen and _I'm _fretting about him remembering things I really don't want him to. You're worried about Ryuu and back home and I suppose we're all concerned for that side of things as well. It worries me…that's all."

"What bit especially?" Mitsuki asked, and Shunsui paused, resting his weight against the wall.

"I don't think Aizen Keitarou will be caught," he said frankly. "Maybe things will calm down and the Kuchiki will recover, but I'll be very surprised if the Council manage to bring Keitarou in. So long as he's alive, he's going to hurt people. Yet he has the power to disappear…and strike again when nobody is expecting it."

"Aizen is a Kyouraku name, isn't it?" Mitsuki looked thoughtful, and Shunsui nodded.

"It is," he agreed. "This isn't a matter of Clan pride, though, Mitsuki-chan. The name is an old one and outside of the four degrees. I'm more concerned for lives he's put at risk. Juu's one but only one of those lives."

"Yes. I understand," Mitsuki inclined her head. "Being able to react to something is not the same as being able to act to prevent it happening. When you react, it's already too late – at least in some cases."

"Perhaps that's why Kinnya-sama is here," Shunsui mused. "It's reached such a pitch in District Six that even he can't stay out of it any longer."

"We shouldn't talk about this any more," Mitsuki said firmly as they reached the door of the Senior study. "Sensei asked us not to, so we won't. I share your fears, Kyouraku-kun…but I still hope that the Council will somehow find a way of capturing Aizen Keitarou."

* * *

_**Author's Note**_

_I just wanted to add a message to apologise to anyone whose reviews I didn't get to reply to this week. As some of you know, my place of work closed at the end of April. The positive news is that I was redeployed to another branch, but this week was my first week and it has been extremely hectic and chaotic adjusting to all the changes. For that reason I didn't get to every message and I'm sorry. Please don't think I don't value your comments because I absolutely do, especially with so much crazy going on in RL._

_Plus, thank you tomoe-gozen for correcting my character confusedness!  
_


	64. Poison's Puppet

**Chapter Sixty Two: Poison's Puppet**

The dining hall was buzzing with a low level of curious chatter that evening, the remaining members of the Senior Class taking their usual places to supervise the younger students as they filed noisily into the high-ceilinged chamber. Although no formal announcement had been made about the visit of the Kuchiki manor lord nor Genryuusai's sudden departure, the lack of all staff from the dining hall at the start of any evening meal was unusual and several of the youngest students whispered about it among themselves as they collected their trays.

"Nothing's been said but already everyone knows," Shunsui finished helping a particularly petite Second year girl get down an empty tray from the top of a new stack, casting her a grin and getting a beaming smile as reward for his efforts. "Nobody knows what they know, but they know it all the same."

"What are you talking about?" Juushirou stared at his friend blankly, and Shunsui grimaced, gesturing to the staff dais.

"We're on our own at present," he reflected. "That doesn't happen that often. Everyone's noticed it and is talking about it. Nobody's made any announcements or passed around any memos – but the rumours are circulating nonetheless."

"A lot of things have been strange since we came back from the Real World," Juushirou pointed out, reaching out an automatic hand to stop a First year from skidding across the shiny floor in his desperation to reach the tables first. "Hey, be careful! If you go flying you'll wind up in the Healing Bay, and it'll be even longer before you get any food."

"Plus you'll get a scolding from Unohana-sensei," Shunsui added dryly. "I don't suppose that'd do much for your appetite, either."

"Unohana-sensei isn't in the Healing Bay," the youngster, who didn't seem at all perturbed at being hauled up by two senior students put in brightly. "She's gone away."

"Gone away?" Juushirou frowned, and the boy nodded.

"One of my class saw her getting into a carriage," he said smartly. "I guess she's gone back home. Anyhow, she won't be able to lecture me, so even if I had fallen over it would've been okay."

"Cheeky whelp," Shunsui tapped him lightly on the head. "Get your food and go sit down already. You're holding up the queue and you're making hungry Seniors even hungrier. We might not be as scary as Unohana-sensei, but we can be pretty scary if we want to be, so run along."

He gave the boy a little shove in the direction of the trays, and Juushirou frowned.

"Unohana-sensei's not here," he murmured. "I wonder if that's because of…things that happened before."

"Maybe," Shunsui nodded. "Right now we can't talk about it, though. Let's get the kids through first and grab our own food."

"Agreed," Juushirou inclined his head, turning his attention back to the stream of younger pupils who Kai and Hirata had been guiding – or in Kai's case, pushing – into a single file line in order to collect their meal. The Seniors were only directly responsible at such times for overseeing First, Second and Third year students, so it was with some relief that both boys recognised Kira Hideharu's pale blond head alongside Kamitani Jun's similarly sandy one in the midst of a group of upper school pupils. The Fourth and Fifth years could be left to themselves so, grabbing their own trays and making their quick escape, the boys hurried to join the rest of their friends at the Senior table.

"Everyone's buzzing with something or other this evening." As they took their seats, Sora cast the two boys a quizzical glance, tapping her chopsticks idly on the rim of her tea mug as she spoke. "Do any of you people know anything?"

"It isn't like you not to have your finger on the pulse, Sora-chan," Shunsui remarked. "Are you losing your touch?"

"I don't know. Maybe," Sora frowned. "Well? I've heard bits and pieces of what the brats have been whispering, but none of it makes a lot of sense to me. We also have no staff for evening meal yet, which is something else we don't see often. They can't have all absconded and left us, surely?"

"Kazoe's definitely here," Enishi swallowed his mouthful, scooping up his tea mug and taking a healthy gulp of the warm green liquid. "I had an extra Kidou session with him, worse luck – it ended about a half hour ago. I have no clue why he isn't _here_ yet, though – he was in one piece when I left his room."

"He's probably making an offering of thanks to the God of Kidou that your session ended without loss of life or limb," Shunsui said blithely, and Enishi laughed good-naturedly.

"That should be me, not him," he said with feeling. "He's a hard task-master."

"One of the youngsters said Unohana-sensei had left the school grounds," Juushirou observed. "Apparently they saw her. I wonder if that means she's gone home."

"Maybe she's taken Suzuno-chan," Shunsui lowered his voice, casting a sidelong glance down the table to the far end where Akira, Aoi and Kanshi were huddled, seemingly paying no attention to the rest of the conversation.

"Maybe," Juushirou looked doubtful. "Mitsuki, do you know anything about that?"

"I don't know anything," Mitsuki looked frustrated. "Retsu-sama didn't send any messages to me and I haven't been allowed near the Healing Bay even to see Naoko."

"I thought you, Kuchiki and Kyouraku went there earlier today," Kai objected, dumping his tray down beside Enishi and dropping into the vacant seat. "What happened with that? Was she sleeping?"

"Yama-jii didn't seem to think it was a good idea to go to the Healing Bay. He stopped us and sent us back," Shunsui said simply. "Perhaps she was resting. Since we didn't see her, I don't know."

"I guess maybe Sensei didn't want you to see…something," Enishi suddenly reddened, as though he had remembered something he was not supposed to say. "I mean, you know, Amai…might still be there. They wouldn't want…students…and…"

He trailed off awkwardly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Speaking of Kuchiki-kun, where is he?" Hirata looked concerned. "He was with you and Edogawa-san after class, Shunsui-kun, but he didn't come back to the Senior study with you, did he?"

"He didn't," Juushirou's eyes became grave. "Shunsui, what happened there? If Sensei sent you back, why didn't Ryuu come with you?"

"Genryuusai-sensei wanted him specifically," Mitsuki said softly, before Shunsui could voice a response. "There was something about news from home, but it was only Ryuu he wanted, not me. I don't know what or why."

"That's all we know," Shunsui added, taking a sip of his tea. "Neither of us has seen him since then either."

"Weird," Enishi had recovered his normal colour by this point, his brow creasing in concern. "He seems to have got over his poisoning, and if Unohana-sensei isn't on the school grounds now, then I guess he wasn't going to have a medical appraisal."

"News from home," Juushirou repeated pensively. "That could be anything, good or bad."

"It could," Kai agreed. "The only thing it tells us is that if Sensei wanted Ryuu and not Edogawa, it's something that's either top secret or only relating to the very highest level of Kuchiki administration. Of course, Guren-sama might just want to tan Ryuu's hide for taking off to the Real World and putting his life at risk…maybe it's a message to that end. If not, though…"

"If it was just a message, he'd be here now," Hirata said sensibly. "He isn't."

"You mean that the message was for him to _go_ home?" Mitsuki whitened, and Hirata nodded.

"If he's not here, and nobody's seen him, that would make sense," he agreed.

"Not a lot is making sense here of late," Shunsui said heavily. "If you want something to unravel the logic of, Hirata-kun, try _that_."

He pointed his chopsticks in the direction of the doorway, and despite himself Juushirou also turned, his eyes widening in surprise and consternation as he registered the subject of Shunsui's concern. Belatedly the school's staff had made their entrance, Minabe looking rebellious, Uebashi looking concerned and Kazoe looking decidedly put out. In their slipstream was another figure, but instead of the hunched, aging form of their head Sensei, Juushirou made out the familiar features of a far younger man, thick dark curly hair tied back in a neat tail at the nape of his neck. He was robed in simple black, but the _obi_ at his waist was cream instead of the more usual white, and at his waist glittered the distinctive hilt of a _zanpakutou_, sheathed in a carefully carved and polished scabbard that almost certainly had cost more than Juushirou's entire wardrobe for a year. His expression was preoccupied and his grey eyes clouded over, but there was no mistaking the slim figure as the _shishou_ he had last seen living rough in the caves of District One.

"Nagoya…senpai," he whispered, and Shunsui nodded.

"Bingo," he murmured. "The wanderer has come out of the wood, or so it would seem."

"Senpai." Mitsuki chewed down on her lip. "Why is he here, in front of the whole school? I thought…"

"I guess Genryuusai-sensei _did_ offer him sanctuary," Kai's eyes became thoughtful. "Edogawa, you didn't know about this?"

"I knew he was in District One," Mitsuki reddened, nodding her head. "Sora and I helped him when he first crossed borders. I knew he was at the school too, since we came back from the Real World…but I didn't realise that it was okay for him to show himself here now."

"You're going to get us into trouble, saying things like that," Sora hissed anxiously, but Mitsuki shook her head.

"Sensei knew he was here all the time," she said matter-of-factly. "He thanked me – well, us – for helping Senpai when nobody else could. It's all right, Sora. If Senpai's now able to show himself at meals it means his name is cleared and Guren-sama has acknowledged his innocence. Genryuusai-sensei wouldn't take the risk of angering the Kuchiki unnecessarily, so it must all be all right now."

"In that case, where _is_ Sensei?" Hirata wondered. "He's not here."

"No, he isn't," Shunsui pursed his lips. "First Unohana-sensei, now Yama-jii. Hey, Akira!" This last to the sullen Yamamoto at the far end of the table. "You're a first degree Yamamoto, and this is your family's land, isn't it? Did something happen in your Clan to drag Sensei away?"

"If it had, it wouldn't be your business," Akira said scathingly.

"True, but it's _all_ of our business if Sensei's not here," Shunsui pointed out. "You're not stupid – you know that right now is the most dangerous time for everyone following what happened…_you know where_. If you know anything about this, it might be a good time to share it."

Akira was silent for a moment, then he sighed.

"I don't know anything. Not officially," he said honestly. "Nobody's told me anything, least of all Sensei. However, when I left the training ground this evening to come here for dinner, I saw two or three of my father's shinigami bustling around the outside of the school grounds. I didn't see Sensei and I've no idea what might have happened…but I got the feeling that we were being watched over by First squad."

"Watched over?" Sora's brows knitted together. "In…Sensei's place?"

"Ryuu's missing. Sensei's missing. Unohana-sensei's missing," Juushirou counted the names off on his fingers. "Something has happened in District Six. I wonder if…the person causing all the trouble…has made an appearance there and that's why Sensei's not here."

"You think he'd leave the school unprotected?" Shunsui looked alarmed. "Aizen Keitarou isn't a foolish person - do you think he'd hang around in District Six if someone as powerful as Yama-jii came charging at him? He's the guy whose _Senkaimon_ technology we're all working from now. If anyone's good at escaping and creating diversions it's him!"

"If you want me to talk to you, don't mention that man's name in front of me again," Akira growled, his eyes glittering with bitter rage. "I've only told you what I know. Ukitake's speculating – but he might be right. If _that man_ has shown up somewhere else, it'd make sense to try and catch him in a place far away from here. The Academy's important to Genryuusai-sama. He'd not bring anyone here into harm's way if he could help it."

"But if it is that way, and this is a diversion…"

"Maybe it's a case of who can provide the _biggest_ diversion," Hirata murmured, and Shunsui's brows knitted together in consternation.

"If you mean what I think you mean…"

"Ryuu!" Mitsuki's eyes became frightened. "Oh, is that it? Sensei's taken Ryuu so that…so that he can be bait again in another trap?"

"He barely escaped the last one with his life," Kai said grimly. "He'd be an idiot to agree to do it again."

"He's that kind of idiot, though," Shunsui said heavily. "I wish we'd asked Sensei more clearly what exactly had happened in District Six. All he told Mitsuki was that it didn't concern her. I guess he wanted to keep her out of it, but…"

"Perhaps Hashihiko-sama is moving First squad in here to protect the school," Hirata suggested, and Akira nodded his head.

"I don't know if Father will come directly himself, but if Sensei was leaving the District, he'd make that kind of arrangement first," he agreed. "There'll be a higher military presence and it'll tell anyone from outside that even if Genryuusai-sensei isn't here, this place has the direct eye and concern of the Head of the Yamamoto. If that's happened, probably Kazoe's been left in direct charge of us and that's why he currently looks so ticked off. That's how I'd do it if I was Sensei, anyway. You cover your base first before you venture further afield."

"If Hashihiko-sama isn't here himself, is there anyone in First squad who could face down someone like this enemy?" Kanshi asked. "Akira, your brother's a strong shinigami but he isn't in your Father's league yet and nobody is quite like Sensei. Isn't it still leaving things exposed?"

"He hasn't anyone else to call on," Hirata murmured. "Besides, Ai…_this enemy_ is strong but he's also very clever. Defending against him isn't about physical strength but guile and skill of another kind. This man killed my Grandfather, a Clan leader who was probably renowned for being one of the most paranoid men in Council history. Ojiisama didn't even trust in his own descendants – yet _that scientist_ got close enough to take him off guard without a physical confrontation. He stole Ojiisama's life without leaving clues or witnesses to what he'd done. If not for the fact he admitted the crime to Juushirou-kun and others, probably we'd never know for sure that it was him."

"And to think Shikiki and I spent time alone with this man," Juushirou shivered despite himself. "Now, thinking back on it, I was in a lot more danger than I ever really knew, wasn't I?"

"We're not thinking back on anything. We're looking forwards," Shunsui said flatly. "Right now the problem is the school. If Genryuusai-sensei's really taken the risk of leaving District One with the hope of nailing this guy, I hope he's done as Akira says and got every base covered. It's a big gamble."

"He took Ryuu with him, but _not _Senpai," Mitsuki murmured. "Senpai looks bothered but he doesn't look angry. I wonder what exactly happened…I hate being left out this time around. I'm a Kuchiki too – it's my right to know, isn't it? Ryuu's like a brother to me…why should I not know about this?"

"Probably because you'd try to convince him not to go," Kai said astutely. "Ryuu listens to you, and you might talk him out of it."

"Well, of course I would," Mitsuki said stubbornly. "He's my cousin. What else would you expect me to do?"

"Perhaps as a shinigami with squad honours, Nagoya's been deployed here to help protect the school too," Aoi suggested thoughtfully. "I remember him as Anideshi, and before. He's supposed to be a great talent with potential equal to Guren-sama…maybe that's the trade."

"It's not a very even trade," Shunsui snorted. "No offence to your Clan, Mitsuki-chan, but potential is no guarantee of anything, and I don't think there's anyone in Soul Society who's a fair match for Yama-jii."

"There isn't," Akira agreed matter-of-factly. "Only a fool wouldn't know that. However, one person can only be in one place at any one time. Aoi could be right. What if Guren-sama ordered Nagoya to stay here to help First Squad in return for favours received from the Yamamoto?"

"You're suggesting the Kuchiki have forged a political alliance with another Clan. That's unheard of," Shunsui chided. "District Six are infamous for standing alone whatever the adversity. Do you think they'd buckle now?"

"Senpai probably hasn't spoken to Guren-sama since he left District Six. More likely if he's staying to protect the school, he's doing so because he owes Sensei a debt," Mitsuki observed. "He's very proud, and he doesn't like being beholden to anyone or anything if he can help it."

Shunsui's eyes suddenly became thoughtful, and Juushirou frowned as his friend's brown gaze suddenly shifted to meet his hazel one.

"Shunsui? What's up?"

"Nothing." Shunsui shook his head. "I just remembered something else from this morning's conversation with Yama-jii, that's all."

"Something else?" Sora looked curious. "Something about taking Kuchiki back to District Six?"

"No. Nothing like that." Shunsui's brown gaze became contemplative. "It's all right. It's probably nothing. Till it becomes something, you might as well let it alone."

He turned to glance out across the busy dining hall.

"Our first concern is the school's current vulnerable state if the old man really has taken a trip," he added. "We're none of us fully trained, but if something was to happen here…"

"Then we'd fight," Akira finished the sentence, a firm expression in his dark eyes.

"Yamamoto-kun…" Mitsuki looked anxious, and Juushirou sighed, nodding his head.

"Yamamoto-kun is right," he said quietly, bringing several startled looks his way. "If Sensei isn't here, it's our duty to help out where we can. We should be careful, of course, and most likely it won't mean us doing more than helping out extra with students or things like that. However, just on the off-chance…"

He spread his hands.

"Ryuu is not here, and Shikibu-san is not well," he added simply. "That leaves ten of us. We may not be fully trained, but we _do_ have swords and we do know how to defend ourselves more than the juniors do. Hopefully we won't be needed in a combat situation, but ultimately that's what we're being trained to face. In the Real World we were all on our own and taking decisions for ourselves…in a worst case scenario, this might be the same thing."

"Juu, you're sounding reckless and idealistic again," Shunsui said frankly. "Worse, you're agreeing with Yamamoto, and that's a disturbing symptom I haven't seen before."

"What's wrong with agreeing with me? I'm right," Akira said bluntly. "Ukitake's only speaking sense. It mightn't be up to us, but if it is, I'm not running away and if you consider yourself a Senior, Kyouraku, you won't either. I heard that you wounded _that man_ in the Real World. Given that fact, are you going to play coward now and hide?"

"Kyouraku? You did what?" Kanshi started, staring at his classmate in shock.

"Maybe I did. So? That was then. This is now."

"If you already faced him once, facing him again should come naturally," Aoi pointed out. "You're at an advantage in that you've already seen him fight."

"It's not something that I'm proud of, much less something to boast about," Shunsui shrugged. "I don't like drawing blood, but right then it was something I needed to do. Besides,_ that man_ doesn't really...fight. Not in the way you guys mean. There's nothing to be gained by trying to cross blades with him."

"If you were willing to raise your blade then, though, what makes it different if we were to be attacked now?" Akira was getting quite heated now. "Are you really as damn lazy as you play up to be? Was that shot in the Real World a fluke? I'd heard the Kyouraku were a military family – or are you the one who fell short of that command?"

Shunsui's expression changed in a moment, and even Juushirou was taken aback by the dark look that entered the deep brown eyes.

"I don't believe in fighting unnecessary fights for glory or for prestige," he said levelly, all usual warmth and fun lacking from his tones. "Battles are messy, violent and unpleasant affairs, no matter how you dress them up. Suzuno-chan probably died because I spilled Aizen's blood and although I don't consider it my fault, one action does always lead to another. If you don't think out your first move, Akira, it spirals rapidly out of hand."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that there are a lot of vulnerable people here who weren't in the Real World, and I'm not inclined to throw my sword around recklessly if it means they get involved in a bloodbath they're not ready to face."

"What if it's to _protect _them, though?" Kanshi asked. "If something attacked here, Kyouraku, are you saying you wouldn't fight?"

Shunsui rubbed his temples, sending his classmate a resigned look.

"Of course I would fight, if that was the situation," he said at length. "I didn't ever mean to imply otherwise. I just don't believe in going gung-ho into battle before everything is clear. More people get hurt that way, and Sensei would be cross if he lost any more students because we decided to play at being vigilantes."

"There might not be a need, anyway," Hirata said realistically. "If Sensei's deployed First squad here, and Nagoya-senpai, and Kazoe-sensei also uses his sword, it might be all right. They're all far more experienced than us. Let's not forget that this enemy doesn't fight blade to blade with his sword, and he'd be outnumbered."

"He also can't use his Bankai right at the moment," Juushirou remembered. "He told me so quite clearly – that's his interest in me, Yamamoto-kun. I was the last person he used it on, and I lived. Since then, he's not been able to release it. If what he told me when I was with him is true…"

"You _lived _with this guy?" Kanshi's eyes widened. "Ukitake…"

"No! No no no!" Juushirou held up his hands hurriedly. "It wasn't a voluntary arrangement – nothing like that!"

"He was abducted from my brother's wedding because _that man_ knew to appeal to his sense of idiocy," Shunsui said blackly. "I could have sworn I already said we weren't going back to past events, though, so let's not, all right?"

"Shunsui, I don't remember anything about the fight in the snow and it doesn't look as though speaking to him in the Real World has done anything to change that," Juushirou reassured his friend. "The other stuff, though, I do remember. The fact I know Keitarou might help if he did come here."

"Ojiisama also knew him, Juushirou-kun," Hirata warned, but Juushirou shook his head.

"No. Shouichi-sama _used_ him," he said quietly. "Where Shikiki and I were concerned, it was different. Shouichi-sama was always Keitarou's enemy, because he killed members of Keitarou's family. On the other hand, Shikiki and I were recruited because _he _wanted to use _us_. He can be very nice and very open to people he considers useful to him - even allies. Therefore..."

"You let him sweet-talk you into believing he had a good side?" Akira asked scornfully. Juushirou hesitated, then shrugged.

"I don't believe he's a good person. I know he's not," he said quietly, "but I know he's not entirely the cold-blooded killer he was when he encountered poor Amai-san. He took in and raised Shikiki and she adored him...I never saw him say or do anything unkind to her in the time I was there, and I don't think he ever did hurt her."

"Who or what is Shikiki?" Kanshi demanded. "You keep saying the name, but that doesn't mean anything to some of us."

"A young District girl with healing abilities that Aizen thought made a good addition to his arsenal," Shunsui said briskly. "She and Juu got all pally during his confinement and now she lives with his family. She's a special talent, Souryou - even though she's only eleven or so, she already has exceptionally powerful skills."

"I owe her my life," Juushirou put his hand absently to his chest, feeling the reassuring pulse of his heart beneath his ribcage. "I don't remember anything about it, but I know that it's because of her I'm here today."

"No kidding," Shunsui murmured. "As I've said before, every family should have one."

"Possibly," Juushirou acknowledged with a wry smile. "The fact is, though, that he treated Shikiki like family right up until she decided to leave his base with me and flee into the snow. He never came after her, it's true – but I do think he was fond of her and I certainly believe he protected her with whatever means he had available to him."

"Probably that's how he got Eiraki-chan to choose his side," Hirata observed heavily, finishing off the last of his rice and setting his chopsticks down. "He has the ability to be nice if he wants to be...and she was lonely and silly and allowed him to fool her."

"I'm sorry, Hirata," Enishi looked guilty. "When she came out after Kuchiki, I should'a grabbed hold of her, shouldn't I?"

"It wasn't really the time for that," Mitsuki shook her head. "Ryuu was our first concern, Houjou."

"Eiraki made her choice," Hirata added simply. "I wasn't surprised by it, and I accepted it. She's his now - that's all."

He sighed.

"Mother and Father will be upset - devastated, probably, if anyone's told them what became of their youngest child," he concluded. "If the Council catch her, she will probably be imprisoned at best - put to death at worst. There's no kind of mercy for something like that and...nor should there be. My sister or not..."

"It's ironic," Shunsui said quietly. "All of this began because this Aizen idiot's father was put to death by the Council for the _reidoku_. That's why Aizen is so fanatical about the Clans, because none of them saved his Pa - right? It could easily end with a repeat of the same occurrence, only this time..."

"Even if they caught her, they wouldn't put Eiraki-hime to death if she really is with child, like I think," Mitsuki said gravely. "They would at least judge the infant innocent and allow it to be born before they carried out that kind of justice. Kyouraku-kun is right. There is an irony to it...that if she and Aizen are stopped, another child like Aizen could be left orphaned and alone in the same way Aizen was...starting the cycle all over again."

"That won't happen," Hirata said evenly. "There are things to be learned from what happened with Aizen. In those circumstances, the child would be raised as an Endou. He or she would never need to know anything about this...nor have their life dictated by it. Father would see to it and so would I."

He sighed, slipping his glasses down his nose and rubbing his brow.

"There's still part of me which would rather she escaped, though," he said uneasily. "Despite what she's done and the penalty she should face, she is still my sister. I can't let go of that completely yet."

"You shouldn't have to," Juushirou assured him. "It's not you who's done anything wrong, Hirata. You needn't feel guilty because you still love her."

"In the meantime, we have to deal with the problem right in front of our noses," Kai reflected. "If Sensei went to Sixth and Aizen is there, fine. If not, and he shows up here...even if we don't charge headlong into battle for the sake of it, we ought to be ready. He's a tricky customer who's done serious damage to three Clans in the last few years. We shouldn't underestimate his ability to mess stuff up here for the Yamamoto as well."

"For Father?" Despite himself, Akira looked stricken, and Kai nodded.

"Aizen's target is the Clans. _All_ Clans," he said grimly. "Mine was simply the first, and it's not over for any of us. He might be aiming at the Kuchiki right now, but nowhere and nobody is really safe. If the Clans fall, there will also be an impact on the Districts. Aizen's wrong if he thinks no Clans govern their people well – it's the exception rather than the rule that devastates the lives of ordinary folk. What happened in District Seven under Shouichi-sama and Seimaru was horrific, but it's not to say all the Clans treat their subjects in the same way. Even District Seven's current administration is diametrically opposite to the ones which went before, thanks to Misashi-sama's hard work in reviving the Sekkiseki trade and re-establishing links with other Clans. Aizen might or might not have political rhetoric to back up his fanaticism, but it remains that he'll do more harm, not less if he takes away the governing stability."

"I agree," Juushirou looked serious. "I saw what happened in Seventh first-hand and Shikiki had to live through it, so I certainly don't condone that. As a District individual, I don't want to see people trampled into the ground or scared out of their wits, living hand to mouth and being slaughtered because of how they're born. However, all of this disturbance to the Kuchiki Clan could have impacted on my family in all kinds of ways. I've never had a problem with the way Mitsuki and Ryuu's Clan have governed District Six – but if they were to collapse, I'd have a lot of concerns about what that would mean for my family."

"Likewise in District Eight," Shunsui said gravely. "Oniisama works very hard to support the people who live there since the civil war between him and Uncle ended. He's supported refugees from Seventh and even though about half of them have gone back, he's continued to make sure those who've tried to stay have been integrated into Eighth society as much as is possible. However, since this Aizen has clearly been using his family's ancient Kyouraku connection as an excuse to lurk in towns in Eighth District, the working folk there have been inconvenienced too. At least three people were probably murdered, and another was attacked and left for dead. If he really believes in promoting District over Clan, those lives would not have been so callously shed."

"He doesn't care about District over Clan. He cares about strength and potential regardless of its origins," Juushirou said quietly. "His interest in those who have spirit power without Clan support is strong, but it doesn't define his beliefs. He's Clan but not Clan. District but not District. He inhabits the limbo in-between and therefore seeks to draw others he considers in the same limbo to join his cause."

"Like you?" Akira arched an eyebrow, and Juushirou nodded his head.

"Like me," he said grimly. "He was born Clan yet exiled to the Districts…I was born District, but at least one of my ancestors is pure-blooded Clan. I'm also in the same kind of limbo hence he likes drawing correlations between his life and mine. The difference is, though, that I'm not ashamed to be District and I don't have grudges against the Clans. I'm content with my life – even if members of the Kuchiki Clan denied my existence or shunned me completely, I have nothing to resent them for. In fact, having seen elements of Clan life, I'm grateful for having grown up the way I have, even if that sounds strange. Keitarou lost everything when his father was executed and he's still bitter more than a century on. His situation and mine are not the same."

"Hatred like that festers and doesn't die easily," Kanshi reflected. "I'm half Kuchiki and half Shiba, but the Kuchiki side of my blood don't really recognise me as a valid member of the Clan either, since it falls outside of their degrees. Like you, Ukitake, it doesn't bother me. Life's too short to go growling after dropped connections, but I don't suppose anyone's going to convince this Aizen guy to let it go and move on."

"It doesn't seem that way," Mitsuki sighed, resting her chin in her hands. "What makes it so difficult is that he doesn't actively hate the Kuchiki for anything. It's all political – it must be. Endou Shouichi did things to hurt him directly, but none of the current Kuchiki were responsible for Keitsune-sama's execution and my Clan doesn't forge or break political alliances with other families very often."

"The Kuchiki stand tallest, therefore they're the most significant to chop down," Shunsui said grimly. "That's probably all there is to it, Mitsuki-chan. Your cousin's life, and any other lives in District Six are political pawns and pawns are dispensable."

"And Suzuno?" Akira interjected bitterly. "What about her?"

"In the wrong place at the wrong time, almost certainly." Kai pulled a graphic face. "Amai's death is just another unforgivable thing this man has done since he declared war on Soul Society with whatever passes for rationale in his broken brain."

"Maybe we should start trying to think on his level." Aoi's eyes became thoughtful, and Juushirou shot him a startled look.

"Michihashi-kun?"

"He's an Urahara by blood, even exiled. His actions shame my family more than any other," Aoi said darkly, and Juushirou was taken aback by the sudden and uncharacteristically calculating look that entered the other's pale eyes. Belatedly he remembered that Aoi's two top subjects were strategy and swords and in that moment he had the feeling that his older classmate knew only too well how to tie those two things together with ruthless precision. "If he dares to come here next, that'll be the last straw. Nobody in Soul Society would stand for that – there's no reason why _we _should do, either."

"What are you suggesting?" Shunsui looked curious, and Aoi smiled faintly.

"I'm suggesting we make sure we're ready for whatever comes our way," he said simply. "We need to think about things on his level, not on the level of right or common sense. If the worst comes to the worst, we have to have a plan of action to make sure nobody here gets hurt. That's our duty as Seniors, is it not?"

"Well said, Michihashi," Enishi reached over a broad paw to pound the slim Urahara warmly between the shoulderblades. "We shouldn't go running into a fight, but if the fight comes here, we'll damn well be ready."

"Anideshi?" There was a challenge in Akira's gaze as he turned to Juushirou, and the District boy sighed.

"I agree," he said at length. "Let's hope it won't be necessary…but this is our school. If we're not willing to protect it from adversity, why should anyone else?"

"For once, all of Senior Class are on the same page," Kai said wryly. "That is, unless you intend to hold back on this, Kyouraku…?"

"I go where Juu goes. I'm unreliable and lazy, so I won't bother thinking for myself," Shunsui said casually. "Providing we're not going into a fight, my job is to try and keep Juu out of one. That's really the most I ever do – so long as that's not a problem, I'm in."

"Shunsui…" Juushirou cast him an exasperated look and received an unrepentant grin in return.

"Then when dinner is over, we ought to go to the Senior study and talk," Hirata suggested soberly. "This is obviously not a conversation that anyone else – staff or junior students – ought to overhear."

* * *

District Six.

Ryuu clasped his hands tightly together in his lap, his knuckles whitening as the carriage rattled across the border from Inner Seireitei into the Kuchiki's domain beyond. They had travelled at speed through the toll paths that were reserved for those with the means to afford the high tariffs, and the sun had long since set over the hills which in springtime bloomed with delicate pink sakura. It would have been quicker if they had taken a _Senkaimon_, for aside from the Urahara's own land, the Kuchiki District was the area most covered by the convenient form of _zanpakutou _powered gateways, but when he had asked about it, Genryuusai had explained that at present all such openings had been placed under Guren's strict interdict, preventing anyone getting either in or out of Kuchiki land via that method.

Ryuu knew that it was an attempt to keep the elusive Aizen Keitarou confined within District Six's borders, but the rattling journey had done little for his nerves or his anxiety about his father, and it was with a mixture of frustration and impatience that he watched the scenery passing by, waiting for the moment when the carriage would draw into the wide driveway of their destination.

He stole a glance at his companions, trying to observe them without catching the eye of either one. Retsu was sitting quietly and properly on the opposing seat, her body giving away no sign of particular tension and her eyes calm and pensive as she observed the scenery. She had made no objection to the sudden journey, nor had she protested about the inconvenience of being at the Kuchiki's beck and call or the danger she might be going into, and Ryuu wondered if her thoughts were on Suzuno and on avenging the young Unohana's death. The next moment he dismissed the idea as silly – Retsu did not seem like the kind of person who would waste time on petty revenge.

Genryuusai's expression was even harder to penetrate, and he too had fallen silent long since leaving District One. Ryuu knew that he was not happy about leaving the school in other hands and although the blame was not in his court, he still felt guilty for the inconvenience his family had brought upon one who he had come to respect and admire from the bottom of his heart since beginning at the school. What Soul Society had been like before Genryuusai had been there to piece its loose fragments together into some kind of order he did not know, but as he gazed at the old man now, he found himself hoping and praying that his teacher would be around to guide them all for many more generations to come.

Age when put in context with spiritual power was an unknown quantity, but privately Ryuu felt that Seireitei would suffer far more from Genryuusai's death than if all eight of the Clan leaders were to expire on the same day.

"You seem troubled, my boy." At length the old man spoke, his keen gaze meeting Ryuu's clouded grey ones with a question. "This is not an easy journey for you, is it? Not knowing what might await you must be preying on your mind - particularly Seiren-dono's health."

"I have not heard of a situation like it before," Retsu observed pensively, folding her hands more neatly in her lap and offering Ryuu a gentle smile. "It would be strange if Kuchiki-kun was not concerned, Genryuusai-sama. That's why Guren-sama has asked me to attend as well, isn't it? He seeks my advice in healing his brother, and if I can give that help then I promise that I will."

"Thank you," Ryuu found words at last, bowing his head low before the healer. "Especially at a time like this, when so many...when Shikibu is still...and with Amai..."

"Mm," Retsu's eyes flickered for the faintest of instants, but any sign of her being unsettled was gone almost as soon as it had come, making Ryuu wonder if he had imagined it being there in the first place. "There is nothing I can do for Suzuno-san now except assure that she has a peaceful and undisturbed place to sleep among those who loved her. Naoko-san is also much improved thanks to Mitsuki-san's constant presence at her side. There is probably little I can do for her either now that a friend cannot. Unlike Genryuusai-sama, I leave the school often and have attended the health of the Kuchiki Clan before. It is not unusual for me to travel on occasions like this - if your father can be helped by my hands, then I shall do what I can. That is my duty as a healer, is it not?"

"I suppose it is." Ryuu flushed red at the gentle reproach in the older woman's tones. "I suppose one day it will be Mitsuki who...is doing things like that too, won't it?"

"I have very high hopes of her," Retsu agreed evenly. "I trust that Guren-sama will be persuaded that the correct course for that child is to be allowed to pursue her goals with District Four's squad - but I rather feel this visit won't be the best time to raise such a subject."

"Indeed not," Genryuusai rumbled. "Don't worry, Retsu. When the time comes, I'll speak to people and see what I can do. Ryuu, you might also be able to help - if you are named heir to the Kuchiki Clan, then..."

"Must I be?" Ryuu's words were soft, but Genryuusai heard them and paused, fixing him with a pensive look.

"You still feel that you are unsuitable for the role?" he asked lightly, and slowly Ryuu inclined his head.

"Yes, sir, although I realise that to say so makes me appear both cowardly and lacking to outside eyes."

"Are you cowardly?" Genryuusai looked surprised. "You realise the danger I am taking you into, don't you? If Aizen Keitarou is in District Six as your uncle believes, there's a very good chance of another attempt on your life."

"I know," Ryuu admitted. "But...it seems to me that...it would be less courageous to sacrifice my life in such a situation rather than to live and face the pressures that the Clan wishes to put on my shoulders."

"I see." Genryuusai rubbed his beard absently. "You believe it takes more courage to live than it does to die?"

"I have come to believe so, sir. Yes." Ryuu nodded. "I do not know what it feels like to lose someone I care for deeply, but I imagine it must be harder to live on without them than to die and know oblivion in their place."

He smoothed out his _hakama_ against his legs, then,

"Guren-sama has had much to deal with in the face of losing one who I know gave him a good amount of joy," he murmured. "He is now alone in District Six, and yet his thoughts are on the Clan first and foremost, doing what he can to provide for its future and trying to protect its people. I am not sure if the courage to do such a thing resides within my heart as strongly as it does within his, Sensei. I...I had never perceived myself to care about my father to any great degree, but I am cast all over the place thinking of what would happen if he died."

"Sometimes it takes a crisis or a tragedy for us to understand the things that matter to us the most," Genryuusai said gravely. "This is a lesson you haven't yet learned, but it may be one you will have to come to face as time goes on. Your cousin is starting to understand it - by overcoming his grief over Ribari-dono's murder and trying to move forward for Guren-sama's sake, he's beginning to show signs of being a strong and resolute shinigami. Now it is your turn. Whether Seiren-dono lives or dies, your duty is to become stronger, both in mind and in body."

"Senpai would make a much better Clan leader than I," Ryuu muttered, his gaze flitting back to the window at the passing landscape. "I love this land and I am proud of my heritage, but the pressure it places on me is wearying and sometimes overwhelming. I wish nothing ill to come to pass here, and for that reason I do not want to be the head of the Kuchiki Clan simply by a matter of default. Besides, if Father's spirit power is as unstable as Kinnya-sama suggests, it might even be dangerous for me to become heir. What if a child of mine was to be born with that kind of _reiryoku_?"

"Your father and Guren-sama are twin brothers. The same blood runs through each," Retsu reminded him gently. "I have not examined Seiren-sama, nor am I fully aware of his spiritual capacity, but I do know that on very rare occasions such imbalances happen. They particularly occur within high level noble families and in a child born with a physical body that does not match the spiritual demands put on it before it is even born. Seiren-sama is a twin, and one twin is often weaker than the other. If that were to be combined with an unnatural development of _reiryoku_ in the womb, the result would be a dangerous level of spirit power. It is not heritable, nor is it impossible that Ribari-sama, had he lived to sire children, would not have had sons himself with the same condition."

"I see," Ryuu sighed heavily.

"We will arrive soon," Genryuusai rested a wizened hand on his student's arm. "Your father is your current first priority, understand? It sounds as though he has been very worried about you and with good cause."

"I understand," Ryuu nodded. "I wish to go there as soon as I can. If he has become unwell because I took matters into my own hands and went to the Real World without permission, the least I can do is show myself to him unharmed. I hope he will be able to perceive me there - even if he should be angry, I would like to know he knows I'm not dead."

"It may be considerably dangerous to get too close," Genryuusai warned. "We do not know quite what kind of a situation we will face until we arrive. We are travelling directly to your manor, not to the main house, by the way – Guren-dono has instructed us there and it seems he intends to meet with us away from the Kuchiki court."

"To our manor?" Ryuu was startled, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Kinnya was very clear about that when giving me exact details of your uncle's request," he agreed. "I believe we are drawing closer – but you will know this land better than I."

"We're very close, if that's where we're heading." Ryuu rested his hands against the slatted wood of the carriage, gazing out at the land beyond with new eyes. "This is already Father's land, I'm fairly sure. The manor should be just over the next rise, and then…"

He faltered, as the carriage mounted a hill and for the first time he saw clearly their destination. His eyes widened, first with shock and then with dismay as he took in the half ruined remains of what had been his childhood home, the entire west wing demolished while the east wing stood stubbornly firm and the central block hung forlornly in the middle, as though not knowing whether it should be upright or cast down to rubble. Ryuu's heart clenched in his chest, his disbelieving gaze absorbing the scene with a growing sense of alarm.

"What on earth…" he murmured, more to himself than to either of his companions. "That much damage is the result of Father's spirit power exploding?"

"Kinnya described it as bad, but seeing it is quite sobering." Genryuusai frowned. "Retsu, I'm sure you can sense it too – fragments of something dark and intangible on the breeze as we head towards the manor grounds. Whatever happened here was extremely violent and is still lingering in the atmosphere. I would say that if this is Seiren-dono's true spirit power, he is a good deal sicker than even Kinnya was able to express."

"Mm." Retsu's expression became grave and she slid delicate pale fingers out of the window, touching the air with a thoughtful look. "I agree. More, I have not encountered anything quite like this before. I was still in training when much of the fallout from the _reidoku_ experiments occurred…even though I attended a few cases, there was never one of this intensity."

"_Reidoku_ didn't cause this," Genryuusai reminded her, and the healer inclined her head.

"In many respects, though, that changes little," she said with a heavy sigh, drawing her hand back into the carriage and fixing the stricken Ryuu with a pensive gaze. "Whatever caused the initial surge, the end result is mutated spirit power. I am quite surprised that one with this level of dark energy still lives, let alone that Guren-sama and his fellows managed somehow to suppress and contain him. I am aware of Guren-sama's particularly high skill as a shinigami, but surely…"

"Kinnya was with him," Genryuusai said quietly. "I'm not sure Guren-dono could have done it alone, but he had help."

"Is Kinnya-sama stronger than Guren-sama?" Ryuu's eyes became huge, and Genryuusai sighed.

"Once I would have answered that question far more decisively than I can now," he admitted. "When I trained him, Ryuu, he and his brother Senaya were among the highest calibre of shinigami living in that age. I was called on to train them because their potential surpassed the capabilities of those surrounding them – they were both formidable men, though very different. Senaya's Kuchiki did not need to form alliances with other neighbours because, myself aside, there were no shinigami in Seireitei at that time who could match the power of the Kuchiki Clan. Matsuhara of the Kyouraku _might _have drawn close to them had he not been so driven to despair by his duty, but in his case there was untapped potential that was never fully realised. There were no others. Even now there are very few who can match what they were then, let alone surpass them – perhaps Retsu and I alone, in fact."

Retsu smiled slightly in acknowledgement of the praise, but made no comment.

"That's why you've left Kinnya-sama in charge at the school?" Ryuu's brows knitted together as he tried to focus on this, forcing his mind away from the reality of his father's predicament as he sought to analyse this new information. "I thought him to be frail and ailing when I met him last winter, but…"

"He is not quite as frail as he seems," Retsu offered a wry smile. "I had only a brief time to talk with him, but his physical health is not as poor as he would like people to believe. I understand he has suffered badly from melancholy in recent years…but I saw little sign of that either in the man I met."

"His illness has been mostly psychological, and is largely self-inflicted. Punishment, maybe, for things he believes himself responsible for," Genryuusai reflected. "The long years without action have probably dulled his sword's potential and I doubt he's now what he was when Senaya was alive, but how much weaker he's become is a source for debate. From his words it sounds as though he was able to handle your father's spiritual overload better than Guren, so I'd say he probably retains at least seventy percent of his original skill. His reluctance to use his abilities have made him a forgotten soul in many quarters and most young folk – even young Kuchiki like yourself – have no idea about his past achievements. Though he remains on the register of shinigami held in the Council archives, twenty years or more ago he asked to have his name removed. He had decided to hang up his sword and retire entirely from active service – so he remains to this day."

"He asked to have his name…does that mean legally he can't use his _zanpakutou_?" Ryuu looked alarmed. "What if there is danger at school, what then?"

"He has permission from myself and from Hashihiko, but as I already said, he remains on the register of shinigami," Genryuusai said calmly. "Whether he will or won't ever use his sword again is a matter for his judgement, but Guren-dono prevented the removal and as Kinnya's Clan leader, that order had to be obeyed. A Kuchiki never hangs up his sword, at least in the public gaze – so for form's sake, Kinnya's blade remained on the list."

"Then what _did_ he withdraw from?" Ryuu wondered. "If his sword is still legal, why…"

Retsu and Genryuusai exchanged looks, and Retsu smiled.

"There is a level of shinigami power that requires a good degree of training and an even greater level of control," she said softly. "Most shinigami never reach that level, though many aspire to doing so. Within the council records is a list of named users of a particular _zanpakutou_ technique, and it is updated whenever a person dies. It is such a rare technique that at no time does this list bear more than about four or five names – at present it holds only three. Genryuusai-sama's name and my own are currently given there, along with the name of your Clan leader. Do you understand what this record might relate to?"

Ryuu drew breath sharply, staring at Retsu in consternation.

"Ban…kai?" he murmured, and Retsu nodded.

"Exactly that," she agreed gently. "Bankai is rare because in general it can only be taught by another holder of the skill. In practice Guren-sama is the only Bankai user in current and past Soul Society not to have been trained by Genryuusai-sama himself. Kinnya-sama and Senaya-sama were also pupils of Genryuusai-sama's many years ago, and both of them it seems were trained to use Bankai. It was Senaya-sama, of course, who trained Guren-sama to hone that skill. When Senaya-sama passed away, his name was erased from the Bankai record. Kinnya-sama's remained, but was removed a little over twenty years ago on his own request. He wished the Council to view him as 'spiritually dead', and although his name was kept on the official register, Guren-sama allowed him to have it removed from the Bankai list."

"But he has it all the same," Ryuu clasped his hands together tightly. "He might be rusty and he might not have used it, but Kinnya-sama has Bankai. Only someone with Bankai could be left in charge of the school, because the person hunting my family also has Bankai, albeit illegally. That's why…"

"Kinnya has something else to protect at the school, too," Genryuusai said reflectively.

"Ukitake?" Ryuu asked, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Whether he meets the boy or not, he's interested in him," he said lightly. "You should be proud of yourself, Ryuu. Inadvertent it might have been, but your visit to Kinnya's manor before you returned to school has wrought a change in my old student. Now he's begun to move again, he's a valuable ally for your Clan and also for your classmates. Your judgement was sound, and proactively so. You say you struggle to reach out to people, but it's undoubtedly your intervention that's led to this point."

"It wasn't on purpose, though," Ryuu reddened. "I didn't even think about the impact for my Clan, nor did I really believe Kinnya-sama would leave his manor. Perhaps I didn't feel him strong enough to – I was certainly fooled by his appearance of frailty. I spoke to him of Ukitake because he seemed to be interested. It was coincidence that it proved to be beneficial."

"Many such vital decisions are," Retsu said softly. "But this conversation can wait. We have reached our destination – and Kuchiki-kun's priority must be his father first and foremost."

"Futsuki-dono's come to meet us." As they dismounted from the carriage, Ryuu saw the familiar figure of his oldest uncle striding across the dusty ground towards them, a mixture of relief and apprehension competing for dominance across his clever features.

"Ryuu-dono! Genryuusai-sama, Retsu-sama!" As he reached them, Futsuki dropped into a respectful bow towards the two senior Clan figures, raising his head to offer them a grateful smile. "Guren-sama will be anxious to see you – and glad at your quick arrival. With the _Senkaimon_ closed, it must have been a hurried journey – I apologise on behalf of my Clan for the inconvenience."

"Your brother has need of us," Genryuusai said simply. "Perhaps both your brothers, and we will do what we can. Is Guren-dono here, or…?"

"He is." Futsuki agreed. "However, the manor is otherwise devoid of life. Seiren…is here, of course." He paused, meeting Ryuu's gaze briefly, then, "Seiren's chief retainer Shibata has also been treated for his wounds nearby, since we felt it would distress him to separate him too far from his master. There have been physicians here to tend him, but he is improving and Guren-sama is currently speaking to him in more detail about the events that left this estate in such a sorry state."

"I have come to see Father," Ryuu said quietly. "I would like to see him as soon as possible, Futsuki-dono."

"Of course," Futsuki's eyes softened. "I am relieved most of all to see you in good health, Ryuu-dono. Though Guren-sama received your letter, much can happen between the sending of such a missive and its arrival. Yet here you are, and none the worse for your adventures in the Real World."

"I must take my share of responsibility in that," Genryuusai said, before Ryuu could say anything in his own defence. "I wanted Ryuu to go, and he wanted to go – we are both guilty in whatever happened next."

"Is Guren-sama very angry?" Ryuu looked hesitant. "I know that I should have reported…but I…"

"On the contrary, Ryuu, I am not displeased with you at all," Guren's own voice cut through the crisp air, and Ryuu swung around to see his Clan leader striding across the uneven ground towards them. He inclined his head to acknowledge the visitors, then turned to his nephew, resting his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"It was recklessly done," he said quietly. "But it was bravely done, too. You wanted to prove the innocence of your kinsfolk, as any good Kuchiki should. Thanks to you Shirogane's name has been cleared of any wrongdoing."

"I was very impertinent in my letter," Ryuu flushed, lowering his gaze. "Especially regarding my cousin's standing. I apologise unreservedly for daring to use such words, Uncle – but I did not realise that you too believed strongly in his innocence. I was ready to try and persuade you, and that may have meant I crossed lines I should not have crossed. I am not gifted with such interactions, and if I was rude then I…I am sorry."

"You were a little cheeky," Guren admitted. "However, we share an opinion where Shirogane is concerned. He remains in District One, I trust?" This to Genryuusai, who nodded his head.

"He and Kinnya also," he said matter-of-factly. "Given the pressing nature of our visit, Guren-dono, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to dispense with any formalities and cut right to the point. Aizen Keitarou is currently within District Six, correct?"

"I believe so," Guren nodded. "Since he made himself known to me here when Seiren…was taken ill, I have had roads and borders sealed and the _Senkaimon_ closed off so that he has no easy avenue of escape. Futsuki's men have been patrolling extensively and Sixth Squad have been deployed as much as possible to scour the landscape for any suspicious spiritual signatures. We have not managed to catch him, but we believe he is still here."

"You wish to lure him out?" Retsu asked quietly, and Guren sighed.

"I am still a target for him. He would have liked Seiren to kill me and was quite amused when my poor brother lost his wits," he said heavily. "Ryuu has also been a target, and if we are both here, I see no reason why he would trouble other Districts. Shirogane is not considered by anyone here to be a Clan heir, and his right to inherit would only come into play should anything befall Ryuu and I both. Kinnya-sama has been entrusted with important documents written in my hand and sealed by myself with Futsuki as witness detailing my instructions should the worst occur – but I trust the rebel doesn't know of this. He allowed Shirogane to live once and has shown no interest in him since. I believe him under the radar and for that reason I can take this risk."

He gazed at Ryuu.

"I am sorry," he admitted. "It means putting you once more in danger for the sake of your Clan."

"I have already accepted that obligation, Guren-sama," Ryuu said firmly. "Please, use me as you see fit. But I would…like to see Father. I understand his condition is serious, but if there is anything I can do…"

"Seiren may not survive." Guren looked pained. "There is no easy way to say it, and I'm sure Kinnya-sama hasn't concealed it from you either. His spirit power has made him more than half Hollow – he is heavily confined in the cells of this manor with a mixture of spirit draining cuffs and kidou barriers, but even those may not last very much longer. When he fought me he manifested a mask, and I do not believe he knew who I was. He would have killed me without hesitation…Kinnya-sama said he had not yet become a Hollow, but whether there is a path back for him I don't know."

"Father." Despite himself Ryuu's voice caught in his throat and he swallowed hard.

_The last time we spoke, I defied you and you were angry. I thought you a stifling presence in my life, yet if you were not to be there, what would I think then? _

He drew a shuddery breath into his lungs, composing himself.

"I should like to see him," he repeated, as calmly as he could manage.

"Futsuki, will you take Ryuu to Seiren's side?" Guren turned to his older brother, who nodded his head. "Retsu-sama, if you would accompany them, I would be grateful. Whether my brother's life can or cannot be saved, I should like him to rest as easily as possible."

"I will do my best," Retsu agreed solemnly. "Come, Kuchiki-kun. We shall go and see Seiren-dono for ourselves."

"It's hard to believe that this is in any way my home."

As they picked their way across the stray pieces of wood and plaster from the explosion, Ryuu let out a heavy sigh. "Futsuki-dono, did Father's spirit power really do all this damage?"

"It did." Futsuki nodded. "Several people were hurt and others killed in the explosion. Most have been evacuated to the Nagoya estate, or buried at cost to the Clan and I've had people writing up compensatory pensions for those whose families were killed, given the nature of the event. Seiren didn't do it on purpose, Ryuu – from what we've been able to glean, he may well have been suppressing this malevolent power of his for some time leading up to the actual blast."

_Until somebody told him that I'd been killed._

Ryuu's fists clenched and unclenched unconsciously beneath the heavy folds of his travel cloak.

_Father's will gave out at that moment. Was it because he wanted me to inherit the Clan, or was it something else? Nothing seems as clear as it did before._

Out loud he said,

"Father was worried about me, wasn't he?"

"Your Father always worries about you," Futsuki said with a sigh. "He's prone to worry about all of you, but his daughters he feels he's done his duty by and married off to eligible homes where he no longer has to watch over them. You are a different matter – he's always wanted the best for you, right from the start."

"I have disappointed him, then," Ryuu said bitterly. "He wants me to be Head of the Clan, but if my reckless behaviour can lead to devastation of this nature…"

"The one to blame for this is Aizen Keitarou," Retsu interjected quietly but firmly. "All guilt in this equation begins and ends with him, Kuchiki-kun. It does not lie with you."

"Seiren pulled away from the heart of the court some weeks ago. I think he visited Kinnya-sama and after that, he withdrew." Futsuki pursed his lips, pushing back the door that led into the surviving east wing and leading the way along a narrow corridor that ended in steep steps down towards the manor's oft-disused dungeons. As they went deeper, Ryuu was aware of the distinct aura of strong kidou magic, and beyond that something dark and twisted, fighting and beating against the barrier as it tried to break free.

Despite himself he shuddered, fear gripping itself around his heart.

"I don't know what passed between them," Futsuki continued, "but Seiren gave Guren-sama some letters he'd received which implied threats to both you and to him. He had been led to believe that they were written by your cousin, but we've since unravelled that as another one of Aizen's deceptions."

"I see." Ryuu's brows knitted together.

_That explains why he went so boldly for Senpai. I wonder if that was Eiraki-hime's work. Senpai said she was lurking around the manor under a different name – perhaps that was her true motive for being there._

"Seiren-sama has been here for some time, yet sick?" Retsu asked mildly. "No physician was called?"

"He forbade it." As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Futsuki put his hand on the thick cell door, a frown on his face. "He apparently told Shibata that he'd have the head removed of any physician who dared attend him. I don't know what was going through his mind, Retsu-sama. Judging by the way he is now, it's perfectly possible that he wasn't entirely in his wits then either."

"But the explosion came when he thought I was dead?" Ryuu's voice was little more than a whisper, and Futsuki sighed.

"Shibata was very worried for your safety," he agreed. "It appears Aizen visited Seiren to tell him you'd been killed and Seiren believed it. Shibata's memory is hazy, but he believes the explosion came moments later."

He reached out a hand to touch Ryuu's arm.

"Seiren is fundamentally bad at saying what he means," he said quietly. "I've known him his whole life, and he's always been that way. Particularly now, if he is aggressive towards you, please try not to draw back. Deep down beneath all the chaos, he wants to know you're safe. I believe that very much."

"Mm." Ryuu lowered his head in a little jerk, and Futsuki unfastened the door, pulling it back slowly but surely with a heavy creak. Immediately an intense wave of kidou mingled with something else flooded out into the hallway and despite himself Ryuu gasped, stumbling back slightly at the sudden pressure.

"Take a deep breath, Kuchiki-kun." A gentle hand prevented him from falling headlong, and Retsu's soothing voice somehow calmed his scattered wits. "It is not a pleasant sensation to be assailed with, but your father is waiting for you and it would be rude not to go in."

Ryuu nodded, his fingers moving almost automatically to the hilt of his sword, and as he felt Shizurugi's calm, even presence sweep across his thoughts he knew his sword was with him, ready to walk into whatever the chamber held.

Slowly but surely he stepped forward, first one step, then another, and three, focusing more on his feet than on what the room contained. The clash of dark magic and swirling kidou was almost suffocating, but Ryuu forced himself to soldier onwards, determined not to turn tail and flee.

At that juncture he saw his father for the first time, and the sight almost robbed him of his breath. Seiren lay on a pallet robed in a rough white gown, his wrists and ankles clamped in heavy metal restraints that Ryuu knew in times past had been used to confine rebel Kuchiki awaiting trial at the Clan leader's pleasure. His body glittered faintly with a soft white light, but it was a piercing white that seemed to want to sear through and bleach the atmosphere clear of the pure kidou barrier that struggled to contain it. Seiren's usually neat black hair was loose and straggly over his shoulders, tousled from where he had clearly been tossing and turning against his restraints. As he inched closer, Ryuu could see the man's eyes were half open. They were not his father's eyes but a venomous yellow, beady and roaming as though belonging to a viper seeking its next prey. Seiren's skin was ash pale, and Ryuu could see the faint fragments of something white and chalky dusted across the thick dark hair – the proof that his proud father had indeed borne a Hollow's mask when he had challenged Guren.

"Otousama." The word slipped out without him realising it, a faint whisper that seemed disconnected both to Ryuu and to the atmosphere in which he now found himself. Seiren had been strict and uncompromising, and at times Ryuu had resented his father's actions, but in that instant he found himself desperately wishing for that man to be returned to him, even if it meant being soundly reprimanded for his reckless behaviour.

"Ryuu…" Futsuki was at his side now, and Ryuu glanced at him in stricken silence. Futsuki's expression was grave, and he nodded his head.

"We don't know how to reverse what's been done," he said helplessly. "Aizen undid the seal Kinnya-sama and Senaya-sama put on this spirit power when Seiren was a boy. How, we don't know. Even why isn't clear, except to cause us further distress."

"Aizen unsealed Father's spirit power." Ryuu's dismay became swallowed up by anger as realisation flared through his senses. "He wanted to _use_ Father, didn't he? He wanted to make Father a puppet, but he couldn't do it because Father's spirit power is like this! He wanted to make Father fight Guren-sama and become head of the Clan instead, so he could destroy the family from within! He couldn't make us go to war with the Shihouin, so he decided to make us fall into civil war instead!"

"Kuchiki-kun, calm yourself." Again, Retsu's gentle words brought some measure of rationality back to the young shinigami. "This atmosphere easily influences mood, but you must not let it overwhelm you."

"If Aizen thought that, he didn't judge Seiren very well," Futsuki spoke flatly. "Seiren's loyalty has always been to Guren, even when he's doing things that make no sense to anyone. He's not easy to read, it's true, but there's never been doubt in my mind about his trustworthiness. Seiren was the first person to swear fealty to Ribari-sama when he was born, and he was probably the first to swear it to Guren-sama, too. He'd sooner lose his life than betray his Clan."

Ryuu's eyes widened at his uncle's matter of fact words, and his lips pressed together, his expression hardening as he gathered his resolve.

_I doubted in you, Otousama, but Futsuki-dono has no such doubts._

Slowly he made himself take another step forward, then another, and another, until he stood less than a foot from his father's pallet.

_I didn't know you swore loyalty to Ribari-sama first of all of the noble peers. I don't know whether you know the secrets Senaya-sama tried to hide or if you don't – but regardless of that, when Ribari-sama was born, you knelt before him and gave your oath. Doing that, how did you feel? You must have known then that my chances of ever inheriting the Clan would become non-existent. Despite that, from the shadows and for almost twenty years, you worked at Guren-sama's side and supported my cousin in his growth. You attended Council with him and taught him things he needed to know to follow in his father's steps. You…cared for him, just as Mitsuki said you did. I in my idiocy could not see it clearly, but just because his death benefited me does not mean you wished for it._

Slowly and carefully he knelt at the man's side, being careful not to make any sudden movements that might startle the patient's unstable temperament.

_Aizen tried to return your spirit power so you could confront Guren-sama and fight for the Clan, but you still didn't. Instead you withdrew from the heart of power and tried to disassociate yourself from everything. In the end, you couldn't keep that up. Aizen added the final straw and told you I was dead. I didn't realise, Father, but even if you do want me to be heir, it's not because you didn't recognise or want Ribari-sama to live. You wanted me to inherit legitimately from Guren-sama only in the absence of other heirs…was that too for the sake of the Clan? Have I simply misunderstood from the start?_

Hesitantly he reached out a hand, pausing for a moment, then slipping it through the thick Kidou shield, forcing his fingers to brush against his fathers pale digits. The creature – for Seiren was more a creature than a man at this moment twitched and let out a screech, but Ryuu did not pull back, gritting his teeth against the muted flare of malevolent energy and winding his hand resolutely around Seiren's.

His father's skin was cold and dry, the noxious energy that pervaded his body prickling across it at intervals, but Ryuu held fast, moving closer so that his upper body was in the restrained Seiren's line of vision. It was dangerous being so close to such a feral creature, but Ryuu held his nerve all the same, reminding himself that whatever Seiren had become, he was still the man he had grown up calling Father.

Whether he knew or did not know what was going on, Seiren did not scream again, and though they were still an empty yellow, the Hollowish eyes swivelled across to meet Ryuu's as though acknowledging his son's presence.

"Otousama?" Ryuu forced his voice to remain calm. "It's Ryuu. I've come to see you."

There was silence, the thrashing and twitching of Seiren's manacled legs and arms ceasing completely and he stared at Ryuu with a blank, calculating gaze. It was the look of a predator sizing up prey, and Ryuu swallowed hard, gathering his resolve as it threatened to scatter yet again.

"I'm sorry to have caused you such worry," he continued evenly. "As you see, I'm quite alive. I'm unharmed from my trip to the Real World. Evil people have lied to you – but I am not dead. I am here to offer you my sincerest apologies for my ill conduct, and to…to submit myself to your punishment for having caused you such grief."

He bowed his head, feeling the flickering pressure of his father's unruly spirit pressure pricking away at his hand as though trying to push him back.

_I'm not going to give up, though. I'm not going to run away. I came here to see if I could help Father, and so I will, even if it is dangerous. _

The silence continued, but just as Ryuu thought it was about to become unbearable, Seiren's lips parted, and from them dropped a single word, barely coherent yet unmistakeable all the same.

"R..Ry..u...u?"

"Seiren?" Futsuki darted forward, disbelief in his grey eyes, but Ryuu held up his free hand, silently begging his uncle not to come any closer. His heart was jumping in his chest, pounding fit to burst now and slowly he raised his face to his father's gaze. As he did so, he let out a little gasp, for where moments before the eyes had been glittering and reptilian, now they were weary and pained but unmistakeably grey.

Kuchiki eyes.

_His father's_ eyes.

"Otousama." Tears pricked at Ryuu's lashes. "I'm sorry that I frightened you, really I am. I'm quite all right. Please, don't be worried about me. You need to rest and recover your strength…please, let Unohana-sensei help you."

Seiren did not attempt to speak again, but Ryuu felt some of the tension in the pale hand dissipate and he nodded, clasping his father's fingers more tightly in his own.

"Aizen Keitarou is not going to kill either one of us, nor will he kill Guren-sama," he said resolutely, raising his gaze to meet Futsuki's. "I promise you, Father, he will not succeed. Whatever he did to you, we will find a way to heal it. However, for the time being, you must rest. You have borne enough – please close your eyes and sleep."

Seiren stared at his son for a moment, then, very slowly, his eyes closed.

"It hasn't gone away," Retsu murmured softly. "His spiritual pressure has stabilised somewhat, but that is all. I do not know if I can help him, Kuchiki-kun – but I believe he knew you and is now at peace."

"I think so too." Futsuki's own voice was slightly uneven. "I'm glad. Ryuu is the person Seiren values most – I'm relieved he knows now that his son is safe."

"Mm." Reluctantly Ryuu released his hold on his father's fingers, getting unsteadily to his feet. "Whatever you can do for him now, Unohana-sensei, please do your utmost to do. Even if all it does is bring him peace until the end, please give him that respite. I'm no healer, but I could feel how much he was suffering when I touched his hand. Father would not have wanted to be like this – please, do what you can."

"I will. Even if you had not asked me, my vocation binds me to do so," Retsu said gently. "Stay close to his side, Kuchiki-kun. Without a doubt he recognised you, and your being here brought him comfort. It will be easier for me to help him if you are here too."

She offered him a faint smile.

"As a member of the Unohana Clan, I give you my word," she added soberly. "I will do whatever I can to bring your Father relief."

* * *

Patrols in Sixth were becoming heavier.

Keitarou wrapped his cloak more firmly around his slim body, watching the neat formation of Kuchiki retainers march briskly through the centre of the town. Occasionally they stopped to speak to passers by, but each time they did, they met with shaken heads and looks of confusion, and Keitarou knew they had not fought what they sought.

What they sought was probably him.

_Staying here is dangerous, and right now it's my biggest gambit._

His eyes narrowed to slits and he shuffled more deeply into the foliage of the evergreen tree, knowing that with his reiatsu suppressed to such a negligible level it would take a shinigami of significant skill to root him out.

_I was right about Guren's next actions._

Earlier that day he had seen the carriage roll across the landscape and down towards the devastated Kuchiki manor, and his heart had leapt with both apprehension and delight when he had realised who had been riding inside. As he had hoped, Guren had indeed sent for Genryuusai and the head of the Unohana, and among the party was also the young heir Ryuu – Guren's last hope in creating a future for his Clan.

_The old teacher can't risk leaving his student behind. I might still be able to do some damage here, although I must be careful how I do._

Keitarou slid his knife from its place beneath his cape, gazing at it pensively.

_Seiren is a ticking time bomb and their restraints won't hold him for a lot longer. Probably he will consume himself completely and turn full Hollow the next time he breaks free – in that guise, he's already proven a match for Guren and he's not afraid to fight his brother to the death if need be. I doubt the young boy will want to face his father, and there's no doubt he's not in Guren's class either. Seiren might well answer my questions about finishing off the Kuchiki…but the most important thing is buying time here so that I can act elsewhere._

He brushed his finger along the blade of the knife, watching the faintly green glimmer of the metal beneath his touch.

_I wonder if I can do this. It's an experiment but it might just work. If I can create confusion at the Academy, I will be able to retrieve Juushirou and Chudokuga's Bankai. Whilst I'd rather not kill him if I can avoid it, if there's no other choice, I'll not hesitate from doing so this time. To protect Eiraki and our cause's future, I need my sword intact. This may be our last meeting, Juushirou – that will depend entirely on how you choose to act._

A wicked twinkle entered his muddy brown eyes.

_In the meantime, though, I'll play the dutiful scapegoat and lay some tracks to keep people here on my tail. Genryuusai is strong but he can only be in one place at any one time. Coming here means he believes First District to be out of danger, or that his Clansfolk can protect it. We'll soon see about that..._

He rubbed the blade again, then cupped his hand around it, allowing its native silver light to engulf the weapon and swallow up the haze of green in a flare of argent energy.

_It's a little bit unconventional, Chudokuga, but work with me. This is for your sake as well as for mine._

_**I'll do what I need to do, don't worry. **_

The voice was crisp and clear, and Keitarou was aware of something scuttling across his senses.

_**Have faith in me, Keitarou. It isn't my heart that falters when it comes to important decisions.**_

_I'm not running away. Just because I'm not going to pursue the Kuchiki so strongly as I was before…_

_**You love that girl, and love is a foolish weakness.**_

Chudokuga sounded resigned.

_**You find one person who accepts you as you are and you're willing to throw away everything you've worked for since you were a child.**_

_You're wrong._

Keitarou's eyes became cold, and he shook his head, clamping his hand hard around the sharp edges of his blade and watching absently as blood dripped down the weapon's smooth silver surface.

_Eiraki may or may not care for me and I may have realised how much I need her but regardless, my objectives remain the same. Eiraki can give me something far more valuable than the immediate destruction of the Kuchiki Clan. With this child she will give our cause a future…and it is that future for which I must act now. Do not doubt my conviction, Chudokuga. You and I will still subjugate this world together, just as I always said. Eiraki will play her part in that too – but right now, the one I need to rely on most is you._

_**I will act. Have faith. I know what I must do.**_

Chudokuga glimmered once more with silverish light.

_**You are my master and I will obey.**_

* * *

In the midnight silence of the Academy, something softly began to stir, pushing back the heavy covers and sitting upright in her bed.

The moon that night was cast in shadow by heavy cloud and it was in pitch blackness that the slim figure got slowly and silently to her feet, padding softly across the chamber and sliding back the door that divided her from the hallway beyond.

Delicate fingers reached out for something that had lain forgotten against the wall, lifting it and glancing at it briefly before sliding it through the sash of her gown.

There was nobody there to see her as she made her way soundlessly along the long, winding corridor, stepping neatly down the flight of steps and into the central foyer.

Unobserved, the lone silhouette crossed the tatami floor, reaching up to manipulate open the heavy locks that at night kept the school's door's securely fastened. A little tug and a twist and they were released, the doors swinging back to let icy wind whip around the inside of the building.

The figure did not flinch at the sudden drop in temperature, merely descending the stone steps and walking barefooted across the cobbles towards the gate where one of the Yamamoto retainers stood on duty, his weapon at his side and his eyes alert for any sign of trouble.

The girl's fingers closed slowly and methodically around the object at her waist, and she approached the retainer slowly, bowing her head towards him.

"You shouldn't be out here, missy. It's cold and you'll catch your death." The man was startled, reaching out to grab her by the shoulders. "Look at you, wandering around the school in your night clothes. Granted, everything's which way at the moment, but…"

The girl raised her head to his and the man faltered, something in her glazed, empty expression setting him on his guard.

"Hey, what are you…what do you…"

The girl smiled, a hollow, puppet's smile, but did not speak.

"What's the noise?"

A second shinigami appeared from the other side of the gate, and the first one frowned, giving the girl a little shake.

"I think she's sleepwalking," he said. "She's freezing cold and I can't get a response out of her."

"Bring her to our base and let her warm up," the other suggested. "It's less far to walk and we'll disturb less people. She can go back inside in the morning – but neither Genryuusai-sama nor Taichou will think much of us if we let one of the students freeze to death."

"Guess so." The guard shrugged, loosening his own cape and winding it firmly around the girl's shoulders. "Well, come on with you then. You want to walk, then walk this way. We're all honour bound not to lay a finger on you, so you'll be quite safe for tonight tucked up in a corner of our temporary lodgings."

The girl's fingers loosened from around the object at her waist, her hands falling to her sides like dead weights as she allowed the shinigami to lead her towards the First Squad's temporary barracks.


	65. Kaoru's Choice

**Chapter Sixty Three: Kaoru's Choice**

"I think we can take it as fact now that Sensei really has left the school."

Juushirou set aside his chopsticks, pushing back his tray and casting his companions a resigned expression. "Not only Sensei, but Ryuu and Unohana-sensei too. There's gossip spreading like wildfire about it in pretty much every corner of this place, and I've been asked several times already by curious juniors what's going on. If I had something I could tell them it would be helpful – but I have nothing at all."

It was the next morning and, having risen early, the Seniors had trailed down to the dining hall only to find that their headmaster was still absent from his usual seat and, as with the night before, responsibility for keeping the younger students in line had fallen mostly to their authority. Kazoe had summarily appeared not long after the bell and his presence had helped to convince some of the more unruly junior students that playing up their seniors would be an unwise idea, but his expression had remained preoccupied and he had as yet said nothing about the previous days events.

It left a decidedly uneasy feeling in the pit of Juushirou's stomach as he gazed out across the full dining hall. As with every breakfast, the room was filled with merry chatter, banter and teasing, but there was an undertone to it as well. It was as if the students were trying extra hard to be cheerful in order to cover their uncertainty – but it was impossible to compensate for the absence of Genryuusai.

The previous evening, after dinner, the ten remaining Senior students had gathered in the study to discuss the situation, and it had been long past the general curfew bell when they had dispersed. There had been much disagreement and the occasional raising of voices, but if one good thing had come out of the tragedy of the Real World it was the underlying sense of solidarity that all ten of those students had come to understand. Liking or disliking, agreeing or disagreeing, the Senior class were now united in one respect and one respect alone.

In whatever little way they could, they would help oversee and defend the Academy until the day Genryuusai came home.

"We're also dwindling in numbers," Shunsui pointed out now, draining his mug of the last drops of tea. "Sora-chan, where's Mitsuki this morning? There are only nine of us, instead of ten."

"She went to see Naoko," Sora paused in her demolition of her morning food, casting him a wry grin. "Unohana-sensei's more or less left that to Mi-chan now, and she's taking it quite seriously. She's gone there and said she'd eat breakfast with Nao-chan if she could…so she hasn't been dragged off to District Six too."

"I was starting to wonder," Shunsui admitted. "With people disappearing left, right and centre without warning, it was a possibility she'd been sent for too."

"I wouldn't think so. Not so long as _he's _there," Kai jerked a finger in the direction of the staff table, where Shirogane was quietly eating his morning meal, apparently listening to something Kazoe was saying to him in low tones. "Nagoya's a higher ranking Kuchiki than Edogawa, so if he's not been called back, she won't have been either."

"I heard a rumour that Seiren-dono had been taken ill," Sora added. "Mitsuki doesn't know anything about that, but she says it's possible Kuchiki alone would be dragged back if something like that happened."

"It could be that the stress got to him," Hirata reflected.

"Maybe something else did. Something with eight legs that scuttles," Shunsui interjected darkly. "Seiren-dono might not have any spirit power, but he's still a blood member of the central ruling family within that Clan. All targets are fair game in the mind of that twisted scientist – perhaps 'taken ill' is a euphemism for 'attacked with a blunt object'."

"I don't think Keitarou'd take out Seiren-dono in a face to face confrontation," Kai looked thoughtful. "He's not very broadly built, true, but he's well known in Clan circles as being an exceptional sword fighter. Our favourite enemy is, by contrast, not good with any kind of direct combat."

"He's perfectly capable of causing damage, death and other violent d-words that don't belong at the breakfast table," Shunsui pointed out. "Even if we take him at his word and assume he can't do what he did to Juu to anyone else with reasonable spirit power, Seiren-dono doesn't fall into that category. I'd say that if you gave him a little while, he'd think of some way to win even a battle of swords."

"This is not a nice conversation," Juushirou said reproachfully. "We don't know if it's more than a rumour. Besides, Ryuu's said before that his father was sickly when he was young. Maybe the stress really has taken its toll. It can, you know, if your body isn't up to full speed from the start. Ryuu's life was threatened and Seiren-dono must have been worried about him."

"If that's the only reason Ryuu's gone, then that's fine," Shunsui said flatly. "I can't see why Yama-jii would go too, though, if that's all it is…"

"To protect Kuchiki?" Enishi suggested.

"And what about all of us?" Shunsui objected. "This school is Genryuusai-sensei's responsibility, Enishi. The Kuchiki are by contrast a Clan who don't ask for help if they can possibly avoid it. No. The only reason he'd go there is that Aizen's there and he's gone to try and flush him out. That's why I wonder about Seiren-dono's 'illness'. It just seems suspect to me."

"Well, we don't know, so we shouldn't speculate," Hirata said pragmatically. "All we can do is wait for Sensei to return."

"Your attention please, everybody," Kazoe's voice from the staff table prevented any of the other students from responding. Though he was not one who often raised his voice, each and every student from the lackadaisical Shunsui to the most timid First year knew that when Kazoe used a particular tone, it was to be obeyed immediately, and dire consequences awaited anyone who dared not to take heed. As a result, the entire dining hall, which had been a hive of activity just moments before became suddenly silent, and the Kidou instructor's lips twitched into a dry, hollow smile.

"Good," he said briskly. "If you were all always so quickly obedient, I'm sure I'd find far less uses for my cane."

He paused to eye a couple of students who squirmed under his gaze. At length he relented, letting out a sigh of resignation.

"I believe you are all probably aware by this point that Genryuusai-sensei has been called away from the school on urgent business," he said slowly. "You all know that there is an increased presence of Yamamoto shinigami in and around the school as of last night and they will continue to be here until Genryuusai-sensei's return. We trust it will not be a long absence, but in the meantime, I must ask for your cooperation in as many areas as possible. In particular the Senior Class may find themselves imposed upon – while I realise it has already been a busy time for you, your support will especially be needed over the next few days."

He turned to his right, gesturing for Shirogane to stand and the young man did so, an unreadable expression on his haughty features.

"Some of you in the upper years will also remember Nagoya Shirogane as a former Anideshi and a graduate of this school," Kazoe continued in the same efficient manner, not giving any of the younger students the chance to even exchange looks, let alone begin to whisper. "He is currently serving as Vice Captain of the Sixth Squad, but has been kindly deployed here by Kuchiki Guren-sama as further support during Genryuusai-sensei's absence."

"That's a neat way of putting it," Shunsui muttered. "I wonder if there's any kid in this school that doesn't know Nagoya was a wanted outlaw up until a few days ago."

"Shirogane has given his assent to helping out in whatever regard he can, and Genryuusai-sensei has personally requested he assist with some of the _zanjutsu_ Sakusen training, which will begin from today," Kazoe concluded. "Fourth years, this morning this will be your class, and this afternoon, it will be the Fifth. Whilst many of you may well remember Shirogane as your senpai, you are expected to obey him as you would any of us sensei and will address him with a similar level of respect. That is all."

"Kazoe-sensei, if I may add something," Shirogane raised his hand at this point, and Kazoe inclined his head, indicating that it was all right for the young man to speak.

"I graduated this school a good few years ago now, but I remember exactly how demanding its standards are and I will not treat this responsibility lightly."

Shirogane's words were soft and even, his expression impassive as his cultured tones spread across the dining hall. "The Fourth years should assemble outside at the training ground this morning as soon as breakfast is finished. I will also require two Senior students to assist me with this morning's arrangements."

His gaze shifted to the Senior table, and for a moment Juushirou felt Shirogane's gaze bore right through him.

"Ukitake Juushirou and Kyouraku Shunsui will meet there alongside Fourth year immediately this meal is over," he added quietly, and Juushirou bristled slightly at the commanding note in his former _shishou_'s tones. Though his voice had remained even, it had not been a suggestion or a request, and Juushirou knew it had been a clear order – the instruction of a Vice Captain who expected his words to be immediately obeyed.

"Yay for us." As Shirogane sat down and the school returned to its usual buzz of chatter, Shunsui shot Juushirou a graphic grimace. "We get to spend this morning playing with his ego. I hate to say it, Juu, but even if he and Mitsuki are buddies now, I can't say exile has improved his attitude all that much."

"Probably he chose us because he knows my sword and you're tutoring one of the class. Nagasata-san's your _deshi,_ so it makes sense," Juushirou sighed. "I honestly wish he hadn't, though. I'm glad it's with you, and I don't mind helping the younger ones, but there was something in his eyes just now that I really didn't like."

"I thought Nagoya was fond of you, Ukitake," Enishi looked mystified. "He didn't seem very fond of anyone just then."

"He's probably feeling jilted," Shunsui mused. "Mitsuki chose you, Juu, over him."

"Don't be stupid," Juushirou reddened, shaking his head firmly. "That was my own silly misunderstanding. I read things all out of proportion, and jumped to conclusions. I suppose I was a little rude to him the last time we met, but, I mean, that was…"

"In the forest, when Mitsuki and I were trying to hide him, yes?" Sora butted in. "Mi-chan told me something about it. It sounds like you said and did some idiot things…but I don't suppose Nagoya'd care about that."

She looked pensive.

"Mind you, Shunsui's probably right in some ways," she added. "Mi-chan doesn't think so, but I'm pretty sure Nagoya likes her more than just as cousins. Let's just say if a marriage _had _been arranged between them, it wouldn't have been a connection of convenience in his case. I think he's really genuinely attached to her…and from the coldness in that look, I'd say he also knows that _she_ likes _you_."

"Ugh. Sora, don't say things like that," Shunsui tugged at his hair agitatedly. "I was half-joking, but if even you see it that way, I have to consider it as a real possibility. I don't want to take a class with lovesick rivals – do you think I can call in sick?"

"Oh, shut up." Juushirou sent him a long-suffering look. "Whatever's bothering Senpai, I don't think it's likely to be Mitsuki and I'm not going to let you two wind me up. I'm done, and I'm going – are you coming or are you going to trail behind and risk getting scolded for being late? We have no timetabled lessons this morning, so you can't duck out of Senpai's orders now the whole school has heard them."

"I know," Shunsui groaned. "All right, I'm coming. If he really is harbouring pent up wrath towards you, I ought to be there to diffuse it and protect Kaoru-chan and her friends from harm. Besides, we agreed it yesterday, didn't we? If I'm to accept all of this crazy Senior alliance set-up, one of the conditions is that I stick to you like glue till Yama-jii comes back."

"I know," Juushirou sighed, shaking his head in resignation as the two boys returned their trays, making their way across the busy hall to the door. "I sometimes wish you wouldn't make such a fuss, though. I said it yesterday in the study with the others and I'll say it again now. I'm _not_ going to let him take me for a fool again and you _don't_ need to watch over me every second of the day, just in case!"

"It's not for your sake, it's for mine," Shunsui said grimly. "Just humour me and pipe down, okay? You want me to put the fight in the snow behind us and I'm trying, but I can't help but feel like this with that man in the equation. The common sense bit of me knows you don't need my protection - unfortunately the non-common sense bit of me is bigger, and it's concerned about you as your friend."

"Yeah..." Juushirou ran his fingers through his lank white hair. "I know that, too. All right, all ready. It's like you said. If things happen here, we'll all have our parts to play. I don't really understand about that fight, either, and my trying to will only bother you more, because you don't want me to remember. That being the case, there's not a lot of choice. I don't like it, but I'll tolerate your fussing until Sensei gets back."

"Good boy." Shunsui looked rueful. "I'm a tad selfish when it comes to things like this, so I'm glad you're willing to be the bigger person here."

"Juushirou-kun!"

As they left the dining hall, Mitsuki came hurrying down the hall towards them, grabbing Juushirou by the wrists and sending him an anxious look. "Juushirou, have you seen Naoko-chan?"

"Mitsuki?" Juushirou gathered his wits hurriedly, staring at his classmate in surprise. "Shikibu-san? Weren't you with her? Sora said you'd gone to see her this morning, and were having breakfast there."

"I know. I did, but when I got there she wasn't there," Mitsuki looked agitated. "I've hunted all over the places I thought she might be, but I can't find any sign of her and I'm really worried. She's not in any state to wander around the school or come back to class, and Retsu-sama left her in my care, so I need to find her before she gets herself hurt!"

"Clearly I'm invisible," Shunsui said dryly. "But in case my words somehow penetrate through the shield of Juu-haze that's obviously engulfing this hallway at the present moment, Mitsuki-chan, you should probably calm down. Most likely Naoko-chan went for some air, and you missed each other half-way – did you check outside as well as within the school grounds?"

"Kyouraku-kun?" Mitsuki reddened. "I'm sorry. It's not that I didn't see you, it's just…and yes, I did look outside. I've been looking all over the place, but none of the assistants that work in the Healing Bay have seen her and I can't imagine where she'd have gone."

"Perhaps she was feeling better," Juushirou suggested. "She has recovered a lot, hasn't she?"

"Yes…she has," Mitsuki looked doubtful. "Physically at least. Emotionally, I'm not sure. She's very unsettled still and once or twice she's said things that worry me. Things like she should have died instead of Amai-san, or things like she's useless to her Clan and has no future with them. It's all been a big shock on her nerves."

"You don't think she'd do something to hurt herself?" Shunsui's amusement was gone in an instant, and Mitsuki chewed on her lip, shrugging her shoulders helplessly.

"Normally I would say not. Naoko's not that type," she said uneasily. "Right now, though, it's hard to be sure. She saw Amai-san die and she wasn't able to do anything to help her. I know that's taken its toll and she's not one who finds it easy to talk about things wholesale."

"We should help Mitsuki look," Juushirou suggested. "The more of us who split up and search, the quicker we'll find her. She can't have gotten far, and…"

"_We're _not going to be able to," Shunsui said darkly. "_We _have a prior errand, don't forget."

"A prior…errand?" Mitsuki looked blank, and Juushirou sighed heavily.

"Nagoya-senpai has asked…no, _ordered_…Shunsui and I to help him teach the Fourth years _zanjutsu_ this morning," he admitted reluctantly. "I'm sorry, Mitsuki-chan. Shunsui's right. I want to help you but Nagoya-senpai doesn't seem to be in a very good mood with me for some reason at the moment."

"I think he's worried about things at home," Mitsuki murmured. "I haven't spoken to him since we went to the Real World, but I can't imagine his thoughts are far from District Six, especially now."

"Shikibu-san is important too, though," Juushirou pointed out. "Last night when we gathered up together in the Senior study we all agreed we were going to work together and look out for each other as much as possible, personal differences aside. She's one of us, even though she wasn't there last night. That being the case…"

"It's all right. I'll ask Sora to help, and I'll keep looking," Mitsuki shook her head. "Maybe some of the others will help out too, when they understand. I don't want you to get into trouble, and I know you'd help if you could."

"This doesn't seem to be the training ground, now does it?"

A cold voice from the hallway beyond made Juushirou jump and he swung around, instinctively pulling his hands free of Mitsuki's loose grasp as he met the clouded gaze of his former _shishou_. Unlike the half-dressed, bedraggled figure he had encountered in the forest, this Shirogane was every bit the Vice Captain, his uniform missing the official insignia but his bearing and his expression in keeping with one who had already graduated in life as well as in his studies and who considered himself on a level far above those who now surrounded him.

"I trust you're not going to try and disobey my instructions, Ukitake, by sneaking out of the dining room before the rest of your fellows," Shirogane continued in the same cutting tones, his eyes conveying a challenge to his old student. "I seem to remember you liked doing your own thing and following your own endeavours – and I'm not liable to tolerate them any more now than I did back then."

"One of the Senior class has gone missing, Senpai," Before Juushirou could speak, Shunsui raised his voice, offering Nagoya a cursory bow of the head. "She's been quite sick since a traumatic event in the Real World and we're worried about her. Mitsuki asked if we'd seen her, and we were trying to work out where she might have gone."

"A Senior class student?" Shirogane's gaze flitted to Mitsuki, who nodded.

"I'm sorry, Senpai. I've distracted them," she said softly. "I'll ask someone else to help me look for Naoko – I didn't know you needed Juushirou or Kyouraku-kun for your class."

Shirogane sighed, running his fingers through his dark hair and with a jolt of surprise Juushirou realised that with that short exchange the aura of the austere Vice Captain had begun to crack.

_Is Sora right? Where Mitsuki is concerned, I trust her. We've talked about things and I understand. But what are _Nagoya-senpai's_ feelings? Sora and Shunsui were teasing me, but as soon as she spoke, his attitude changed._

"Shikibu Naoko, huh?" the Vice Captain murmured, more than half talking to himself. "When I left the Healing Bay and took proper quarters in the school, she was being kept quiet and very few people were being allowed to see her. Now you say she's disappeared? I thought Retsu-sama said you'd be watching over her while they were away – how come you don't know where she is now?"

"I'm not sure. She was sleeping when I left her last evening and she'd taken a draught Retsu-sama had given her to make her rest the whole night through," Mitsuki looked crestfallen. "I saw her drink it, so I know that she did. By rights she should still be in bed now, but obviously she isn't. I will find her though, Senpai, I promise. I won't let anything happen to her."

"Do so." Shirogane pressed his lips together, then, "I can't spare Ukitake nor will I spare Kyouraku since I have need of both. However, I would make finding Shikibu your priority this morning – Genryuusai-sensei is very keen to ensure all of his students are in good and healthy shape when he returns from District Six."

He turned his gaze to Juushirou and Shunsui.

"You both have your swords already about your person?" he asked quietly, and the two exchanged glances, nodding their heads. "Good. In that case, follow me. The Fourth years will be soon be on our tails and I have no intention of causing them further delay."

"Senpai, why is it us that you need so specifically this morning?" As they walked through the halls of the school, Juushirou decided to venture the question that had been nagging away at the back of his thoughts. "You didn't seem to really want us, and I'm sure we could have been of help to Mitsuki in finding Shikibu-san."

"Genryuusai-sensei's orders," Shirogane replied succinctly. "If you have a problem with it, you should take it up with him when he returns. Though, knowing how your mind works, I imagine if you do have an objection you won't hesitate to raise it at the highest possible level."

"I have no objection," Juushirou said hurriedly. "I was just surprised."

"Yama-jii ordered you to use us as your lackeys?" Shunsui arched an eyebrow. "With all respect, Senpai, does he think you can't handle a class on your own?"

"Firstly, you will not refer to your headmaster in such a disgraceful manner while in my company, not unless you wish to be disciplined for insubordination," Shirogane said acidly. "At present I hold the rank of sensei, however temporarily, and that does allow me to punish even members of the most Senior class. Secondly, Genryuusai-sensei advised me that Ukitake might be in particular danger if the school was to be left unattended and that I should therefore ensure that his safety was made a priority whilst I was here in District One. He also intimated to me that, despite your obvious lack of decorum and general manners, Kyouraku, your sword is potentially a strong one. I am of the understanding both of you have faced and already know the enemy who has been stalking my family. If there is an attack here, there is a good possibility either of you may be targeted. I am aware that Aizen has an accomplice and I know all too well who she is. She may or may not be primed to attack the school – it is hard to be sure."

"Sensei ordered such a thing for my sake?" Juushirou was stricken. "Senpai, really, I'm not in that much danger!"

"You might be," Shunsui shook his head. "We went over this again last night, so don't treat it like it's done with. All right, you haven't recovered the memories Aizen wants you to, and I grant so far it doesn't look like you're going to be his puppet again, but you still have something he wants. Maybe Sensei's right – though Nagoya-senpai, the Senior class this year aren't weak. We can and will take care of ourselves and of each other. We're resolved on that count and we don't need someone else nannying us."

"I have no intention of nannying anyone," Shirogane said pragmatically. "I have seen what kind of person this Aizen is, and it is my desire to make sure he cannot do further damage. You forget he is responsible for the death of my cousin and I have a score to settle in that regard."

"Senpai, you know what's happening in District Six, don't you?" Juushirou said softly, and Shirogane nodded his head.

"I do, but it is no business of yours."

"On the contrary, my family are there. If there's danger there, it affects them," Juushirou responded. To his surprise, the older man stopped, turning to eye him carefully, then slowly nodding his head.

"I suppose that's true," he admitted evenly. "Your family have no control over what the Clan decide to do, but they have to live with it all the same. If raids are ordered to find traitors or conspirators, ordinary people may also be made unwitting victims. I am sorry, Ukitake. Your family are as involved in this as mine, albeit not by their active choosing."

"Well, that's a turnaround," Shunsui observed. "I thought you were of the opinion that District people were a disease best eradicated, Senpai."

"Your attitude is something which could use eradication," Shirogane shot back scathingly. "As it happens, I have spent time in the Districts in the past few months. I probably know more about them and their ways of life now than you do – or am I wrong to imagine that the brother of the Kyouraku Clan Leader lives in a manor of similar size and grandeur to most other Clan families?"

"If you remember that, you'll remember that I still outrank you," Shunsui returned calmly. "I might no longer be heir to my Clan, but I _am_ still first degree."

"I couldn't care less what rank you hold," Shirogane's sudden and blunt turn of speech made Juushirou stare, blinking as if unable to believe what he had just heard. "You're younger than me and right now, lacking in training and experience by comparison. You might be strong. One day you'll be stronger than me if you believe the rumours circulating around Seireitei. I don't really care if that's true – it doesn't matter to me as I am right now. What you don't understand is the impact all this has had on District Six – and no amount of smart-alec behaviour is going to change that."

"Senpai…" Juushirou swallowed hard, then, "Please, what is happening…back there?"

"Genryuusai-sensei won't let your family come to harm," Shirogane avoided the question, turning to rest his hand on the other's arm. "I've asked it of him, and so have other people. The coast is a relatively quiet place as a rule, and your kin will be kept safe, I promise."

"You seem pretty interested in them all of a sudden," Shunsui said suspiciously. "I wouldn't have thought you'd know Juushirou _has _family, let alone that they're coastal people."

"Ukitake's siblings saved my life," Shirogane said succinctly. "I was attacked and almost killed, but they took me in and nursed me back to health. The young girl – Shikiki – her powers healed my wounds and I recovered. I learned then what it was that you were fighting for, Ukitake, and I understood it. Annoying as you might have been at times when my student, I find I understand better now what your reasons were. I intend not to let harm befall you for their sake. They care for you, foolish though you can be, and it would be selfish of you to let yourself get killed when so many young ones would cry."

"_My_ family…did?" Juushirou's eyes were huge. "But…how is it I didn't know about this? Does Mitsuki know? Sensei? Everyone else _but _me?"

"I asked Mitsuki to keep you out of my predicament because I did not want it to have repercussions for those to whom I was indebted," Shirogane said gravely. "I didn't know what kind of punishment might befall people accused of sheltering a suspected traitor, so until my name was cleared, I could not have you know. I would sooner keep you out of it now – but at the very least I can follow Sensei's instructions and keep watch over you."

"And I thought you were glaring at Juu because he stole Mitsuki's heart away," Shunsui sighed heavily. "Turns out you're just having a typically Kuchiki overdose on duty."

"Mitsuki's heart?" Shirogane turned, and the look he gave Shunsui could have frozen him on the spot. "What foolish things are you saying now, Kyouraku?"

"I suppose the romantic inside of me imagined you were a rival for her affections," Shunsui said blithely. "Juushirou got there first, so I wondered if there'd be a duel over it with Kuchiki pride heading off against District honour."

"Shunsui, stop saying silly things!" Juushirou flushed beetroot red, and Shirogane offered Shunsui a withering smile.

"You are obviously confused by unsubstantiated rumours of a wedding alliance between Edogawa Mitsuki and I," he said quietly. "For my part, Mitsuki is my kinswoman and my friend, but no more. Let me state clearly now that I am not interested in the heart – as you so commonly put it – of a woman who can fall indiscriminately in love with a boy of District blood. Such a person would not suit me – and I am not inclined to romantic imagination anyway."

"It really is all pride and honour with you lot, isn't it?" Shunsui looked resigned, and Shirogane inclined his head.

"As you say," he replied simply. "I trust with that you can let this particular fancy of yours drop and focus for a time on this morning's class? Other motives aside, I do intend on utilising both of you where I can today. I know how Sougyo no Kotowari operates, and Kazoe advised me that you have been training one of the Fourth years already, Kyouraku."

"Nagasata Kaoru," Shunsui agreed. "She's come on quite a long way since we began – I don't suppose she's got much further to go before her sword tells her its name."

"Most Fourth years begin active _zanpakutou_ training in the latter half of the year," Shirogane looked pensive. "I can only imagine this child must have some particular potential that you've begun with her at once."

"Yes. I think she has," Shunsui acknowledged. "I don't know that it's any thanks to my training, but I think she's going to make a good shinigami if she keeps on the way she is now."

"Another District student?" Shirogane asked, and Shunsui shrugged.

"There are quite a few of them popping up all over the place these days," he said cheerfully. "The school's taken some steps forward in that regard since your time, Senpai."

"I imagine it couldn't help but do so." Despite himself, a wry smile touched Shirogane's lips. "Between Genryuusai-sensei's determination and Ukitake's inability to keep himself to himself, it can be no secret anywhere in Seireitei that indiscriminate training is available here for all."

"That's a good thing for the future of Seireitei, though," Juushirou pointed out. "The more shinigami the better. Isn't that how it is?"

"The more shinigami. Perhaps," Shirogane acknowledged. "I suppose I have come to shift my own views a little since meeting Shikiki. I had thought you to be an enigma – or that your Kuchiki blood dictated your ability. She cannot be so easily explained that way, though – and I owe my life to her unique skills. People like that are needed in Seireitei, I concede. Perhaps one day they will even stand as equals to members of the Clans."

"Though perhaps not to the Kuchiki?" Shunsui asked mischievously. Shirogane snorted.

"There will never be anyone who stands equal to the Kuchiki," he said frankly, "but I don't expect one such as you to really comprehend that."

He pushed back the door, ushering his companions through.

"From this point, our focus is the Fourth years," he added. "Between now and the end of this lesson I will tolerate no other discussion than that."

A chill wind was blowing across the school grounds that morning, and most of the leaves had already been scattered from the nearby trees, a plethora of browns and reds adorning the remaining branches as they swayed and bowed in the breeze. The sky was overcast, with only the faintest glitter of light against the edge of a cloud to show that the sun had bothered to rise, and though it was still autumn, it was clear that there was not much longer before District One's fierce winter season began.

A bird perched on one of the bare branches, singing defiantly against the cooling weather, and as Kaoru and her friends crossed the grass towards the far-flung training arena, the determined song was only broken by the whoosh and howl of the wind. The grass beneath their feet was damp from more than just dew, for the rain had fallen heavily the night before, leaving a gleaming veneer over what surviving greenery remained. Despite the coldness, there was something fresh in the atmosphere, and as the icy wind stung her cheeks, Kaoru raised her head, casting the lone bird a grin.

"It's almost winter time," she observed. "This year has gone by so quickly."

"We're the first people here." Akaya reached out to tug on the training ground gate, surprise glittering in her pale eyes as she realised it had been left unlocked. "I suppose we're meant to go right in? Kaoru, you're the only one who ever comes here usually, so...?"

"Senpai is usually here when I get here, but I suppose so," Kaoru nodded. "Or wait...Nagoya-senpai said we should assemble outside the training ground, didn't he? Maybe we ought to wait here. I don't want to get into trouble."

"We needn't have hurried, since they're not here yet," Akaya sighed, leaning back against the high wooden fence. "It's cold. We could have taken our time."

"It's possibly the first time Sakura-san ever hurried to a class, though," Kaoru's eyes twinkled with amusement. "You never run off to Sensei's lessons, Sakura-san."

"Well, this is a special occasion. I wanted to make sure we weren't late," Sakura dimpled. "Nagoya-senpai is handsome and I don't mind being taught by him."

"What about Souryou-senpai?" Akaya arched an eyebrow. "Are you so fickle you've gone off him now in favour of someone of higher rank?"

"No-o," Sakura shook her head. "I'd rather have Souryou-senpai come train with us, of course. I'm just saying that Nagoya-senpai is good looking as well, so it will be fun having him train us today."

"You've got a one track mind," Kaoru giggled, patting her friend playfully on the arm. "I thought he seemed a lo-o-ong way above all of us, though, in terms of position and stuff. Maybe it's because he's a Kuchiki, or perhaps it's because he's a squad Vice Captain, but he seemed a little bit scary and distant to me when he spoke in the dining hall just now."

"Do you remember Nagoya-senpai when he was Anideshi?" Sakura asked, and Kaoru shook her head.

"No. Why?"

"Kaoru-chan wouldn't, Sakura," Ayaka said impatiently. "She only joined our year at the start of last term, remember? Nagoya-senpai was only here for half of our first year and then he was claimed by the Kuchiki."

"Half way through a school year?" Kaoru's eyes became wide. "Is that normal?"

"I don't think so," Akaya shook her head. "I think Nagoya-senpai had already completed all the exams and stuff the year before, but because he hadn't turned twenty yet, he couldn't go join his squad or something. That's what I heard it was, anyway. He was like you, Kaoru-chan – he got promoted quickly and so was a lot younger than the rest of his class."

"Hrm," Sakura began counting on her fingers. "I'm nineteen, and if you're right, Aka-chan, that makes him about twenty four? Maybe he's twenty five at the very outside. I think that's an eligible match – don't you?"

"You are impossible," Akaya groaned. "Stop setting Kaoru a bad impression, for goodness sake!"

"I think it's funny," Kaoru dimpled, "but if you look at it that way, Sakura-san, Souryou-senpai is even closer to your age. He's what, about twenty two or twenty three now?"

"True," Sakura looked pensive. "There's never any harm in having a back up plan, though."

"You're going to make a Kuchiki Vice Captain your 'back up plan'?" Akaya rolled her eyes. "Heaven save us. You do realise what 'out of your league' means, don't you?"

"But I'm a Sakura," Sakura said playfully. "Don't the Kuchiki worship the sakura every spring? I'm already a cherry blossom, so it's not quite as impossible as you think."

"I give up," Akaya grimaced, but there was amusement in her eyes too. "You're a lost cause."

"Thank you," Sakura was undaunted. "What about you, Kaoru-chan? You're very bright and sparky this morning, too – could it be anything to do with the fact Kyouraku-senpai's coming to help teach our class as well?"

Kaoru reddened, dropping her gaze to the ground.

"It's not like that," she protested. "He's my _shishou _and my senpai. He's taught me a lot of stuff, and…"

"And you went running after Anideshi to make sure he was all right because you were worried he looked sad," Sakura pursed her lips. "You shouldn't lie to your girlfriends, Kaoru. It's not nice and you're not fooling anyone. You like Kyouraku-senpai as much as I like Souryou-senpai. You're just a lot less honest with your feelings."

She grabbed her friend by the hand.

"Embrace it," she advised with a grin. "You're seventeen and there's nothing abnormal about having a crush. A Senior is a good first target and he is quite handsome so you could have chosen worse. He seems kind, too, and people say he's smart. You ought to be proud of it – a girl's first crush is a sign of coming of age."

"Who made up that rule?" Akaya demanded. "Stop feeding the girl foolish tidbits of your own warped perspective! She already told you that she admires Kyouraku-senpai but it doesn't mean she's in love with him. It's all romantic nonsense with you sometimes, but a girl can like a guy in other ways, you know."

"I know," Sakura was not to be so easily squashed. "I _also_ know when it's a crush. I don't care if you agree or disagree, Aka-chan. Kaoru's found her first love."

"I'm not sure if it's that," Kaoru's cheeks were still flushed pink and she kicked idly at the ground beneath her feet. "He's been very kind to me, but I know he's…a long way out of my league. He's Clan. I'm not. Even though he has District friends and he isn't a snob, it's not as though…I could never tell him, so I don't suppose if it matters what exactly I think of him, does it? I won't ever say anything about it, and I'd really rather he didn't know."

"It's kinda weird having all these shinigami flitting around the place." Akaya cast her gaze across the school grounds to where the deployed members of First squad were making their temporary barracks. "I know it's because Sensei isn't here and it should make us feel safe, but somehow I'm more on edge when there are so many uniformed officers stationed here."

"It makes you wonder what they're trying to protect us from, doesn't it?" Kaoru's expression became thoughtful. "Nobody's said anything about the Seniors' trip to the Real World, have they? When I asked Anideshi about it, he said he wasn't going to discuss it with me - but I've been thinking about it and I think that...if the rumours weren't true, he would have told me. I think someone did die in the Real World, and well, that's why all of this security now."

"Some of the Senior class haven't been at meals lately," Akaya agreed.

"You actually asked Anideshi right out if someone died?" Sakura looked surprised, and Kaoru pinkened again.

"I was worried about Kyouraku-senpai," she defended herself, "so yes, I did. Anideshi is kind, so he didn't shout at me. He did say it wasn't something that we should be talking about though. I'm not sure, maybe there's no connection, or perhaps some folk were just hurt by Hollows or something like that. The Real World is a scary place, apparently...it's not impossible. Just, I'm not sure why he wouldn't tell me anything if there was nothing to tell."

"It really isn't our business, though," Akaya sighed. "If nobody wants us to know, then they must think it's better that we don't."

She shivered.

"I wonder why we're meeting out here. Sensei doesn't usually teach us _zanjutsu _outside."

"Sensei isn't training us today. Nagoya-senpai is," Sakura reminded her. "Maybe Vice Captains do things differently. If he was a Senior here, probably he's helped train other students before, too - and nobody would've asked him to do this if he didn't know what he was doing."

"Maybe there's been a change in plans," Kaoru pushed the stray wisps of her dark hair out of her face, squinting into the wind. "Look, aren't those two of the Yamamoto squad coming this way? There's no sign yet of Nagoya-senpai or the others, and the rest of our class aren't here yet either. I know we were early out, but surely someone else should have come here by now?"

"Perhaps something happened," Akaya looked anxious. "Come on. We ought to go and find out if it's us they want. We're supposed to obey orders if the shinigami think there's danger, so..."

She grabbed Sakura by the sleeve, reaching out for Kaoru's arm too.

"It's cold and if we're going to be inside, the sooner we go the less late we'll be," she added. "I bet Nagoya-senpai realised how cold it was and then decided to change the venue. Or someone told him that we hadn't reached the level of outside class yet."

"No, because look. Over there," Sakura flung out her hand towards the main school building, pulling free of Akaya's hold as she did so. "That's the rest of our class. They're heading this way too - we're meant to be here, Aka-chan. I'm not going to tick off someone as hot as Nagoya-senpai just because of a little cold. Maybe the shinigami are just coming to pass on a message."

"Something's wrong." A sudden prickle ran down Kaoru's spine, and she took a step back, anxiety flaring in her eyes. "Don't you feel it? Something's wrong. Why does it take two shinigami just to pass on a message? Surely if it was something like that, Nagoya-senpai would have sent one of the Seniors to tell us."

"Well, maybe, but if there's something dangerous, the squad might have been dispatched," Sakura pointed out. "What's eating you, Kaoru? You look like you saw a ghost."

"No...like I felt one," Kaoru shivered, somehow knowing that it had not been caused by the cold wind but the deep feeling of unease that now gripped her body. Slowly her fingers moved to her waist for the _asauchi _she had collected from the gymnasium before coming to the training ground, and Akaya gazed at her in dismay.

"Kaoru, are you crazy? You can't draw your sword on a squad shinigami!"

"They're going to draw theirs on us," Kaoru's words were little more than a whisper, her left hand tightening around the hilt of the weapon. "Can't you tell? I can. I can't see it, but I can _feel_ it. There's something badly wrong with them...and they're not coming to give us a message."

"Kaoru, you're scaring me!" Sakura took a step away from her friend. "What are you talking about?"

"Because of my eyesight, Senpai's been training me to focus on spiritual signatures more than simply what's right before my gaze." Kaoru drew the _asauchi_ from its sheath, her expression flooding with determination. "Because of that, he's had me focus on the changes in people's aura, and I can feel it now. There's something not right about those shinigami. They're coming to do something to us, and it's not give a message."

"Kaoru's right!" Akaya whitened. "One of them has his hand around his sword, too. We should get out of here! Senpai...we need to get Nagoya-senpai, and..."

"They're shinigami. They'll out-shunpo us in a heartbeat." Kaoru's normally playful tones were gone now, and her body was rigid with a mixture of fear and tension. "There are two of them, and three of us. Akaya-san, you should run to the others...tell them not to come any closer. Tell them to go back into the school and wait there. If they see a Senpai, anyone, tell them to get help. Sakura-san and I will try and distract these two."

"We will?" Sakura looked aghast. "You might be training for your shikai, Kaoru-chan, but I'm nowhere near that level yet!"

"You're the highest rank of the three of us in Kidou." Kaoru's stance did not shift for an instance, her good eye focusing on the closest Shinigami. "Akaya-san is the highest rank when it comes to shunpo, so she can move the most quickly. I didn't say we were going to fight them. We're going to distract them and then we're going to run for help. We're just going to give it enough time to let Akaya-san get the others away...you can do that, can't you? I can't see as well as you, but between us..."

"I'm gone." Akaya's eyes became serious and she nodded. "I'll move quickly, so you don't have to stay here long. I don't know what's happened, but I can feel it too, now. There's something dark in their auras, and I really think they're going to draw their swords."

Sakura gulped, but slowly nodded her head, and as Akaya slipped into shunpo, hurrying off across the field towards the remainder of the Fourth year top class, the two remaining girls turned to face the oncoming shinigami.

Now they were much closer, even Kaoru's damaged vision could make out what she had felt from much further away. Both men were moving slowly and methodically, as though in some kind of a trance, and as she met the gaze of the nearest, Kaoru's heart clenched in her chest at the emptiness she saw there. As though commanded at the exact same instant, both men drew their swords, an odd greenish light glittering against the blade of each weapon as they prepared to make their charge into battle. Kaoru swallowed hard, trying to remember everything that Shunsui had taught her about facing an enemy. This was not training, but something much more serious.

_Till Akaya-san can send help, there's only Sakura-san and I. If we let them get away from us, they might hurt someone younger and less experienced than we are. If we stay here, we might get hurt ourselves. I can't just rush into this. What would Kyouraku-senpai say? He'd tell me to assess everything carefully, and try and read their strengths and weaknesses before trying to make an attack. The thing is, can I? These are squad shinigami, with proper swords and proper training. In comparison, we're just..._

"_Hadou no Sanjuu Ichi. Shakkahou_!"

The words cut crisp and clearly through the winterish atmosphere, slicing through Kaoru's fear like a knife. The next moment a blaze of perfectly formed crimson energy exploded in the space between the two students and their shinigami opponents, making Kaoru jump almost out of her skin from the noise of the blast. She stumbled backwards, only for two strong arms to catch her and haul her back to her feet.

"You shouldn't be so easily startled by spells at your age, Kaoru-chan." The voice was teasing and reassuringly familiar, and relief flooded Kaoru's young heart as she turned to meet the dark eyes of her sword _shishou_. His expression was uncharacteristically grave, but he offered her a smile, patting her on the shoulder.

"Fighting trained shinigami is also not really in the Fourth year syllabus," he added. "Stand back. Whatever's going on here, it's not for you to raise your blade."

"What _is_ happening?" That was Anideshi's voice, and Kaoru turned her head to see the familiar white haired figure putting himself bodily in front of Sakura, his hand clasped around the hilt of his own sword. Between them stood a third figure, the one who had fired the blast of magic in the first instance, and as he strode forward, Kaoru could feel the indignation prickling against the young man's aura.

"Nagoya...senpai," she whispered, and Shunsui nodded.

"Where are the rest of your class?" he asked quietly. "You were all meant to meet out here - but there's only you and one playmate."

"Akaya-san...took them inside." Now the tension was off, Kaoru felt faintly giddy. "Senpai, I don't know what happened. I just felt that they weren't...weren't right. Sakura-san and I weren't really going to fight them, but we wanted to give Akaya-san time to get the others back to school and to...to go get help."

"Help has arrived," Juushirou said darkly, drawing his weapon from its sheath. "Nagoya-senpai, Nagasata-san is right. There's something not right with these two shinigami."

"I don't need a former student of mine pointing out things I can see with my own eyes," Shirogane's words were cutting, and Kaoru realised he too held his sword in his hands. "We can worry about the reasons why later. For the time being, you and Kyouraku are as much students as the girls are - you should put your attention to keeping them safe."

"You can't fight two shinigami at once!" Juushirou protested, and Shirogane shot him a cold look.

"I am a Vice Captain," he said blackly. "On the other hand, students who haven't yet graduated should not be trying to get themselves killed. I told you once already, that way of thinking is a selfish one."

"Then you shouldn't be following it either!" To Kaoru's astonishment, Juushirou did not seem at all cowed by the expression in his senior's gaze. "If Shunsui and I help, there'll be three of us and two of them. There's no reason for you to put yourself in danger on our behalves."

"Something's wrong with their swords." Shunsui gestured for Sakura to come to join him and Kaoru before drawing his own weapons, the _wakizashi_ and the _katana_ both glittering faintly in the light. "I don't think they can release, Senpai. There's an odd aura coming off those blades - if it's simply a matter of sword on sword, we might be able to disarm them without doing them too much harm."

His eyes narrowed.

"It looks to me like _someone _made puppets out of them," he said grimly. "If that's the case, we shouldn't look to hurt them for something that isn't their own will."

"_Puppets?_" Kaoru saw the colour drain from Juushirou's features, then the older student nodded. "Right. Senpai, I'm with Shunsui. If we can knock them out, between the three of us, something can probably be done about this. There are only two of them...it should be possible."

"Two?" Shirogane's voice became grim. "Make that four."

He gestured his weapon towards the direction of the First division barracks, and Kaoru's heart skipped a beat as she realised two more shinigami were now heading their way, their gazes apparently intent on the trio of _zanpakutou_ wielding shinigami now in their midst. "They seem a little interested in us - I wonder if that's because of me, or if it's you, Ukitake."

"It could be any of us," Shunsui clicked his tongue against teeth. "I guess that rules out any idea of going it solo. Kaoru, you and your friend should take cover and follow the first opportunity you have to flee, understood? Sensei wouldn't forgive us if you got hurt, and probably reinforcements will come from the school sooner rather than later if your classmates already went for help."

"We will." Sakura grabbed Kaoru by the arm, pulling her down behind a nearby bush. "We'll keep out of it. Don't worry."

"We can't leave them to fight on their own," Kaoru murmured, casting Sakura a plaintive look, and Sakura sighed, giving her a little shake.

"Look, I know you want to look cool in front of Kyouraku-senpai, but this is out of our league." She scolded. "There's no use in you getting bloody or killed."

"But..." Kaoru faltered, unsure how to put what she was feeling into words. From the moment Shunsui had appeared on the scene, she had felt that they would be saved, yet her heart still pounded in her chest and her blood still raced around her body as though building up for a big confrontation.

_Sakura-san is right, and so is Senpai. So why do I feel this way? In the moment that those two appeared, I wanted to stand my ground and fight. I didn't even think of running away, no matter how afraid I was. I felt as though all my training was beginning to come to a head, and then..._

She shook her head in frustration, trying to clear it.

_Maybe it is what Sakura-san said. Perhaps I do just want to look cool for Kyouraku-senpai, or show him how much I've learned from training with him._

_**Calm yourself, Kaoru.**_

The voice was soft, and at first Kaoru thought she had imagined it, but as she gazed around her in confusion, she heard a soft peal of laughter.

_**Three on four isn't a very fair battle, is it? Listen carefully to me. We might wind up evening the score.**_

* * *

Keitarou's plan was working.

Checking the coast was clear, Eiraki stepped carefully across the damp grass, picking her way through the most sheltered stretch of the school grounds until she reached the rear of the makeshift barracks that currently housed the First Division members. There had been nobody on guard on the gate, and, as she reached the back entrance she realised that it too had been completely abandoned.

A faint smile touched her pale lips and she pulled her heavy cloak more firmly around her body, checking that no one was observing her before darting inside the empty building.

It had clearly been lived in until a short time before, but whatever the shinigami had been doing had apparently stopped with some abruptness, for there were still half drunk mugs of cold tea on the table and in the corner lay a half-played game of _shougi_ with the pieces somewhat scattered about. At first glance it looked as though the officers had just been called from their duty, but as Eiraki took a couple of steps forward, she caught sight of an arm sprawled across the entrance to a back chamber, a sticky pool of something dark and red seeping across the tatami mat floor.

So there had been a struggle after all. Well well.

_But I'm not here to count corpses._

Turning her back on the unfortunate victim, she bent to pick up one of the displaced _shougi_ pieces, turning it over in her hands. The smooth flat surface bore the character for 'pawn', and a wry smile touched Eiraki's lips. Pocketing the piece as a memento, she got to her feet, dusting down her rough peasant's clothes.

Though she had no real spiritual ability, Eiraki had not been raised as an Endou for nothing, and as she made to leave, she paused, feeling the sense of someone's gaze boring into her back. Turning, she met a pair of empty greenish eyes with her own vivid blue ones, her lips twitching into a faint smile as she absorbed the blank expression that crossed the stranger's features. A sword was gripped between pale fingers, but though Eiraki was clearly trespassing, this silent newcomer had made no attempt to apprehend her.

She was pretty, she reflected absently, and probably only a few years older than Eiraki was herself, but with a cursitory glance the young Endou decided this new recruit was not attractive enough for Keitarou to see as anything more than a piece in his plan. The girl's gaze was also as flat as Onoe's had been, and Eiraki was reassured by the level of her husband's control even from such a vast distance away.

"It looks as though his gamble has paid off. I suppose that makes you my ally, then - for now," she chuckled, darting forward to pat the girl condescendingly on the shoulder. "Don't let down our expectations. My husband is not a foolish man and he won't give you back your life unless you do exactly as he tells you."

The girl made no attempt at response, and Eiraki smirked.

_Everything is going according to plan. Good. That means I shouldn't have to use this horrible poison or put myself any more at risk by lingering so close to the heart of that old man's school._

She tightened her hold on the rough fabric.

_I'll watch and wait, just as he told me. I'll report back on everything and I won't put myself in danger. I'll hide where he told me and I'll make sure nobody crosses my path. _

She made her way cautiously across the empty guardhouse, peering pensively back out across the school grounds.

_If one of the Yamamoto shinigami killed Ukitake-san for us, though, it would make everything much easier. Kei-sama wouldn't have to come back here in person and we could just slip away. If Ukitake-san died, Kei-sama's sword would be whole again. Then maybe we could be a family - even if it's only for a little while. I have such a bad feeling about him coming here...I know he really shouldn't. If the Yamamoto kill Ukitake-san, he won't have to, so all I can do is hope Kei-sama's hold over that girl is strong enough to set Chudokuga's power free!_

* * *

"Don't just stand there! If you're both so confident you can fight, you take care of these two and I'll deal with the others!"

Before either of the Seniors could move, Shirogane had shot forward, the fingers of his left hand once more glittering with light as he charged across the slick ground. The next minute there was a second explosion of crimson flame, and the two Yamamoto who had been approaching from the barracks stumbled back, apparently stunned by the unexpected flare of magic.

Shirogane was on them in a moment, Ginkyoujiki clasped tightly in his right fist and even without seeing his senpai's face, Juushirou could tell that there was neither hesitation nor mercy in the Kuchiki's grey eyes. The spell had hit neither man, but that had never been the intention, for Shirogane had judged his angle of fire to perfection, flaring it just close enough to the damp ground to send up steam and create a drifting fog in which he could more easily conceal his moments. As the embers of his spell clung to the heavy air, Shirogane's silver blade sliced through the middle, driving at the first shinigami and then parrying the swing of the second, darting between them and causing them to almost collide as he put his greater speed and nimbleness to effect.

In that instant, Juushirou understood.

Shirogane was strong, and he had always known that to be the case. He had been a prodigy promoted long before his time by skills that had been honed to perfection before he had even reached adulthood. Now, though, Juushirou saw his senpai with new eyes. Right then Shirogane was not the Senior who had trained him so harshly a few years earlier but a squad officer, his mind as much on protecting those who ranked beneath him as it was on winning his fight. Instead of his own squad, Juushirou knew that this time it was not just Sakura and Kaoru but Shunsui and himself that Shirogane was looking to shield, and as the distinctive silver weapon cut through the air once more like a knife Juushirou felt a swell of reluctant admiration curl up inside of his body.

Clinical as his movements were, they were not movements intended to kill. Had it been Sixth District, these men would have ranked as Shirogane's immediate subordinates. Under outside control or not, they were not to be summarily sacrificed just because it might prove the easiest path to victory.

One of the men, the bigger built of the two steadied himself first, lunging towards Shirogane with his sword drawn, but the Vice Captain was too quick for him, parrying his blow and still having time to meet the blade of the second as it stabbed towards the thick black of his shinigami uniform. It was impossible for Juushirou to know what rank the officers were, or how much they were able to move under the control of whatever had made them into puppets, but Shirogane clearly had no doubts that he could handle them both without breaking a sweat.

"Juu, watch out! This isn't a spectator sport!" Shunsui's yell came just in the nick of time and Juushirou swung around to see a large Yamamoto bearing down on him, a wide sweep of silver metal carving through the air towards his throat. He muttered a curse, jerking backwards at the last minute and somehow managing to parry the blow, his feet slipping slightly on the damp surface that the previous night's rain had caused. Sougyo no Kotowari's blade slid against the enemy weapon with an unpleasant grating sound, and Juushirou saw faint fragments of the other sword's odd green aura fleck away and disperse into the atmosphere.

Where had he seen a technique like that before?  
_  
Not that this is the time to wonder about that._

Juushirou gritted his teeth, swinging his katana up to meet the driving blade of his opponent and forcibly pushing him back. His sandalled feet slid once more against the muddy grass, and as the Yamamoto bore down on him, Juushirou was aware of the empty glint in the man's brown eyes. The next moment, the shinigami's sword tip tore against the sleeve of his _hakamashita_, faint fragments of green reiatsu once more breaking free and dissipating in the heavy morning air. Despite himself, the Senior student began to doubt his own first impressions.

If this was really Keitarou's _zanpakutou_, then he'd definitely changed his approach.

Juushirou's heart clenched at the implications of this.

_What if he had another technique all along, and he just chose not to reveal it? Or are we dealing with another enemy...one we haven't yet seen? _

The Yamamoto was not in the mood to hesitate, and Juushirou hurriedly steadied his balance against the fence of the training ground, all too aware that two fourth year students were still far too close to the centre of battle for him to lose his focus. Shirogane had led by example, and, remembering his _shishou_'s decisive surge forwards, Juushirou hardened his own resolve, his quick hazel eyes sizing up his opponent for any sign of a particular weak point. Though he was widely built and somewhat heavy on his feet, he had not so far proven to be slow and Juushirou was reminded of the few times he'd sparred Enishi - times when he had almost invariably come off second best.

_This isn't the same as fighting Enishi, but there are similarities._

Twisting his wrist slightly so that his weapon came round at an angle, Juushirou slashed his blade forward, parrying the enemy's attempts to disarm him. Flickers of white light glittered at the tips of his fingers, and as he and his opponent exchanged a short, sharp sequence of strikes, he muttered the words to the kidou spell, allowing the flare of bright white lightning to carve space through the air between them. The magic glanced off his blade, illuminating Sougyo no Kotowari for a brief moment in the damp autumn haze, and the force of the blast caused the Yamamoto to draw back as though confused by the sudden flare of energy. Juushirou felt his blade judder slightly at the unexpected jolt, In'you's spirit surging inside of him as the two fish instinctively willed their master to release their power and let it fly free into the fray.

_We're not here to kill them, though. This isn't that kind of fight._

Juushirou shook his head, his gaze once more drawn to the broad side of his opponent's weapon as it cleaved in towards his ribs, and instinctively he brought his _zanpakutou_ back to protect his vulnerable chest, swinging around and clashing the length of his _zanpakutou_ against the green-ghosted blade. There was another unpleasant grating sound, and more flecks of green energy danced off into the ether, but Juushirou did not have time to worry about their significance for the Yamamoto's own fingers were now glittering with vibrant blue energy.

An explosion of blue fire confirmed Juushirou's worst suspicions - the First Division squad members may not have been able to release their blades, but they were perfectly able to throw out kidou.

Juushirou cast a hurried glance towards the bush where he knew Sakura and Kaoru were still crouching, a troubled look creasing his pale features. A battle of swords was one thing, but if there was a risk of them being caught in kidou crossfire, the matter was a completely different one. Though it had only been a few minutes since they had begun to fight, Juushirou felt as though time had stopped still. What had caused this to happen and why was still beyond him, but that was secondary in his mind to his desire to protect the two younger girls from harm's way. Surely help could not be too far away? But even if it wasn't, Juushirou realised only too clearly that in a crisis situation, you could not always just hold out for backup.

He stole a glance across to his side, seeing Shunsui neatly parry a blow from his opponent and slip into shunpo, re-materialising a short distance away and using his crossed swords to deflect a low level yet resolute burst of _Shakkahou_. Now Shunsui was facing the opposite direction, his back to the barracks and the school beyond, and Juushirou knew that he had also thought first of Kaoru and Sakura's safety huddled behind their clutch of shrub.

Shirogane was still somehow managing to keep pace with the two shinigami he had driven forward to challenge at the start of the confrontation, and though Juushirou thought that his senpai was tiring slightly, he had made no attempt to release his _zanpakutou_'s shikai. Juushirou remembered only too well the searing ruthlessness of Ginkyoujiki as its fragmented blades spun like falling petals out into the atmosphere, and secretly he was glad that the Vice Captain had chosen not to use that attack today.

It was another sign that Shirogane was fighting to disarm and not to kill, and Juushirou gazed at his own sword, debating whether or not he could justifying releasing Sougyo no Kotowari's one blade into two in order to absorb and deflect the enemy's kidou out of harm's way.

A wave of spirit power such as that needed to release his sword was something he could not afford to sacrifice carelessly, and the memory of the fight against the Hollow in the forest that stormy night reminded him of the risk to his juniors if he was to allow his spirit power to surge.

_Senpai's not using his shikai, and nor is Shunsui using his. I shouldn't need mine just to disarm someone, should I?_

Juushirou's brows knitted together in concentration.

_I can use Kidou too. If I can take his blade from him, maybe I'll have an opening to use a weak binding Kidou just to keep him still while I gather together the spirit power to cast something stronger. It doesn't have to be spectacular - no doubt someone will come to our aid sooner rather than later. I don't want to cause anyone any harm, so surely I can..._

His eyes widened slightly as images of the spar against Akira flashed into his head.

_I wonder...could that really work again?_

He twitched the fingers of his left hand, gauging the angle of his opponent's next strike. The shinigami was a good head and a bit taller than Juushirou and at least twice as broadly built, but then so had Akira been.

_Yamamoto-kun was also fighting me in his own wits and with his own skills. This might be this shinigami's native skill, but it's been dulled and overwritten by something or someone. Maybe Keitarou, maybe not - it's hard to know at the moment how he could do something like this. If it isn't Keitarou, but someone else, I may be taking a huge gamble. Keitarou's not a sword fighter, and for his will to supersede someone else's, he'd have to override some of that person's natural instincts the way he did with me when I fought Shunsui. There's no way I would ever have drawn a blade on Shunsui in normal circumstances, and even if I don't remember how that happened, I don't need to to think this through logically. If Keitarou's will is driving this person, he's probably a little slower than he would be normally. If it's not Keitarou's technique, I might be putting myself in danger - but I have to take the risk._

He drew his blade back a little, allowing the Yamamoto to lunge towards him once more, sword drawn and aimed right for his heart. Unlike Akira, whose only aim had been to take Juushirou's katana from his grip, this puppet was clearly designed to kill whoever was in his way, and Juushirou gathered his resolve, hesitating until the last possible minute before switching the hilt of his weapon from his right to his left grip and bringing the blade up sharply, catching the underside of the Yamamoto's weapon and forcing it upwards.

As he had expected, the shinigami's reactions were too slow to adjust to his opponent's sudden shift in hold and attack, and with a flood of relief Juushirou felt the enemy blade dislodge from the man's grip, spinning up into the air and dropping down with some force against the soft ground.

_"Bakudou no Yon! Hainawa!"_ Golden cord shot forth from Juushirou's left hand, wrapping itself around the arms and torso of the dazed shinigami before he could react to having lost his sword. The shinigami crumpled to his knees, falling forwards as though the strings holding him up had been severed through, and as the man's body tumbled onto the turf, Juushirou drew a hoarse breath into his lungs, allowing himself to cough only now that the immediate danger had abated.

It was still not over yet, though. A flare of light from the direction of the barracks soon told Juushirou that one of Shirogane's opponents had also begun firing kidou in a steady stream of red bullet like flares whilst his companion focused on pinning down the Vice Captain's quick moving blade. Swift as he was, Juushirou realised with a jolt of alarm that it would not be possible for his _shishou_ to fend off all of the spells and defend his own body at the same time. With a sidelong glance at his fallen opponent, and then across at Shunsui who was still easily in control, he made up his mind, preparing to dive into the fray once more. His chest felt raw from the spirit power he had stifled deep down inside of his body, but, ever mindful of the two girls still cowering behind the bush, Juushirou knew this was no time to stop and tend his wounds. Checking a second time that his downed foe was really out for the count, he lifted his _zanpakutou_ once more, slipping into shunpo and re-materialising at Shirogane's side just in time to parry a burst of condensed red spirit magic.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sweat beading his brow, Shirogane turned to glare at his former _deshi_, irritation clear in his grey eyes. "Nobody told you to come help me - if you've so much free time, get those damn girls out of here and back to safety!"

"Nobody is safe unless these people are made to stop," Juushirou shot back, narrowly managing to duck the swinging blade of the other shinigami. "You must realise it too, Senpai? There were more than four shinigami stationed here at the school, and so far nobody has come to help us. That means the others are probably just like this and there may well be danger in other places than just this one. I can't just leave you and Shunsui here, not even to get Nagasata-san and her friend out of the line of fire."

"I told you I wasn't putting you in harm's way!" Shirogane snapped back, his own fingers glimmering with light and there was another loud explosion as the Vice Captain's blue _soukatsui_ smashed into the Yamamoto's _shakkahou_, sending out a rainstorm of burning purplish shards. "Think some of the family who are left behind worrying about you and learn to respect your rank for once, will you? There are people to cry for you - remember them for once and stand down!"

"There are probably people to cry for you too!" Juushirou was not to be deterred. "Mitsuki and Ryuu would certainly be sad if you were killed, and you said you had no intention of dying. Besides, these people aren't doing this because they want to. It's not fair to let them be used like this - stopping them is part of protecting the school and as Anideshi that's my duty too!"

"Watch out!" Shirogane's shoulder cannoned into Juushirou's upper body, shoving him bodily out of the way and sending the two men tumbling to the ground, Juushirou's grip on Sougyo no Kotowari loosening from the unexpected impact. Before he could react to what had happened, however, there was a scarlet blaze of flame bare inches from where he had been standing, and he swallowed hard, realising that Shirogane's quick movement had probably saved him from a nasty injury.

"I told you. You're not ready for this," Shirogane's words were flat and Juushirou could see his companion already pulling himself to his feet, the sleeve of his _hakamashita_ singed through to the flesh below and the Senior realised to his dismay that the Vice Captain had blocked the flare of the spell with his own body in order to ensure Juushirou was not harmed. "You're still a student and you're green. You're far too naive, Ukitake. Naivety kills people. Understand that and obey my orders for once, will you? If you want to go home to that family of yours, _do as you're damn told!_"

The second Yamamoto's blade came down towards them again at that moment and Shirogane was already on his feet, the injured arm apparently forgotten as Ginkyoujiki's smooth silver surface clashed against the opponent's glittering green one. Juushirou stared at him for a moment, then scrabbled for his own sword hilt, a mixture of pride and shame swirling inside his chest at his companion's harsh words. Shirogane had been right in all respects, yet Juushirou knew that it was just as impossible for him to step back from this fight and run away. Just as Shirogane had protected him, he was not going to let Shirogane get hurt either.

_Two on two is a fair fight and I believe in fighting fair. I'm sorry, Senpai. I understand what you just said, but yet again I'm going to have to disobey_.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shunsui's glinting silver _wakizashi _swipe through the air, knocking his opponent's weapon free from his grip and sending it careening across the grass. The next moment the Kyouraku's long katana was at the Yamamoto's throat, a binding kidou spell already glittering around Shunsui's fingers as he worked to bring the enemy down.

His friend seemed to have everything under control, but as Juushirou prepared to launch back into the battle, a movement caught his attention and he turned, his eyes widening in alarm as from within the ties of his Hainawa spell the man he had thought to be knocked unconscious began to twitch his fingers, an unmistakeable aura of golden light humming around the tips.

_He was still being manipulated? I should have used a more powerful binding spell when I had the opening to do so!_

Juushirou was about to slip into shunpo and return to his original opponent's side but a shadow fell across his body and something silver seared down towards him, forcing his attention back to the matter at hand. Just in time he managed to meet the blow with Sougyo no Kotowari's blade, but the empty resolution in the Yamamoto's eye told him that he was not going to slip away so easily this time.

The still-bound Yamamoto had finished casting his spell, the _Hainawa_bonds weakening with every passing second, and Juushirou's eyes almost bulged out of his head as he registered the direction in which the man was aiming. Shunsui was still focused on binding up his own opponent, apparently oblivious to what was going on around him, and Juushirou struck desperately back at his new opponent's weapon, wanting to cover the ground between him and his friend yet unable to break through.

_"Shunsui!"_ He exclaimed, his voice hoarse and indistinct above the noise of the battle. "Shunsui, look out! _Look out!_"

The next few moments passed in a blur, for even as Juushirou struggled to cast aside the weapon of the man blocking his path, the area lit up with golden light. Shunsui seemed to realise belatedly what kind of danger he was in, but the spell was almost upon him and though he drew his weapons up together to try and deflect it, the frantic Juushirou realised that without the time needed to release his _zanpakutou_, he would probably not be able to push back all of the power of this spell. It was the first time Juushirou had ever seen Oukasen used in combat before, and at once he understood why they had not learned it until so late on, for whilst Shakkahou was easy to keep re-firing and Soukatsui was a potent form of attack, there was a density to the golden flame which made it stand apart from its fellows. Juushirou felt sick to his stomach, not wanting to watch yet being unable not to as the flare of magic engulfed the spot where his friend was standing.

For a moment there was nothing but golden light, then, as the light began to fade, Juushirou's eyes almost fell out of his head.

Where Shunsui had been standing there was now a thick, dense wall of something - to Juushirou's confused eyes it looked something like a mass of branches, yet logic told him that it could be no such thing, and absently he wondered whether this was another of his friend's sword's secret tricks. The next instant his heart stilled in his chest, for standing a short distance away from the bush which had been her hiding place was Kaoru, her body bathed in soft golden light and her _asauchi_clutched tightly in her left hand.

No, it wasn't an _asauchi_. It was...

The last of the _Hainawa_spell faded away from around the shinigami's body and with a shudder the fallen giant drew his heavy body back into an upright position, turning its attention towards this new and unexpected interloper. Even as he did so, though, the golden haze around Kaoru's body faltered and faded, the thickly woven wall of - whatever it had been - drawing back and wilting as though even that faint burst of spiritual energy had sucked dry the entirety of her resources. She dropped to her knees, breathing heavily, and her sword fell unattended at her side as she struggled to retain consciousness.

Juushirou berated himself once again on his carelessness. He had left his job half done, and now his junior was in danger.  
_  
I have to get back there. Now._

Parrying his opponent's sweeping blow, Juushirou's determination gave him an extra drive and he brought the flat of his weapon down firmly across the back of the shinigami's head, knocking him to the ground. Even before the man had fallen, a haze of kidou had engulfed him, and Juushirou realised that Shirogane had acted even quicker than he had, binding both of their opponents in a bright glow of red _Geki_.

Leaving his senpai to deal with the aftermath, Juushirou ran back towards where Kaoru was hunched on the ground, already preparing to release his shikai if need be to protect her from attack.

_"Hanakaze midarete kashin naki."_

The sound of his friend's voice made the District boy falter in his tracks, the all too familiar words followed by a distinctive but perfectly controlled ripple of spirit power that drifted around the training arena like a gust of autumn wind.

_"Tenpuu midarete tenma warau. Katen Kyoukotsu!"_

The breeze whipped more strongly around the gathered shinigami, then, as soon as it had come it was gone, and Juushirou's brows knitted together as he interpreted the expression on his classmate's face.

It was the same expression he had seen in the Real World the day that Shunsui had used his blade to slice through Keitarou's shoulder.

A face that was cast in shadow.

Juushirou hadn't seen his friend move, but somehow between the start of his sword release and the final parting of the two scmitar like blades he had put himself in front of the shaking Kaoru, his weapons raised like a shield protecting him and her both from the next attack. Kaoru lifted her head slightly, staring up at her _shishou_with wide, frightened eyes, but Shunsui gave no indication that he was aware of it or even of her beyond the need to keep her safe.

The reason for Shunsui's focus was soon all too clear. To his horror, Juushirou realised that although he had thought the shinigami to be worn down by their battle, another spell was forming between the man's hands as he lurched giddily forward towards where Shunsui was standing. His entire body prickled with energy, the fragments of light drawing tighter and tighter together, weaving themselves into a second ball of golden flame. Even from this distance Juushirou could tell that the man's spirit power was being pushed to its limits, fragmenting at the edges and unravelling like a piece of tapestry whose final thread had come undone.

Whoever was controlling him obviously didn't care if the man's life was sacrificed in the course of fighting this battle, and rage began to stir deep within Juushirou's heart.

_Maybe we can still stop this. Perhaps there's a way to bring him down before he fires off the last of his spirit power. If I..._

"Ukitake, get down!"

That was Shirogane, his voice crisp and like a jolt of electricity through the Senior student's taut nerves, and Juushirou felt a firm hand grab him around the wrist. "Get down, dammit, and stay down! You're not stupid enough to not feel it, are you? The moment he fires that spell..."

"We have to stop him!"

Juushirou struggled to pull free of his _shishou_'s hold, but Shirogane's grip did not falter for a moment, a grim expression in his slate grey eyes.

"I _won't _let you make people cry for you," he said darkly. "Hell, I won't go back and tell Mitsuki that I let you get killed. If you think I'll accept anyone making my kinswoman cry, you stupid District boy, then you should think again."

"Senpai..." Before Juushirou could get another word out, he found himself forcibly pinioned to the ground, Shirogane's upper body and right arm hooked over him like a vice in order to prevent him from getting away.

"Try and wriggle free and it'll be Bakudou for you, too," he said grimly. "I'm not kidding. There's nothing you can do down there. If you have faith in that idiot Kyouraku, trust him."

"But if we don't stop it, that man's power will explode!"

"It's already beyond our capabilities to stop it," Shirogane said heavily. "You know that too, don't you? He had already reached his limit when he fired that last spell. He's acting on someone else's orders, sure enough, even to the point of sacrificing his life...by rights he shouldn't have been able to break out of your_ Hainawa_, let alone summon the strength to fire off a single _Oukasen_blast. Right now he's acting on someone's irrationality, and that irrationality isn't directed this way."

"At..._Shunsui_?" Juushirou's eyes widened with horror, and Shirogane jerked his head into a curt nod.

"It's clearly been decided that killing us isn't of immediate importance," he said softly. "I bound those two men in _Geki_and there wasn't a single shred of fight left in them. Whoever's fighting through these people, though, they have an issue with your friend there that's made them push one puppet to extremes."

Juushirou's eyes narrowed as he remembered Keitarou's expression and tone of voice when Shunsui had interrupted their conversation, and he sighed.

"I suppose that's probably true," he murmured, "although it only happened on my account. Still, though, it's not just Shunsui. The girls too - if that explodes..."

"Shinigami have to trust other shinigami else things don't get done," Shirogane was cutting. "Your problem is you think you're put here to save the world single-handedly. This is your wake up call - you're not, and nor will you save it if you keep acting on your own reckless impulses all the time. If you trust your friend as much as you think, you'll realise he's got it in hand. Annoying as he is to talk to, Sensei's clearly right about his spirit power. His _reiryoku_'s calm and steady - he's not frightened. Yours on the other hand...if you cough blood up all over me, I will not overlook it."

Juushirou bristled indignantly at the derisive note in his _shishou_'s words, but before he could muster a retort a second dazzling burst of golden flame blazed out across the training ground, this time denser and brighter than the last. To Juushirou's eyes, it looked almost like an exploding star, yet as it detonated, sending sparks flying far and wide, he was aware of another, darker sensation snaking across his senses. He had felt it before, in the moments before Katen Kyoukotsu had pierced through Keitarou's shoulder, and instinctively Juushirou turned his head, his gaze falling on the stretch of ground that lay in front of the makeshift barracks.

Though it was not a sunny day, the bright blaze of Kidou had created a heavy shadow that spread for a few moments across the grass like an invading wave of deep black.

At first he saw nothing, but then the blades of grass rippled faintly and from the depths of the darkness something began to emerge, at first more shadow than person but with each passing second becoming more and more recogniseable as a crouching human form.

No, Juushirou corrected himself, it was _three _human forms, for huddled in Shunsui's arms were the exhausted Kaoru and the shellshocked Sakura, both wide-eyed and pale faced as they struggled to understand what had just happened.

No sooner had they emerged from the ebony expanse than the bright light faded, and as the silhouette around him faded to a dull grey Shunsui let out a sigh, thrusting the tips of his released blades into the soft, muddy ground and reaching out his charcoal-dusted hands to pat each of the shivering Fourth year girls on the head.

"Sorry about that," he said off-handedly. "I didn't have time to warn you, really, but I figured you'd rather come shadow walking with me than be blown up by some mad man's spiritual explosion."

"He's completely gone." As Shirogane released his hold on his junior, Juushirou turned his gaze back down to where the shinigami had been standing, taking in the scorched grass with a troubled look in his hazel eyes. "It destroyed him completely, firing off that last spell. Shunsui, I'm sorry. I thought I had him pinned, but obviously..."

"I think we know for sure who we're dealing with, and it isn't your fault," Shunsui shook his head. "That was definitely aimed my way - which leaves me in no doubt at all about the person responsible."

"Kyouraku-senpai, is someone trying to _kill _you?" Sakura somehow found her tongue, and Shunsui grinned, casting her a rueful look.

"You can only go through life being lazy, annoying and rude for so long before someone tries to put an end to you," he said lightly. "It's nothing for you to worry about, either of you."

"But...what happened to them?" Sakura turned to gaze at the still bound shinigami. "They're proper shinigami, aren't they? They're here to protect us, Kazoe-sensei said so. Why did they attack us? And Kaoru-chan..._what did_ _you do_?"

Kaoru raised her gaze at the sound of her name, moistening her lips before answering. Then,

"He wanted to hurt Kyouraku-senpai," she whispered. "I didn't want that. I didn't want it, and so...I had to stop it. I had to..."

She trailed off, her body swaying slightly, and Shunsui wrapped his arm more firmly around her shoulders.

"You decided to raise your sword at an opportune moment, but you shouldn't push yourself any further," he said gently. "I'm grateful, Kaoru-chan. You helped me and I helped you - that's how shinigami are supposed to work. Also, you've seen Katen Kyoukotsu released now."

He reached across to pat the hilt of his nearest sword with his free hand, and Juushirou saw the weapons shimmer and return to their sealed form at his touch. "I admit, I didn't really intend on showing it to you like that, but at least now you know, don't you?"

"Nagasata-san's sword," Juushirou murmured. "That shield...that's what that was. Nagasata-san's sword spoke to her, and let her help you when Senpai and I couldn't."

"I don't know how, not really," Kaoru admitted softly. "Just...I felt like I needed to. My sword...told me what to do. I think...it was like something came to life inside of me. Does that sound strange?"

She put a hand to her chest.

"It was like something growing, here."

"It was very brave," Shunsui nodded, "but it takes a lot of energy the first time around, doesn't it, Kaoru-chan?"

Kaoru managed a faint smile, nodding her head slightly.

"I'm glad," she managed, "that I could help Senpai, and that S...Senpai is all right."

"We'll talk about this some more when you're less tired," Shunsui suggested. "From what I saw, it looked like you manipulated the tree branches to shield me, but neither of us really expected it then, did we? We'll have to think it over carefully when things are less manic."

"All right."

"This is all very nice, but it doesn't resolve the bigger problem." Shirogane pulled himself into a standing position, moving to examine the fallen forms of the two shinigami he had clashed blades with. "We have four shinigami who were obviously possessed by something unusual attacking school students with no apparent motivation. One of them even died trying to carry out this mission."

"Right," Juushirou looked grim. "Like I said before, it might not be just them. If these four were like this, who knows how many others there are roaming around the school?"

"Akaya-chan!" Sakura's eyes became frightened. "She went with the others inside, what if...?"

"It's a possibility," Shirogane said grimly. "This isn't quite the kind of class I intended on teaching this morning, but it looks like outdoor _zanjutsu _is abandoned. Can you girls stand? I'd like to get you to a safe location, but I'm not quite sure right at the moment where that might be."

"I can," Sakura nodded. "I'll help Kaoru-chan, if she needs me to. She's used a lot of her strength up, but she's not heavy and I can support her."

She faltered, then Juushirou saw resolve flare in her eyes.

"I'll take her to the Healing Bay," she said firmly. "Unohana-sensei might not be there, but we can lock the door and keep very quiet. Besides, those people...they didn't seem to care about Kaoru or I when you all arrived. I think they want to attack the strongest people, and so..."

"Ukitake, if you can stand, go with them and make sure they get there safely. Providing there's no imminent danger in that vicinity, come back and find us," Shirogane said briskly. "Kyouraku, I want to talk to you about this Aizen enemy a little more."

Juushirou glanced at Shunsui for a moment, then he sighed, nodding his head.

"I understand." he said softly. "Come on, you two. Let's go."


	66. Shizurugi

**Chapter Sixty Four: Shizurugi**

"It appears that Seiren passed a more restful night."

Futsuki pushed open the door to the solar, pausing to acknowledge Genryuusai's presence before coming to join his brother. It was early the following morning and, after an uneasy few hours sleep, Guren had risen early, his mind still preoccupied by the impending threat. Though his men had not found Keitarou's whereabouts, the Clan leader was certain that his target had not left District Six. How he could be so sure he did not know, but it was almost an instinct buried deep in the pit of his gut, telling him that the exiled Urahara was still lurking in the shadows, waiting for his moment to pounce.

Surely now Ryuu was here, pounce he would. It only remained to be seen what would come of the encounter.

"How is his condition?" he asked now, shooting Futsuki a quizzical look. "Has he roused up or said any more?"

"No," Futsuki shook his head. "Nothing that far, I'm afraid. Still, I don't know whether it is Retsu-sama's skill or Ryuu's presence, but whilst the pressure of his spirit power doesn't seem to have abated much, it also hasn't got any worse."

"That's probably as much as we can hope for, at present," Guren sighed. "Thank you, Futsuki. I assume Shibata is also resting more comfortably?"

"He's still asleep, but yes," Futsuki nodded. "Knowing both Ryuu and Seiren are alive has reassured him a little, and though he has shattered bones, he isn't complaining about pain. Soldiers are resilient men, Guren."

"Indeed they are," Guren agreed. "Very well. I will leave him to himself for the time being. He is far enough from the unstable parts of the building, I think, and probably to try and move him again now would set back his recovery. Perhaps when Retsu-dono has a moment to spare, she might visit him – but probably he is out of immediate danger."

"And me?" Futsuki looked quizzical. "I'd hoped to ride to the Nagoya estate this morning, speak to my men and obtain any information that I can. Is that possible or are you requiring my company here?"

"No, you can go," Guren assured him. "In fact, stay there until I send for you, all right? None of us quite know what might happen now Ryuu has returned here, and I'd rather keep anybody that I can out of the crossfire."

"All right," Futsuki bowed his head once more. "Be careful, Guren. This is an enemy who deals in weapons other than the sword."

With that he was gone, the sound of his footsteps moving further and further from the solar, and Guren sighed, casting his sole companion a weary look.

"I am sorry, Genryuusai-sama," he said heavily, taking a seat and indicating for his guest to do the same. "It must seem very selfish of me to summon you here on what is essentially a Kuchiki matter."

"No, I don't think so," Genryuusai lowered his aging body onto the cushions, offering Guren a smile. "This has never been your fight alone, Guren-dono. I understand your reasons for wanting me here and Retsu too. If this truly is where that man Aizen is hiding…"

"We've sealed all of the boltholes we're aware of," Guren said categorically. "I've had Sixth Squad busy ever since Seiren was first taken ill. All of the Kuchiki _Senkaimon_ are closed off, and I know that at least two other illicit pathways have been destroyed as well. The borders are closed and securely guarded, and anyone meeting his description will be stopped and searched on sight. There have been no reports of him trying to leave Sixth via those methods, though – it's really my belief that he remains here."

"You and Ryuu are his targets, so such a conjecture makes sense," Genryuusai acknowledged gravely. "They are not his only targets, though. I would rather not leave my school for a long stretch of time – there are those in District One that he might also seek to harm."

"Shirogane, perhaps?" Guren's eyes became grave, and Genryuusai shrugged his hunched shoulders.

"I've had no indication that your other nephew's life is in particular peril," he said matter-of-factly. "It's possible, but no, I don't think that he is Aizen's immediate target."

"Then…?"

"My Seniors returned from the Real World with one classmate dead and two injured," Genryuusai spoke soberly, and Guren could see the genuine emotion in the old man's eyes as he related the tragedy. "They also brought back with them some disturbing information. It seems that Aizen Keitarou is currently not able to use his Bankai."

"He told me that too. Not since his battle with the District boy," Guren agreed. "I don't understand why that would be considered disturbing, though. Surely, if there is any chance to kill him, now would be the time."

"True enough," Genryuusai conceded. "However, whilst his young accomplices were trying their best to remove Ryuu from the picture, Aizen himself had a different target. He tracked down Ukitake Juushirou and spoke to him directly. In fact, if not for the interference of a classmate, I believe he might have tried to take the boy by force."

"Ukitake? But why?" Guren's brow creased in confusion. "He may have ties to the Kuchiki and I don't deny them, but surely…"

"Ukitake survived Aizen's Bankai, and strands of that man's sword are still lodged inside of his body somewhere," Genryuusai interrupted his companion softly. "We don't know where. Neither Retsu nor I can detect them and it appears as though they must be quite dead. There is a second possibility, though. If those strands have been sealed by Juushirou's own sword, it's possible Keitarou might find a way to reanimate them. It's only a vague chance – but Juushirou is in District One, and I can't be sure that he or any of my other students are safe in my absence. Amai Suzuno had no connection to any political disturbance, nor was she a particular friend of Juushirou's – but she was killed regardless. Aizen has proven himself unafraid to spill innocent blood – and my academy has a lot of that to spill."

"I see," Guren became grave. "I didn't realise it was so complicated. Perhaps I should have summoned the Council after all."

"Kinnya is there, and so are Kazoe and Shirogane. With some men dispatched from First Squad too, I hope it will be enough," Genryuusai sighed. "You can't always protect children you intend to send to war from every danger this world fosters, Guren-dono. It's a mantra I've always clung to, but it doesn't mean I want to throw their lives away unnecessarily. The sooner I can return the better."

"Agreed," Guren inclined his head. "I've made no secret of the fact that I've summoned Ryuu back here, nor that Seiren is currently still alive. It's a risk, but to lure a man like that out, I have to make him believe it's worth the danger to show his face. Whilst he's here, he isn't in District One…and I'm under the impression his Shihouin puppet is dead."

"Yes. Onoe is dead," Genryuusai confirmed. "The whereabouts of the Endou girl is still unknown, but she is probably still very much alive."

"Aizen is the real target, though, isn't he? Aizen is the one who arranged the murder of my son."

"The one who arranged it, yes," Genryuusai responded carefully. "He was not the one who carried it out."

"No. I know, but it may as well have been him, since it was almost certainly his puppet," Guren's eyes became angry, and Genryuusai shook his head.

"The one who killed your son was Endou Eiraki," he said softly. "She administered a lethal poison and she would have done the same to Ryuu if two of my students hadn't interfered. She admitted before them that she had been responsible for Ribari-dono's death, and that she had no particular remorse for having killed him."

"_What?_" Guren's features paled. "My son was killed by a runaway _hime_?"

"Eiraki appears to be quite a dangerous individual in her own right, and so locating her whereabouts is almost as important as finding Aizen," Genryuusai agreed grimly. "Even the most feeble individuals can become killers when poison is involved."

"That is a lesson I do not need to learn," Guren's eyes became cold as he remembered the slow, lingering death of his beloved father. "Those you don't suspect can sometimes deal the harshest blows. Very well. I understand your concerns and we will act on them. Endou Eiraki will also be found and brought to justice – there's clearly no question of us allowing either of them to escape."

"I have a strong feeling that escape isn't high on the agenda."

Genryuusai got to his feet, his gaze flitting to the window.

"Whether invited or not, Guren-dono, it seems you have a visitor. Or perhaps, _Seiren-dono_ has a visitor."

"What?" Guren was immediately alert, hurrying to the window and gazing out across the grounds.

A lone figure stood at the edge of the devastation, his mud-slurried gaze running pensively over the uncleared mounds of rubble and dust that still littered the grounds of Seiren's manor. He was robed in simple black, an old greyish cloak wrapped around his thin frame, and his sandy brown hair flapping in the breeze, stray wisps of it having worked loose from its ties.

At the sight of him, anger seared through the Clan leader's heart, and he clenched his fists, struggling to control his surging spirit power.

"Aizen," he muttered. "Standing there as blatant as you please, in order to lure me out a second time."

"Will you go?" Genryuusai asked quietly, and Guren nodded.

"For that purpose I've remained here these last two days," he agreed blackly. "If he truly seeks the destruction of this Clan, killing me is a must. In order to protect my family, killing him is a must. It's an unavoidable confrontation and one I have been waiting for."

"Indeed," Genryuusai's expression became sombre. "I will come with you, but this is your land. Unless you require my interference, I will not attempt to use my sword."

"Thank you," Guren sent his older companion a grateful look. "We should not keep them waiting. Ryuu and Seiren are still inside this building, Shibata and Retsu-dono too. If we can keep them out of this conflict, then so much to the good."

"You think such a thing is likely?" Genryuusai arched a bristling white eyebrow, and Guren shook his head.

"A man who cannot fight with a sword has other ways to fight. I imagine his Kidou is well above average," he said grimly. "Still, I am resolved to do what I can to protect who I can. There's nothing else I can do but that now."

With that he slipped into shunpo, re-materialising on the frost-tipped grass outside. A chill wind teased at his cream _haori _and the thick swathe of white fabric that hung about his neck, causing it to flutter gently in the breeze. Since Seiren's attack, he had chosen to dress in full Clan regalia, all the more conscious of the burdens that hung heavy over him, but the scarf that had once been his father's had been chosen for a different reason – to hide the purplish bruising at his throat. Seiren's hands had dug deeply into his delicate pale flesh, but Guren was above all things a proud Kuchiki, and he had had no mind to show his battle wounds to anyone, least of all the enemy.

"So we meet again."

Keitarou's greeting was light-hearted and a little flippant, and Guren could see no sign of his trademark _tantou_ knife, though he was sure it must be hidden deep within the folds of that heavy grey cloak.

"I must say you've worked extra-specially hard to get my attention in the last few days, Guren-dono. It can surely be no coincidence that wherever I go I find my path dogged by guardsmen or shinigami – yet when I come here, to the scene of our last encounter, there are no low ranking officers on duty at all. I'm not mistaken in thinking that I saw Futsuki-dono ride from this place not long ago? You really have put out the welcoming banners to bring me here, haven't you? One might almost think it to be a trap."

"One might." Guren somehow managed to control the swirling rage that gnawed at the pit of his stomach. "One might also view it as a Clan trying to protect the people over whom it rules. You are clearly of no benefit to the Kuchiki District, so you should not be surprised that my men would like to eradicate you."

"You've brought me here on what errand, Guren-dono?" Keitarou's eyes narrowed slightly and his tones softened. "I assume you don't think I'm foolish enough to believe your bringing Ryuu back to District Six was for any benefit other than to keep my interest in this part of Seireitei. I know that you've summoned the old man from District One to aid you in your work – the big question is, what exactly you plan to achieve."

"That shouldn't need to be explained to someone who most people rate as a genius." Genryuusai materialised not far from where Guren stood, tapping his cane absently against the cold ground. "Aizen Keitarou, I presume. This is our first meeting. I would like it to be our last."

"That feeling is mutual." Keitarou bowed his head mockingly in Genryuusai's direction. "It's an honour, Genryuusai-dono. Or no, perhaps I should call you Genryuusai-_sensei_? That's how I often hear you termed on my travels across Soul Society."

"You can be under no misapprehension about my reason for coming here." Genryuusai's brows twitched together slightly, but his expression remained both calm and focused, his eyes trained on the exiled scientist.

"None whatsoever," Keitarou agreed cheerfully, folding his arms across his chest. "You've come to kill me. It's a wise intention, too. I'm not really someone who can be negotiated with or talked around, and I'm very good at escaping from tricky situations. All things being equal, I expected you – or someone – to come with the intention of killing me. Of course, it doesn't necessarily follow that you'll succeed – I suppose we'll find out, won't we?"

"I suppose we will," Genryuusai acknowledged, "but first, I would like to know something for my own sake and not for the sake of the Kuchiki Clan. Was it your sword that killed my student, Amai Suzuno in cold blood during an assignment to the real world?"

"Amai Suzuno." Keitarou's hand went thoughtfully to his shoulder, and he nodded his head. "I regret to confess it was. It was not an ideal situation and I should have liked to have avoided spilling blood – but it was too much of a risk to leave another witness."

"Yet you allowed Shikibu Naoko to escape with scarce little damage?" Genryuusai's eyes bored into Keitarou's, and the scientist let out a soft, humourless chuckle.

"I didn't let her escape," he corrected slowly. "I felt the approaching reiatsu of allies and I didn't fancy my direct combat chances against a group of students armed with active swords. I had taken injury myself, you realise. I was still not full strength and I had no choice but to retreat."

"Hrm," Genryuusai's eyes became near slits, and Guren cast the old man a quizzical glance, wondering what he was thinking.

"You may convey my apologies to the Unohana Clan, if you will." Keitarou was speaking again. "As yet, my fight is not with them."

"As yet, but in the future?" Genryuusai's words became dangerously low, and Keitarou shrugged.

"Perhaps," he agreed. "I have little reason to attack a District of healers, but the future will bring what it does and none of us have the power to forsee it."

"You have no need to forsee the future, Aizen!" Guren had heard enough, and his half-gloved fingers curled around the hilt of his weapon. "This is where your path ends, here, on Kuchiki land and at the end of my blade. There is nobody to fight your battle for you today – your puppet is dead and my brother is safely secured away from your manipulating spells."

"You won't release your _zanpakutou_ here," Keitarou said lightly, and Guren's brows knitted together.

"Why not?"

"Why not?" Keitarou snorted, a derisive look in his mud-slurried eyes. "I'm surprised at you. I had credited you with a little intelligence, but maybe it was a premature judgement."

His expression hardened.

"Let me spell it out for you," he said quietly. "This area and its immediate surroundings are highly unstable. I know a little about your _zanpakutou_, Guren-dono, and I know that it's not the kind of weapon you can use gently, especially when you happen to be angry. If you were to release it here, it would begin a chain reaction that you'd find very difficult to control. Don't you feel it?"

He ran his fingers through the air.

"Perhaps those noble gloves of yours make it hard to pick up spiritual vibes, but this whole area is teeming with unstable residue," he said softly. "What happened here was exceptional. Even I have never seen anything of its like before. If you release your sword, there's a good chance of you bringing the rest of this property down to the ground – with your sick brother and your precious heir still locked away inside it."

He smiled, a cold, predatorial smile.

"Of course, that goes for the old man as well," he said lightly. "Seiren's body has been emitting dangerous levels of spiritual energy for the past several weeks. Since your fight it's intensified and this whole area is heavily polluted with mutated reiatsu. Perhaps you won't know or care about the implications of such a thing, but I'm sure Genryuusai-dono will be able to enlighten you. You know, don't you, old man? What happens when a large amount of toxic reiatsu is allowed to spread and create chemical reactions in the air and atmosphere?"

Genryuusai's brow furrowed, and Guren saw a flicker of real anger cross the man's lined face.

"Aizen, what have you done?" he demanded, and Keitarou laughed.

"I can't fight with swords," he said honestly. "For me to stand here opposite you both without fear of losing my life, I had to take precautions of some kind."

"Meaning?"

"At present Seiren-dono's toxic reiatsu is limited to this area alone," Keitarou said casually. "Even without my help, though, it's reached an intensity level whereby if it collided and reacted with a highly volatile level of spirit power, it would likely bring this manor completely to the ground. More importantly, another explosion would probably draw residue into the clouds, and then fall as polluted rain. The common people drink water from streams and wells fed by such rainfall – it would be like feeding a large dose of _reidoku_ to every peasant in a five _ri_ radius. Those who could not stand the effects would either die horribly or be mutated into Hollows who would attack and kill at random. District Six would fall into chaos and confusion, and the Council would doubtless be forced to act against a Clan leader who put the life of his dying brother above the safety of his peasant class."

"And with your help?"

"Ah. I had a feeling you might ask that," Keitarou's smile widened. "I suppose you don't live to be as old as you are without some level of perception. Do you know my sword's name, old man?"

"Chudokuga," Genryuusai said quietly, and Keitarou nodded.

"That's right. A spider. A spider with a poisoned fang," he said playfully, "but not just fangs. Chudokuga likes to spin _webs_ – webs of deception, webs of manipulation, webs of illusion. And, occasionally, webs to trap prey. My _zanpakutou_ has one actively offensive shikai ability – the barbed threads that I used to take the life of your poor student, as well as a plethora of guards responsible for the execution of Urahara exiles in District Seven over the years. It also has a deadly _Bankai _ability – I think you're somewhat familiar with that as well. However, it has one more ability in shikai which I seldom have cause to use. This is one of those occasions I've used it."

He cast an arm out across the Kuchiki grounds, and Guren thought for a moment he saw the glint of a thread in the daylight, then another, and another, crisscrossing faintly in and out of the rubble. His eyes widened, and at the change in his expression, Keitarou grinned.

"It's not a technique I generally find very useful," he admitted. "However, in a situation such as this, it has a purpose. One tiny flare of combustive energy against one of my threads and the entire web will set ablaze, carrying the damage far beyond the confines of this small area. Right now it's stable…Seiren-dono's reiatsu alone isn't enough to trigger such a reaction. However, if someone was to release a sword like, say, Ryuujinjakka…or indeed your own sword, Guren-dono…that might change."

"In short, you're saying we can't attack you," Genryuusai murmured, "either with _zanpakutou_ or with Kidou. Surely that also means you can't attack us, though? We have a stalemate, which seems unproductive to say the least."

"Genryuusai-sama is right," Guren got a grip on his wits, loosening his hold on his _zanpakutou _and gazing at the scientist with clear dislike. "If neither one of us can fight, what's the point of you coming here? Did you appear just to gloat at us?"

"Perhaps I did," Keitarou shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "Perhaps I was curious to meet Genryuusai-sama for the first time. Curiosity is a dangerous trait but one most scientists live by – maybe I simply wanted to see the shinigami who defies the normal rules of aging to walk among us still."

"Where is the girl?" Guren demanded, and Keitarou raised an eyebrow.

"Girl? What girl would this be?"

"Endou Eiraki," Genryuusai supplemented gravely. "The young girl you took from District Seven three years ago."

"You mean my wife?" Keitarou's eyes danced with amusement. "I couldn't possibly answer that question. It might put her in danger, and that's not something a husband should do."

"The blood of my son is on her hands!" Guren snapped, unable to suppress his anger any longer. Grabbing his sword, he pulled it from its sheath, darting across the uneven surface towards where Keitarou stood. "I want justice for my son, Aizen Keitarou!"

"Did you not listen to a word I said?" Keitarou neatly sidestepped the angry swing, tut-tutting softly under his breath. "Do you want to create an ecological disaster? I'm ashamed of you, Guren-dono. You're a Shinigami Captain. You should know full well the dangers potent reiatsu can cause."

"If I don't release my sword, there will be no reiatsu, potent or otherwise," Guren said blackly. "I don't have to use my shikai or my bankai to fight blade to blade. You're not my brother, and no other living man has ever bested me in a battle of swords. Seiren I might have struggled to batter down this way, but if it's one like you I'm pretty sure that I can manage."

"Guren-dono, please, stay calm," Genryuusai's voice was full of urgency, and despite himself the Kuchiki lord faltered, turning to glance at his ally in consternation.

"Genryuusai-sama?"

"The one who controls the net is Aizen Keitarou," Genryuusai said carefully, and Guren felt certain there was a message hidden in those words that he could not quite grasp. "It doesn't have to be our reiatsu that causes conflagration. From Ukitake's testimony, Aizen is indeed capable of using Kidou well enough that he could set fire to the net himself and cause the chain reaction without our interference. Calm down and think rationally. This isn't a battle to be won by pique."

"Ah, the old man is wise," Keitarou's words were mocking. "It's true, I'm afraid. Setting fire to my own net would doubtless singe my sword and do me some damage too – but probably not enough to stop me escaping once again. I don't care a jot for the people of this land. They're far too adherent to the ruling family, and far too unwilling to rebel against their overlordship. They don't question enough – they believe their lives to be safe and secure and far removed from the kind of horror inflicted on their neighbours in Seventh. It would be a little price to pay for me to suffer some burns in order to create disharmony and disaster in your peaceful District."

A memory of the tapestry that hung in the Clan leader's study once more penetrated Guren's thoughts, and he sighed, a sudden sense of weariness rushing through his body. His sword slipped from his fingers, clattering against the splintered end of a broken beam and coming to rest against the cold, frost-edged grass, and Keitarou clapped his hands together in approval.

"Good choice," he said frankly. "You need not look so despondent, Guren-dono. I really did only come to talk today. If you don't try to harm me, then I won't try to harm your people. That seems like a fair exchange to me, don't you think?"

"And then what? You'll disappear into the shadows until the next time?" Guren demanded bitterly. "My son's life was nothing more than a piece of a puzzle to you, wasn't it? Nagesu-dono told the Council three years ago that your actions had been caused out of grief for your father's loss, but I find that hard to believe when I look at you now. Your grievance against Shouichi-dono I might have understood – but that you could cut down a boy not yet an adult with not even a moment of thought for his family…I find it hard to believe you understand grief at all, for if you could, you would not inflict it on other families!"

For a moment Keitarou stared, then he let out a low, empty chuckle.

"Father's death taught me betrayal, not grief," he said coolly. "It taught me that those who were close to you often betray you, and that betrayal is the most damaging of all. Ribari-dono's life was a grain of sand – a fleck of dust in a world full of betrayal, Guren-sama. You should be grateful that he died before he understood that for himself."

"The Kuchiki are not the Urahara," Guren snapped back. "We do not stab our own in the back!"

"Your father's death was not caused by dissident Kuchiki?" Keitarou's voice was soft yet it penetrated through the whole of the area as though he had shouted. "Senaya-dono wasn't murdered by people in his own house – men he trusted overwhelmed by their own ambition and fear? That is what the Clans are, Guren-dono. All Clans, even that nest of healers in District Four. That's why I seek to destroy them. They are people who rule over people with no right except how they were born – that isn't a fair society. Bringing down the Clans means that there's a chance for people with real power to take control. Genryuusai-dono should understand this better than anyone, since it's essentially what he's been preaching since he set up the Academy some decades ago."

"No. Not exactly," Genryuusai shook his head gravely. "I am old, Aizen, and I have seen many families rise and fall. I've seen betrayal many times, and I have been betrayed, too. I have lost those I cared for and I have seen enemies falter and fade. In my lifetime, I have understood only one thing that has remained a solid, unwavering truth. This society needs structure, rules and stability in order to produce anything of any worth. The Clans and the Districts are transient statuses which change with every few centuries, but the solid foundation that this world is built on does not. We are here to maintain balance, and those of us who have power are here to defend the rights of those who do not. At present, power can be political or it can be spiritual. It does not have to be both. However, in the hearts of those who have power there must be a sense of justice. That is what this world needs. Justice and truth."

"Whose justice and whose truth?" Keitarou snorted derisively. "You may have opened your academy to people from the Districts, but it seems you still favour a Clan-governed world."

"Today's Clans will not be there forever. The world is already changing and embracing a new path," Genryuusai said evenly. "Most of the Clan families realise this and are moving with it – the one who is stuck in the past is you. You are trying to force a future based on a past that ended when your father died more than a century ago. You assume that nobody else noticed when Keitsune's _reidoku_ failed, and that nobody else tried to make changes when his life was lost."

"Father did not fail," Keitarou said quietly. "His processes were still being developed, but they were fixable. I fixed them! I made _reidoku_ stable…if they had given him more time…"

"His method would not have lasted long-term," Genryuusai shook his head. "You cannot give someone spirit power they aren't able to handle – all that does is destroy bodies and warp souls. But Keitsune's work was not forgotten. The whole of Seireitei learned from his shortcomings, and worked to avoid them happening again. Clan leaders came together, scientists began exhaustive investigations – your own cousin Nagesu made a significant breakthrough regarding the manner in which we purify souls. Eventually this led to a world in which my Academy could exist, and in the future, to squads and shinigami who come from all walks of life. Your way won't change Soul Society. If you kill a few people, there will be no real difference, because this world is big and there are always many who can replace those who have died. Change of a real nature takes generations. Centuries. Milennia, even, to evolve. You can't understand this because you are still young and you haven't seen the things I've seen. Whatever you do from here, your plans are doomed to failure. The only thing you will find at the end of all this is your own death – and then Seireitei will go on without you."

"I'm not afraid of dying," Keitarou spoke solemnly. "It isn't shameful to die for something you believe in, I just don't want to die before I've achieved everything I need to. My family weren't given the same chances yours were – even those of us who were innocent became tainted because of the Council's verdict over _reidoku_. Many people died in awful conditions in the shadows of District Seven – I carry their burdens as well as my own to forge a new future. Perhaps I'll succeed, perhaps I'll fail. I don't expect anyone else to understand my reasons, but I've moved too far along this path to go back now. You may be right, old man – you may not. Only time will answer that question."

"In the meantime, though, there is no justification for the shedding of young life," Guren snapped. "My son had nothing to do with hurting the Urahara, exiled or otherwise. He had no connection to your father or to anything in District Seven. You can't pretend your values are founded on noble grounds, Aizen. You've caused my family suffering and I won't forgive you for it. Genryuusai-sama may be willing to talk with you, but you'll find me a different prospect."

"Ambition caused your family suffering. Ambition and complacency," Keitarou said acerbically. "You have a high and mighty attitude for a Clan leader who should never have been anointed, don't you think?"

"What are you talking about?" Guren stared, only just managing to keep his reiatsu from flaring up at this fresh insult to his pride, and Keitarou smiled.

"So you _don't_ know," he murmured. "Interesting."

He slipped his fingers into his _obi_, pulling out a sheet of paper and tossing it carelessly onto the ground. Guren stared at it for a moment, then eyed the scientist warily, and Keitarou held up his hands.

"There's no trap," he said frankly. "I had a feeling Seiren wouldn't have told you, and obviously nobody else has."

"Seiren?" Guren bent down, hesitating and then picking up the sheet of aged, crumpled paper, his eyes widening as he recognised the script that patterned its way across the page. "Father's writing? A page from…Father's _nikki_?"

"Oh, so you do know that such a thing exists?" Keitarou was mocking him now, but Guren ignored the barb. "I was starting to wonder, given that you don't seem to understand anything at all about your family's situation. Eiraki took that from a volume in your Clan library when she was working for you as part of your menial staff. Your brother knows about it, and from what Eiraki says, your nephew and heir does too. However, the Head of the Clan does not. Interesting what secrets can be dug up and scattered around, isn't it? I was keeping that for other purposes – but now I think it would be best served in your hands. I'd like to see your reaction to it – your Father's own words undermining your right to rule."

Guren frowned, his gaze skimming across the sheet of paper. It was torn and old, faded in places but unmistakeably in his father's writing.

'_Upon viewing both children, it was clear that Kinnya's fears were founded in a good amount of truth.'_ [He read, Senaya's words cascading down the page in anxious, harried characters unlike the form of his usual calligraphic style.]

'_There has always been a tale that when twin sons are born to a Kuchiki Clan leader, it is an ill omen, yet looking at the two of them – Guren with his perfect breaths and peaceful sleep and Seiren, his cheeks red and each inhalation a gasp for life – I knew that as a Father I could not sacrifice a child of mine to superstition. I have made that sacrifice once before – I could not reject another son born of my blood._

_There may be a time when I have to pay penance for my decisions, and if that time comes, I will know it and will face it as a Clan leader should. Kinnya counselled me, but the decision was mine and I will abide by it myself, whatever hardship it may bring. My sons will both have life, and the Clan will fall to Guren's hands. Even born as he is, the second son and younger of the two, there is no question of anything else. From this moment on, Guren must be my oldest son and heir. Those who delivered them will be paid off, and Kinnya and Kiriko alone will know the truth. _

_This decision made, there was no other choice of action for me to take.'_

At this point the document was ripped, and, his hands trembling, Guren remembered the fragment that had been included with the anonymous note.

_The fragment that Seiren knew immediately came from the nikki, although it was something I had never seen before._

He swallowed hard, fighting to get a hold of his composure.

_The _younger_ son? This was Seiren's secret…he was born the elder and I the younger of Senaya-sama's twin sons? Why would he know that and I not? How long has he known it? And Ojiue…there's no doubt that Ojiue has known this since the moment we were both born. He and Mother both knew it, but this leaf has been loose some time. How many others now know what Father did?_

"Your face is quite an interesting picture right at the moment, Guren-dono." Keitarou's mocking tones stung against his ears like lemon juice to an open wound and he scowled, his eyes darkening to almost black as he glared at his foe with pure hatred.

"You understand little about noble families like the Kuchiki," he said quietly, hoping that the scientist could not see exactly how deeply this revelation had shaken him. "A Kuchiki lord must have spirit power. My brother has none, therefore he was never a claimant for the Clan. I thought you had something scandalous to divulge to me – but it turns out all you have is a stolen scrap of paper that has no bearing on the family at all."

"Maybe, maybe not," Keitarou did not seem concerned. "Whilst Seiren had no spirit power, that was indeed the case. Right now, though, your brother's spirit power is returned to him. That makes the situation different, doesn't it?"

His eyes narrowed, his lips twitching into a calculating smile.

"More, Seiren has a son. An _eligible_ son with spirit power well in hand," he said lightly. "Your brother's pride and joy, young Ryuu – a boy who ironically has a stronger claim to this family than you do, with all your Clan finery and high-handed commands."

_Ryuu._

Guren chewed down on his lip.

_So that's why you've pushed his claim so hard for so long, is it, Seiren? Somehow you found this out, and because of it…_

"**If you're concerned that he has treasonous thoughts towards you…I would set that concern aside. Seiren is a loyal Kuchiki, and that means he is loyal to you."**

Kinnya's words rippled through his thoughts like a bolt of electricity bringing him from his daze and he frowned, his grip on the sheet of paper tightening.

_Ojiue is right. Seiren may well have hidden himself away here in order to prevent him becoming a danger to me at the main house. Seiren was the first person to swear loyalty to Ribari when he was born, and in all the years we've worked together, he's been my constant shadow. Right now my brother is suffering and is in and out of his wits, but that doesn't mean I should fall easily into Aizen's psychological trap. He's done these things – said these things – to make me doubt in my brother's loyalty. I won't do that. Seiren is my twin – perhaps we don't have the same bond that other brothers have, but I will not look at him with suspicion based on the words of an enemy._

He thrust the tattered sheet into his wide _obi,_ casting Keitarou a cold look.

"Ryuu was not born when I became Head of the Kuchiki Clan," he said calmly. "You've made wild claims, Aizen – but you're just showing me more and more how little you understand the way in which this family works. An unborn child cannot inherit the Kuchiki any more than one without spirit power can. You're grasping at straws, but my father left this Clan to me, and there is nothing inappropriate in his having done so."

"The Council and the Kuchiki court may look at it differently if you were to cause an unprecedented ecological disaster here in the grounds of your own poor brother's estate." A flicker of malice entered Keitarou's muddy eyes. "Seiren and Ryuu would both be killed, of course, therefore extinguishing the_ true_ line of the Clan and potentially creating a civil war. The people would also suffer terribly from the fallout – but that's what happens, isn't it, when a leader not fit to rule is given power over people's lives."

His fingers glittered faintly with white kidou.

"I've heard what I wanted to hear from you, and seen your reaction to the truth," he added matter-of-factly. "I'm becoming bored with simple talking. I'm a scientist and I'd like to see the result of my experiment – wouldn't you like to know just how far the effects of toxic reiatsu might spread if a little spark is added…"

"Aizen!" Genryuusai's grip on his cane tightened, but Keitarou laughed.

"You can't do anything, old man," he said condescendingly. "Ryuujinjakka is weakened by its strength. The damage my kidou could cause is nothing in comparison to what your firesword might do if you decided to release it here. Having power brings great responsibility, doesn't it? You teach your young ones that all the time, I imagine – now you'll see exactly how true those words are."

"_Tatte, Shizurugi!"_

What happened next passed in something of a blur, for just as Keitarou's bolt of Byakurai was about to shoot forth from his finger towards the nearest strand of his sword's delicate reiatsu web, there was a flash of violet light that seared across the manor wreckage like a beacon through the frozen air, slicing through Keitarou's spell and dispersing it into a harmless shower of whiteish specks. Startled, Keitarou swung around, looking for the source of the beam, and as the light faded, Guren saw a lone figure standing in the doorway of the east wing, a look of resolution in his solemn grey eyes.

Clutched in his right hand was a sword, its polished hilt curled around the pale, slender fingers as if to shield them from external attack. Its guard was an amethyst ellipsis, from which fanned out five or six more narrow structures, each curling forwards as though drawn together with an invisible reiatsu magnetism. The guard's structure had all the delicate appearance of an orchid with its petals drawn forward to protect itself from outside elements, yet from the way in which the petal tips were glistening and humming with light, it seemed more as though their purpose was to harness the energy from the wielder's body into a more concentrated form. Absently Guren remembered that the orchid was a flower that symbolised 'refinement', and that the colour purple was 'nobility' – two characteristics that for the first time he realised described the young man who stood before them almost to perfection.

A long, narrow, double-edged blade protruded from the point where these gleaming petals drew together to almost touch, shimmering with a distinctive purple light and as the weapon moved in its wielder's hans, a faint magenta line traced briefly against the frozen sky like a sparkler held by a child during a new year's firework display.

"Ryuu?" he whispered.

"I apologise for my interruption, Guren-sama." Ryuu bowed his head towards his Clan leader, but his eyes were trained only on the slender figure in black and grey that had invaded his family's land. "Being that this is my father's manor, I trust you will indulge me a little time to face the man who has caused so much suffering to people close to me."

His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword, and the blade of the weapon glittered in response to his touch.

"Shizurugi and I have some scores of our own to settle," he added quietly, "beginning with the assault on my father and those who inhabit this estate."

* * *

"…And so in tomorrow's practical we'll have a review of _Shakkahou,_ taking into consideration some of the things we've discussed in this morning's lesson."

Kazoe tapped his cane pensively against the chalkboard, turning to face his class. There were eighteen students in the top First year class that year, ranging from the opinionated Oomaeda Kaneyo to the timid Tsunemori, and though each one of them was talented in their own way, not all of them were naturally given to or even interested in Kidou. They had begun practical classes not so many weeks before, and already a gap was widening between those who had natural talent and those who did not. Kazoe had reviewed this fact with an element of resignation, already mentally preparing for extra tuition sessions as the years progressed. To his students' faces he was never anything but strict and demanding – but he had a reputation too for fairness and that fairness had often led to him giving up his own free time to help those who were falling behind.

It was a sacrifice that had often paid off in the past, and with the recent events overshadowing both his Clan and his school, Kazoe felt all the more sure that it was worthwhile.

_If all of them work out to become shinigami like Houjou looks likely to be, perhaps it will be time well spent. This bunch are raw yet, but if a few of the dullards turn out to be in his vein, I suppose they'll make it through regardless of their lack of magical ability._

Out loud he said,

"Are there any questions?"

"Sensei, what happens if we get the spell words in the wrong order?" Kaneyo, never to be kept quiet for long thrust his pudgy hand up into the air. "I heard that if you do that you could explode yourself – is that true or just a rumour?"

"Perhaps in tomorrow's practical session you could try it and we could all find out the answer," Kazoe said levelly, and there were a few snickers from the back row of seats. "Word order and intonation is important when it comes to learning any spell, Oomaeda – but it is not the be all and end all of casting a powerful Kidou. The words are there to help focus and concentrate your spiritual energy more than they are there to produce the spell itself. That comes from deep within each of you – some of you are still locked onto the idea that the words are the spell and it's simply not the case."

"Then why do we need to learn them?" Kaneyo was not to be deterred. "If they're not important, Sensei, why are you getting us to memorise them all the time?"

"No student shinigami should ever fire any Kidou spell without the incantation," Kazoe said briskly. "To do so could prove dangerous – can anyone suggest to me why?"

Tsunemori raised a tentative hand, and Kazoe nodded, jabbing his cane in the shy boy's direction.

"Tsukabishi?"

"Because we're not focused enough yet?"

"A little vague, but the right track," Kazoe agreed. "As I just told you, the words are there to focus your spirit power. Kidou is all about focus and _reiryoku _control. Those of you who are more naturally inclined towards good _reiryoku_ and reiatsu management will always pick up Kidou more quickly and neatly than those of you who are not. Kidou is a powerful weapon but it can cause damage to the wielder if it isn't used correctly. Just as a sword blade can cut off its master's fingers if carelessly swung, so a Kidou spell can blow up in your face if you're not one hundred percent focused on how to fire. Well, some of you got a little singed last practical lesson, so I don't suppose you need further explanation."

He tapped his cane on the board.

"All right. I'll give you a minute to make a note of that and then we'll move on. You were all supposed to have read chapters from the Bakudou text regarding _Shou_ and _Hainawa_ since our last lesson – hands up anybody who hasn't yet done this?"

A few hands went up, including Tsunemori's, and Kazoe sighed.

"Tsukabishi, you can put your hand down," he said frankly. "Until your kanji is at a higher level than it currently is, you won't be able to make head nor tail of a textbook that old."

Tsunemori reddened, lowering his hand, and Kazoe turned his attention on the remaining three or four students.

"Unlike Tsukabishi, _you_ all have no such excuse," he said quietly. "Very well. You can spent tomorrow's practical session reading them and writing me up a detailed summary of how both spells work – understand?"

"Tsukabishi gets away with everything," one of the girls muttered, and before Tsunemori could respond, Kaneyo let out a loud snort, turning around in his seat to send her a derisive glare.

"Tsukabishi's smarter than you, is all," he said in his usual, belligerent way. "He already _knows_ this stuff because he _remembers_ it the first time he's told it, so pipe down and do your work for once."

"Oomaeda, if you don't mind, _I'll _teach the class, not you." There was a faint warning in Kazoe's tones, and Oomaeda shuffled back around to face the teacher, offering him a rueful grin.

"Sorry, sir," he said, in a way that told Kazoe he wasn't really all that sorry for what he had said. "It's true though. Tsukabishi didn't read the chapters but some of us last night were discussing those two spells and he knew more than all of us put together."

"I _like_ Kidou," Tsunemori murmured, his entire face scarlet now to the tips of his ears. "I find it easy to remember things, because…because I can't properly write them down yet."

Kazoe opened his lips to respond, but before he could speak there was a tremendous crash and then the door came flying off its hinges, splintering into three or four pieces which shot across the classroom and embedded themselves in the wall and chalkboard. Several of the students screamed, many of them scrambling for cover beneath their desks or holding up their thick text books to act as a kind of shield.

At the front of the room, Kazoe stood almost frozen to the spot with disbelief as in the aftermath of the explosion two men dressed in the unmistakeable _shihakushou_ of First Division shinigami swaggered into the room, one clutching a sword and the other with his hands still prickling with energy. It did not take long for Kazoe to realise that it had been this individual who had been responsible for the broken door and, as his eyes narrowed behind his spectacles, the long cracks like strands of a spider's web that had begun to spread along the damaged wall.

The man with the sword lumbered forwards, his weapon raised and Kazoe frowned, leaping neatly down from the dais and putting his hand to his waist for his own sealed _zanpakutou_. An Unohana by birth and trained as a healer as well as an expert in Kidou, Kazoe disliked using his weapon for combat purposes, but enough blood had already been spilled at the school that term, and he had no mind to let a room full of frightened first year students become the unfortunate victims of a massacre.

One look at the two shinigami told Kazoe that neither man was acting in his wits, and his eyes darkened as he remembered all that had been said about Aizen Keitarou's sword.

_Genryuusai-sama's not here, and so someone decided to take advantage in his absence. Just like he feared would happen – but I'm sure even he didn't expect it something quite like this._

Hurrying forward to match his blade against the swing of the taller shinigami, who seemed to be waving his own weapon around haphazardly, he stretched out his hand towards the long bay window, a flare of vivid white light bursting forth from his fingers and shattering the glass into thousands upon thousands of tiny pieces.

"All of you, get out!" he exclaimed, parrying the blade back and moving himself neatly so that he stood between both shinigami and the eighteen dazed and confused students. "We're on the ground floor so there's no distance to fall. Get out of here and assemble somewhere away from the school building!"

"Out of the _window_?" One of the girls, clearly close to hysteria let out an exclamation of dismay.

"Do as you're told!" That was Kaneyo, and from the resulting shriek Kazoe realised his pushy student had grabbed his crying classmate by the arm, forcibly dragging her towards the window. Kaneyo was at the best of times an arrogant, overbearing individual, but his overflowing confidence made him invaluable in a crisis, and at his forthright command one by one the other students began to follow suit, ducking under desks and over pieces of shattered glass towards the gaping hole that now let in the cold autumn weather.

Kazoe's sword moved swiftly once again, as the armed shinigami tried to make a lunge in the direction of the fleeing students, the sound of clashing metal ringing out in the suddenly freezing classroom. Until the juniors were safely away, he did not want to risk releasing his blade or using any kind of powerful Kidou, but as he used his slender form to dodge around the attacks and distract the attention of the puppet, he found himself wondering if he could manage to take two ranked shinigami out with just his bare blade.

_I wouldn't be welcomed as a member of Retsu-sama's squad, though she always said if things had been different, she'd have seated me at a respectable rank. There are leagues between what she can do and what I can, though – and the Unohana train their shinigami in a different way from any other Clan. Even given the time I've spent under Genryuusai-sama's patronage, can I take on two possessed shinigami and overcome them without bringing danger towards the students?_

"Come on, stop dawdling! Sensei told you to get the hell out so go!" Kaneyo's coarse yet effective bellow brought the Kidou instructor back down to earth with a bump and he cast a brief glance behind him, seeing that most of the group of students had made it safely out of the window and now only Oomaeda himself, along with Tsukabishi and two others remained within the confines of the classroom.

At that moment, the second shinigami, who up till then had made no attempt to move suddenly turned, raising hands glittering brightly with an ominous purple light. Kazoe's eyes widened with alarm as he registered what the spell was and, more importantly, where the man was aiming. Pushing back the sword of his immediate opponent, he darted forward, just as the bright flare of purple energy shot out across the classroom towards the wall and the place where Tsunemori and Kaneyo were standing.

They would never make it out of the window before the destructive, all-consuming purple flame hit them, and at this distance Kazoe knew the blast would undoubtedly prove fatal.

"_Hadou no Nana-juu san! Souren Soukatsui!"_

There was no help for it now. The safety of his students foremost on his mind, Kazoe flared his reiatsu, allowing the high level spell to burst forth into the confined space of the Kidou classroom. The entire surroundings lit up in a vivid azure glow, the _Souren Soukatsu_ cannoning into the haze of _Haien_ and knocking it firmly off its trajectory. The two spells exploded into the corner of the classroom, taking out a wide section of the wall and leaving the board, where only moments earlier Kazoe had been writing down spell notes in neat columns of kanji, hanging at a precarious angle before it too crashed and shattered against the ground.

The entire chamber filled with dust and ash, a mixture of spell residue and debris, and Kazoe stifled the urge to cough.

"_Sui...kon…de, Sei…doiki!_" he gasped out, bringing his glittering weapon around in a circle in an attempt to disperse the heavy cloud. The last time he had had to release Seidoiki, it had been to defeat a Hollow during a camp incident when the current Seniors had been Second years, yet using that kind of volatile, explosive technique would not work in this situation. The air was already thin and densely clogged with debris and smoke, and any attempt to ignite it would only make the situation worse.

_This time I need you simply to be able to breathe. Clear the air, Seidoiki, before I choke._

His weapon glittered in immediate obedience, sparks of energy spreading out into the surrounding fog. He was a mass of charring and charcoal himself now, his usually neat appearance singed from head to foot and his glasses murky and cracked across one lens from the force of the blast. As glittering particles of air gathered together around his body he found himself able to both see and breathe, his piercing gaze scouring the mess for any sign of the two shinigami.

One of them was down, clearly struck by a fragment of door blasted loose by the explosion. The other one was staggering to his feet, sword still clutched in his hand, and Kazoe sighed, gazing at his weapon with a faint sense of resignation. It was not a combat weapon, nor did he relish the option of using it that way, for every time his blade struck against another his spirit would sigh at him in reproachful disappointment, but part of his brief as an instructor at the academy was to ensure the students in his care came to no harm. Whether Seidoiki's delicate, wraithlike soul approved of it or not, if he had to resort to basic blade on blade action to keep them safe, then that's what he would do. They had argued about it many times since he had made his permanent home in District One, but Kazoe had too much gratitude for Genryuusai's kindness to balk away from unpleasant duties now.

_Once bloodstained, a sword can never become completely clean. If I must spill blood, Seidoiki, let it be in the pursuit of saving lives, all right?_

"Sensei!"

Kaneyo's voice went through his body like a chill and he swung around, horror in his expression as he saw both the Oomaeda and his skinny friend were still standing at the window, outside the classroom but making no attempt to leave it behind. With a jolt he realised that they had probably witnessed the explosion from outside and, with his own safety on their minds, they had come back.

"What are you doing!" he exclaimed, his voice somewhat muffled through the heavy air. "I gave you an order! Obey it!"

"But Sensei!"

"Oomaeda-kun, Kazoe-sensei's getting cross with us!" Tsunemori tugged his friend by the sleeve. "Come on! If we're here, we'll get hurt, and Sensei will be even more angry!"

"But we can't leave him behind! The whole classroom might collapse down on top of him like this!" Kaneyo was not to be moved. "Sensei! That last blast blew a great big bit out of the cornerstone and the whole building's cracking up like a dropped egg! You need to get out of here too, else it's going to be pretty messy!"

"Oomaeda-kun, you can't talk to a teacher like that!" Tsunemori's voice was becoming panicked. "Kazoe-sensei knows what he's doing – please, come on!"

Kazoe gritted his teeth, swinging his sword to meet the clumsy attack of the puppet shinigami, and as his gaze rested on the other's weapon, he saw for the first time a faintly greenish hue clinging to the outside of the sword. Fragments of emerald dust seemed to break away and scatter into the atmosphere with each and every swing, and as he observed its movements, Kazoe suddenly remembered where and why he had seen that technique before.

The realisation filled him with a deep sense of foreboding, yet he knew he had made no mistake.

_A sword that doesn't heal._

Still, there was no time to worry about that now. A heavy rumble from the roof above his head told him that Kaneyo's words were true and that the whole of the small one story Kidou chamber was likely to come tumbling down around them if he delayed much longer.

Hastily he calculated his chances of escaping unscathed, loath to leave the possessed shinigami to their fate but unsure whether or not his kidou barriers would be strong enough against the full weight of wood and stone as the building collapsed. Inwardly he thanked his lucky stars that this was not part of the core school building and that, if it did collapse, there were unlikely to be any casualties from upper floors suddenly falling to their doom.

"_Sensei!_" Oomaeda yelled, as a beam creaked and gave way, falling across the scattered desks with a loud crash. The fall sent vibrations through the whole building, conjuring up another huge cloud of dust and Kazoe covered his lower face with his arm, sweeping his weapon through the pollution once again in an attempt to return some air. His opponent seemed less bothered by the lack of oxygen, for despite the bluishness of his skin, he kept moving forward, and Kazoe cursed, using his weapon once again to parry each of the other man's slashes and stabs. Seidoiki was weeping into his consciousness now, berating him in soft, sad tones for using his weapon in such a violent manner, and he forced his sword's misgivings aside, focusing instead on the combat training that he had received on his first arrival in District One as a young man.

_No amount of sword training can take the Unohana ethics away from my soul completely, though. Fighting to kill still goes against my grain. Whatever may have happened in the past, I swore it wouldn't happen again, and if I can keep that promise, I would prefer to. It's not in my nature to end life, and I'm not going to resort to that now if it can possibly be helped._

There was another rumble from above, a large, ominous crack zigzagging through the ceiling plaster and sending a cascade of white powder and stone raining down on him. Behind them came another beam, as the building's main structure little by little gave up the ghost, and Kazoe cursed once more, knowing that he was running out of time.

"_Hadou no Sanjuu Ichi! Shakkahou!"_

The spell came out of nowhere, but suddenly something bright and crimson exploded through the heavy air next to him, blasting through the debris and creating an opening where before there had been none. Through the haze of smoke, Kazoe was dimly aware of a skinny silhouette, blurry but unmistakeable as that of his retiring First year student.

_Tsukabishi.  
_

There was no time for scolding the students, nor for anything else except fleeing the collapsing chamber, and Kazoe made up his mind, casting a fine veneer of kidou magic across the room before slipping into shunpo and re-materialising at the edge of the broken wall. Grabbing both First year students unceremoniously, he dragged them into a second flash-step, dropping down on the grass at the edge of the school field where the rest of his class were gathered, some shivering and all looking terrified by the morning's events.

The next moment the building gave out a final, resounding judder before collapsing into a pile of dust and rubble, and Kazoe sighed, giving both the dusty Kaneyo and the pale-faced Tsunemori a rough shake.

"When a teacher tells you to do something, you do it," he said darkly. "Think if it in the same terms as a future Captain, whose orders you would obey or be considered insubordinate. I don't care how many buildings are collapsing or how much fun it might be to play around with Kidou – you were given an instruction and you were expected to follow it."

"My father always says that you never leave a man behind. If you go in to something, you make sure everyone gets out." Kaneyo was not a bit crestfallen, though Tsunemori looked mortified at the sudden and sharp attention. "I dunno what happened in there or why First Division wanted to attack us or stuff, but you weren't getting out, Sensei. Tsukabishi and I wanted to make sure you did, since it wouldn't have been much good for anyone if you'd been flattened."

"Oomaeda-kun," Tsunemori murmured softly, and Kazoe turned his attention to the scrawny District boy. Tsunemori was pale and shaking, a bluish sheen to his cheeks and his teeth almost chattering in the cold wind. Gently Kazoe rested his unsealed blade on the young boy's shoulder.

"Breathe," he ordered. "If you don't breathe, you'll pass out, and your lungs aren't as big as Oomaeda's bottomless ones seem to be."

"Sensei, is that your _zanpakutou_?" Kaneyo eyed it curiously, and Kazoe nodded, tapping the hilt gently as a cloud of glittering blue fragments spread out into the surrounding air.

"Seidoiki is a healing _zanpakutou_. She doesn't like to fight, and nor do I," he said regretfully. "However, in moments like this, she's useful in her own way. There, can you breathe more easily now, Tsukabishi?"

"Yes...yes sir," Tsunemori looked embarassed. "It's just...there was a lot...a lot of...smoke..."

"Indeed, which is why I told you to get clear." Kazoe lowered his weapon, giving it a little shake to seal it and returning it to the empty scabbard at his waist. Gently but firmly he grasped Tsunemori's arms by the wrists, lifting the boys small hands more clearly into his line of sight. As he had feared, there were clear marks of charring across the skin, and he sighed.

"You also had no permission to fire live _Shakkahou_," he said softly. "No wonder you're feeling the effects - you used _reiryoku_ without permission and this is the result. This wasn't a practical class, and you were reckless. Ukitake's clever tricks earlier in the term might have given you bright ideas, and I dare say there are worse role models for you to pitch your aspirations on, but the fact remains you're still only a junior and you're far from ready to be using that magic in such a volatile situation. Remember next time please that Ukitake and his fellows have had far more training than you and are therefore much more able to manage their _reiryoku_ so that they don't come close to passing out from one spell."

"If he hadn't, Sensei, this great big chunk of wood would've splatted you over the head," Kaneyo piped in cheerfully. "His aim is pretty good for a rookie – he blasted it right out of your way."

"Even if that's true…" Kazoe stared at the students, suddenly weary as the realisation of the morning's events began to sink in. "Even if it is, Tsukabishi, you shouldn't have put yourself in danger. That goes for either of you. You shouldn't consider yourself heroes – if anything, you're lucky idiots who could easily not have been alive."

He let out another heavy sigh.

"I suppose I should punish you, but it seems the least of our worries at the moment," he admitted, raising a finger to carefully count each student one by one. "Eighteen of you…good. You're all here and you're all safe, so this time we'll say no more."

He ran his gaze over the faces of the young students once more, taking in their shivering forms.

"It would happen on a bitterly cold day," he muttered. "I wish I could send you inside, but I'm loath to let you out of my sight while there may be more trouble lurking about."

"There might be more of them?" a young boy asked tentatively, and the girl at his side shivered, hugging her arms tightly to her body.

"Why are they attacking us?" she asked plaintively. "What did we do to hurt them?"

"Is it because we're District?" one of the boys piped in. "Sensei, is that why our class was attacked?"

"Not all of us are District, stupid." Another boy cuffed him smartly across the back of the head.

"But a lot of us are, in the First year," a girl with long dark braids pointed out. "More than in any other year, in fact. Sensei said so."

"That doesn't make sense," Kaneyo shook his head impatiently.

"It wasn't us that those shinigami were trying to kill, anyway," Tsunemori said softly. "They came into the classroom in a dramatic way, but they didn't really look to attack any of us directly, did they? They just tried to scare us."

"They succeeded," the girl said bitterly. "You can't tell me you weren't scared, Tsukabishi-kun."

"I was," Tsunemori nodded his head hastily. "I was terrified. But I don't think they came to hurt us. I think it was..."

"Kazoe-sensei?" Kaneyo's eyes became wide, and he turned to stare at the singed Kidou instructor. "It's true. They only seemed to want to fight you, Sensei."

"I stopped them from doing anything else," Kazoe said dismissively. "They were forced to fight me because I confronted them in order to let you escape. What their true motive was will probably never be known - they were obviously under some kind of outside manipulation, and even if they were to be asked about it later, I doubt they'd remember what they'd done."

"Are they...dead?" one of the girls whispered, turning to gaze at the remains of the classroom with uncertain eyes. Kazoe shook his head.

"No. Before I came out, I cast kidou around them to shield them from the falling masonry," he said matter-of-factly. "It's a simple barrier spell and it will last a little while, but whilst they're trapped in there, they won't be able to attack you again. I intend to report this incident, of course - and when I do, their Captain can come and reclaim them himself if he sees fit."

He clapped his hands together to brush off the bulk of the dust.

"In the meantime, it seems unlikely any of you are in the frame of mind to continue with a lesson, and there are a couple of things troubling me," he reflected. "That being the case, I need to find somewhere that's..."

He faltered, his gaze suddenly drawn towards the training ground, and a soft whisper began to spread around the huddled group of cold First year students. To Kazoe's experienced senses, it was obvious that kidou was being fired, but even the raw wits of these youngsters were sensitive enough to pick up on a confrontation taking place somewhere not far from where they now stood.

"Someone else is fighting," one of the girls whispered, and Kaneyo nodded his head.

"Sensei, can we go help?" he asked eagerly. "Maybe they're in trouble and they need..."

"Maybe you need your brain reading," Kazoe said cuttingly. "What use do you think you'd be to anyone in a battle, Oomaeda? You have no sword and you're barely competent with firing two or three very basic spells."

"Oomaeda-kun could sit on them," one boy suggested mischievously, and a ripple of faint laughter went around the students, lightening the atmosphere a little.

"It's Juushirou-senpai," Tsunemori murmured. "Juushirou-senpai's fighting there. I know he is."

"Anideshi?" Kaneyo settled the insult by punching the offending boy's arm, casting him a dark grimace then turning back to his friend. "Are you sure?"

"Mm," Tsunemori nodded. "I've seen Juushirou-senpai fight before, Oomaeda-kun. I'm sure...I'm sure it's him."

Kazoe's eyes narrowed and he gazed pensively at the junior for a moment before returning his gaze to the faint haze of spiritual energy in the distance.

_That kid may have come from the most ignominious of backgrounds, but his perception is quite advanced for such a young age. No wonder his Kidou is already so accurate with so little practice. It's Ukitake's reiatsu all right - his, and Kyouraku's, and that arrogant Kuchiki whelp as well. I suppose if Nagoya's with them, my help probably isn't needed - if you believe the propaganda that family put out, he's far superior to me in all combat respects._

Out loud he said,

"We'll go inside. The heart of the school building is like a maze, and the safest place for you all right now is probably within the central complex."

"But what if we're attacked again, Sensei?" one of the girls asked anxiously. "What will we do if they come back?"

"I would rather not leave you alone, but I don't see that I'll have a choice," Kazoe admitted. "Don't worry, though. We'll go to the Great Hall and I'll put a strong barrier over the whole chamber so that nobody who shouldn't be there can get through. If I do that, you should all be quite safe - but you must stay where I tell you, understand? Oomaeda, Tsukabishi, that goes double for the pair of you."

"Yes, sensei," Tsunemori murmured, and Kaneyo shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't mind. It's cold out here but it'll be warm in the Hall," he said equanimously.

"Kazoe-sensei?"

As they reached the door of the school's central hall, once the proud banqueting hall of the Clan but now the functional centre of the school's immense building, the divide slid back to reveal Enishi, who stopped dead at the sight of the Kidou instructor with so many shivering juniors in town.

"Sensei, what is it? What's happening?"

"Some of your kinsfolk seem to be having a bit of a bad day," Kazoe said acerbically. "Can you get out of the way, Houjou? I'm bringing the juniors in here since their classroom has been unexpectedly flattened by our impromptu visitors."

"Flattened?" Enishi stared for a moment, then as Kazoe arched an eyebrow, he looked sheepish, hurriedly stepping out of the way to allow the smaller man to pass. "Oh! Yes, sorry. I just...I didn't quite understand what you just said."

"Some shinigami came and blew up our classroom," Kaneyo interjected helpfully, "so Kidou class got cancelled and Kazoe-sensei's told us to stay here."

"The Great Hall is structurally the safest part of the school, so if I put a barrier up, you should be safe enough," Kazoe agreed. "I didn't expect anyone to be here though, Houjou. Why are you?"

"I was helping Edogawa and Sora look for someone. For Shikibu, actually," Enishi admitted, as the First years filed gratefully into the hall. "I've had no luck, though."

"Shikibu Naoko is missing?" Kazoe's eyes became slits, and Enishi nodded.

"She disappeared from the Healing Bay between last night and this morning," he agreed. "Nobody seems to know where she's gone, though. I was at a loose end this morning so I figured I'd help the search, but I've come up blank. I didn't really think she'd be in the Great Hall, but it did occur to me that we might have missed her there so I went back to check."

He frowned, his brow furrowing.

"She has to be somewhere."

"That's the kind of logic I expect from you," Kazoe sighed. "As it happens, though, I'm concerned about Shikibu as well. I'm not surprised to hear that something may have befallen her, but I'd like to know she's safe and sound."

"I'll keep looking," Enishi suggested. "She probably hasn't left the school grounds, and..."

"Kazoe-sensei! Kazoe-sensei!"

From the far end of the corridor, the sound of footsteps and a girl's panicked cry caused Enishi to falter, confused, and Kazoe turned to see one of the Fourth years hurrying towards him, breathless and red in the face from her run.

"Thank goodness I found you," she said, taking a ragged breath into her lungs. "Sensei, something's happening at the training ground. Anideshi and Kyouraku-senpai are there, with Nagoya-senpai and two of my friends and there were...two of the Yamamoto squad...sir, I think..."

"They came to attack you?" Kazoe asked softly, and the girl nodded her head, pale blond hair falling over her shoulder.

"Yes. Yes they did. Kaoru-chan noticed it first, but she and Sakura stayed there, and told me to go back with the class and get help, and as we went inside, I saw Nagoya-senpai and the others appear up by the training ground. I wasn't sure who to go to but then I saw you and now..."

"All right. Calm down." Kazoe rested a hand on her shoulder. "Where are the rest of your class now?"

"In the common room, sir. We didn't know where else to go, and there was such a big bang from the grounds a little while ago."

"That was us," Kaneyo said cheerfully, and Kazoe shot him a withering look.

"One more word from you and you'll go back out into the cold, danger or otherwise," he threatened.

"Wait a minute!" Enishi looked stricken. "Did you say..._Yamamoto _shinigami? Attacking...students? And...?"

"Two of them helped to blow up one of the Kidou classrooms just now," Kazoe nodded, "and it seems as though a couple more are causing trouble out by the training grounds."

"But that's not possible!" Enishi protested. "Not First squad, they'd never..."

"They're not following your Clan leader's orders," Kazoe said simply. "They're quite clearly under someone else's spiritual control, and where that someone is is not yet known. I have to make an urgent report before this gets out of hand - but seeing as you're here, Houjou, I have a job for you."

"A job? But sir, if it's my kinsfolk...and I was looking for Shikibu..."

"_Because_ it's your kinsfolk, I want you kept out of it," Kazoe said firmly. He turned his gaze back to the anxious Akaya.

"Go get your fellows. Bring them from the common room to the Great Hall and tell them to bring with them any books, games or anything else they can find lying around, because you might be here a little while," he said quietly. "You'll have to share whatever you bring with the First years, so make sure you find what you can. Houjou will be staying with you, and I'm going to put a barrier around this room to stop anything with evil intentions getting in. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Akaya nodded. "But...what about Kaoru-chan and Sakura?"

"Judging by the mesh of spirit power coming from that part of the grounds, Nagoya and the Seniors have things under control and your friends will be safe enough," Kazoe said frankly. "_Your_ job is to go and get the rest of your class and bring them to the Hall. I don't want you wandering around the halls looking for strays, understood?"

"Yes sir," Akaya sighed, but nodded again, turning on her heel and haring back the way she had come.

"You want me to stay here? In charge?" Enishi looked doubtful, and Kazoe nodded.

"It shouldn't involve Kidou, so I think you can manage," he said off-handedly. "You proved in the Real World that you can act quickly if the need arises, but I hope it won't. My barrier should suffice, I think. If I find anyone else who might be of use to you, I'll send them along to help - I suspect the whole school might wind up being evacuated here if this has spread as far as I think."

Enishi sighed.

"If it's my kin, I want to help sort it out," he murmured, "but I'll do as you say, Sensei. The kids need someone to keep an eye on them too, and as I'm the only Senior here, I guess that falls to me."

"Good," Kazoe looked approving. "Well? Did you First years all hear that? Houjou is in charge until I or another member of staff return. Understand? Once the Fourth years arrive, I'll put the barrier in place and then you'll all be quite secure."

He frowned, chewing on his lip as he interpreted the fading strains of _reiryoku_ from the outside battle.

_Kyouraku released his sword, and there was a very powerful blast of Kidou. I'm quite sure nobody was hurt, but then again, that kind of thing shouldn't happen within the school grounds. I know Genryuusai-sensei said that Kinnya-sama would be ample protection for the students in the case of any danger, but what is he doing about this? If I'm right about the cause, the whole of the stationed First division might be affected. Who knows how much more damage they might do before they're stopped? The sooner I report this the better - I have no intention of letting any more students die this academic year!_

* * *

"Ryuu!" At length Guren found his voice, darting forward as if to stop the boy from releasing his weapon any further. "Ryuu, sheath your sword! The slightest bit of stray _reiryoku_ in this vicinity will cause the whole place to go up – your father's _reiryoku_ has made this whole manor as volatile as a tinder box!"

Ryuu's eyes hardened, and Guren saw a flicker of true Kuchiki spirit flaring up in his kinsman's gaze. He made no attempt to lower his weapon, and the Clan leader was alarmed to see a fresh glimmer of light nestling at the base of the razor sharp blade.

"My sincere apologies if this appears as insubordination, Guren-ojisama," the young shinigami said softly, swinging his weapon around into a more offensive position and Guren stared in dismay at the trail of violet light the sword carved into the sky. "Father's enemy is also my enemy, and for his sake, I can no longer stand idle."

"Ryuu, did you not listen to a word I just said?" Guren demanded. "You can't have your sword released here! It's too dangerous – people might be hurt!"

"You should listen to your uncle, boy!" An unpleasant smile touched Keitarou's lips. "One wrong move from you and your father's life will no longer be anyone's concern. You should not get involved in adult games unless you know what you're getting into – this is not a place for young folk like you."

"Ryuu, Aizen has a network of reiatsu fibres surrounding this estate," Genryuusai spoke softly, his gaze trained thoughtfully on his young student, and despite his anxiety, Guren picked up on the sudden change in the old man's demeanour. "The air here is very volatile, meaning neither Guren-dono nor I can risk releasing our _zanpakutou_ in case we bring about an explosion and cause further damage. There's a good chance of Seiren-dono's toxic reiatsu polluting further afield if we're not careful. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. I understand," Ryuu's grip tightened on his sword blade, and Guren saw the young man cast his gaze out across the littered manor grounds, as though ascertaining the location of Keitarou's threads for himself. "Would it be of use to you if I were to try and sever those threads, Sensei? I believe my eyesight to be quite good, and I think I can see clearly the nature of their layout."

"Genryuusai-sama!" The Clan leader's eyes widened. "What are you…if Ryuu fights…"

"The moment your sword touches Chudokuga's threads, everything will explode," Keitarou said frankly, amusement in his mud-slurried eyes. "You're welcome to try it if you like, but the consequences will lie on your head, not mine."

"Explode?" Ryuu stared at Keitarou blankly. "Why would you suppose that?"

He swung his weapon around again, pointing it in the scientist's direction.

"Perhaps you have confused me with some other individual," he said quietly. "Shizurugi and I are not in the habit of causing unnecessary firework displays."

He glanced at his teacher.

"I believe I can sever a good number of the threads, Sensei," he added. "I am not certain of separating them all."

"Try," Genryuusai spoke softly. "Be as accurate as you can, my boy. This is no time for a shaking hand."

"Yes, sir," Ryuu nodded, and Guren saw a fresh glitter of purple light lick up the sword's long, elegant blade. "_Junkouhou_!"

With a determined, unwavering strike, Ryuu cast his right hand down first to the left then to the right, sending two identical flares of magenta energy coursing through the cold air towards Keitarou's _zanpakutou_ net. Despite himself, Guren flinched as if in anticipation of some kind of reaction, but to his surprise there was none. The beams of light seared through the threads with only the faintest prickle of energy, and as the silver strands fell apart, Guren saw that where Ryuu's weapon had cut through them, the web-like fibres had begun to fray and disperse into harmless pieces of stray _reiryoku_.

His gaze flitted across to Keitarou, whose own expression had become one of consternation, and then to Genryuusai, who in contrast seemed far too calm.

"It seems Aizen has done his research on my sword and on yours, Guren-dono's – quite extensively." The old man rubbed his beard pensively. "It doesn't appear that he spent a lot of time looking into the _zanpakutou_ of your younger nephew, however. That assumption was something of a gamble – but it appears to be paying off."

"What did you…how…" Keitarou stared at the remains of his web in disbelief, watching as the delicate threads dissolved into nothing more than stray energy. "A release of that nature should have ignited everything! Even touching against the dark atmosphere here…how is that possible?"

"I don't believe I have to answer to you, Aizen Keitarou." Ryuu took a few steps forward, Shizurugi still glittering in his hand. "You, on the other hand, have plenty of questions to answer."

"Are you addressing me as one of Genryuusai-dono's precocious students, or as the rightful heir to the Kuchiki Clan?" Keitarou's tone had an edge to it. "Perhaps you're addressing me as the rightful _head_ of the Clan, glaring at me with that look in your eyes."

He shook his head slowly.

"You have no reason to fight against me. Nor did your father," he said lightly. "I was on Seiren-dono's side. True, I didn't imagine his spirit power was anything like as potent as it's proven to be – but aren't you angry, Ryuu? Your father was stripped of his spirit power and your right to inherit was taken away from you by his younger brother and that brother's son. Aren't you glad that now Ribari is no longer in the picture, your true claim has once more come to light? Seiren's spirit power might well be useless, but yours obviously is not. Doesn't it make you want to reach out and claim what should belong to your line of the family? _You _are the heir to the Kuchiki Clan – I know you know that just as much as I do."

"How dare you?" Ryuu's eyes became glittering slits of indignation. "How _dare_ you insinuate that my father or I would even consider such treasonous thoughts or actions! _Guren-sama_ is the Head of this Clan. Senaya-sama decreed it and bequeathed the family to the son who was able to inherit. It matters not to me nor to the Clan which twin was born first. Father was _not suitable nor eligible_ for the leadership. If the reason for your doing this to my family centres around something that happened long before I was born, then I will renounce my claim to the Kuchiki here and now in full view of legitimate witnesses!"

"Ryuu!" Guren stared at his nephew in confusion, but Ryuu was paying him no attention, his eyes fixed coldly on Keitarou.

"I was quite content with my life how it was before, thank you," he said now, his voice trembling with emotion. "I had all I wanted and was free to pursue the future I know suits me best. Your meddling has caused grief and confusion to many of my kinsfolk and it has brought nobody any pleasure. Your pretty words don't resonate with me at all, Aizen Keitarou. You are here to destroy this family for some personal aim of your own. It has nothing to do with me or my position in this Clan and I will not be swayed by promises of personal gain any more than my father was. You are not Father's ally and you are certainly not mine."

"Perhaps Seiren has already colluded with me," Keitarou suggested lightly, and Ryuu shook his head impatiently.

"Father would not do such a thing. He would rather die," he said bluntly. "You think I'm a fool but I'm not. I may keep myself to myself and I might not push to the front of the Clan's interests, but I am a Kuchiki and I understand how my family operates. The only enemy here is you, and therefore you must be brought to account."

"I see." Keitarou's eyes became thoughtful. "Your sword is different, isn't it? I can feel it now. Instead of reacting to the atmosphere, it's the opposite."

"Shizurugi and I are not given to emotive displays of drama," Ryuu said coldly. "Unfortunately whatever means you have used to hold back my uncle and my Sensei will not work so easily on my sword. I grant I am not in their league – nor am I possibly in your own, for I am still in training and there is much I do not know. However, your trap will not work on Shizurugi. More, your web is broken and your hold over the surrounding area is too."

"Wait a minute…" Guren held up his hands. "Ryuu…are you saying your sword is…"

"Ryuu's spirit power acts as a negative, not a positive force, Guren-dono," Genryuusai interjected levelly, as a fresh beam of violet _reiryoku_ shot out across the debris, severing the remains of Keitarou's net and forcing the scientist to hop back onto a precarious piece of broken wood in order to avoid being hit head on. A glint of silver indicated that at last Keitarou had brought his _tantou_ knife out into view, but although he used the flat of its blade to deflect the next surge of Ryuu's attack, he made no attempt to release the silver barbs that had struck through Suzuno's throat and chest and robbed her so ruthlessly of life.

Ryuu too was holding back, watching the scientist with cautious eyes. He was not a rash, impulsive fighter, however sudden his entrance into this confrontation had been, and watching him, Guren realised that his young nephew was gauging the scene, absorbing every piece of data he could before making a judgement on how best to act.

"Hesitation in a situation like this can win or lose a confrontation," Genryuusai murmured pensively, moving slowly but steadily across the uneven ground to where the Clan leader stood. "I wasn't sure whether or not Ryuu would join the fray - or whether he'd release his weapon given everything else going on. You needn't fear an explosion, though, Guren-dono. Just as his master is level and methodical in his behaviour, Shizurugi is a far more elementally stable blade than either yours or mine. In fact, you might see it as a purifier. Unlike most active _zanpakutou_, Shizurugi's emissions _break down _foreign spirit power and render it useless. Yesterday, when we arrived here, I understand he was able to approach his father and put his hand through the kidou barrier as well as brace himself against Seiren's unpleasant aura. Those things were only possible because of the nature of Ryuu's _zanpakutou_ spirit. Shizurugi acts as a guard over Ryuu's soul, preventing it from easily being contaminated. His sword, when released, also allows him to effectively sterilise and scatter opposing _reiryoku_ into nothing more harmless than dust. You saw what happened when it collided with Aizen's kidou, didn't you? As an offensive weapon, Shizurugi's blade is unusually sharp, but its true talent is in _voiding_ the spirit power of its opponents. It scatters those elements to such a degree that they can no longer be used for any useful kind of attack…and so in a situation like this, Ryuu's released blade is not a danger but a help."

"Ryuu's sword…can purify Seiren's toxic aura?" Genryuusai's eyes became huge. "Are you saying Ryuu might cure Seiren's condition?"

"Sadly, Ryuu is not yet at a stage where he could manage such a mammoth task," Genryuusai shook his head. "One day, maybe, but that day is not this one. Still, the trails of light you see in the sky are the proof of Shizurugi purifying the _reiryoku_ it touches. Each of Ryuu's flares is sterile and un-reactive. No matter how volatile the atmosphere, Shizurugi's release will not ignite it. He is the only one among us who can safely release his sword in this environment. For the time being he is our best hope."

"I have never paid a lot of attention to the training of my second nephew," Guren admitted guiltily. "I am as surprised as Aizen at the nature of his spirit power. I am realising what a stranger Seiren's son is to me, Genryuusai-sama. That is my failing, isn't it? I have dismissed a boy of considerable power and ability because he was not immediately in my line of sight."

"It's hopefully not too late to rectify that." Genryuusai reflected, his gaze flitting back to where the scientist stood. "There is something amiss with this encounter, Guren-dono. I cannot place what it is, but Aizen is not being as actively hostile or dangerous as I anticipated he might be. He has managed to neutralise our actions, but it doesn't seem as though he's planning on wreaking devastation here. To be truthful, his behaviour concerns me."

"You think he's killing time?" Guren's brows knitted together, and Genryuusai nodded.

"I'm worried about his intentions towards Juushirou," he murmured. "I gave strict instructions that that boy be taken out of circulation the moment he showed any unusual behaviour, but that said, Juushirou is not an easy individual to confine when his sword is in full release. I am caught between two evils – whilst Keitarou is here I cannot knowingly leave District Six and allow him to escape. Equally, though, my thoughts are with my students…I hope Kinnya is up to whatever might happen there."

"My uncle is not a feeble shinigami, even if he is out of practice."

"No, true," Genryuusai acknowledged. "But he has a weakness, and Juushirou appears to be it. I don't think he is capable of raising his sword to his own grandson…and there's no telling how much Aizen does or doesn't know about that. He seems to know a fair amount about your family – I wouldn't rule out him knowing more."

"Ryuu also seems to know a fair bit about it. Ryuu, Seiren, Kinnya-ojisama…but not me," Guren spoke bitterly, his gaze returning to the tense form of his younger nephew. "When Aizen baited him, he showed no surprise, Genryuusai-sama. Is this something you too have become party to?"

"There are Clan issues I become involved in and those I do not." Genryuusai shook his head. "Your father may have been a student of mine, but he was not given to confidences outside of his own Clan. No, I knew nothing of this. However, as you rightly said, it changes nothing. You are head of the Clan and Ryuu and Seiren-dono both clearly believe that too. Aizen's words are meant to unsettle you. It will only be his victory if you allow them to do so."

"Mm," Guren inclined his head slightly. "The truth or otherwise of that matter I will have from Ojiue later. For now, this is more important."

"The air here is still thick with toxic reiatsu," Genryuusai frowned. "Ryuu's sword will become more powerful than it is, but at present he and Shizurugi are not a match for Aizen Keitarou, not even if Aizen is missing his Bankai. I'm sure Ryuu's sword skills are superior – but Aizen's survived a long time without using that kind of combat."

"Now the web is gone, there's a chance for me to recover my sword and take him by surprise," Guren's eyes narrowed. "His attention is focused on Ryuu at present. If he believes us to be unable to fight, I might…"

"Ryuu's sword cancelled out his _Byakurai,_ but this atmosphere is still very volatile," Genryuusai warned. "Be careful, Guren-dono. There is still a risk of polluting the atmosphere and of bringing the rest of the manor down around your brother's ears."

"If Keitarou wanted to ignite the manor, surely releasing his own sword would do that?" Guren paused, turning to eye the old man in consternation. "If he was to release even his shikai, the gathered reiryoku that he released would almost certainly react with Seiren's aura, and then..."

"Like I said, this battle is wrong," Genryuusai said grimly. "Igniting the manor would also mean it no longer mattered if we used our swords. The damage would be done. Therefore, stalemate. So long as he doesn't release, we cannot...but he is not, therefore his purpose for being here _must _be something other than the destruction of District Six's atmosphere and this estate. As resolved as Ryuu is, I am not convinced that he is strong enough to really challenge Aizen Keitarou in any great regard."

"Then I should retrieve my sword," Guren made towards his discarded weapon, but as he drew closer to it, something shot out across the landscape, narrowly missing his fingers. As it embedded itself in a stray piece of plaster, Guren saw it was a knife - not Keitarou's own _tantou_ knife, but a plain, unmarked weapon of the same style that had been used to murder his stable hands.

"Your interference might make me set this place alight," Keitarou's words held a warning. "It's disrespectful to your nephew, Guren-dono. Don't you want to see what your heir can do? Or would you rather I killed him and settled the embarrassment of the family line once and for all? Your brother's life is hanging by a thread, so if I were to eradicate this young one, you would have nobody to contest your claim."

"I am not so easy to kill," Ryuu himself interjected, before Guren could respond. "And I shall not be killed by you under any circumstances, Aizen Keitarou."

"We shall see," Keitarou slipped into shunpo, re-materialising at Ryuu's back. Before the young shinigami could turn around, he had Chudokuga's blade pointed at Ryuu's throat, and a sly chuckle escaped his lips.

"I don't need sword skills or shikai to slit your throat," he murmured softly, only just loud enough for Guren to hear his words. "One wrong move and it won't matter how effective your sword is in this atmosphere. You won't be able to wield it."

His eyes narrowed.

"Drop your weapon, and we'll talk."

"You can't make me do that unless you sever my life," Ryuu said softly, and Guren stared at his nephew in dismay, seeing the prickle of lavender energy beginning to mass once more against the petal guard. "I wonder if you can do that before I blast you through with my shikai?"

"I can release my sword into you quicker than you can release yours into me. Count on it," Now there was no humour in Keitarou's mud-brown eyes. "The moment I release Chudokuga, there will be a chain reaction. Are you willing to risk the rest of the house coming down and crushing your father where he lies? Your sword might be able to move freely, but you forget, I don't care who dies here, so long as it isn't me. I'll tell you again, Ryuu-dono. Drop your sword."

Ryuu hesitated, indecision and frustration surfacing in his grey eyes, and the glint of the silver _tantou_ knife inched closer to the young man's jugular. A strange, faintly green sheen glinted off its surface in the winter light, and Guren swallowed hard, his gaze flitting to his own discarded sword as he gauged whether he could grab his weapon and slip through shikai before the scientist could make good on his threat. The noxious aura prickled against his skin, and he bit his lip, suppressing the flicker of_ reiryoku _that had threatened to flare up in defence of his blood kin.

_He isn't joking. Even the slightest drop in my guard could be enough to trigger the chain reaction and kill Seiren, not to mention Retsu-sama and Shibata too._

Seconds passed, merging together into minutes, the only sound the hiss of the breeze and the only movement the tentative swaying of the unstable house beams that marked where the doomed west wing had joined the central portion of the manor. One minute became two, two became four, and then Keitarou let out a derisive laugh.

"Is this the extent of the Kuchiki-ke's ability to fight back?" he murmured mockingly, running the sharp edge of his weapon lightly against Ryuu's skin and causing a thin trickle of blood to run down the young man's throat towards the collar of his white _hakamashita_. Ryuu flinched, but there was no fear in his eyes, only indignant fury and Guren found his second nephew rising yet again in his estimation.

"The head of the so-called greatest Clan in Seireitei struck silent and unable to move or fight for fear of sacrificing the life of a kinsman? I thought Clan didn't think that way. I thought Clan believed in sacrificing anything in order to keep their family moving forward and upwards."

"This Clan has honour and it has pride," Guren spoke slowly, his own anger resonating with every word. "Each one of us is imprinted with that from the day we are born. We are trained to sacrifice our lives for the good of the Clan, Aizen. We are not taught to sacrifice each other's."

Before Keitarou could respond, the whole area juddered beneath their feet, and the sound of cracking beams and splitting plasterwork resonated out across the landscape. Guren whipped around, horror in his eyes as he registered the large hairline fractures that were beginning to spread up the wall of the east wing, shattering through the window frames and sending pieces of broken stone falling to the ground like rain.

"Surely not..." he whispered, as there was a loud crash, followed by a huge plume of smoke that engulfed the surrounding area. Guren coughed, his breath suddenly coming in fits and starts, and, as the world around him blurred and flickered into black and white, he felt as though someone had wrapped bands around his ribcage, stifling his lungs and oppressing his heart so that it had to work twice as heart to remember how to beat.

His fingers went automatically to his waist for the hilt of his sword, grasping thin air, and he coughed again, covering his nose and mouth in an attempt to stop inhaling the chalky dust and debris that now hung heavy in the air like fog.

From somewhere not far away he heard the sound of someone sharply drawing breath, and as the haze began to clear, Guren's throat muscles clenched shut, his mind swirling with confusion and dismay.

Where there had once been wall, there was now an open space spreading almost the entire length of a room and at intervals broken fragments of plaster from the ledge above rained down onto the ground. In the midst of the destruction, flanked by the ragged edges of damaged walls was a figure, tall and lean with his thick dark hair fluttering around his shoulders in the breeze. At his wrists and ankles were the remains of bands, warped and melted from a power superior to their own, and across the man's face was a distinctive, terrifying shell of white, the malevolent yellow eyes gleaming out from jagged sockets.

Bile rose in Guren's throat and his hand automatically went to his throat, as if remembering the last time he had seen that face, but it was Ryuu, still trapped in Keitarou's grasp who found his voice first.

"No..." he whispered, horror in his grey gaze. "It can't be..._Otousama?"_

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_  
**  
**_Vaizard Seiren is back!_

Also, Ryuu's zanpakutou. I had Shizurugi thought out in terms of name and appearance, manifestation etc for quite some time back in Second Manuscript (believe it or not), but its exact nature didn't dawn on me until this story. Zanpakutou are meant to fit their owners' characters and styles of fighting, and this seemed appropriate for Ryuu. He's a reasoned, methodical, thinking individual who is not prone to explosions of temper or emotion. Shizurugi's neutrality was therefore a logical choice. There is also another reason though. Seiren's spirit power was obviously passed to Ryuu genetically, but they are diametric opposites. Whilst Seiren's power is malevolent and poisoned (the word I keep thinking of is the Japanese word magmagashii o.o) Ryuu's is pure and neutralising. Essentially, it's an extension of Seireitei's 'balance' - Seiren is the problem and Ryuu is the solution.

**Shizurugi **紫剣 _means "Purple Sword"...nothing more sophisticated than that. A 'Tsurugi' is a sword in Japanese terminology, but I believe it has a specific meaning outside of Japan as a double edged weapon. Shi _紫_- which is Murasaki, the same as Ryuu's eldest sister's name and "purple" is an imperial colour associated with nobility and regality. With different kanji, "shi" can also mean death, giving Ryuu's weapon a double entendre._

Also it sounds nice when you try to say it . His attack,

純光砲 _or Junkouhou means "Pure Light Cannon", and I think that's self-explanatory. :)_


	67. Guardian of Darkness

**Chapter Sixty Five: Guardian of Darkness**

"There was a really funny atmosphere this morning, at breakfast."

Kai tapped his writing brush absently against the wood of the table, scanning over the notes he had just written with a critical eye. "Maybe it's Sensei being away or maybe it's because Nagoya looked at Ukitake as though he'd like to strike him dead, but something definitely feels wrong with everything today."

"Everything's been wrong for a while, starting with our trip," Kanshi cast him a resigned glance from across the table. "I know what you mean, though. It's hard to concentrate on anything vaguely academic when there's such an odd prickle of…something…in the atmosphere."

"Genryuusai-sensei shouldn't have left," Akira said abruptly, shooting his friend a glare. "That's all there is to it – when he gets back, all will settle down."

"Do you really think so?" Aoi looked pensive. "I wonder about that."

"Michihashi?" Kai shot the fair haired Urahara a surprised glance. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing is going to erase what happened in the Real World and the impact of it will be felt for some time," Aoi's gaze flitted to Akira briefly, then he sighed. "Even now we're sitting here, the five of us, writing up notes as though nothing major happened – but Shikibu isn't here, and nor is…nor is Suzuno."

"Shikibu-san is supposedly doing better, though, now." The final member of the group adjusted his spectacles, setting his brush down as he joined in the discussion. "Whilst we all know that Amai-san can't be helped, at least Shikibu-san is recovering."

"She's a pretty tough cookie, though," Kai said ruefully. "She'll be fine, Hirata. We all know that, once she's got over the immediate shock."

"At least she had a chance to land her sword on that creature," Akira muttered. "If we'd have got there a few moments earlier…"

"Aizen Keitarou isn't somebody you want to cross swords with," Hirata said quietly. "You haven't met him, Yamamoto-kun, and your family would probably prefer it if you didn't."

"We're not going to go looking for him if we can avoid it," Aoi reflected. "I know you have reservations about what we discussed the other day, Endou, but…"

"My reservations relate to Juushirou-kun's safety," Hirata admitted. "And also, for Shunsui-kun's. He's more likely to do stupid things if Juushirou-kun is in danger, and I remember very clearly the state of both of them after they encountered Aizen in District Seven."

"Seven is your family's territory, isn't it?" Kanshi eyed the younger boy thoughtfully, and Hirata nodded. "Aizen was hiding out there…doing what, exactly?"

"Experimenting on the local population, from all accounts," a note of bitterness entered Hirata's tones. "The Council didn't find any evidence connected to that, but that is the general belief. He certainly used his _zanpakutou_ to make my grandfather kill himself, and he also used it on Juushirou-kun to make him fight Shunsui-kun in the snow. Other than that, it's hard to be sure."

"And your sister? This Eiraki girl?"

"Eiraki-chan…" Hirata sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Eiraki chose to go with him, after all the chaos died down. She and mother sheltered for a while in District Eight, but a few weeks after they returned home, my sister disappeared. She left a letter saying that she'd chosen to go and that nobody was to look for her…but my parents don't know about that. They think Aizen took her and killed her – and I thought it was better they believed that than that she'd joined him and become our enemy."

"A decision that may yet come back to bite you," Aoi said gravely, and Hirata shrugged.

"Not really," he reflected. "I may have hid information from my family, but it doesn't change whether or not Eiraki killed Kuchiki Ribari or whether she tried to kill Kuchiki-kun in the Real World. Those things were decisions she made. Even though I said nothing, there were still searches for her…they just came up blank."

"Well, I'm hoping Aizen doesn't decide to come here," Kai said grimly. "Knowing the kind of person we're dealing with doesn't make it any easier to prepare for. Our job is to look after the juniors and help out the staff – it isn't to fight wanted scientists or put ourselves in harm's way."

"You're worried about Ukitake, too?" Akira's gaze held a challenge, and Kai shrugged.

"I'm not against what we've planned out," he said evenly. "Michihashi's strategy is a logical one and we do have to do something – if Aizen appears here, there are a lot of people less able than us to protect ourselves. If we can find out where he's hiding and get word to the right people, it's worth taking the gamble. It's just that I know Ukitake and I know he can be stupid when it comes to putting himself out for other people. Hopefully though recent events have taught him enough about that and if it comes to it, he'll be careful."

"It all depends on Ukitake, really," Aoi admitted. "I was surprised he was so willing to take my suggestions on board."

"It was Kyouraku who did most of the protesting," Kanshi agreed. "Mind you, I understand his logic too."

His gaze flitted to Akira.

"Hot-headed people with a grievance or an ideal are much harder to deploy rationally."

"Meaning what?" Akira arched an eyebrow, and Kanshi sighed.

"I'm not all that keen on you getting near to this Aizen person either," he admitted. "Ukitake at least has some prior knowledge of the person and what he's dealing with. If the worst happens, he can probably cope. You, on the other hand…"

"I don't need you fussing over me any more than Ukitake needs Kyouraku," Akira cut across his friend, shooting him a dark glare. "I'll do what's necessary depending on the situation. We don't know he's coming, yet. He may not have the courage to show his face so deep into foreign land."

"He invaded District Seven and he's been using District Six and Eight," Hirata pointed out pensively. "I don't think he has any problem with appropriating Clan land."

"What was that?"

At that moment there was as loud crash from outside, and Kai got to his feet, hurrying to the window. Resting his hands on the sill, his golden eyes widened as he took in the scene of devastation below, for what had once been the outermost kidou classroom was now lying mostly in rubble. To one side he could make out Kazoe and a huddle of obviously frightened First year students, and he bit his lip, interpreting the cocktail of spiritual residue piece by piece.

_Kazoe's sword, I think – and a bunch of kidou spells, too. Hell, what happened down there? Did one of the First years get too frisky or…?_

"What the…" Kanshi joined him, gazing out at the chaos in disbelief. "Don't tell me that one of the kids misfired a spell and that was the result? What the hell kind of First years are we fostering if they can blow up a whole classroom?"

"That room's used for theory, not practical," Kai shook his head, and Kanshi snorted.

"Even more reason to be alarmed, then," he said decidedly. "Akira, Aoi, come look at this. It doesn't look like we'll be doing any kidou classes in the first floor kidou chamber for a while – or, in fact, ever."

"Kazoe's taking the kids inside," Kai observed, leaning up against the stone wall. "There's a lot of kidou residue floating around, though. Hirata, what do you think? Can you sense it too?"

"I can sense Seidoiki," Hirata said quietly, as the remaining trio came to observe the panic for themselves. "That's what you mean, isn't it, Kai-kun? It isn't just kidou, but something else."

"Seidoiki?" Akira looked quizzical, and Kai nodded.

"Kazoe-sensei's _zanpakutou_," he agreed.

"Kazoe has a _zanpakutou_?" Kanshi blinked. "His sword releases – it doesn't just sit there looking pretty?"

"It's a proper _zanpakutou_," Hirata nodded. "He doesn't like to release it often, if at all, but he did it once when we were camping in the second year. Our camp got invaded by a Hollow and though we fired _shakkahou_ at it, it wasn't really enough to drive it off. We were still only juniors at the time. Kazoe-sensei was there and he released Seidoiki to destroy the Hollow. It's the only time I've seen or sensed it, but it has a distinctive reiatsu. I'm pretty sure I'm right."

"So Ukitake _was_ telling the truth about fighting off real Hollows during camp," Akira pursed his lips. "I thought he was trying to sound clever."

"It wasn't planned," Kai looked rueful. "Because of it, we were recalled back to school early, since the protective barrier had somehow got broken. Hirata's right, though. I'd forgotten its exact name, but it's Kazoe's sword all right."

"If he used his sword, that means it's a little more than just a kidou experiment gone wrong, doesn't it?" Aoi looked grim. "Especially if Kazoe only ever uses it in an emergency."

"Meaning what?" Kai gazed at his fair classmate sharply. "That there's an emergency? The school is under some kind of attack?"

"Aizen," Akira growled, making towards the door, but Kanshi grabbed him, hauling him back.

"Kazoe's dealt with it, whatever it was," he said quietly. "There was kidou and there was something else – his sword, from what Shihouin and Endou said – but it's just vapour on the wind now. There's nobody there and nothing to go down and challenge over, Akira."

"Part of the school didn't fall down on its own," Akira muttered. "Maybe it was or maybe it wasn't sabotage, but it's suspicious, don't you think? Bits of the building don't collapse when Sensei is here. It's damn odd that it happens when he's not."

"True enough," Aoi looked grim. "Kanshi's right though, Akira. There's nothing there now except fragments of scattered reiatsu. I can't even distinguish what spells were used and I've no idea what happened…but if Kazoe got all of the kids out safely and the drama is over, we should get back to work."

"I don't like this." Hirata's gaze flitted across to the doorway, and Kai frowned, following his friend's line of sight.

"Hirata? What's up?"

"I don't know," Hirata admitted, moving slowly back towards his seat, but Kai noticed that his classmate's eyes did not leave the library entrance. "I just had this feeling something was coming this way. I'm not sure what – just…well…something."

"Something bad?" Akira's hand was already closed around the hilt of his sword, and Hirata hesitated, indecision in his pale blue eyes.

"Sometimes I can think too deeply into things," he owned. "Sometimes I see more danger in situations than is there, and especially when everything is on edge. I just…something doesn't feel right. I can't even explain what it is – it's just there."

"Air pollution from the explosion?" Aoi suggested, and Hirata shook his head.

"No. Not that. There's that too, but it's not…"

He trailed off, as the door of the library slid back, and Kai caught sight of a flash of black _hakama _followed a glint of silver sword.

The next moment the shinigami were among them, Kanshi falling back with an exclamation as the swinging weapon sliced through his upper arm and shoulder, sending blood spilling from the wound. He stumbled, putting out his uninjured arm to steady himself against the wall as he tried to process what had happened, but his assailant had once more slipped in and out of shunpo, re-appearing on the other side of the chamber and launching an attack towards Aoi's throat. Aoi cursed, fumbling for his sword, but the silver blade came down once more, once, twice, then a third time slicing through his white _hakamashita_ to the flesh and bone beneath. He fell to the floor with a cry of pain, the front of his _hakamashita_ a spreading pool of sticky red as blood poured forth from the wounds.

"Aoi! Kanshi!" Before the assailant could strike again, Akira had his sword drawn, clashing the blade against the invader's and pushing the man back. To his right, Kai already had Meimei Anshi drawn whilst Hirata, Tsumi no Fuuhi loosed from its scabbard had paused at Aoi's side, anxiety burning in his pale gaze as he assessed his classmate's injury.

The shinigami was fully visible now, his eyes gleaming with an empty intensity, and as he raised his head to meet Akira's gaze, the Yamamoto let out a gasp of surprise.

"_Tetsu?"_

"Tetsu?" Kai sent him a quizzical glance. "You know this guy, Yamamoto?"

Akira's lips thinned, his weapon coming up again to parry the opponent's weapon away. He nodded, a grim expression entering his dark gaze.

"Gujihara Tetsu. He's a cousin of mine and a member of my Father's squad," he spoke quietly, but there was a forced note in his words and Kai knew he was only just holding back his temper. "He was a student here, several years ago – Father ranks him at fourth seat because he's strong, swift and powerful, especially when it comes to using shunpo."

"We noticed," Kanshi grimaced, grasping his bloody arm in his good one and examining the damage with a critical eye. "Some warning would have been nice – Endou, was this what…?"

"I guess so," Hirata agreed, a troubled look on his face. "Michihashi-kun's taken a slash to the chest. I'm not a medic but I don't think it's gone through any organs – it's bleeding, though, and I'm not sure but I think the blade might have gone through a rib."

"We don't have time to nanny anyone at present, so he'll just have to bleed," Akira spoke dismissively, but Kai could see from his classmate's brown eyes that his feelings on the matter were nowhere near as casual. "What's more important is why Tetsu's here and what the hell he thinks he's doing."

"I'd like to know that too," Kai swung Meimei Anshi's ebony black blade up to meet the angry swipe of their opponent, his brow creasing in concentration as he felt the strength rippling through the sword. "I remember this guy now, Yamamoto. He was a senior the first year we were here. I remember him being quite calm and quiet, pretty level and not the kind of person who'd randomly attack his juniors without good reason. That being the case, I'd like an explanation for this as well. First squad are meant to be protecting us, but right now that doesn't seem to be on his agenda."

"His…sword," Aoi gasped out, clutching his chest with his left arm and struggling to pull himself into a more upright position with his right. "He's not…acting…right. Look…at his…sword."

"Don't talk if you can't breathe properly!" Kanshi dropped down beside his friend, his own superficial wound forgotten in light of his companion's struggles. "There are five of us and one of him – even with you out for the count and me on half-capacity, things will be okay."

"Will they?" Kai's grip tightened on the hilt of his sword. "Yamamoto, you said that he's ranked at fourth seat? Considering the age and provenance of First Division, that's one heck of a promotion for someone who graduated only a few years ago. Plus, he got himself in here and took two of us down before we even realised what was happening. If he can move that fast…"

"Michihashi-kun's right, though, about his blade," With Aoi left in Kanshi's care, Hirata got to his feet, paying no attention to the blood which now spattered his own spotless _hakamashita_. "Look at it, Kai-kun. Yamamoto-kun, you know Gujihara-senpai better than us. Does his sword always look like that, or…"

"It looks green!" Akira's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait a minute, are you saying…this isn't…"

"Something's probably controlling him," Hirata said grimly, and a cold hand gripped Kai's heart as he interpreted the hidden message in his classmate's words.

"Green?" he murmured. "Hell, you're kidding. Hirata, you can't be serious…that would be crazy!"

"Being attacked by a ranked member of First squad within school grounds is already pretty crazy." As Gujihara swung his weapon at them once more, Akira slipped into the gap, using his own sword to force his kinsman back. "I'm game to listen to any explanations you guys have going, but please stop talking in cryptic code. Are you saying that this is to do with Aizen Keitarou? He's here after all and poisoning members of my family with his sword?"

"Turning the blade green isn't a characteristic I've heard mentioned before," Kai shook his head, unease in his expression. "Aizen's sword does damage, but Kyouraku's never mentioned anything like this. Hirata's right, though. Something's definitely manipulating this guy. His eyes are empty – there's nothing there. Just like…"

He shivered involuntarily, remembering the fleeting encounter with his cousin in the mountains of the Real World.

"Like Tomoyuki," he admitted. "The body's moving, but there's nobody home."

"Meaning we can't snap him out of it?" Akira demanded sharply, swearing under his breath as Gujihara's next swing swiped through the ends of his hair, sending fragments of black to the floor. "Dammit, he's faster than me. If this was as normal bout, I might know how to fight him, but if it's not Tetsu calling the shots…"

"It's not Gujihara-senpai. Count on that," Kai said bleakly. "Listen, Yamamoto – between the two of us, maybe we can counter? He's fast, but he's relying on remote instruction and that's bound to slow him down at least a little bit. That ought to give us enough opening to take him down, and if there's you, me, and Hirata…"

He turned to his friend, but there was no sign of the young Endou, and dismay touched his golden eyes as he registered the library door sliding to a close.

"He's gone," Akira said blackly. "Kanshi, take care of Aoi, all right? If Endou's fled ship, Shihouin, it's down to you and I. Tell me what your idea is – I don't know if I'll work with it, but two ideas are better than one and you still owe me for the Real World."

"If I'm right about what's behind this, that's probably where Hirata's gone," Kai turned his attention back to the attacking shinigami, only just managing to meet Gujihara's blade as the older man slipped in and out of shunpo, aiming his wide blade for Kai's skull. "In the meantime, I'm hoping two of us can do this. He really is quick, isn't he? We need a way to even the score."

"We've wounded people, too," Akira cast a troubled glance towards his friends. "Bringing them into the crossfire is not part of the plan, all right?"

"Maybe that's what happened in the kidou classroom," Kai suggested grimly. "Perhaps that's why it blew up. Friends of Gujihara decided to gatecrash the lesson in the same way as this."

"What you're suggesting is the whole of First squad are under Aizen's spell," Akira objected. "Dammit, Tetsu! Snap out of it, will you?" as their blades met again, Akira having to spring neatly backwards to avoid losing a good portion of his right ear. "It's me, you silly idiot. Akira! Your Captain isn't going to forgive you if you slash up one of his sons – get a grip and realise it already!"

"It's no good. He's not listening," Kai said, using the flat of Meimei Anshi to divert Gujihara's determined thrust and pushing forward, attempting a reverse swing to try and knock the weapon from the shinigami's hand. Gujihara was too quick, however, slipping in and out of shunpo and lunging for Akira who muttered a string of curses, only just managing to meet the attack with his own gleaming weapon. A shower of black hair strands fell to the floor, and Kai bit his lip, realising that even with two of them, their opponent was getting too close for comfort.

"He's too quick, even like this," Akira seemed to be thinking along the same lines, brushing what was left of his fringe out of his face. "Shihouin, what did you mean about the blade? Where has Endou gone? What do you think's happened?"

"I can't explain it entirely, but there's only one person I know whose blade reflects that particularly eerie tint of green," Kai said grimly, stabbing his weapon forward and forcing Gujihara to take a half-step back to avoid Meimei Anshi's razor sharp tip. "It's not Aizen, though. It's Shikibu Naoko."

"Shikibu?" Akira froze, surprise crossing his features, and Kai gave him a rough shove as Gujihara's blade seared in towards his kinsman's torso, narrowly missing ripping through both fabric and guts.

"Pay attention," he snapped. "Right now that's neither here nor there. The problem right in front of us is disarming and overpowering First squad's fourth seated officer and if we're not concentrating, we won't manage it. We'll worry about hows and whys later on. This is more important right now."

"I suppose that's true," Akira recovered his wits, inclining his head in a grudging nod. "Kanshi! How's Aoi doing?"

"He's all right. There's blood and it's still coming, but slower if he doesn't move or try to shout." Kanshi responded. "As for me, it's a flesh wound and he got a lucky hit but it's not going to cripple me. It's already stopping bleeding. Don't worry about us, Akira. We're tougher than that, and he wasn't properly aiming. I'm pretty sure even if Aoi's not able, I can fire kidou if the need arises, so leave us to defend ourselves."

"I'll…manage," Aoi added. "I'm…not…that…out of it."

"Then we can focus our full attention on Gujihara," Kai said grimly. "Yamamoto, I haven't seen your _zanpakutou_. If you were to release it, what kind of odds would you have in this sort of a fight?"

"Release it? In here?" Akira looked stunned, then he shook his head. "You don't want me to do that. Believe me, in a confined space…it's not the best kind of sword to swing about. Yamamoto don't have quiet blades – hell, you've met Enishi's, so you already know that."

"True, but Houjou's doesn't do anything unexpected. There's no exploding, melting, freezing, or anything like that. He just cuts and uses his strength." Kai dodged nimbly beneath Gujihara's determined swing, twisting his body around to meet Meimei Anshi's blade once more to the shinigami's. "You make yours sound a lot more dangerous – are you saying if you release, we'll be at a disadvantage?"

"I couldn't guarantee you – or Kanshi or Aoi – not getting wrapped up in it," Akira admitted.

"Don't let him release it, for goodness' sake!" Kanshi interjected, pausing in where he had been shunting himself and his blood-stained friend into a corner out of the way. "You don't want to send us all sky high, do you? Akira's sword is rather fond of blowing things apart...so unless you want to send the library the same way as the kidou classroom…"

"It's not an option," Akira added blackly. "What about you?"

"Mm," Kai did not answer immediately, focusing his attention on countering the ever quickening sequence of strikes and lunges that proved Gujihara was only just getting into his combat stride. "I know the Yamamoto are renowned for combat technique, but even under some kind of control, it's not easy to keep pace with him. If this was a fair match and for fun, I'd be relishing the chance to pit my blade against his but in the circumstances…"

"Answer the damn question!" Akira snapped. "If you release your sword, what happens then?"

"Nothing, much," Kai admitted, sliding his body between two library desks to avoid Gujihara's next swing and Akira grimaced, leaping over the wood and meeting his kinsman's blade with a bold strike of his own. The sound of metal on metal resounded through the chamber, and Kai sighed, glancing at his _zanpakutou_'s ebony blade.

"Nothing much?" Akira pushed Gujihara back, sending him an accusing look. "You're telling me that you're the heir to the Shihouin with a fancy black sword and it doesn't actually do anything?"

"Oh, it does stuff," Kai nodded. "The trouble is, I can only apply it to one person – either you or I, not both. There'll be no explosions, though. It's not that kind of sword."

He smiled hollowly.

"I'm a Shihouin, like you said. Stealth is in our blood like combat is in yours."

"Then?" Akira was losing patience. "Look, Shihouin. We've already ruled out the idea that my sword, strong as it is is going to be of any use to us right now. You were the one who brought up _zanpakutou_ - I say that whatever that black blade can do, if it isn't likely to blow the library apart, you should risk releasing it. One _zanpakutou_ is better than none and we need to bring Tetsu down before he hurts anyone else and without causing him harm, either. The longer we fight this battle, the less we can do about other parts of the school...and it's not impossible to think that other parts of the school are affected. We all agreed it's our job to protect our juniors, right? Then let's damn well get this under control!"

Kai cast his companion a glance, then he nodded.

"_Sugata o keshite, Meimei Anshi_," he murmured, feeling the prickle of energy run through his entire body as his sword glimmered with an eerie ebony haze. Little by little the sword's blade disappeared into fragments of dust that surrounded his entire body, and he closed his eyes, focusing his reiatsu to guide each tiny particle into its correct location. An answering flicker from his sword's spirit told him that the release had been successful, and he glanced down at his right hand, taking in the thick black glove-like sheath that covered it, extending out towards a guardless _kodachi_ of pure black hue. The tip curved around smoothly, tapering into a sharp point which would have no trouble piercing through bones and armour to the flesh and organs beneath.

"Shihouin?"

Akira gazed around him, confused. "What the heck did you do? Where…what…how…?"

"Meimei Anshi," Kai slipped into shunpo, re-materialising between Akira and Gujihara and swiping his _zanpakutou_ against the shinigami's own drawn sword, causing the tall Yamamoto to stumble back in surprise. "Can you hear me speak, Yamamoto?"

"I can hear you, but I can't damn well see you," Akira took a step backwards. "Where did you go? Is that kidou?"

"My sword," Kai pressed his advantage, forcing Gujihara onto the back foot as the squad shinigami struggled to work out what was going on. "Meimei Anshi can render me invisible, and suppress any trace of my spirit power. Like I said, it only works on me or on someone I choose to cast it over. I can't extend it to you, nor can I let you see me whilst my sword is released into shikai. However, whoever is pulling Gujihara's strings also can't see me. They can hear my voice, maybe, but they won't be able to pinpoint my location. It's harder for him to attack me now – but I don't want to get you hurt by mistake."

"In other words, leave him to you?" Akira sounded dissatisfied, and Kai sighed.

"Take it as repayment for the Real World," he said softly. "Meimei also makes me faster, when I'm cloaked in it's haze. I can keep up with his speed better now. If I can knock him off balance, Yamamoto, you should take your chance to disarm him and bring him down."

"Hard to do when I can't see you or sense you, but I suppose I'll just have to roll with it," Akira sighed bad-temperedly, but to Kai's relief he raised his own weapon once more, his lithe body tensing as he prepared to re-enter the fray. "I'll watch and judge as I see fit – hopefully you'll not lose a limb or two if I accidentally swing right through you."

Kai did not answer, focusing instead on using shunpo to dart between the streams of spiritual energy that flowed through the enclosed school room. He could see them more clearly now, Meimei Anshi's shadowy abilities enhancing his senses to compensate for his lack of physical presence, and he gritted his teeth, pulling together his _reiryoku _and tightening his grip on his sword.

Meimei Anshi's cloak was perfect, but it would not last indefinitely. Little by little as his focus waned, his sword's disguise would begin to fragment and slip away, creating leaks that could be traced by the enemy. Once that happened, he opened himself up once more to attacks, and therefore he knew that his window of opportunity was now or not at all.

Need gave urgency to his movements, and he pushed his body into shunpo once more, this time dropping out of it to Gujihara's right to cast a swing at his sword arm and then flash-stepping to the shinigami's left, bringing his weapon down across the other's broad arm and slicing through the sleeve of his _shihakushou_. As Kai had expected, Gujihara reacted as if stung, the controlling influence that flooded his body seemingly unsettled by these sudden, unexplained attacks, but Kai was not finished yet.

_If I can distract him and confuse him enough, Yamamoto's got the force to knock his weapon free. With Meimei released, I'm not sure I have that. Sacrificing physical impact for stealth and speed is my sword's down side – so this time it's not so bad to be working as a team._

He slipped back into shunpo, redoubling his focus on his _reiryoku_ as the first strands threatened to slip away. Forcibly he drew them back in, determined to maintain his cloak for as long as he could in order to buy a little extra time. He smashed his blade into Gujihara's, wincing involuntarily as the impact juddered through the whole of his body, and he grimaced, glancing down at his right hand and seeing the first trickle of blood begin to seep through the black glove. Releasing his weapon was not an option, even if his fingers were smashed to pulp and his palm cut to ribbons, and Kai knew that in a battle of strength, his body was not a match for the First division's fourth seat.

Akira, however, was another matter. As Gujihara reeled back once again from the unexpected collision, he saw his opening and with a yell lunged forward, bringing his own weapon across in a decisive, ruthless swing from left to right. It rammed into the green-tinged_ zanpakutou_, knocking it flying from Gujihara's grip and, as the shinigami's weapon embedded itself deep into the top shelf of a nearby bookcase, Akira's fingers glittered with golden light.

"_Bakudou no Yon! Hainawa!"_ he exclaimed, a long ribbon of glittering energy shooting out towards his disarmed kinsman and looping itself like a snake around the man's upper body. Jerking his hand back to release the spell, the momentum pulled Gujihara's body off balance and he crashed to the floor, apparently knocked unconscious by the force of the assault.

Just in time.

Kai felt the edges of his _zanpakutou_ release beginning to fragment and drift away and he sighed, allowing his sword to revert to its normal sealed form. He drew a heavy breath of air into his lungs, crouching down on the ground as he re-assessed his sense of balance. He released his grip on his sword, allowing it to drop onto the mat floor with a soft thud, and Akira stepped over Gujihara's body, approaching him cautiously.

"You look half dead," he said bluntly. "Your sword makes you invisible, but at what cost?"

"Physical strength," Kai admitted, offering his classmate a wan smile. "I'm all right. I just need a minute to catch my breath. I pushed myself to use shunpo more than I ever have in shikai before, just so I could get him off guard. Fighting a squad shinigami isn't much fun, Yamamoto. Remind me not to do it again."

"It's not recommended for anyone," Akira sighed, then held out a hand to haul his classmate to his feet. "Here. Get up. In a fight situation there's not usually leeway for catching breath."

"No kidding," Kai agreed, accepting the help gratefully. "Gujihara's down – is he out?"

"He looks it. Whatever was controlling him seems to have been severed," Akira nodded. Kai crossed the room, reaching up to pull the embedded sword from the bookshelf and glancing at it thoughtfully.

"It's not green any more," he agreed, setting it down on the top of the shelf. "Your kidou is pretty good, so I think that'll hold him."

He turned.

"Souryou and Michihashi should go to the Healing Bay," he said pensively. "We should take them, but I want to find out what's at the bottom of this. It's bothering me, Yamamoto – if that really was the effect of Shikibu's_ zanpakutou_…"

"Shikibu's not an enemy, surely?" Kanshi asked, and Kai shook his head.

"I didn't think so, either," he admitted. "This is making me wonder what's going on, though. It may be coincidental, but it reminded me of Dokusou Houshi."

"Her sword was greenish when we rescued her, now I think of it," Akira's gaze darkened. "I can't believe it though. Why? Has she lost her mind?"

"Maybe she has," Kanshi pursed his lips. "She broke down. We all saw that. Perhaps this is her emotional reaction to what happened to Suzuno."

"More likely it's something else," Aoi said quietly, reaching out an unsteady hand for the nearest table and hauling himself slowly to his feet. "No, Kanshi, I'm okay. The bleeding's stopping – and this is important."

"Are you sure? You're ghost pale," Kanshi looked concerned. "Mine's a flesh wound, but yours is more than that."

"I think he took out a rib, but it hasn't pierced my lung," Aoi spoke calmly, though Kai could see the preoccupation mingled with pain in his pale eyes. "I'll go to the Healing Bay, don't worry. You should come with me, even if just to clean your wound and rest. Before we do, though, something occurred to me."

"Something?" Kai turned inquisitive eyes on the Urahara, who inclined his head in a painful nod.

"Mm," he agreed. "Shihouin, what…what exactly does Shikibu's blade do?"

"Dokusou Houshi?" Kai grimaced. "It's an unpleasant snake of a sword, if you want my opinion – it wouldn't be out of place in my Clan, to tell the truth. I think the closest thing you can associate it with is a spore of some kind – her _zanpakutou_ releases fragments of spirit power that can affect how the opponent behaves. I've not had the misfortune to fight against it, but I do know something about it from our zanjutsu classes last year. She can use her sword's _reiryoku_ as a soporific or a poison – or she can make it act as a leech, withdrawing power from an opponent to weaken their attack."

"Sounds delightful," Kanshi shuddered. "So how does that tie in to what we have here?"

"I thought so," Aoi looked grave. "She fought Aizen. We know she did. What if she tried to absorb his spirit power? What if she succeeded?"

"You mean…what if he _let _her absorb his spirit power?" Akira blanched, and Aoi nodded his head again.

"Yes, in order to utilise her power to control members of First squad," he agreed softly. "Shihouin, you just said she was capable of…of poisoning with her sword, didn't you? And that it could be used as a soporific. What if Aizen is…is channelling his power through her and through her _zanpakutou_?"

"I was under the impression he couldn't control multiple people at once, but if he was hijacking Shikibu, he might," Kai's eyes became grim. "I see. When you put it like that, Michihashi, it makes a creepy kind of sense. Edogawa was flapping around everyone this morning saying that Shikibu wasn't in the Healing Bay any longer, and Houjou volunteered to help look for her. From what Edogawa and Sora were saying, they thought she'd got upset and run off - and they wanted to track her down. I didn't even think of something like this - but now you raise it, it's obvious."

"Then that's why he let Shikibu live," Akira clenched and unclenched his fists in anger. "He killed Suzuno because he couldn't manipulate her, but he saw something he could use in Shikibu and so spared her life."

"He's also using now as his chance to do just that, isn't he?" Kanshi looked thoughtful. "Sensei's away and probably Aizen's lured him there."

"When everything happened before, it was apparent that Aizen needed to be within a reasonable distance of who he was manipulating in order for his sword's aura to work," Kai chewed on his lip. "I wonder if that applies in this case, too."

"You mean he is in District One?" Akira shot him a sharp look, and Kai shrugged.

"Maybe," he admitted. "If we accept he's somehow using Shikibu's unpleasant sword to do his dirty work, it's hard to know if he needs to be here or not. She's the one doing the controlling, effectively - not him. However, he still has to impose his will into hers...I wonder if he can do that just from her absorbing his spirit power, or if he has to be on site in order for it to work."

"In that case, we're going looking," Akira said bluntly. "I have scores to settle with Aizen Keitarou."

"It's dangerous," Aoi warned. "Unless it's Ukitake, Akira, there's too much risk involved."

"There might be risk for Ukitake, too," Kai pointed out, a look of consternation entering his golden eyes as he realised with a jolt where exactly Hirata had gone.

_It's not to find Shikibu, is it? That's not what's on your mind. If Aizen is here, so is Eiraki - that's who you've gone to find._

Out loud he said,

"At the very least we should scour the grounds. We might find more First Squad officers in a state of confusion, and if we can find Shikibu and bring her out of whatever hypnosis Aizen's used on her, we might prevent the damage from getting worse. Souryou, can you get Michihashi to the Healing Bay without our help? Yamamoto's clearly got killing stuff on his mind and I think I ought to go with him - two swords are better than one and Meimei's cloak might be of use a second time."

"We can manage," Kanshi assured him, glancing at Aoi who nodded his head. "Go."

"I could go alone, you know," Akira protested, but Kai shook his head.

"This time the Senior Class are working together," he said matter-of-factly. "Teamwork is the only strength we have over Aizen and his companions and if there's a chance of him being around, we should be careful. If we're right and he took control of Shikibu, the reason we've only just realised it is because she was alone when they fought. Nobody else was there, nobody else knew exactly what happened and nobody's really been allowed to talk to Shikibu since it did. If we operate in pairs, even if something happens to one of us, there's someone else on hand."

"I suppose your logic makes sense, though you should have drummed that into Endou before he skipped out of here," Akira sighed.

"I wish he hadn't gone," Kai admitted. "You're right...it would have better if he'd stuck with us, but where his family are concerned, the grievances run pretty deep. Besides, even if we go looking, we likely won't find him. Hirata's greatest skill is concealing himself and he doesn't need to use his sword to do it. If he's suppressed his reiatsu, we won't find him now. He'll have used _kyokkou_ and he's already got time and distance on us."

"If he went after Shikibu, she might hurt him," Kanshi warned.

"I'm not worried about Hirata against Shikibu. He out-ranks her and he has the advantage of being in his own wits," Kai shook his head. "For the time being, there's nothing we can do about that. Souryou, if there's anyone at the Healing Bay, report what's happened, okay? Yamamoto and I might not have time if we're going hunting for people behaving oddly."

"Understood," Kanshi agreed. "Don't do anything stupid, either of you - you can leave the rest to us."

* * *

Time had stopped still for Ryuu in the instant his father had broken through the wall of the manor, and as the dust cleared around them, the young student could feel the swirling waves of feral energy beginning to intensify across the estate grounds.

For a moment their eyes met, those sinister yellow orbs probing deep into Ryuu's stricken grey gaze, then with a blur of light and energy, Seiren disappeared. Shockwaves rippled through the heavy atmosphere, making it appear as though the whole environment was bending and buckling under the fresh onslaught of spiritual pressure. An instant later there was a second implosion of _reiryoku_ and Ryuu tensed, sweat beading across his brow and fear coursing through his veins as the apparition materialised mere inches away from where Keitarou still held the student firmly in his grip.

There was no sanity in Seiren's eyes this time, nor weariness. All Ryuu could see was malevolence and the impure whiteish aura that lingered around the man's thin frame seemed to smoulder with killing intent. There was no apparent recognition in that cold gaze, and despite the blade at his throat, Ryuu shrank back, half convinced his father was about to put an end to him. The memory of their argument at the Academy flitted unbidden through Ryuu's jumbled thoughts, but there was no comparison between Seiren's anger then and his demeanour right now. Even given their uneasy relationship, Ryuu had never seen his father as a violent man, but he found himself hurriedly reassessing that judgement as a clawed hand shot out towards them, ragged nails aiming directly for Ryuu's throat.

Ryuu's heart almost stopped in his chest, and though he could feel the prickle of Shizurugi's spirit attempting to protect him, in the face of this level of dark energy he knew it to be futile. When he had seen Seiren the previous day, it had been under the restraint of spirit draining cuffs and Kinnya's neutralising kidou barrier – but clearly neither one of those had been strong enough to hold his father's toxic spirit for long. The melted remains of the broken chain jangled eerily in the wintry air as those thin fingers grasped out greedily for Ryuu's pale neck. Despite himself the young shinigami closed his eyes, saying a brief and incoherent prayer to any random spiritual deity that might be watching over him.

It was probably the first fervent prayer of any kind he had ever said, and he had an uneasy feeling it would be his last.

Perhaps it was fear that had addled his senses, or perhaps it was the dark morass of energy emitting from his father's body, but the next few moments passed in a jumbled mess of colours, lights and sounds. The next thing he was clearly aware of was being huddled on the ground, his body dragging laboured breaths of air into reluctant lungs, and the touch of Keitarou's weapon at his throat was gone.

He blinked, shuffling his body into a more upright position. What had happened? How had he got here? He racked his memory, but other than a swirl of energy and the sensation of something pulling roughly at his body, he could remember nothing. From somewhere nearby he could hear voices, but he could not make sense of the disjointed sounds, and his vision blurred and swam like he had been immersed in water. Something hard and cold was clutched in his grip, more by instinct than by conscious effort, and as he registered its presence he realised it was his _zanpakutou_, though at some point it had reverted to its sealed form. Had he lost consciousness? He wasn't sure, but gradually awareness filtered back to his confused psyche and he remembered his father's ghost-pale fingers stretching out towards him, that look of evil in Seiren's eyes. He put an absent hand to his neck, finding with some surprise that, aside from the prick-point scratch inflicted by Keitarou's _tantou_ knife, he was unharmed.

A deathly, spine-chilling shriek rattled through the whole area, causing the dilapidated building to judder and tremble, cracks running up the walls of the central portion of the building. It shuddered again, then the outer walls began to crumble as though they had given up trying to stay upright and had decided to join their western brothers in crashing down towards the ground. The air was thick and cloying, the particles mutating and clumped together under the fallout of Seiren's spiritual pressure, and though Ryuu wanted to stand, he found that it was all he could do to sit there, gazing around him as he tried to work out what had happened.

And then he saw them.

Some few feet away was his father, black hair flying loose and unfettered around his masked face and his body resonating with an ominous white aura. There was madness in those yellow eyes, and Ryuu shuddered as he read the depths of the hatred and bloodlust that glittered there. In the whole of his childhood, he had never known the man to act in a reckless, destructive manner, yet there was no hesitation now in either the creature's expression or its body language, and as Ryuu's brain tried to come to terms with what his eyes were seeing, he registered that the half-hollow figure was not alone.

Seiren's pale fingers had reached out for something, but it had not been for Ryuu.

Instead, those ghostly digits had wrapped themselves around the sharp edge of Keitarou's short blade, gripping it tightly enough for blood to trickle down his hand and drip at steady intervals onto the cold ground. He had wrenched the weapon forcibly from the scientist's grip as though it was nothing more significant than a writing brush or piece of wood, seemingly unconcerned that the blade was biting through his flesh. As Ryuu watched, Seiren lifted the knife to gaze at it for a moment, gauging whether or not it was of any use or interest to him. At length he seemed to decide it wasn't, for he discarded it without a second glance, turning his beady gaze on the scientist instead.

Ryuu's eyes widened.

Had Seiren…come to his aid?

For a moment Keitarou too had been taken off guard by the suddenness of the assault, but now he recovered himself, spreading his fingers as though to cast a kidou spell. Seiren's movements were once more too fast for him, however, for with a blur of energy he disappeared, re-appearing in much the same way Keitarou had crept up on Ryuu. That ambush seemed a lifetime ago now, though in truth it had only been a matter of moments before. Keitarou had been startled by his own technique, but in contrast, Seiren's aims were clearly not to buy time or act as a diversion. Cold fingers clamped around the scientist's throat, and Seiren let out a screech that could only be interpreted as a battle cry – an announcement of his intention to kill.

Struck off guard, Keitarou own fingers clawed at the creature's arms as though trying to pull himself free, and with a strange detachment Ryuu watched as the scientist's face became red, his eyes bulging as he struggled to gasp in air. A few moments more and Keitarou would lose consciousness, and then Guren and Genryuusai would no doubt be able to take him into Council custody…

Although Seiren really did not look as though he intended to let his prey go. In fact, Ryuu's heart stilled a second time as he realised his father seemed to be _enjoying_ the suffocation of his prey. There was a gleam of something else in those amber eyes, and Ryuu had a sudden, horrible thought that it might not end with strangulation. Seiren seemed hostile enough to rip Keitarou's head from his shoulders and then continue, tearing limbs from the man's body until his prey was rendered little more than a bloody, shredded mess.

A cold prickle crept up the student's spine.

_Aizen is his target at the moment, but if he tires of Aizen, who will be next? This isn't Father, it's the creature who attacked Guren-sama without recognising that he was fighting his brother. What if the only reason he's gone for Aizen is because right now he thinks the scientist is the strongest? _

"Ryuu, get out of the line of fire!" Guren's voice penetrated his hazy consciousness and he turned, seeing his Uncle striding towards him, his own retrieved sword clutched in his half-gloved right hand. "Seiren is dangerous like this and there's no saving him. Get back out of the way – this isn't a fight you should try and continue to participate in!"

At the sound of the Clan Leader's voice, Seiren also turned, a strange look flitting across his gaze before he let out a shriek, tossing Aizen aside as though he were no more than a rag doll and lunging towards his brother. Keitarou crouched on the ground, coughing and spluttering as oxygen was returned to him, but Seiren's attention was fixed on Guren now, and the Clan leader faltered, then raised his sword as if preparing to fight.

_This is wrong._

Alarm coursed through Ryuu's body, and before he realised what he was about to do he had somehow pulled himself to his feet, spreading his hands out like a shield and fixing his father with a look of desperation.

"Otousama! _No!_ Please, don't attack your kin!"

He did not know where he had found the strength to shout so loudly or so clearly, but at his cry Seiren stopped dead in his tracks, staring at his son in obvious confusion. Slowly he lowered his hands, and Guren let out an exclamation of surprise.

"Seiren? Can you hear us? Can you hear Ryuu's voice?"

Seiren swivelled his gaze to his brother, but there was nothing but cold emptiness in his stare, and Guren frowned, moving to put a hand on Ryuu's shoulder.

"He's not in his wits. It's dangerous and I will not see you sacrificed to protect my life," he said softly. "This is clearly something between my brother and I, and…"

"No. No, Guren-sama. Please, don't raise your sword," Ryuu shook his head, aware that the moment Guren's fingers had touched his_ hakamashita_, Seiren's body had flared with tension and anger once again. "Please, it's all right. It's all right. You shouldn't fight against Otousama – brothers shouldn't fight!"

"As he is now, I'm not sure you should even call him Otousama," Guren said gravely. "I know you want to help him, but Ryuu, you have to realise…"

"Aizen!" Genryuusai's yell from across the grounds broke through the conversation, and both Kuchiki turned just in time to see a pale-faced Keitarou grab his _zanpakutou_ from the rubble before disappearing into shunpo and out of range. Guren let out a curse, but before he could do anything, Seiren was once more at close quarters, pushing Guren bodily away from his son's side. Guren stumbled but kept his footing, readying weapon a second time as though preparing to release it, but the next instant someone else was between the twins, his white beard fluttering in the cold breeze and his dark eyes grave. Instead of his familiar cane, a gleaming katana was now clutched in his gnarled grip, but Seireitei's most powerful and infamous fire sword was not emitting even slightest flicker of spiritual energy, and although Genryuusai had removed its usual wooden seal, there was nothing confrontational in the way the old man held his _zanpakutou_.

"Ryuu is right. There is no need to fight," he said calmly, his aging body apparently unaffected by the intense waves of Seiren's toxic reiatsu or the dark expression of resolve in Guren's slate-grey eyes. "Guren-dono, please, lower your sword. Ryuu does not want to see you kill his father, and nor does he want to see his father kill you."

"I don't want to kill anyone, either," Reluctantly Guren lowered his _zanpakutou_, casting the still-masked Seiren a wary look. "He wouldn't want me to let harm come to Ryuu, though, and he wouldn't want to act against the Clan like this. That isn't my brother, Genryuusai-sama. It isn't Seiren."

"_Is_ Seiren-dono acting against the Clan?" Genryuusai's voice remained level, and something in the calm nature of his tones helped to disperse the tension in the atmosphere. "From where I was standing, it appeared he came to rescue Ryuu from Aizen's clutches. You saw it as clearly as I did, I imagine – how he took Aizen's sword from him and pulled Ryuu free of his grasp."

So that was how it had happened.

Ryuu frowned, struggling again to recall those few moments of memory, but in vain.

_Otousama touched me and scrambled my senses, knocking me off-kilter and accidentally sealing my sword. But he did it to help me…to free me from Aizen's blade._

"Yes…yes, maybe he did, but his reasons…just now, he came after me…" Guren trailed off, and Genryuusai smiled, holding up a wizened hand

"Seiren-dono is protecting his son," he murmured. "Whether he can understand at the moment that you're his brother, I'm not sure. Probably he sees you as he saw Aizen – a man with a sword trying to get close to Ryuu. Undoubtedly he unleashed a great and indiscriminate amount of violence against you the last time you crossed weapons, but you should not let that prejudice you. This time Seiren-dono's actions were not haphazard but very clear and deliberate. You noticed yourself that he listened when Ryuu stepped between you. I don't believe he's acting without direction, Guren-dono. His impulses are limited at present, but he is a father trying to defend his son. This is not a power over which anyone can maintain control – yet for Ryuu's sake, Seiren-dono is trying to control it."

His gaze flitted back towards the still silent Seiren, and Ryuu noticed that the golden eyes had dulled slightly with the cessation of hostilities. With a jolt he realised the truth in Genryuusai's words. Seiren had reacted to a perceived threat from both Keitarou's and Guren's swords, but now that the confrontation was at an end, he too had quieted. The noxious flare of spiritual energy that had blanketed the entire atmosphere had begun to dissipate, and though the air was still heavy and prickling with unstable reiatsu, it was no longer as full of killing intent as it had been a short time before.

Ryuu's eyes took on a look of sober comprehension.

_Sudden movements. Swords. Angry words and violence. They all act as triggers to Father's condition. It isn't that he wants to attack us – but in this state…_

"Otousama is frightened, isn't he?" Ryuu only half-knew he'd spoken aloud until Genryuusai nodded, offering him a pensive look.

"This is spirit power beyond any rationalisation," he said gravely. "It is too raw and deformed for a normal soul to manage, yet in a haphazard way Seiren-dono is managing it. Perhaps the breakthrough was yesterday, when he saw you and said your name. From what I've been told, your Father's collapse was brought about by despair, but if seeing you gave him some shred of hope to cling to, it means he hasn't quite stopped fighting it yet."

"What do you mean?" Guren pursed his lips. "Seiren can…still be saved?"

"I'm not sure," Genryuusai shrugged his shoulders. "His body might have taken too much damage for it to ever recover – that will be for Retsu-dono to assess when she is able. For the time being, though, there is one thing I can do. I think we'd all rather get rid of what doesn't belong here."

He lifted Ryuujinjakka, and in one sweeping movement brought the blade across Seiren's mask, shattering it into thousands of chalky pieces. As the white shell gave way, Seiren stumbled, and almost instinctively Ryuu darted forward to catch his father's falling body, neither knowing nor caring now whether the man he held was dangerous or whether he was not. Tears glittered on his lashes, but he forced them back, absorbing what Genryuusai had said and turning it over in his mind.

_Father was trying to protect me. He didn't want to hurt me. He took on Aizen because Aizen was trying to hurt me, and he thought Guren-sama might do the same. Half-hollow or not, damaged or not, he knew who I was. Yesterday, too, he called me by name. Is it because of Shizurugi's power of purification? Or is it more than that?_

"Seiren-dono?"

Genryuusai knelt down on the dusty turf, setting his sword down at his side and reaching out a hand to touch Seiren's greyish brow. The man's eyelids twitched at the contact, then fluttered open, revealing dazed grey eyes. "No, don't try to get up. Your son is safe and here at your side – all is well."

"Ryuu?" Seiren's lips parted, the word only the faintest breath of sound dispersing quickly into the cold air.

"I'm here, Otousama," Ryuu got a grip on his emotions, offering his father a faint smile. "I told you yesterday that I would not let Aizen kill you, or I, or Guren-sama. I have kept my promise. We are all still alive."

"Seiren?" Guren lingered a few paces back, uncertainty still clear in his expression, and Genryuusai nodded.

"His wits are returned, at least for now," he said softly. "But Aizen has escaped once more, Guren-dono. I believe finding him is of some importance."

"I think so too," Guren's eyes narrowed, and he gazed at his fallen brother thoughtfully. "Sixth District is sealed, and there are no particular routes of escape for a fugitive. I trust my squad will not let up their vigil over the _Senkaimon_, and shortly I will go to join the effort. In the meantime, I must leave instructions for the situation here. If Seiren can be saved, Genryuusai-sama, I should like to find a way to save him. Ryuu is right – brothers should not fight in this way, and enough lives have been lost already."

He frowned.

"Speaking of which, where is Retsu-dono? She was at Seiren's side…surely his break for freedom hasn't caused her harm?"

"I appreciate your concern, Guren-sama, but I am quite well."

A slim figure stepped calmly through the gaping hole in the manor wall, pausing to bow her head respectfully towards the head of the Kuchiki Clan. Despite the dust and debris that surrounded her, her attire was spotless, and Ryuu saw amusement flicker briefly in Genryuusai's dark gaze.

_I suppose it takes more than a collapsing building or a flare of spiritual power like Father's to ruffle Unohana-sensei._

"Seiren-sama expressed a strong desire to go help his son," she added evenly now, stepping neatly over the blocks of stone and wood towards the gathered shinigami. "I did not think that it would have a negative result, if he did. Admittedly, his way of joining the battle was a little violent and there is additional damage…but that aside…"

"You _let _him come out here?" Guren stared at her, and Retsu shook her head.

"This is Seiren-dono's land," she said mildly. "I am merely a visiting Clan leader here on your hospitality. I am in no position to give orders to your noble kin."

"Unohana-sensei, can you do anything for Father?" Ryuu asked quietly, and Retsu's gaze softened.

"That is difficult," she admitted, clambering up over a large chunk of ceiling beam with surprising agility and dropping down at Seiren's other side. "I imagine that he was internalising this problem for some time before it actually overpowered him. It is hard to do a full assessment when there is so much negative energy swirling around, but I can tell that there is significant damage to several parts of Seiren-sama's body."

"There's also the matter of this spirit power," Genryuusai said grimly. "It will return, Ryuu. Each time it does, it will sap a little more of your father's strength and even more of his sanity. Once the boundary between plus soul and hollow has been broken, it is very difficult to reverse. For one born in Seireitei with all the hallmarks of a native shinigami, it is even harder."

"Father isn't a shinigami, though," Ryuu objected, his voice shaking slightly. "He's never been one, so it shouldn't matter, should it?"

"On the contrary, it matters," Genryuusai responded slowly. "Seiren-dono was born here, in District Six. His spirit power was clearly sealed, not severed, because life in spirit-enriched land is difficult for a soul with no spiritual soulprint of his own. Your father has reiatsu, however feeble, and he is native to Seireitei. More, though, this power has not been thrust upon him. This is his native spirit power – it is something he was born with and it is part of his soul. Severing it is probably no different from severing his life."

"Then…" Ryuu trailed off. "Then what does that mean, Sensei? Does that mean Father's life is beyond saving?"

Genryuusai glanced at Retsu, whose expression became sombre.

"Whilst this level of spirit power runs rampant around his body, I cannot use kidou to treat him," she said levelly. "The quantity of spiritual matter in this area now has massed to a level where even healing kidou is not likely to be safe. Whilst I don't believe there would be any particular fallout beyond this manor area, you must realise that using kidou would put other lives in danger and would most likely kill Seiren-sama as well. The same is true for my_ zanpakutou_. She has healing qualities, but I do not believe using her in this location would be beneficial."

She turned her gaze on Seiren, slipping slim fingers around his thin wrist to gauge his pulse.

"Your heart is beating quite strongly still, despite the effort you've been to," she said gently, addressing the injured man directly now. "A decision cannot be made here without your input, Seiren-sama. What is your wish? You understand, do you not, the severity of your condition? I imagine that is why you chose not to summon a doctor, and why you pulled away from your brother's court. You felt your life was tapering to a close and you did not wish to cause anyone any inconvenience – correct?"

"I…I didn't want Ryuu…to…" Seiren was unable to finish his sentence, and Ryuu grasped his father's other hand, squeezing it tightly.

"I am sorry I was defiant, and I am sorry I went to the Real World without permission," he said gravely. "I did not mean to alarm you, Otousama. This is in some way my fault – if I had not been so reckless in my judgement, you would not have been persuaded of my death."

Seiren shook his head slightly, and to Ryuu's surprise, there was a flicker of relief in the man's tired grey eyes.

"You're alive," he whispered. "It's enough."

Retsu was silent for a moment, deliberating, and Genryuusai cast her a quizzical glance.

"You have a suggestion, don't you?" he pressed gently. "Make it, please, Retsu. Even if you feel it's unwise, or dangerous, or might fail, I want you to voice it anyway. The Kuchiki have suffered much in the past few months, but it was a faint shred of hope that allowed Seiren-dono to fight to help his son today. If you have any such shred of hope to offer now, please offer it."

"I do," Retsu sighed, reluctance in her expression. "As a healer, it is not my wish to allow a patient to die unnecessarily, but I am also bound not to provoke further suffering. Seiren-sama's injuries are serious, and whilst this spirit power remains, I cannot treat them. They are severe enough to steal his life without my interference – and there is grave risk involved with the suggestion I can make."

"Please share your suggestion anyway, Retsu-dono," Guren requested. "You said already that this is Kuchiki land – this should be a decision for the Kuchiki to make."

"Very well," Retsu inclined her head. "Seiren-sama's spirit power is too far unleashed to be re-sealed. Unless it is removed in almost its entirety, he will continue to have episodes of this nature. As Genryuusai-sama has said, severing it is also not an option – to do so would probably now also sever Seiren-sama's life completely. In Seireitei, complete absence of reiatsu is not compatible with meaningful life."

She reached up to tuck a stray wisp of dark hair back behind her ear.

"As far as my knowledge goes, there is currently no cure for hollowfication," she added. "Since Seiren-sama has manifested a mask on two occasions, there is little doubt that it is in that direction his body is heading. I do not know whether he has crossed over the line too far or whether there is still something to be done. However, if we were to follow the example of the _reidoku_ casualties and administer Eiminyaku…"

"Eiminyaku?" Guren's expression changed, and he shook his head emphatically. "You mean, turn my brother into a memoryless, soulless zombie? Take away from him all life and function and make him as that Shihouin wretch was in his final days? You wish to give Seiren the same drug that was used to kill my Father? Retsu-dono, even in these desperate times…"

"Do it," Seiren's words were quiet, but firm, and Guren stopped mid-flow, turning to stare at his brother in disbelief.

"Seiren? Do you even understand what she said? Eiminyaku is what killed Father! It's destroyed thousands of lives and souls and who knows what kind of person you'll be when it's done eating away at you? This is too dangerous – there must be another way?" He looked at Retsu desperately, and the healer shook her head.

"There is no other way," she said soberly. "Eiminyaku is the only chemical that can reduce Seiren-sama's spirit power on a gradual enough scale that his weak body won't be sent into shock. Even using it, I cannot guarantee he will survive. I would measure quantities very carefully, but I can also not guarantee what the end result would be of using such a drug. It is reviled by most healers and I personally do not sanction its use – but in a situation like this, there is no other choice. If we do nothing, Guren-sama, your brother will lose what wits and strength he has remaining to him and he will die. More, he will probably hurt those close to him before he does."

"Retsu is saying that your choices are Eiminyaku or death," Genryuusai said quietly, "and if your choice be death, it would be kinder to take your blade and do it now, even if it means spilling your brother's blood."

"No!" Ryuu held up his hands, the tears now beginning to spill down his cheeks. "That's not fair, Sensei. Father hasn't said…"

He paused, feeling Seiren's fingers twitch weakly against his own.

"Otousama?" he murmured. "What is it…you want to do?"

Seiren was silent for a moment, his gaze pained, and Ryuu saw his eyes flit briefly to Guren. The Clan leader was tense, his eyes stricken and his mind obviously struggling with what he had been told, yet something in his brother's demeanour gave the injured man new strength. Slowly he inclined his head.

"This is…my life," he whispered. "The decision…is mine."

"Seiren…" Guren faltered, and Ryuu saw Seiren's eyes harden.

"If it kills me, so be it." he said, a little more presence in his voice this time, despite the fluctuating of his aura. "Please, Retsu-sama. If you…can preserve…"

He closed his eyes briefly, then,

"I will take…responsibility for my decision," he added. "But Father…gave me this life…to support my brother. Guren…is still here. So…must I...fight to be."

"_Seiren?_" Guren's eyes opened wide at this, and Ryuu's heart skipped a beat as he too registered the way in which his father had addressed his brother. For the first time there had been no honorific – no indication that Guren was Clan leader, nor pretence that he was the older twin. From the expression in Seiren's eyes, Ryuu suddenly understood.

_Father knew. The secret I discovered in the archive that day was something Father already knew...and more, he's known far longer than I. Perhaps Senaya-sama even told him, before he died, how things were supposed to be, yet instead of getting angry and rebelling, he chose to accept how things were and move on. He's supported Guren-sama from the shadows all the time knowing this...and he swore allegiance to Ribari-sama even though by doing so he knew it reduced the chances of my inheriting. If Father had truly wanted rid of Ribari-sama, he would have killed him much sooner, wouldn't he? On the contrary, though, he put Guren-sama's son first, even though he knew it was all Senaya-sama's manipulations that left things this way._

_My claim may have overreached Ribari-sama's on a technicality, but so long as my cousin lived, Father saw him and only him as the next Lord of the Kuchiki Clan._

He swallowed hard, glancing at his father's weak, crumpled form and his heart lurched suddenly in his chest as he began to see the strict Clansman in a new light.

_Father does not express well his feelings for anything, and it is a habit I have inherited in its entirety, so I should have seen it sooner. Father may or may not have resented Guren-sama when they were young, but right now, things have changed. The people Father cares for most strongly are his brother the Clan leader and me, his only son. They are words not said and so easily misunderstood...but right now I understand them more clearly than if he had shouted them from the rooftops. _

_ Guren-sama has always been strong, formidable, distant and impressive. To me and to all the other Kuchiki, he is a great Lord and a leader above our level. But to Father, Guren-sama is his twin brother. His younger twin brother._

Ryuu's gaze flitted again to Guren, his sharp eyes absorbing the unsettled, indecisive aura that pervaded the Clan leader's body. It was not an expression Ryuu was used to seeing on his uncle's face, but in that moment he realised how human Guren was under all the Kuchiki finery. He had always striven to match and overreach his legendary father and outside of District Six, his name was synonymous with great power, authority and honour. Yet here, dishevilled from the fallout of battle and with his brother's broken body lying mere inches from his feet he seemed a different man - a man remembering the loss of his beloved wife and only son, and perhaps a man wondering whether he was about to lose yet another of his close blood kin to enemy intrigue. That was the weight Senaya had bequeathed him, and Ryuu saw with startling clarity how hard a burden it truly was. The lives and futures of every soul in District Six depended on this one person to choose rightly and lead them to safety.

Ryuu's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, digesting this with all his usual logical precision.

_Maybe this is the only time Father can play the older brother and assume responsibility for a difficult decision, and so he will. It may be the first and last time he can take such a role, but by doing so, if it should go badly, he lifts the blame from Guren-sama's shoulders._

_Maybe I've been wrong about everything from the very beginning. Perhaps it's never been about status at all. Maybe it's deeper than that. What if the reason Father's always been so loyal is because, even if they fight, older brothers are meant to look after younger ones? What if that's what Father's been doing from the shadows ever since Senaya-sama died? I have no brothers of my own, and I have never reached out much to my sisters, nor have they towards me. But those I have met at the Academy have taught me that different perspectives exist. The bond Ukitake has with his siblings, or Kyouraku with Tokutarou-sama...even Kai's relationship with his older siblings is of a different nature from my own broken family bonds. _

He reached up to touch his throat once more, realising that the bleeding had stopped.

_More than anything now I understand what I must do. The things I don't know are so numerous they frighten me, and I must face that fact. Father and I may be alike in many ways, but not in the way that matters most significantly right now. I am still far too naive, and far too ignorant of the people who immediately surround me. I have made such horrendous misjudgements since Ribari-sama's death, and probably, since long before. This is a flaw and a weakness in myself, and I must face it. More, I must settle the future of the Clan. Events today have taught me what it is I need to do - and I must shortly find the courage to do it in full._

"If that is your decision, Seiren-sama, then I will accept it and take you at your word," Retsu's expression was resigned, but she inclined her head in agreement. "In your current state, taking you far from this place would be unwise and dangerous, but I believe the far portion of the east wing is still stable enough and will suffice as a sick room. It will take me an hour or two to prepare the Eiminyaku solution - in the meantime, Kuchiki-kun, will you help me to bring your father safely inside?"

"Of course," Ryuu nodded immediately. "I should...if possible, if there is anything I can do to help, I should like to remain here at Father's side."

"I believe Seiren-sama would find that a reassurance," Retsu bestowed a gentle smile on the young student. "I am glad you feel the same way."

"In the meantime, Guren-dono, you and I must consider the reason for which Retsu and I first came," Genryuusai said matter-of-factly. "Aizen has a head start on us...we must not waste any more time in tracking him down. We should return to the main manor and find out what your men have discovered - and more, give warning of the threat now loosed once more on your land."

"Seiren, are you sure about this?" Guren murmured, a question in his grey eyes, and Seiren smiled.

"Father...always said...my life was...for your sake," he responded softly. "I will...not disappoint...his expectations."

"Then I suppose there's nothing more for me to do but accompany you, Genryuusai-sama," Guren sighed, but there was resignation in his tones. "My duty is indeed to track down Aizen and take him either alive or dead. Till that is done, nobody can rightfully consider the threat to this District at an end - and as Head of the Kuchiki, I also have Father's expectations weighing over me."

* * *

It was a long shot, but he had to be sure.

Kazoe hurried along the halls of the school, his senses reaching out across the manor grounds in an attempt to locate a particular, familiar reiatsu. Though it seemed far-fetched, he could not shake it from his mind - the green haze of the First squad members' swords and then Enishi, telling him that Naoko was missing from the Healing Bay.

It surely couldn't be coincidence that he could no longer detect her presence within the school grounds.

He reached the Healing Bay, resting a hand on the door before pushing it back and stepping inside. Dearly he wished that his calm and rational Clan leader was there waiting for him, for he had never felt more bereft of her advice or guidance, but he knew that she was still far away in District Six and, as the most senior staff member and most thoroughly trained healing shinigami still based at the school, it was up to him to get to the bottom of things alone.

"Kazoe-sensei!"

A girl's voice made him pause, turning to see two of the Fourth years huddled in a corner of the main chamber, one of them with her arm firmly around the other's shoulders. Kazoe's eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he remembered Akaya's frantic report, and his gaze fell momentarily on Kaoru's pale features. She had pushed herself beyond her limits, but as far as he could tell, she was not hurt, and relief flooded his heart.

"Did you come here to find us?" It was Sakura who spoke, and Kazoe shook his head, crossing the room towards them.

"If you can walk, go to the Great Hall and stay there," he said quietly. "The rest of your class are there, including your young Urahara friend. I've put a secure barrier around it but it should let you enter. Houjou Enishi is in charge and will be on hand if you need help."

"Kaoru's still kinda shaken up, sir," Sakura hugged her friend tightly. "Did Akaya tell you what happened out at the training ground?"

"Yes. For that reason I want you to go," Kazoe agreed. "Nagasata, do you think you can stand?"

"If Sakura-san helps me, I'll manage," Kaoru's eyes were big and shadowy, but she nodded her head. "Sensei, is everyone all right? Akaya and everyone else...are they okay?"

"Everyone is fine," Kazoe agreed. "You should hurry along to join them as soon as possible. Oh, one moment," As Sakura got to her feet, reaching out a hand to help Kaoru up. "Have either of you spoken to Shikibu Naoko since you've been here? I imagine you may not know her by name, but a Senior girl with long auburn red hair and grey-green eyes?"

"We haven't seen anyone here," Kaoru shook her head. "Anideshi brought us here but there was nobody else on duty and no other patients."

"Ukitake did?" Kazoe frowned. "He's not still here?"

"He isn't," Sakura confirmed. "He didn't want to leave us here alone, but Nagoya-senpai gave him an instruction to go back and so he did."

Kazoe's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

_Nagoya's taking seriously Genryuusai-sama's instructions regarding Ukitake, then. Good. If there's something suspicious afoot, that wretched District boy is almost certain to get dragged into it, but if Nagoya really does have a hand on him, I can probably rest assured he's safe and out of trouble._

"Why should we have spoken to Shikibu-senpai?" Sakura was curious. "Is she in danger too?"

"She has been resting here for a few days with a lingering sickness, but it seems she is well enough to leave her bed," Kazoe spoke vaguely. "If you have not seen her, then it does not matter. I merely wanted to ensure all those who were currently within the Healing Bay's care were given the evacuation message. If she's not here, then I will look for her elsewhere."

"Oh," Sakura's face cleared and she shrugged. "I'm sorry, sir. We've definitely not seen any Senior girls since Anideshi left."

"Very well. Most likely she has rejoined her classmates, then, and I will speak to her later," Kazoe reflected. "That is all. You girls may go to the Great Hall now."

"Yes, sir," Sakura slipped her arm once more around Kaoru's diminuitive form, leading her gently towards the door of the Healing Bay when it slid back, revealing two blood-spattered figures. At the sight of them, Sakura let out a cry of dismay.

"Souryou-senpai? What happened? What happened?"

"Souryou...Michihashi?" Alarm glittered in Kazoe's clever eyes as he surveyed the state of the two Seniors. "Explain - Souryou, make Michihashi sit down before he loses any more blood than he already has. No, Michihashi, I don't want to hear a report from you. Souryou, you're a better colour - tell me what happened."

"We got attacked by one of the First Division," Kanshi cast Sakura a rueful smile, touching his wounded arm gingerly with a blood-smeared finger. "He came at us at speed and took both Aoi and I out before either of us realised what was going on. My injury isn't that bad, though, Sensei. Aoi's is worse, but he's doing all right, I think. Honestly, I'm glad you're here - we felt you ought to know, but then, judging by the state of the kidou classroom..."

"You are aware of that?" Kazoe's eyebrow twitched up, and Kanshi nodded.

"We heard it and saw it from the library window," he agreed. "That's where the Yamamoto - Gujihara, was that what Akira said? - attacked us."

"Gujihara Tetsu," Aoi confirmed, his words soft and careful as he manoeuvred his wounded body onto one of the pallets.

"You weren't alone? Others were with you?" Worst case scenarios flitted though Kazoe's mind, and Kanshi nodded.

"Shihouin, Endou and Akira," he agreed. "We don't know where Endou is - he hared off, and Shihouin thinks he might have gone looking for Shikibu. There's something up with her sword and the way Gujihara-senpai attacked us, and the next thing we knew, Endou was gone. Shihouin and Akira have also gone looking for Shikibu now. They think she might be in trouble."

"Shikibu-senpai?" Kaoru murmured softly. "Sensei, wasn't that the Senior you were looking for?"

"Yes," Inwardly Kazoe berated Kanshi's loose tongue, but there was no helping it now. "But that isn't a concern of yours. I've already given you a clear instruction, and I expect you to obey it."

"But if Souryou-senpai and Michihashi-senpai are hurt, can't we help them?" Sakura begged, genuine anxiety in her eyes as she surveyed their blooded clothing. "There's nobody on duty here, and Unohana-sensei's still away."

Kazoe sighed, sliding his hand once more around the hilt of his sword and pulling it from its sheath.

"Souryou, you said yours is a flesh wound," he said categorically, using the weapon to indicate a box of cleaning poultices and bandages on a nearby shelf. "Take that and clean yourself up. Takaoka and Nagasata can help you if they're so keen to. When you're done, take the two of them to the Great Hall to join their classmates. Houjou is already there and he'll explain to you what I've already told him. Michihashi can be left to me for now - do as I say and don't waste time."

"Yes, sir," Kanshi's normally playful gaze became serious and he nodded, moving to the far side of the chamber and loosening the ties on his damaged _hakamashita_. "You heard him, kids - over here, out of his way. I think Sensei's going to release his sword, and it's probably better you don't interfere."

"But should we really be helping to undress a Senior student who's a boy?" Kaoru was recovering her colour now, eying Kanshi doubtfully. "Isn't that against rules, to do something like that?"

"I think we can safely call these emergency conditions," Kanshi laughed, slipping off his _hakamashita _and flexing his damaged arm ruefully. "I'm covered in blood and I may need your help to reach all of it. I realise it's an imposition, but since you girls are here..."

"I'll help," Sakura said quickly, her cheeks flushed red and her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Kaoru-chan, you should sit quietly and get your strength back. It only takes one of us to help Souryou-senpai, and you're still not fully fit."

"Kazoe-sensei?" As Kazoe turned his attention back to the Urahara boy, Aoi spoke, his eyes full of consternation.

"You shouldn't bother speaking till I've done something basic about this injury," Kazoe spoke briskly, using the sharp end of his sword to cut through the ties of the wrecked _hakamashita _and peeling the blood-stained layers back to reveal the damage below. "You're lucky. It's a more serious blow than Souryou's, but mostly glancing all the same. It's cut a rib, but it hasn't broken right through it. I can't heal bone and my sword isn't designed to do the things some other healers' swords are, but I can still do something about the bleeding. _Suikonde, Seidoiki._"

The weapon hummed and glittered once more with light, and Kazoe hovered the shining blade a few inches above Aoi's red-splotched chest, spreading his left hand over it to draw together his _reiryoku_with the healing spells he had studied as a young boy in District Four. A soft glow spread out around Aoi's body, engulfing the split skin in its aura and dispersing the blood into harmless specks of dust as it sterilised the wound against infection. Aoi flinched slightly at the sudden warm sensation that coursed across his cold skin.

"It will sting a little, but not for long," Kazoe spoke evenly. "Take your mind off it and tell me - quietly, please - what you believe happened in the library. You're a smart boy and not given to drama or exaggeration, so I'll consider your words exact."

"Gujihara-senpai attacked us unexpectedly," Aoi fidgeted his body into a more comfortable position. "Kazoe-sensei, I might be wrong but I think that he was being controlled by Shikibu's _zanpakutou_. Shihouin told us about it - what it can do - and it seems logical to me. Shikibu faced Aizen Keitarou alone in the Real World and yet he left her alive. We think he did something to her then and this is the result."

"Mm," Kazoe's eyes darkened.

_Yes. I believe I feel the same._

Out loud he said,

"And Shihouin and Yamamoto went to find Shikibu because of this?"

"Yes," Aoi nodded slightly. "We figured that it might not just have been Gujihara-senpai affected, especially since something obviously happened in the kidou classroom. They thought that if they found Shikibu and stopped her, then things might calm down."  
_  
Houjou said Edogawa and Shiba are also looking for Shikibu. _

Kazoe processed this carefully, then,

"When I've finished patching you up, you're to go to the Great Hall too," he said quietly. "Take it slowly. This injury is not life threatening, but in your current condition I would not recommend you enter into any strenuous physical activity. You're not mistaken - there have been other like incidents in both the Fourth and First year classes. The Great Hall has been secured and I hope it will be safe. My intention is for all students to gather there...you can leave the matter of Shikibu to me."

"Yes, sir," Aoi looked relieved, Kazoe thought, and another idea crossed his mind.

"Michihashi, Yamamoto and Shihouin were only looking for Shikibu, correct?"

"I'm not sure," Aoi admitted. "I mean, that's what they were saying but...we weren't sure if it meant that the exile was also in this area. Akira's pretty mad on finding Aizen Keitarou, because of what happened to Suzuno. I think Shihouin is tagging along with him to prevent him doing anything rash, but...I think it would be much better if you found Shikibu, Sensei, and sent the two of them to the Hall as well."

"Agreed," Kazoe said grimly, lifting his hand from his blade and the glow of kidou slowly disappeared. "That's as much as I can do with the skills I have, but I don't think you'll harm from this encounter."

He turned, taking one of the white robes down from a peg and tossing it in his student's direction.

"Souryou and the girls have gone," he observed. "Can you manage on your own or shall I take you to join them?"

"I'll be all right," Aoi took the robe gratefully, slipping it around his upper body and pulling it tight over the sealed up wound. "I think it's more important to find Shikibu right now."

"Then go," Kazoe instructed. "I'll join you in the Hall later, but I also think it's a bad idea to let my kinswoman roam unchecked in a situation such as this."

_If only Retsu-sama was here. She'd get to the bottom of things so much more quickly._

As he watched the fair-haired Urahara make his way slowly and gingerly down the corridor towards the passage that led to the Great Hall, Kazoe leaned up against the wall of the Healing Bay, once more attempting to spread his senses far and wide in a search for Naoko's reiatsu. It was frustrating, he realised bitterly, that though he had often been praised as a young man, his skills had always been more given over to kidou and spell-casting than they ever had the sensing of disjointed reiatsu. If the injury was presented before him, he could pick up the vibes but in a case such as this, when a second member of his Clan might be in real danger of her life, his abilities were painfully limited.

_If Retsu-sama was here, she'd know where Naoko was already._

Kazoe ran his fingers through his thick dark hair.

_I don't want to lose another student. More, I don't want Retsu-sama to lose another young Unohana. She's been so kind to me in the years we've known one another. If I can repay her generosity towards me by intervening and helping Naoko, I will. But can I? Michihashi's confirmed my worst fears. I thought it odd Aizen had let her go to begin with, but I never even thought that something like this could be the reason why. Given how this man works, he'll no doubt discard her as soon as he's done with her, and that might well mean losing her her life. Can it even be reversed? I wonder. If he's managing to operate through Naoko's zanpakutou, it means he's pretty deep inside her system. Maybe it's already too late to recover her - but finding her before more trouble happens is important._

It would help if I had a spiritual clue to go on, but as a healer, this is where I fail the most. My senses aren't naturally sensitive, and I lack the final training to use what little I have.

"Kazoe-sensei! Kazoe-sensei!"

As he turned towards the school grounds, he was accosted by an agitated Kira Hideharu, who grasped his wrists urgently as he struggled to draw breath. He had clearly been running, Kazoe realised, and from the unusually unkempt nature of the boy's appearance, he deduced that he had come from the direction of the gymnasium, where Minabe was currently holding a class.

"Kazoe-sensei, Minabe-sensei sent me to find you!" Kira drew gulps of air into his lungs, gazing at the Kidou teacher with an intensity that bordered between fanatical and hysterical. "First squad tried to attack the gym, and Minabe-sensei sent me to tell you!"

_The gymnasium? During one of Minabe's classes? Do they have a death wish?_

Kazoe disentangled Kira's fingers from his sleeve, giving the boy a short, sharp, shake.

"Calm down and speak coherently," he snapped. "What occurred? Where are these First Squad members now?"

"They're in the gym. Kamaki-kun and Kobayashi-kun are sitting on them, sir," Kira gabbled out, his cheeks unusually red from his dash through the school buildings. "Minabe-sensei took them down. She was cross, and because I'm no good at anything physical, she sent me to find you to tell you what had happened. She said that you'd want to know, and so I came to find you but you weren't in your office and the kidou classroom was in pieces and..."

"Okay, enough," Kazoe sighed, holding up his hand to stop the eager Fifth year in his tracks. "I understand the message. Minabe-sensei has the situation under control, so it seems. I want you to return there and tell her I am looking into this with top level priority. Tell her to send any members of Fifth Year not currently engaged in restraining the First squad members to the Great Hall. I'm assembling everyone there. Oh, and Kira? Tell Kamitani and Atsudane to detour to the Hohou classrooms and the Sakusen theory chamber. I want the Second and Third Years to report to the Hall as soon as possible. Tell them to tell Uebashi-sensei that this is my instruction and he's to have the Second years there as soon as possible - the Third Year should have a private reading session so make sure they also understand their orders."

He eyed Kira doubtfully.

"Did you take all of that in? Repeat it please, so I know you understood."

"Yes, sir." Kira stood up straight, tension clear in his thin frame. "I'm to tell Minabe-sensei that you want any Fifth years not involved with the First squad members to report to the Great Hall. I'm also to tell Kamitani-kun and Atsudane-kun to go to the Hohou and Sakusen rooms respectively, so that the Second and Third year can also be assembled in the Great Hall."

"Good lad." Kazoe patted him approvingly on the shoulder. "Go on then. Go as quickly as you can - you can leave everything else to the Seniors and I to take care of."

_I hope._

Kira looked relieved, and he bowed his head, before turning on his heel and haring back the way he had come.

_That boy is fine so long as you give him firm instructions, but I do wonder what kind of a shinigami he's going to make._

Kazoe let out his breath in a rush.

_At least I can trust him to relay what I told him promptly and accurately. I should be thankful for small mercies. If the whole rest of the school are in the Great Hall, and Uebashi's also there, I shouldn't need to worry about impromptu attacks on any more of the juniors. And, since I can't find head nor tail of Naoko by myself, there's only on other place I can go.  
_  
He swung around, heading very purposefully along the halls towards the headmaster's study.

_It's about time this bodyguard of Genryuusai-sensei's proved his worth to us. He's supposed to protect the students at this school - I'm going to make sure that's what he does._

* * *

"I know it doesn't seem possible, but Naoko really doesn't seem to be anywhere."

Sora dropped down against the school fence to catch her breath, casting her companion a hopeless look. "So much for tracking her down and taking her back safely to the Healing Bay, Mi-chan. We've been all over and not just us. If Houjou had found her, by now he'd have come to tell us, right? It's like she's disappeared into thin air."

She turned, pressing her hands absently against the slatted pieces of wood.

"I almost wonder if she's left the school completely," she added softly. "I don't know how upset she is at the moment, but if she really wanted to get away from people's scrutiny..."

"She hasn't left the school grounds." At her side, Mitsuki shook her head, a look of clear consternation in her grey eyes. "Sora-chan, something is afoot. Don't you feel it? All over the school, bursts of energy here, there, everywhere. It's as though there's a battle going on which we're not involved in - I can't explain it any more than that, but that's how it seems to me."

"A battle, huh?"

Sora turned her attention back towards the school building with a heavy sigh.

"If you can feel it too, I guess I can't pretend Hotarue's imagined it, then."

"Hotarue's sensed it?" Mitsuki's brow creased. "Why didn't you mention it sooner? I've been trying to tell myself that it's nothing, or that I'm just worrying about Naoko, but the truth is a lot of strange signals have been blocking and blurring my senses since we set out after breakfast. Always bearing in mind this is a practical school and things like _zanpakutou_ training and magic spell casting happen all of the time, I thought I was reading too much into it, but..."

"Katen Kyoukotsu," Sora offered her friend a bleak smile. "Hotarue's tuned into Shunsui's _zanpakutou_ like you wouldn't believe. The moment she senses its release, she's fluttering around all over my brain to tell me. I think she took more seriously than I did Okaasama and Tokutarou-nii's request to keep an eye on the idiot when we first came here - and I definitely felt Katen Kyoukotsu release."

"I did too," Mitsuki admitted. "The thing is, though, Shirogane-senpai has him and Juushirou helping with a zanjutsu class. There's just a chance that Kyouraku-kun released his weapon for that purpose, which is why I've not acted on it. It's just...I thought I felt other...things, too. Everything's flooding my mind and it's hard for me to try and track Naoko down."

"We're a long way from the school building here, and twice as far from the training grounds," Sora reflected. "We've walked the length and breadth of the Academy's perimeter looking for clues and we've not found anything. I know you don't want to worry anyone or get Nao-chan into trouble, but surely we can't keep doing this without alerting someone on the staff that she's missing. While I don't think Nao's the type to go crazy and try to hurt herself, Amai-san's death was a big deal to her, wasn't it? Probably she's not thinking too clearly, and we can't just give up."

"Mm. Especially now, while Sensei is away," Mitsuki murmured. "I can't help it, Sora, but I'm sure something is very wrong. It's not just that Sensei's gone, it's that Kinnya-sama was here, and then..."

She drew breath sharply, clamping her hand over her mouth, but her friend was on her like a shot.

"Kinnya-sama?" she demanded, grabbing her companion and giving her a little shake. "Kinnya-sama as in Juushirou's grandfather Kinnya-sama? The hermit who you and Kuchiki said never leaves his coastal manor?"

"Till this, I didn't know he did. Truthfully, till this I'd never met him," Mitsuki reddened, disentangling herself from her roommate's grip. "I'm sorry, Sora. I wasn't supposed to tell you or anyone. Sensei thought it would create panic if people knew a high-ranking member of my Clan was suddenly here. Sensei and Ryuu disappeared not long after that meeting, but Kinnya-sama and Shirogane-senpai have stayed behind and I can't help but think it's to protect the school in some way from whatever enemy might try to take advantage of Sensei's absence."

"But Sensei has members of First squad here, too," Sora pointed out. "I know we all had that talk the other night about what to do if Aizen shows his ugly mug around these parts, but I'm not seriously sure he's going to do that. What he wants is in Sixth, so I don't see that he'd come here. Still, I guess maybe Guren-sama thought it mattered...and sent his...uncle? to take care of things as insurance."

"Yes. Uncle." Mitsuki nodded. "I'm not sure. It just gave me a bad feeling that someone who hasn't involved themselves in anything suddenly travelled all this way and his doing so has been so hushed up. He's here, I know he is. I can sense his reiatsu, even though he has it suppressed to a really low level. He hasn't come to any meals, though, and I'm not sure precisely where he's staying, only that it's here, somewhere."

"In case Aizen shows?"

"Who knows?" Mitsuki shrugged helplessly. "I don't know what kind of spirit power Kinnya-sama has, or if he even has a _zanpakutou_ any more. He didn't seem to be carrying one when we met him in the halls...so maybe he doesn't. Perhaps it's not that at all. It just put me on edge, especially since Sensei and Retsu-sama both left the school and took Ryuu as well."

"Well, unless you want to go hunt for this mysterious kinsman of yours, I vote we keep hunting for Naoko," Sora said pragmatically. "There's one place we haven't gone, and even though she's not necessarily going to be there, we might manage to get some help without alerting Kazoe to the fact a Senior is missing."

She gestured towards the makeshift First division barracks.

"The shinigami are here to protect us and help us out," she added. "Let's ask them to do just that."

"Ask...them."

Mitsuki turned her attention on the building, a strange sensation assailing her as she rested her gaze on the door. "No...Sora...I don't think...I don't think we can..."

"Why not?" Sora frowned, linking her arm in her classmate's and leading her purposefully across the grass towards the wooden structure. "They have resources we don't have and they can leave the school without getting permission, so if she's wandered beyond this line, they can go looking where we can't. It seems like the best idea to me - I know you don't want her to get in trouble and nor do I, but her safety is important too."

"There's nobody there," as they drew closer, a cold chill rippled through Mitsuki's body and she stopped, dragging Sora back with her and gazing at the building in consternation. "It's empty, Sora. Empty."

"Empty?" Sora frowned. "What, completely? No shinigami at all? What on earth are they doing, then? Even if some of them are patrolling, a few of them ought to be here."

"They're not," Mitsuki gripped Sora's arm tight enough to make her friend wince. "Sora, that place...it's wrong. Everything is wrong. There's no shinigami, just...something else."

"What are you talking about?" Sora wrenched her arm free, rubbing it with a grimace. "And that hurt. If something's bothering you, speak up and explain it to me - otherwise we're going in to see if we can find any clue to where the shinigami have got to, all right? Class or not, Shunsui's sword release is still bothering me more than a little, and I'd like to make sure everything back there is all right."

"I don't think it is," Mitsuki's skin was ash pale and she tugged on Sora's sleeve, gesturing in the direction of the building. "Look."

Sora turned, a retort fresh on her lips but it died almost as soon as she caught sight of what her friend had seen.

In the doorway of the wooden building, where moments ago there had been nobody was a figure, a strange, empty expression in her grey-green eyes and something long and sharp clutched in her right hand. An odd aura of green light prickled across the blade and around her body, and as Mitsuki stared at her missing friend, the sensation of unease in the pit of her stomach threatened to overwhelm her.

"Naoko," she whispered.

"Nao-chan, what are you doing here?" Sora darted forwards. "We've been worried sick - have you been hiding out here with the shinigami or something? You could've given us warning!"

"Sora! No! Get away from her!" Mitsuki shrieked, grabbing hold of her friend and yanking her forcibly back. "Look at her! She's not herself, look!"

"But...Mi-chan, it's Naoko!" Sora protested. "She's our friend - right?"

"Right now I don't know what she is. Even, _who_ she is," Mitsuki's eyes became grave as she assessed her older classmate's strange appearance. Naoko was ash pale, the odd green aura accentuating her pallor and making her appear more spectral than alive. The weapon clutched tightly in her right fist was unmistakeably Dokusou Houshi, but there was an odd silverish veneer to the blade's usual release, and no recognition had flashed into the girl's eyes at the sound of her name.

More troubling than that, though, was Naoko's reiatsu.

Mitsuki bit her lip.

_I'm standing here looking right at her, but even with her sword released, I can't sense her at all. It's as though Naoko isn't really there...though I can see her, there's nothing there but Naoko's body wielding a soulless sword._

"Who she is?" Sora was confused. "Mi-chan..."

"_Dokusou Houshi. Doku o_."

Naoko's voice was hard and mechanical, and before Sora could finish her sentence the Unohana had brought her weapon swiftly across from left to right in a jerky movement, sending a bevy of eerie greenish spores out across the divide between them. Sora cursed, her fingers closing around her own weapon and yanking it free of its sheath, almost splitting right through the polished wood scabbard in her urgency to have her sword free. With a few slashes of her blade she dispersed the cloud of ominous green fragments, grabbing Mitsuki by the arm and pulling her back behind a nearby tree.

"Okay, so I'd say that proves you right," she muttered, glancing at Hotarue's blade and grimacing at the smudge marks the spores had left against the smooth surface. "Any bright ideas about what's going on? You said you weren't sure who Nao was right now - are you going to tell me something I don't want to hear about who she thinks she might be?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure," Mitsuki admitted, agitation in her grey eyes. "I just can't feel any trace of Naoko's spirit power, Sora. I can see her there and her sword is obviously released. More, that was definitely one of Dokusou Houshi's shikai attacks, so there's no mistaking that. Even so, though, I can't pick up the faintest hint of Naoko's reiatsu. It's as though something has burrowed right into her and consumed her from the inside...leaving just a shell and that sword."

"Aizen Keitarou?" Sora asked softly, and Mitsuki shrugged.

"I don't know who else can make people into puppets." She admitted. "The truth is, though, Sora, none of us have seen what someone looks or acts like under the influence of that man's sword. Kyouraku-kun would know, and so would Juushirou, but they're the only ones who would. If this is his work, I can't be sure about it. I only saw Onoe-kun in the Real World, and by that point he really...wasn't Onoe-kun any more anyway."

"Do you think that could have happened to Nao-chan?" Sora looked stricken, and Mitsuki shook her head.

"Eiminyaku doesn't work this quickly," she said grimly, poking her head out around the tree to gaze at the green-shaded apparition once more. "Besides, if this is Aizen's work, there's only one time he could have done this to her. It must have happened when Amai-san was killed. He let Naoko go, then. We should have realised that he hadn't really let her go at all. What he'd done was plant something inside of her. While Sensei was still here, he probably left it dormant, but if I can't sense it, maybe even Retsu-sama couldn't pick up on this either. When Aizen controlled Eiraki-chan, I couldn't feel her reiatsu until the spell had been broken. What if this is the same? Sensei's not in District One to protect us, so now the parasite has woken up and she's obeying orders we can't see or hear."

She closed her eyes, spreading out her senses across the school grounds.

"I have a bad feeling about what this means," she whispered, opening her eyes. "I'm picking up...several disjointed signals across the Academy. I think...I think that Naoko hasn't just come here to wait for us to fall across her path. There's a very good reason she's come here of all places and I think...she's probably been here since she disappeared from the Healing Bay."

"Here...as in, the First division barracks?" Sora demanded. Mitsuki nodded.

"There's fighting going on within the school proper," she said grimly. "I can't feel Naoko, but I can feel something dark here and I can feel that across the Academy, too, in fits and starts. It's like a code I can't break - I can't identify it clearly, but I know it's there all the same. I'm wondering if the reason Aizen let Naoko live wasn't so that she could run off and create a distraction. I wonder if he found another use to put Dokusou Houshi to."

Sora's brows knitted together.

"Something involving First squad?" she asked soberly. "Thinking about Nao's sword, the options are none of them pretty."

"Poison, sleep, absorption," Mitsuki agreed. "Maybe it's a combination of them all. Naoko isn't capable of using her shikai to that high a level, and I don't think on her own she'd be able to combine all of those attacks and be effective. However, if someone else is tapping into her spirit power, maybe they can see ways in which to use Naoko's skills to their own advantage. They probably don't care if they overload Naoko's body in the meantime. She's just a tool in a bigger plan."

"But Naoko could be killed!" Anger and indignation glittered in Sora's green eyes, and Mitsuki nodded.

"Very likely, and others too," she said darkly. "Sora, did you notice? When we were right in front of her, Naoko swung at us. She attacked us because we were in her line of fire – but we're not the ones she's targeting specifically and so when we pulled back, she didn't follow. It's more that she's trying to keep us out of that building, which means that we're probably right and First Squad are not their normal selves."

"If we went in there, what would we find?" Sora whispered, and Mitsuki chewed down on her lip, her gaze drifting from Naoko's stiff form to the shadowy doorway beyond. Something dark caught her eye and her heart skipped a beat, the cold sense of dread washing in waves once more over her body.

"Blood," she breathed.

"Blood?" Sora's eyes became huge. "Mi-chan, are you trying to tell me that there are…well…dead people in there?"

"I think it's a very real possibility," Mitsuki said softly, shaking her head as if to clear it. "I can't pick up the traces of anyone who's wounded, and if they were hurt, I'm sure I would. Having said that, though, I still can't find Naoko…so maybe my senses aren't as clear about this as they usually are."

"Maybe Naoko's sword is blocking you from sensing them," Sora said hopefully. "Either way, if there are people hurt inside that building, you need to get to them."

"I can't fight Naoko, though," Mitsuki looked troubled. "Yuuyugo is useless in that kind of confrontation. She's a healing sword and my skills are well below Naoko's when it comes to sealed combat. It's only made worse by the fact my sword knows Nao-chan is my friend."

"Your sword skills may be limited, but mine aren't," sora said simply. "I'll deal with Naoko. Hotarue and I will, somehow. I'll distract her attention and you get inside that building. Be careful though, all right? There might be other zombie-shinigami lurking inside there, and if there are, I won't be able to come defend you from them right away."

"You…won't hurt her, will you?" Mitsuki sent her friend a doubtful look, and Sora shook her head impatiently.

"She's my friend, too. Of course not," she said frankly. "I may try and knock her out, but that's as far as I'll take it. I want to bring her back to her senses, and I don't really intend on getting poisoned, sucked dry or put to sleep in the meantime. Hotarue isn't ideal for fighting Naoko's sword type, but in comparison to Yuuyugo, it's the best option we have going. I outrank Naoko in every subject, Mi-chan. That includes zanjutsu. I can handle this."

"This isn't Naoko as she usually is, though," Mitsuki warned. "She's almost certainly using a wider range of spiritual ability than she normally can, if she's really managing to manipulate squad shinigami through her sword."

"Maybe, but if she's doing that, she won't be able to use her full arsenal on me," Sora said sensibly. "Look, the longer we delay, the longer this goes on. We're both worried about the strain on Nao-chan's body, aren't we? And you want to know if there are injured people inside that building. The only solution is to do things my way and go at it direct."

She glanced at Hotarue, rubbing the blade clean of the spore residue, then,

"Any objections?"

"I guess not," Mitsuki sighed, rubbing her temples. "There isn't really another option, is there? You're right. Just because I can't sense it doesn't mean there isn't someone hurt in there who needs my – and Yuuyugo's help. I think you're right – Naoko's aura is blocking my senses from picking up all the things it usually does, because now we're this close to it I can't pick up as many spirit strands from the main school building as I could before. It's possible that just by breathing the air around her, both your and my spirit power is being dulled…and that means we can't risk wasting time."

"Can Naoko do that?" Sora paused, eying Mitsuki in surprise, and Mitsuki shrugged.

"Not yet," she responded. "If someone is dragging out skills that she hasn't mastered, though, all bets are off."

"Then there's even more reason why snapping her out of it quickly is a good idea," Sora grimaced, glancing at her sword then flicking it out horizontally from her body, allowing it to be bathed in a ghostly haze of light.

"_Tobe, Hotarue."_

Mitsuki was aware of a flutter of spiritual energy as the youngest Shiba girl's sword responded to its mistress's commands, a spectral pair of insect wings springing forth briefly from the silver blade before disappearing in a shower of iridescent rain. Several of the fragments landed on the blade, making it glitter and glow as though covered with a thousand tiny fireflies, each vying for the best place across the smooth surface. Mitsuki had seen her friend's sword release before in training, many times, but though Sora often complained about the _zanpakutou_'s scatty spirit, at that moment every glowing fragment was perfectly in place, creating the illusion that the Shiba girl's blade was one solid beam of light.

Sora gave the weapon a little shake, then offered Mitsuki a rueful smile.

"Hopefully you won't need to patch me up when we're done, but make sure you save a bit of Yuuyugo for Nao-chan," she said flippantly. "She's never been that good at taking on my blade."

"You be careful too," Mitsuki ordered. "I don't want to patch up anyone I don't have to, so don't let knowing I'm here make you careless."

"Warning noted," Sora's expression became serious and she nodded her head. "All right. I guess this is it, then. Come on, Hotarue. It's time we reminded Nao-chan that we're friend, not foe."

* * *

**Author's Note: OC Zanpakutous again**

**Meimei Anshi ****冥冥暗死****(or ****冥々暗死****)**

_This chapter title can refer either to Seiren or to Kai's __**Meimei Anshi,**__ either is as good as the other for both are 'Guardians of Darkness'._

Meimei Anshi's name essentially means "_Divine, Invisible, Dark, Death"_ _which seemed to be an appropriate moniker for an assassin's sword. Though Kai is not a typical assassin, it made sense to me for his zanpakutou to be based around facets of stealth and concealment rather than kidou or elements of a more traditional kind._

_(The reason I've given two ways to write it is a Japanese convention with double kanji - often when a kanji repeats the second character is replaced by the small diamondish shaped marker rather than being written out in full. The meaning and reading remain the same.)_

_As Kai explained to Akira, his sword divides its reiatsu into a cloak to conceal the user from outside sight and detection. Kai can deflect this technique over someone else if need be, but whether he or a comrade are shielded, Kai's speed is increased and his physical strength decreased to compensate. His sword's unsealed form is only visible to others if he has cloaked someone else, not if he is behind the cloak himself, therefore it is something most of his companions have never seen. Kai is still quite new to using his weapon, and so he is not able to fully exploit all of its capabilities yet. He can also only hold the cloak in place for a short period of time, though as his training intensifies, so does that ability strengthen. In released form, Meimei relies on Kai's natural skill with a sword to drive home its advantages - it is not a weapon that shoots beams of energy, but a tool most adapted to stealth warfare._

_Kai's future path beyond the Academy is to be the first head of the Shihouin's Onmitsukidou, and therefore his zanpakutou has been designed with that in mind. In its sealed form, Meimei is jet black from hilt to tip with only a flash of gold across the hilt, and in released form is entirely black._

_Meimei Anshi's release command is "Sugata o keshite" which means, "Conceal yourself"._

**Hotarue ****蛍恵**  
_  
More about this next chapter, but in case people are wondering, Sora's sword has some light-elements on account of her being Kyouki's daughter. Anyone who's read Third Chronicle may remember Kyouki's battle against Seimaru and her 'night moon' 'day moon' attacks…Sora's is not quite as dramatically impressive nor is it the same kind of native light-based power, but I like to link things through family lines where possible. Sora's release appearance also connects to the sword's name, which will be explained more in the next chapter's AN._


	68. Gravity's Pull

**Chapter Sixty Six: Gravity's Pull**

That had been close.

Keitarou huddled in the grove, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to steady his racing heartbeat. His trembling fingers stretched up towards his throat, touching gingerly the bruised skin that soon would bear weal marks as ugly and purple as those Guren bore about his own neck. When Seiren had grabbed him, the lunge had taken him completely off guard. He had not anticipated such a direct attack and had been helpless to react against it. In those few moments his whole life had flashed before his eyes, and for the first time in more than a hundred years he had feared his luck had run out.

He was not sure why the creature – for Seiren was doubtlessly a creature, not a man of any kind – had loosed his hold, nor had he lingered to find out. He had bought time by playing with fire, but he had promised Eiraki not to get killed and he had almost broken that promise.

A rueful, hollow smile touched his lips.

Almost, but not quite.

He pulled Chudokuga out from where he had hurriedly thrust it beneath his cloak, examining its surface briefly for any sign of damage. It still glittered with a faintly green light, but otherwise it remained unchanged from before, and relief flickered in his muddy eyes.

There was still everything to play for.

Running his fingers through the air in front of him, he carefully picked out the stray, broken threads of spirit matter that formed his hidden door. Guren had succeeded in shutting off all of the legitimate Senkaimon in District Six, as well as a good number of illicit ones, for Keitarou had left spirit clues to entice the Sixth Squad to find many of his gates. It had been a gamble he had employed in order to keep this one hidden – it was the most unreliable and unstable of all of the illegal Senkaimon he had built around Seireitei, but that also made it the easiest one to hide. There would be no Hell Butterfly to guide him, and he would have to rely entirely on his own wits to make it safely from one place to the next.

With painstaking precision, he drew his tantou knife through the thick, cold air, igniting his spirit power against those stray fibres and bringing them together in an unsteady chain. Chudokuga glittered slightly, then the atmosphere warped and began to divide, revealing a gaping black darkness beyond.

A step inside might mean escape, or it might mean death – but staying in Sixth District was no longer an option.

_I have unfinished business with people in District One._

Without hesitation, Keitarou stepped purposefully into the opening, not even pausing to watch the fragments of air knit themselves closed behind him. His way was forward, not back…forward to where his wife was waiting.

And not just his wife.

Keitarou's lips twitched into a smile.

_I'm sure you're expecting me too, Juushirou. I won't disappoint you._

* * *

"I'd like an explanation."

Kazoe pushed open the door of the Headmaster's study, sliding his slim body around the wooden divide and into the room proper. From his position at the window, the room's other occupant turned, a rueful smile touching his lips as he took in the expression on the Kidou instructor's features.

"I was waiting for you," he said lightly. "Well? What report do you bring, Kazoe-sensei?"

"Report?" Kazoe's lips thinned. "I suppose you might call it that. I'm somewhat concerned that Genryuusai-sensei's request for school protection might have been misunderstood, and so I came to ensure that matter was put right."

"Misunderstood…" Kinnya rubbed his chin, leaning up against the wall as he considered the younger man's words. "No, I don't believe so. Why?"

"Are you aware of what is happening currently within the school grounds?" Kazoe was almost beside himself with anger. "Innocent students are being attacked by members of a full blown shinigami squad who are undoubtedly under the influence of another more sinister foe! One of my kinsfolk is currently missing and I suspect her to be in great danger! Students are being forced into confronting these shinigami with their own half-formed blades – some taking injury in the process! In that circumstance, Kinnya-sama, what do you see as 'protecting the school?'"

"Mm." Kinnya's expression became troubled, and he nodded his head. "I see your point."

"Then with all respect, what are you going to do about it!"

"You must be quite a formidable teacher where your students are concerned." Kinnya observed frankly. "I imagine that not a single one of them dares to disobey you when you look at them with quite that expression."

"Do you mean to patronise me?" Kazoe's eyes glinted dangerously. "I am well below your rank and status, and I know that all too well. But this school is Genryuusai-sensei's project and within its walls I am a senior instructor with a good amount of influence. The lives of these children are not things that can be discarded without a second thought – I would have thought you'd know that, being that Guren-sama sent you to us!"

"Indeed." Kinnya's expression became grave and he inclined his head slowly. "You have my apologies, Kazoe. I did not mean to offend you, but I can see that I have."

"What I want from you is some indication that their safety matters," Kazoe said darkly. "Perhaps they're not all Kuchiki, and a good number may well be District born, but they are all talented young ones who will give much to Soul Society in the future. They are not expendable, any one of them!"

"I agree," Kinnya moved across the room, and Kazoe's eyes became slits as he registered the fact the old man was no longer leaning so heavily on his cane but instead stood relatively upright, the shuffling gait all but gone from his walk. "For that reason, I remain here."

"I don't follow," Kazoe folded his arms across his chest. "I don't understand your rationale, and having already treated a few students for minor injuries this morning, I'm going to risk overstepping my standing in questioning it openly. How can you protect them by staying here? As far as I see it, there's no reason for you to be in District One if this is all you can do."

"On the contrary," Kinnya raised his cane, running his fingers over the knots and grooves and Kazoe watched as the wooden seal dissipated into nothing, revealing a slim, glittering _katana_ beneath. "It's not as simple as you think it is for me to charge into this fight, Kazoe-sensei. I understand your concern for the students – indeed, I share it. However, you need to understand that what is currently a manageable problem under reasonable control would soon become a very different matter if I were to release my _zanpakutou_ in the midst of so many young and impressionable souls."

"Meaning…"

"Raiu is not a weak _zanpakutou_," Kinnya said mildly. "I also haven't used it in a very long time. As a young man, perhaps, my control was perfect enough to guarantee nobody nearby would be permanently scarred by its effects, and once upon a time I could boast a powerful Bankai that answered my every command. That was then, however, and this is now. Now I am old and out of practice, and I don't know what will happen when I bring it even to shikai."

"I see," Kazoe chewed on his lip. "Your involvement would be detrimental, in fact?"

"I could not guarantee the lives, even, of the very youngest," Kinnya said gravely, lifting the sword to glance at it before sliding it into the empty sheath at his waist. "Therefore I'll only resort to that eventuality if there is truly no other option. The students are under attack, but by your report and by my own senses I know they are managing admirably. They have you, and Shirogane also, to support their cause, and this is also a valuable experience for them considering the futures they've all chosen. I entrusted Shirogane with special responsibility in this matter, because unlike me his _reiryoku_ is unlikely to damage young reiatsu."

He sighed, rubbing his temples as if by doing so he could remove the lines of age.

"My grandson is among those young ones," he said softly. "He and I have never met, but preserving his life matters as much or more to me than any other reason I have come here. Guren-sama sent me with a mission and I will fulfil it – if the worst occurs in District Six, I must be willing to pick up the pieces and support Shirogane as best I can. My other duty is regarding Aizen. He is the only one I want to release my sword before, Kazoe. I'm waiting for him before I act."

"And in the meantime?" Kazoe perched on the edge of Genryuusai's desk, sending the old man a quizzical look. "One of my Seniors took a blow to the chest which cut part way through a rib and which caused a good deal of bleeding. Another of that class is currently missing, her safety unknown. One of the Senior Class has already lost her life in the past few weeks – I will not sit back and see it happen to another, no matter what measures I have to take to ensure that it is so."

"That is what makes you a good teacher. No, perhaps it makes you one of the best," Kinnya's eyes softened. "I am aware, too, that the girl who lost her life was blood to you and I am sorry for it. Though my Clan didn't order it, we have culpability in this too."

He sighed heavily.

"The Kuchiki have also taken losses," he added. "My Clan leader has gambled everything for the sake of protecting his people, both those of Kuchiki blood and those living under our family's auspices. Genryuusai-sensei has also taken the same gamble, and I'm not looking to return the school to him with any less than the number of pupils he entrusted to me. It concerns me that this has occurred – it frustrates me that I dare not take part. However, I cannot. If I do…"

He spread his hands, and Kazoe sighed.

"What if Aizen doesn't come?" he asked quietly. "I've had a report that he's already acting here, using one of the Seniors as his puppet and through her _zanpakutou_, manipulating the shinigami from First Squad who are meant to protect the students from harm. What if that's true, Kinnya-sama? What will you do then? Will you kill my kinswoman, to make sure Aizen is gone?"

"Your kinswoman? Another Unohana is involved in this?" Kinnya was surprised. Kazoe nodded.

"Shikibu Naoko," he said curtly. "Aizen killed her friend and attacked her when they were in the Real World. It seems likely Naoko brought something back with her that none of us were aware of – even Retsu-sama didn't pick it up. I can't find the girl, and until I do, the attacks won't stop. If she is being manipulated by Aizen, though…"

"I had been warned that Juushirou was at risk, but not that an Unohana might be," Kinnya looked grave. "Shirogane is keeping close tabs on my grandson – I confess, he's more likely to deal objectively with that should it become a problem than I am. I had realised something was manipulating the First Squad, but it felt nothing like any Unohana sword I've ever come across."

"Naoko is…different," Kazoe said vaguely. "She's not a healer."

"Not a healer?"

"No. Her sword is…well, it's hard to explain, but you might call it parasitic," Kazoe grimaced. "It has all the elements of a spore or some other kind of toxic plant, in that it can induce sleep, administer poison or absorb other spirit power. It's occurred to me that she might have used that last technique defending herself from Aizen's attack – and got more than she anticipated."

"A healer who doesn't heal. I see," Kinnya nodded slowly. "Then it is undoubtedly her sword that is pulling the puppet strings."

"If that's Aizen, what will you do?"

"I won't," Kinnya shook his head. "Aizen himself is not here. I'm not going to sacrifice a single student's life, Kazoe. Not your kinswoman, not any of them."

He cast the sceptical Kidou instructor a smile.

"Believe it or not, I'm keeping an eye on every one of them," he added. "Even with what I said about my sword, if the need arises or the situation worsens, I will act and with speed. Once my sword is released, I don't hesitate. Raiurei isn't that kind of _zanpakutou_…which is another reason that if I can hold off using it within the school grounds, I will."

He shrugged.

"If Aizen is controlling your kinswoman, he will come here. When he does, I'll be waiting for him. You may be assured that in his case, I will use no forbearance or mercy."

The words were calm and matter-of-fact, but Kazoe could see a storm swirling in the Kuchiki's grey eyes, and he let out his breath in a rush.

"And Naoko? What about her?"

"If the source of these problems is your kinswoman's _zanpakutou_, then you should go to the First Division barracks," Kinnya turned his gaze back to the window. "Some little while ago, there was an ominous flicker of energy and then nothing but darkness spreading out across the school grounds. A few short minutes ago I felt another burst of _reiryoku_…I don't know the name of the wielder, but I believe one of your students may have found Naoko-dono first."

"Shiba!" Kazoe's eyes widened behind his glasses as he interpreted the flare of spirit power. "Damn it, why did I not pick that up sooner?"

"The sword that's controlling First squad is also controlling the spiritual aura around the school," Kinnya said quietly. "It's using a technique to scatter and merge bits of spirit power into a morass of undistinguishable energy in the hopes that it will conceal the wielder's true location. It's a skill that I wouldn't expect a student – even a Senior – to be able to use, regardless of the nature of the sword. However, if Aizen is operating through her…I believe a shinigami with Bankai and with experience of high level manipulation of spiritual behaviour would be able to."

"Then how can _you_ find her, if nobody else can?" Kazoe demanded. "If you knew where the danger was all along, why didn't you let me know?"

"I didn't realise that it was coming from a student," Kinnya admitted. "Until a short time ago, nobody was in her near vicinity. Those she's made puppets of are largely harmless, even despite their squad rank."

"Largely harmless," Kazoe muttered. "Bringing down a classroom is far from what I would call harmless."

"Nevertheless, with this level of control, none of them will be able to use their _zanpakutou_ and they've one by one been successfully overpowered," Kinnya continued patiently. "The core of the poison is another problem. Extricating your kinswoman from Aizen's spell is going to be difficult…perhaps impossible without the girl herself fighting against it."

"You could still have sent me a memo."

"I could, but nobody is meant to know I'm here," Kinnya said lightly. "That's the other thing. I'm the element of surprise."

He patted his sword's hilt contemplatively.

"Aizen knows about shinigami in active service. Genryuusai-sama, Guren-sama…most likely he's lured them out to Sixth believing he understands how they think and how they attack. There's no way he'd risk facing two of the most powerful shinigami in Soul Society – three, if you include your own noble Clan leader."

"Only a fool would not," Kazoe said acidly, and Kinnya laughed.

"So I understand," he said lightly. "Aizen probably knows all there is to know about those enemies, and so feels safe manipulating them. Guren-sama knows there is a risk of this being a double bluff – them trapping Aizen, him trapping them. Whether he knows about me or not is another matter. I'm not actively at court and though he's had a spy infiltrating the main house for some little while, many of my own Clan wouldn't recognise me if they saw me. Those who know my name believe me to be old, frail and decrepit – certainly not someone who a genius scientist should fear. My presence and my sword are Genryuusai-sensei's secret weapon as well as Guren-sama's insurance for his nephew. If this man is as clever as reports say he is, it doesn't do for me to give him – or indeed, those working for him – any indication of my presence."

"You think he will come here?"

"I am certain of it," Kinnya inclined his head, a dark expression surfacing briefly in the grey eyes. "He has unfinished business with my grandson that I intend to make sure remains unfinished. In the meantime, since you've told me that it's your kinswoman whose sword he's controlling, I intend to focus my attentions on that. If I can identify his spiritual signature in her attacks, when he does come I'll know it right away."

"Tell me truthfully why it is you can sense Naoko's sword and her presence and I, a healer, cannot?" Kazoe demanded, and Kinnya pressed his lips together thoughtfully.

"Without being patronising, I believe the shield is only intended to fox those with shikai," he said quietly. "To attain Bankai requires another level of spiritual awareness that is far more difficult to disrupt. It's another sign that Aizen doesn't know I'm in the vicinity. If he did, he would act differently – as it is, I can see through his smokescreen and hopefully, find him before he causes anyone real harm."

"I should go and find Shiba and Naoko," Kazoe said resignedly. "I understand your position and I accept it – I just hope it turns out to be the correct one. I've corralled most all of the students in the Great Hall behind a barrier and I intend on rounding up the rest of the Seniors to send them there too, if I can. With luck Aizen will give us time to do that – then if you go after him, whatever fallout your sword might have won't cause such disruption."

"Let us hope," Kinnya intoned gravely, and Kazoe sighed, bowing his head abruptly before turning on his heel and leaving the study.

Though he had accepted his superior's words, a knot of unease still churned inside his stomach.

_But my duty now is to find my Seniors and protect them as a teacher should._

He frowned, removing his glasses to examine the cracked glass, then folding them, slipping them into the folds of his clothing.

_I can probably see and sense better without them, and if I'm going to find a way to rescue Naoko from this, I'm going to need to do so without impediment._

His gaze flitted back briefly in the direction of the study door.

_That's all I can do for Genryuusai-sama's students, now. If it takes the last bit of strength in this body, I'll make sure they are all alive when he returns from District One. If nothing else, I owe him that much for not forsaking me when many others did._

* * *

Tension outside the First Division barracks had already reached breaking point, sweat beading across Sora's brow despite the chill weather as she readied herself to face her friend. In the five years she had known the older girl, she had seen many emotions flit through those greenish eyes - indignation, annoyance, haughty pride, even arrogance. However, she had never seen them so devoid of anything, and the sight of those empty orbs sent a deep sense of unease through her body.

Mitsuki was right. This was Naoko, and it wasn't.

She was working only to bring her friend down, but there was every chance that Naoko had been primed to kill.

The faint speckling of red against the eerily glittering blade only added to her fears. Perhaps that sinister weapon had already tried to take lives? Something in that realisation hardened Sora's heart.

_What would Okaasama do?_

Her eyes narrowed to slits, even as she forced Hotarue's excitedly buzzing spirit to steady and settle against her thoughts.

_Okaasama would make sure she protected everyone who needed protecting. She'd do the utmost she could, but she'd not let anyone else get hurt. I have to bring Naoko down like I mean it...and hope that it's not going to prove too much for Mitsuki to patch her up again afterwards._

Resolve gathered, she stepped purposefully towards the entrance of the First Division temporary barracks, her gaze never leaving her classmate's face for one moment. As she had surmised, once she came within a few steps of the door, Naoko's still body began to stir, Dokusou Houshi's glimmering blade lashing out in Sora's direction. Sora muttered a curse, sidestepping the lunge with less than an inch to spare.

It had been a surprisingly determined thrust, and completely out of keeping with Naoko's usual, cautious approach to any spar.

_I've got to stop thinking of this as fighting Naoko, though. Someone else is controlling her, and even if they use Naoko's skills, it doesn't mean they'll use them how Naoko does. _

As Naoko made a second and third swing, stepping resolutely towards Sora with no flicker of recognition in her eyes, Sora's quick eyes picked up the rhythm of her friend's movement, adjusting her own characteristic swing to compensate for the unfamiliar pattern. Though Naoko was skilled with a sword, she had not grown up with two demanding older brothers and Sora found herself inwardly thanking her siblings for her rough and tumble childhood.

If this was a serious fight, then she would fight it. It was not just her whose fate rested on her focus, but also Mitsuki's, for Sora knew that no matter how gifted her friend was with healing skills, Mitsuki was no combat fighter and would be easily overpowered by a direct sword attack.

"Nao-chan, you really need to choose who you associate with more carefully," she muttered.

_"Dokusou Houshi. Doku o."_

Naoko brought her weapon across in an arc from left to right, searing through the frozen air and sending a bevy of tiny green spores out in Sora's direction. Sora did not hesitate even for a moment.

_"Juushin o tore, Hotarue!"_

She exclaimed, swinging her shimmering weapon down towards the earth. There was the briefest warping in the air around them, then as though they had been tugged there by the force of a giant magnet, the cloud of spores dropped to the ground. As each one brushed against the blades of frost-touched grass, Sora saw that the plant's bright green colour faded and wilted to brown, and she gritted her teeth, realising grimly that Naoko's poison attack had carried some bite.

_But so long as you use that kind of attack, you really can't touch a released Hotarue, Nao-chan._

Taking advantage of the brief lull in Naoko's offensive, she darted forward onto her left leg, lifting her sword from right to left to meet Dokusou Houshi's blade directly once more. There was not enough force behind her swing to drive the weapon from the other girl's hand, but the speed of the attack took Naoko off guard and she stumbled back, her centre of balance sent off-kilter for a brief moment.  
_  
In this situation, Mother wouldn't hold back. Not even if it was Father she was fighting - she'd go in for the kill._

No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than she found her body coursing forward again, slashing Hotarue's released form relentlessly against the surface of Dokusou Houshi's blade as if by doing so she could penetrate through the strange silverish layer to the spirit below.

_I'm not Mother, though. Naoko is my friend, and I won't kill her. I can't kill her. So instead I have to wake her up._

Naoko fell back under the onslaught of Sora's superior sword skill, but if the young Shiba thought she had her friend on the back foot, the spirit influencing her had other ideas. A sudden gleam of something that sent chills through Sora's body rushed through Naoko's greenish gaze, followed by a reverse swing that avoided Hotarue's blade completely, narrowly missing slicing Sora's ear from her body.

"Sora!" Mitsuki's shriek prevented Sora from reeling back from the blow, and she dropped to the ground, taking a breath into her lungs.

"Get inside that building!" she yelled. "Do it now! Don't worry about me! Naoko can't hurt me!"

_Though whoever's controlling her might be able to._

"But..."

"Go!" Sora did not have time to argue with her friend. "What if someone in there needs you? What does a healer do, Mitsuki? Go to help them, if you can! Nao-chan and I will still be here when you come out!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Sora was sure she saw a deep frown furrow across the young Kuchiki's brow, but she did not protest a second time, darting instead across the grass towards the doorway of the barracks. Naoko too sensed her movement, and seemed about to turn to intervene, but Sora had already pre-empted such a move, darting into shunpo and re-materialising in her red-haired friend's direct line of sight.

"You're playing with me right now, Nao-chan," she said lightly, though her spirit felt heavy. "I'm not going to give up until you realise who it is you're swinging your blade at, understand? I don't want to hurt you, but I'm also not going to let you cause any more trouble. I don't know what happened, exactly, or why you're messed up like this. But I have a pretty good idea that leaving you this way is not an option."

For a moment, Sora thought she saw rage in her friend's expression, then the next minute it was gone, replaced by the empty veneer of soullessness once more.

"_Dokusou Houshi,_" she murmured, readying her sword as if to launch a new attack in Sora's direction. "_Suimin o_."

"Uh-huh. I'm not going to sleep just yet," Sora shook her head, swinging her weapon at the ground once more. "_Juushin o tore, Hotarue_!"

Once again, the gathering spores dropped to the ground as though they had suddenly become made from stone, and Sora sighed.

"Dokusou Houshi's attacks don't work on a sword that the spores can't touch," she said quietly. "Please, Nao-chan. Let's stop with this and talk things out, huh? You're just going to exhaust yourself, and you know that whatever you send in my direction, it's not going to make contact. You're not as strong as me when it comes to bare blades, and when our swords are released, your shikai doesn't pose me any threat. This is stupid. Calm down and sober up."

"_Dokusou Houshi,_" Naoko's eyes became slits, and an eerie green fire seemed to dart from beneath the hooded lids. "_Kyuushuu o!_"

"Oh no you don't!" Sora slipped into shunpo, re-materialising a short distance away as a third cloud of greenish spores glittered out into the atmosphere. "You can't take Hotarue's spirit power that easily, and you should know better. Naoko would know better. Whoever's driving your brain this morning really doesn't have a lot of imagination!"

She twitched her blade towards the grass a third time.

_"Juushin o tore."_

As before, the particles sank to the ground, sucked there by an unknown force, and Sora pressed forward, locking her weapon against Naoko's once again. They were close enough to touch now, she realised - yet even so, she could not feel any distinctive reiatsu resonating from her friend's body or her sword.

A sudden flare of frustration welled up inside her and she reached out her left hand, grabbing a clump of Naoko's auburn hair between her fingers and giving it a firm, determined yank.

"Wake up already!" she snapped. "I'm fed up with this, now. It's not fun, fighting against a friend who wants to kill you, Nao-chan, so for God's sake, wake up!"

"S...Sora?"

The word was so soft that Sora thought she had imagined it, but as her hold loosened on the sleek red locks, she caught sight of Naoko's expression and let out a gasp. Tears glittered on the girl's lashes, pain mirrored deep in those green eyes, and despite herself, Sora took a step away from her friend, lowering her own sword.

"Nao...chan?" she murmured, as the tears trickled soundlessly down her classmate's cheeks. The green aura that had surrounded her body had become suddenly erratic, as though something deep within Naoko's soul was fighting tooth and nail against the invading force. Sora drew breath sharply into her lungs.

"Naoko!" she exclaimed, dropping Hotarue and flinging herself on her companion. "Naoko, you're okay! You know who I am? It'll be okay now - I'm sorry, I didn't want to..."

"Get away from me!" Naoko's voice was bordering on hysteria, and she gave Sora a rough shove away, collapsing to her knees and fixing her friend with a desperate, terrified look. "Don't...I can't...something inside of me..."

"Naoko?" Sora stared at her friend in dismay. "Nao, it's all right. It's fine! Just calm down. Take a breath. We'll help you. We'll find a way to. Mitsuki's here too - I'm sure she can..."

"I've killed people!" Naoko's hysteria was real now, and her hands trembled as they brought her sword up between the two girls. "It wants me to kill more. It wants me to kill...you. And Mitsuki, too. I can't...I won't..._stop it!_ _Stop making me do this_!"

The last was a heart-wrenching shriek that tore through Sora's own soul. "Stop it! Sora is my friend! _Stop it!_"

"Put Dokusou Houshi down," Sora begged. "If you do that, we'll find a way to help you. You've done nothing wrong, Naoko-chan. You hear me? Nothing at all. Someone else did bad things to you, that's all. Put Dokusou Houshi down, and let us help you."

"I...can't," Naoko whispered, shaking her head in evident terror. "My fingers...don't belong to me. My brain...isn't my own. I can't...do what you want me to do, Sora. I can't...go back. I want to...but I...I can't..."

She swallowed hard, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks, and Sora bit her lip, her own eyes becoming damp with frustration and dismay.

"Isn't it enough, knowing we'll help you?" she whispered. "Isn't that enough for you to fight this off and come back to us? Nao-chan, Mi-chan and I are both frightened for you. We came here because we wanted to help you - neither one of us intend to leave here without you. I know you're upset and a lot has been going on for you lately, and I'm sorry we didn't realise it sooner. But we're here now. We care about you. Isn't that enough for you to fight back?"

Naoko gulped, for the first time seeming fragile and vulnerable, but still her grasp on the sword did not loosen, and though Sora was longing to put her arms around her classmate and comfort her, she had enough battle sense to know that so long as the other girl was armed, it would be dangerous to do. Naoko had said herself that she could not control all of her movements, and Sora had no mind to make things worse.

"Where is Mitsuki?" At length Naoko spoke, her words broken and wavery, and Sora frowned.

"Helping the people who need helping," she said vaguely. "But she'll help you too, Naoko. I believe in her. Don't you?"

"Mm." Naoko nodded her head, a little jerk that could have been the nod of a small child.

"Then you'll let her?"

"I can't...let her get hurt," Naoko shook her head this time, her expression becoming both resigned and resolved. "I saw...Suzuno...because I couldn't...Suzuno died. I can't...with Mitsuki...I can't see it again. Healers...have a reason to be here. I'm the one...who's wrong. This...proves it."

She gazed at her sword, and Sora was struck by the look of hatred in those greenish eyes.

"My sword destroys. So do I," she murmured. "I'm not an Unohana, and I have no reason to be here. I let Suzuno die, and now I've done all of this. If I wasn't...because I'm like this, people have suffered. Even you...because you had to f...fight against me."

She reached up a trembling left hand to dash her tears away.

"I should have died instead of Suzuno," she whispered. "If I had...then...none of this could have happened. Suzuno...would never have let anyone get hurt."

Before Sora knew what her friend was doing, there was a sweep of green light and the sword that moments earlier had been pointing in her direction had been reversed by one hundred and eighty degrees, its sharp, unforgiving point now directed against Naoko's own chest. Without even pausing for one moment, the girl thrust the still-glittering blade firmly through the folds of her robe and deep into her own body. Horror gripped the Shiba girl's heart, time seeming to go in slow motion as she saw something red begin to spread out across her friend's snow white clothing. As Naoko fell back onto the grass, Sora's lips parted in a scream, her arms lunging forward more by instinct than design to grab Naoko's arm and pull it back.

She did so, but the weapon was already firmly embedded between Naoko's ribs, and a stifled sob rose in Sora's throat.

"Mitsuki! _Mitsuki!"_

Sora heard someone screaming for her healer friend, belatedly realising that it was her own voice and that her own vocal chords were being screeched raw in her desperation. Naoko's clothing was now more red than white, and Sora remembered with startling and heart-wrenching clarity the state of Suzuno's _hakamashita _after her encounter with Aizen.

_I'm not going to watch you die the way you had to watch her, Nao. I'm not. _I'm not!

Sora was no medic and she had no idea what kind of damage her classmate might already have done, but from the quantity of blood and the sudden pallor of her friend's skin, she knew it was not good. Without thinking what she was doing she dragged Dokusou Houshi from Naoko's chest, flinging the blood-stained weapon aside as she desperately tried to find a way to stop the bleeding. Her own clothing was already becoming soaked with Naoko's blood, and though she tried desperately to cover the wound with her fingers, more of the thick warm liquid pulsed across her skin, as if determined to remove all of the life from her classmate's body. Naoko had already gone very pale, and she had lost consciousness almost as soon as Sora had reached her. The Shiba girl glanced briefly at the discarded weapon. Had Naoko used her own poison on her body to make the blood flow freely from her wound, or had her Unohana roots just given her enough rough anatomical knowledge to know where best to strike?

Her lips opened again to shriek Mitsuki's name. Where was the healer, anyway? Though it had been mere seconds since Naoko had plunged the weapon through her body, for the frantic Sora it felt like aeons of time had already slipped past.

_**Sora, let me help. Let me help. I can try.**_

Hotarue's flickering voice danced across her senses, and Sora did not have time to argue. Without realising what she was doing, she extended a bloodstained right hand to retrieve her weapon, swallowing hard against the bile that rose up in her throat. The weapon shook - or maybe it was her who was shaking, Sora was no longer sure - but something about the feel of the hilt between her fingers steadied the racing of her own heart, and, swallowing a second time, she parted dry lips to whisper the sword command.

_"Juushin o tore, Hotarue."_

The air warped and twisted briefly between the blade and Naoko's body, then the next moment the flow of blood began to steady.

Was it her imagination?

Sora felt giddy, opening her lips to shriek Mitsuki's name again.

Was it stopping because Naoko's heart had given way, or was it...something else...

_"Naoko!"_

Mitsuki was there now, and from the breathless note in her voice Sora realised dully that her classmate had run to the scene, despite the apparent delay. She cast Sora a glance, then Dokusou Houshi, but she did not ask any questions, merely shoving her friend aside. She quickly drew her own _zanpakutou_, using her free hand to rip apart Naoko's bloody clothing and expose the true nature of the self-inflicted wound.

"_Sasayake, Yuuyugo,_" she said softly, and Sora sank back onto the grass, watching Mitsuki's sword haze into a flood of tiny particles, all of which she guided towards Naoko's wound. Closing her eyes, Mitsuki murmured something, and each particle glittered in response, knitting together the broken skin and sinking deeper into Naoko's damaged body to bring together the sheared vessels into some semblence of their normal structure. For a few moments she worked in silence, concentration clear on her brow, and Sora did not dare speak. There was only one thing she wanted to know the answer to, and she was terrified to ask it in case the response was the one she dreaded to hear.

Had she and Hotarue done enough, or...?

"Shiba! Edogawa..._Naoko_!"

Kazoe's voice jerked through Sora's dizzy consciousness and she shuffled around, aware suddenly that she was covered in blood and that her sword, still released, lay discarded and red-spattered at her side.

"What happened?" Kazoe was not wearing his glasses, but it was clear from the expression on his face that he had taken in the gravity of the situation at once. "Shiba, dammit, answer me. What happened?"

"Naoko...tried to..." Sora swallowed hard, half sure she was going to be sick, and Kazoe sighed, sinking down on his knees beside her and bringing his own weapon from its sheath.

"I never usually have to use this once, let alone multiple times in one day." He murmured, and Sora was aware of a faint cloud of bluish mist surrounding her. "Take deep breaths, then tell me, all right? What happened here?"

Sora dragged the blue-specked air into her lungs, feeling her lurching senses settle and calm under the soothing influence of Seidoiki's shikai. Slowly she nodded.

"Someone was controlling Naoko, sensei," she said weakly. "They've been using her to cause harm, though I don't know quite how or why. We couldn't find her, so Mitsuki and I came to look for her. We were going to ask First Squad for help, but we found her...here."

She closed her eyes briefly, then sent him a troubled look.

"I released Hotarue," she admitted. "We sparred a little, because I was worried someone was hurt inside that building and I needed to create a distraction to let Mitsuki get inside. Then...Naoko seemed to come to herself. I tried to talk to her, but...but then she..."

The words would not come out, and she faltered awkwardly, her gaze drifting to the bloodstained Dokusou Houshi. It had returned to its sealed form now, but the ugly reddish brown substance smeared across its surface would not disappear so easily, and she rubbed her temples, feeling distinctly nauseous.

"She tried to take her own life," Mitsuki raised her head now, her voice soft and full of consternation. "She didn't want to hurt Sora, so she turned the blade on herself."

"Mi-chan..." Sora stared at her classmate in disbelief, and Mitsuki offered her a faint, tragic smile.

"I felt it. Her spirit, yours, everything," she murmured. "When Naoko's will started to resurface, I felt her reiatsu again. I was as quick as I could be, Sora-chan. But...I wouldn't have been quick enough, I don't think."

"Edogawa, Naoko's condition?" Kazoe's words were abrupt, and Mitsuki nodded.

"I've stabilised her for now, sir," she agreed, "but there are obviously bigger issues at work. I don't think whatever was controlling her is still there, though. I think, when she put her sword into her own body, she drove whatever it was out of her. Maybe that was what she intended to do - I'm not sure."

"No..." Sora shook her head, her throat suddenly dry and tears once more pricking at her eyes. "No, Mitsuki. She intended to...she meant to...she said she was useless and that if Amai-san hadn't died, she...it would've been better."

"Then until Retsu-sama is here to consult, I believe it would be better to keep Naoko heavily sedated," Kazoe said grimly. "Edogawa, are you sure you've steadied her? Can she be moved?"

"I think so," Mitsuki nodded. "She seared a vessel to her heart and almost penetrated the organ itself, but something stopped the bleeding, and so it was easier for me to mend the damage. It's superficial, but enough to stimulate her own body to repair and I've sealed it in place with Kidou. I think she'll heal all right, Sensei."

Her gaze met Sora's, and a sad smile touched her lips.

"It was Hotarue, wasn't it?" she asked lightly. "The thing that stopped her bleeding."

"Mm," Sora nodded, unable to prevent the tears from spilling down her cheeks now the immediate tension was over. "I didn't know what to do, Mi-chan. I couldn't do anything to heal her, but I thought...maybe...Hotarue's gravity could..."

"Well, it did," Mitsuki said gently, retrieving the hilt of her _zanpakutou_and carefully re-sealing it into one blade. "I've healed the damage as best I can, but if you and Hotarue hadn't begun it, Sora, Naoko would probably have died."

"I'll send someone to help bring the girl inside," Kazoe decided. "Edogawa, you remain with her till then. Shiba, you are to go and clean yourself up, then report to the Great Hall. You're currently a disgrace to the remains of your uniform, and whilst you might have done something very important here, I'd rather you didn't show yourself before the juniors in that state."

"...Yes sir," Sora was beyond any form of defiance, so she meekly bowed her head in agreement. "I'll go at once."

"Sensei, what exactly was Naoko's sword controlling?" Mitsuki asked quietly. "Was it the First Squad?"

"Why do you ask that?" Kazoe's eyes became slits, and Mitsuki sighed.

"Inside the building are two or three members of that squad," she said quietly. "Two of them were beyond my help. A third is knocked unconscious, and quite out of it, though he will live. I thought perhaps...the force controlling Naoko had used her to...do that too."

"Naoko said she'd killed people," Sora remembered. "Poor Nao-chan. It must have been awful for her."

"But fortunately, she apparently has friends who will be understanding enough to stand by her whilst all of this is resolved," Kazoe said matter-of-factly, and Sora was sure she saw relief glitter in his clever eyes. "In the meantime, getting her to a more appropriate environment is a priority. Shiba, you have already been dismissed. Why are you still here?"

"Yes, sir," Sora was fast recovering her wits, pulling herself to her feet and retrieving Hotarue, sealing the _zanpakutou_and returning it to her sheath. Before the Kidou instructor could chide her any further, she hurried off across the fields, her mind whirling with the morning's events.

"Sora? What the hell..."

As she reached the main building, she almost ran headlong into Shunsui, who caught her by the wrists, staring at her in undisguised horror.

"She's covered in blood!" That was Juushirou. "Sora, are you hurt? What happened - did First Squad attack you too?"

"No...no. It's not my blood," Sora shook her head hurriedly. "Don't grab me like that, Shunsui - you'll just mess your own uniform up and Kazoe will shout at you too. I've been sent back to clean up and change and then to go to the Great Hall."

"If it's not your blood, whose is it?" the third member of the party, Shirogane interjected, and Sora grimaced.

"Naoko's," she admitted. "She...thought that maybe it would be better if...she wasn't alive any more."

"Shikibu-san tried to kill herself?" Shock glittered in Juushirou's eyes, and Sora nodded.

"She's going through a lot at the moment," she agreed. "Letting her keep Dokusou Houshi close by was obviously a mistake."

"That's the Senior girl who was missing, wasn't it?" Shirogane demanded. Sora sighed.

"She's not missing any more," she said heavily. "Whatever was happening because of her sword, it's...stopped now. All right? It's done with, so leave her alone."

"She's alive, then?" Shunsui asked, and Sora nodded.

"Mitsuki is with her," she said briefly. "That's all. She'll heal, Mitsuki said. I believe that."

"I do too," Shirogane reflected. "In whatever other areas she has shown poor judgement, when it comes to healing matters, Mitsuki is usually correct."

He pursed his lips.

"You really are a sight, like that," he added cuttingly. "Go and obey Kazoe's commands, before he comes after you to find out why you have not done so."

"I was going to," Sora assured him. "I just wanted to say that...well...when Naoko's body's healed, she's going to need...us to be gentle to her. And...so..."

"Don't worry," Shunsui offered her a smile. "We're Seniors. We're a team. So we all decided, and that's what we'll stick to. Right, Juu?"

"Of course," Juushirou agreed. "Senpai, maybe we should go to the Great Hall, too. If that's where Kazoe sent Sora, it strikes me that maybe there's going to be an announcement of some kind."

"That seems probable," Shirogane inclined his head. "Very well. In that case, Sora-dono, we'll see you there."

* * *

**Author's Note: Hotarue & Yuuyugo**

_Sora's sword's name __**Hotarue **_蛍恵_means "Firefly's Grace", and the spirit is a skittish, scatty, hyperactive firefly who likes to buzz around Sora's head, driving her crazy._

_As I said before, Sora's power has traits of her mother's – the blade is formed of light – but she does not have proper light powers. Kyouki's zanpakutou ability is day moon, night moon, and Sora's zanpakutou operates on the principles of gravity. At this point, her sword is still quite basic, and not fully evolved into the full range of abilities it might one day possess. However, her technique, "Juushin o tore" basically means "take" or "steal the centre of gravity." Where Hotarue focuses her spirit power then becomes like a magnet, drawing whatever its target is towards a designated place. For this reason, Naoko's sword is largely useless against Sora's. Sora can simply negate the spores by drawing them to the ground using her shikai release. She also managed to use this technique to stem Naoko's blood, however – by using Hotarue to designate Naoko's heart a 'centre of gravity', she was able to prevent the wound from gushing so much blood until Mitsuki could come and heal._

_**Yuuyugo **_優癒護_means "Gentle Healing Guardian" and, as the name suggests, is one hundred percent a healing sword, not a combat one. When in shikai, the blade breaks down into tiny particles which sink into a wound and begin to immediately knit it back together, encouraging cells to re-grow and regenerate at a much quicker speed than they would with any other normal healing process (including Kidou). Whether in future Yuuyugo will teach Mitsuki other ways in which to deploy the fragments of her sword – maybe in the same vein as Kazoe's Seidoiki – is as yet unknown._

_That concludes Team Stupid's zanpakutou :)_


	69. Keitarou's Return

**Chapter Sixty Seven: Keitarou's Return**

"How goes he?"

Guren pushed back the divide, stepping cautiously into the small, quiet chamber that lay to the rear of Seiren's devastated manor. From the patient's side, Ryuu raised his head, his expression clouding as he met his Uncle's gaze.

"He's asleep, sir," he said softly, his tones muted so as not to disturb his father's rest. "Unohana-sensei has given him the Eiminyaku. She told us both that she laced it with some kind of sedative to make his condition easier, so he drank it and, a short time ago, fell asleep. Unohana-sensei went to see Shibata, to see if there was anything she could do to alleviate his pain whilst Father was not in need of such urgent attention - I don't suppose either of us imagined you would return here so quickly."

"We've been to the main house." Guren crossed the room, pausing a foot or so from the edge of the bed. "I'm loath to leave this place so unprotected whilst there's a chance Aizen is still hiding in the vicinity. Futsuki is coordinating searches on an increased frequency, and with Kinnya-ojiue's men as well as his and my own, we should be able to cover a wide area with speed. Genryuusai-sama has remained at the main estate to receive reports and assist the shinigami, since I am here and my Vice Captain is currently in District One. Genryuusai-sama bade me return to this manor - I think he knew that I wanted to come back here even though there are other things I ought to be doing right now."

He sighed, sinking down on Seiren's other side, and Ryuu eyed his uncle keenly, chewing on his lip as he took in the undisguised strain in the other's grey eyes.

"If Keitarou remains in Sixth, I have hopes that in an injured state we might be able to catch him," Guren continued slowly. "If so, I will give him over to the Council and let Shihouin Midori decide what is best to be done with him."

He offered Ryuu a faint smile, though it did not reach those heavy eyes.

"Seiren's condition is still unpredictable," he reflected. "It would be careless of me indeed to leave my family's heir without further support. I believe Genryuusai-sama was right when he said my brother was fighting to protect you, even through the haze of madness. But if Retsu-sama's treatment fails, his symptoms may relapse once more and I don't want you to face Seiren the way I did when his power first exploded. In that state, he would doubtless kill you - and neither I nor he would forgive that crime easily."

"I don't think Father will kill me," Ryuu spoke quietly, his gaze flitting to Seiren's grey face. "I think he's done everything so far so that I didn't get killed, so I really...if anyone is safe around him at the moment, I think it's me."

"Probably." Guren nodded. "It doesn't hurt to be cautious, though."

He frowned, pursing his lips.

"You knew already, didn't you, that Seiren was born before I was?"

"I..." Ryuu's cheeks flushed an uncomfortable red and he lowered his gaze, unwilling to see the question in his Uncle's eyes. Slowly he nodded, and Guren sighed.

"How long have you known that?"

"Since...since the winter. Since not long after Ribari-sama died." Ryuu's words were barely more than a whisper. "I was in the archive. It was an accident. I was looking for...something else. The piece of paper fell out of a book, and..."

"This piece of paper?" Guren fumbled at his _obi_, pulling out a crumpled, ripped sheet of parchment and holding it out. Ryuu's eyes became big with surprise, and he took it carefully between his fingers, smoothing it out and running his gaze across it.

"Yes," he agreed, a flicker of relief in his words, "it fell from a book in the archive. I never saw it before that...but when I saw it, it wasn't torn like this. It had come out of the _nikki_, I believe, sir - but it was a complete sheet. It was not torn at the bottom."

"A line was ripped out to send a warning message to me about my position." Guren retrieved the sheet, his eyes dark. "But the majority of what you just read is everything you saw before?"

"Yes, sir."

"I see." Guren's brows drew together thoughtfully. "The text refers to Father making a sacrifice before he had to choose over Seiren and I. Did what was missing explain that in any more detail?"

"No, sir." Ryuu shook his head. "I assumed...forgive me, but I believed Kiriko-sama must have suffered a miscarriage or some other tragedy and lost a son before."

"Yes, perhaps you are right. Such things would not have been discussed with young children, as they are perceived as ill omens." Guren pressed his lips together pensively. "I had worried that maybe he had fathered an illegitimate child before our birth and he had chosen to kill it to protect the family - such things are not unknown in the Kuchiki, though I cannot imagine Kinnya-ojiue easily accepting that."

"I don't think Senaya-sama was the kind of person to kill children, sir," Ryuu murmured. "He couldn't kill Father, and he didn't kill Raiko-dono, so..."

"Yes, I prefer to think of him that way, too." Guren's expression lightened slightly. "I loved my father very dearly, Ryuu. We had a very close bond...it is not nice to know someone you loved that much kept secrets from you. It makes me wonder whether there were other secrets...more shameful ones buried far deeper under the surface."

"I am not in a position to remark on someone of Senaya-sama's greatness," Ryuu said gravely, "but I...I believe he...would have done anything to ensure the safety and survival of his family. I think they were very precious to him and...and he would sooner have lost his life than he would have dishonoured or betrayed any of them."

"He was that kind of man," Guren agreed. "Thank you, Ryuu. Perhaps it's foolish, but even hearing the words of someone who never knew him, I am somewhat comforted."

He glanced down at the battered sheet of paper once more.

"You discovered this after we buried Ribari...but you thought to say nothing to anyone?"

"I..." Ryuu fidgeted, then, "I wasn't really sure who to tell. But it's not...not the case that I did not speak of it to anyone. I may have mentioned it to Senpai, and when I found it, I rode...I rode from the manor to the coast. I thought..."

"Ojiue." Guren's eyes became slits. "Of course. He gave me the impression that you'd met - now I understand."

He eyed Ryuu keenly.

"This makes your claim to the Clan even more solid, you realise?"

"Yes, sir," Ryuu sighed heavily, "and for that reason, I sought Kinnya-sama's advice."

"And?"

"I wanted to know if he would tell anyone about it, or whether he would not."

"Since he didn't tell me about it, I doubt he would broadcast it to the whole of the Kuchiki court." There was a faintly bitter note in Guren's voice, and Ryuu shook his head.

"No, he said he had no intention of breaking his promise to Grandfather," he said hurriedly. "I...I was glad. It was...I didn't go in order to get him to support my claim. On...on the contrary...I hoped he wouldn't want to tell anyone about it."

"You hoped what?" Now it was Guren's turn to sound surprised, and Ryuu swallowed hard, gathering his courage.

"I do not wish to inherit the Clan, sir," he said, his voice somehow steady despite the pounding of his heart. "I realised a good time ago that I was not suited for such a hallowed position, and events have only proved to confirm it to me more and more."

"I see." Guren's expression gave nothing away. "So what you said to Aizen was the truth? You were content with your life before Ribari's death, and you would rather, if you had the choice, return to that life?"

"If I had the choice." Ryuu nodded gravely. "I also understand what my duty is to this family. Guren-sama, if you command me to succeed you, I will not defy that command. I am subject to your leadership and I will not shy from it, if you make it your express will for me to be the next Clan Leader. I wanted, however, to give you my true feelings. I am...I am not Ribari-sama. And nor...am I like you."

"In all truth, I should never have been annointed Clan Leader, though," Guren reflected. "If Father's _nikki_is to be believed, and Seiren was born first, he should have been the one to inherit on Father's death. You are his blood son, and though Seiren's situation has always been complicated, your right to hold the Clan is greater by blood descent than mine is. I am Clan Leader, but if the family was to know about this manipulation, they would clamour for the line to return to its rightful course. That is, you should always have been named as my heir, no matter what children I had. I am simply Leader because Seiren could not be - I am his substitute, and Father utilised me as such to keep the family stable. What lengths he went to to achieve it, I really don't know. What I do know, though, is that it is my line that has no right to claim power here. If you really are the true heir to the family, Ryuu, it is in your blood to lead it. You should not be afraid to take on that mantle - it belongs to you."

"With due respect, sir, it does not." Ryuu shook his head earnestly. "The one who leads the Kuchiki is the one who is chosen to lead it, and who is annointed by the Clan to lead it."

"Perhaps in your eyes," Guren said dryly. "You are too young to have been fully immersed in the finicky traditions and rules that underpin this Clan's inheritance. There is very little room in Kuchiki lore for deviation from the true line. Whatever Father's reasons, he knew that what he was doing was a crime against the Clan. In order to make me the true heir, his obligation to the family was to kill Seiren and raise only one son. Seiren's life means that the Kuchiki was not inherited by the right son. The line is broken - if you do not follow me, it will remain broken."

Ryuu was silent for a while, his gaze drifting to the window, where stray, bronzed leaves fluttered on the morning breeze.

"The Kuchiki ethos is wrong," he said at length, returning his sombre grey eyes to meet Guren's clouded ones. "If it cannot change, and deviate, and shift with the seasons and the times, it will not survive. Aizen Keitarou has taught us that more clearly than any other, I believe. Because we are so set in our ways, he was able to pit us against each other and create chaos and devastation. That is how Clans are destroyed. And...and Guren-sama, I really believe that this Clan is too great to let an exile and an outlaw destroy it."

"I see." Guren's lips thinned contemplatively. "Then what do you believe is right, Ryuu? If you will not follow in my footsteps, how do you perceive this Clan can go forward?"

Ryuu smiled faintly.

"Shirogane-senpai is a far better prospect for the family than I," he said pragmatically. "I may have the better bloodline, but sometimes that is not enough. Like Father, I am someone better suited to be a shadow. I am here to support the Clan, not lead it. Do not mistake me - I have confidence in both my sword skills and my administrative ones. I do not, however, know how to motivate or manipulate people, nor can I see with any great ease how to negotiate with others to improve our family's position. I have made some grave errors since this began - I doubted in people I should not have doubted in and because of my wilful behaviour, Father is now as ill as this. I would not be a wise choice of head, Guren-sama. More, I believe...Father's broken spirit power was an omen that his line was not meant to inherit."

Guren let out a soft chuckle, despite himself.

"You really are a very intelligent boy, aren't you?" he mused. "I regret not having had the chance to speak to you like this before. I understand your words, Ryuu, and clearly you have thought very deeply about this whole business. The fact still remains, though, that Ribari was my only blood heir. My line ends with me, now - and Shirogane..."

"Shirogane-senpai said that Sensei had told him there was a past precedent for a nephew through the female line to inherit the Kuchiki," Ryuu said softly. "If the Clan Leader was to adopt that nephew, then..."

He trailed off, a look of apprehension in his eyes.

"I am overreaching myself," he murmured, "I'm sorry. My words are impertinent and insensitive...I should not..."

"I intended to adopt Shirogane, you know," Guren shook his head, "when Ribari had reached his majority. I had intended to formally bring Shirogane into my own care and give him the Kuchiki name in the way Father bestowed it on Futsuki when he and Mother married. I wanted Shirogane to be able to support my son like a brother - just as Futsuki has always been there to support me. When Ribari died, though...such a move could only be interpreted as one thing by the Kuchiki court, and so I shied away from it. It was never my intention to replace my son with my nephew - nor did I want to alienate Seiren by undermining your claim. Though I sent Ojiue to District One with papers outlining Shirogane's right to inherit should you and I both be killed, the stipulations were very clear. You outrank Shirogane and it is your claim first."

He sighed.

"Now it transpires that you have no aspirations to lead the Clan," he added. "With my brother so ill, though, I can't give thought to anything else. Seiren's known the truth about us for a long long time - somehow I can tell that he's always known, even though he never told me the truth. Why he never did, I'm not sure. What his motives were, that's hard to work out. He's always been there, and he's always supported me, ever since Father died. Yet he's done so knowing that all of this should have been his - if I tell him that I'm negating your claim by adopting Shirogane..."

"I will speak to Father, when he is well enough to listen," Ryuu promised. "I should have done so long before, so this is in some way my fault, too. I cannot be something I am not, and I have realised it most keenly these past few months. I was sent to the Academy to become a shinigami, Guren-sama, and I have discovered that I am good at it. More, I have friends now that I never had before, and my outlook on many things has been broadened quite considerably. I understand now that I am a Kuchiki and my loyalty is to you and to those who you designate to succeed you. I do not wish to be one of those so designated - but I will do whatever is in my power once I graduate to support you and the Clan as a whole. Unlike Mitsuki, my place is here in District Six."

"Very well." Guren rested a hand briefly on his nephew's shoulder. "Until Seiren is well enough to be consulted, we will discuss this matter no more. I understand your words and I accept them as the view of an adult in his right mind, understanding as you do the full implications of what you are saying. If you do not become my heir, though, Ryuu, I hope you don't think I will allow you to slip back out of my notice. I am most intrigued by you and your _zanpakutou_, now I've seen a little of it, and I should like, in Seiren's place, to help you if I can to further perfect your skills once you graduate Genryuusai-sama's school. You have not had the benefit of a father to train with you and I have neglected my duty as your uncle, but I will remedy that. More, even if Seiren does consent to your wish, I shall not accept your refusal to inherit the Clan unless you agree to a particular stipulation."

"A stipulation?" Ryuu looked hesitant, and Guren nodded.

"When Shirogane returns from District One, he will once more be my Vice Captain," he said matter-of-factly. "Whether he is my heir or not, my son or my nephew - that won't change. Third seat, however, remains vacant. My son's seat is a painful one to fill and I would not fill it rashly - but I believe...if it were to be given over to you, I would not have any regrets."

"To me?" Ryuu's eyes almost fell out of his head. "When I have been so recklessly insubordinate...and Ribari-sama's seat? I...surely..."

"You told me yourself that you are best suited to providing support, and would do whatever was in your power for me and for the Clan," Guren reminded him lightly. "In being my Third Seat, you would be able to fulfil both those promises, would you not?"

"I...you put a good deal of faith in one who is as yet untried and unproven, sir, and given that..."

"I saw a young man release his sword and face down an enemy with not an ounce of fear," Guren broke across Ryuu's protestations, his words gentle but firm. "Even when Aizen had you pinned fast, I didn't see any sign of your courage faltering. Genryuusai-sama sees something special in you and now, so do I. I'm sorry it's taken as long as this, but if you insist that I treat with the family and with Shirogane himself to make him my heir, it will be on the understanding you too are there to support both him and I in the steps ahead. If Shirogane succeeds me, you will succeed your father as his right hand man. To do that, experience at a high squad level is essential. That is my will as leader of this Clan, Ryuu - something you said you would not move to defy."

"I see." Ryuu's expression was solemn, and he slowly bowed his head. "In that case, I have no choice but to accept it, although I feel you do me far too great a service. I have always wanted to serve with Sixth Squad, and no other - to do so at such a high rank so soon after graduation would be a great honour."

"More of one than inheriting the Clan?"

"Indeed so." Ryuu's lips twitched into a smile. "You have just told me, sir, that my sword prowess impressed you and for that reason, you have made me this offer. On the contrary, had I succeeded the Clan, that would have been because of blood, not because of achievement. I have come to learn over the past few years that, whilst I am sensible to the prestige of this Clan, I seek to hold a position only if I have earned it."

"Very well," Guren acquiesced, "then when Seiren recovers - providing he does - we will all discuss the whole matter in full. This business has taught me that I take him for granted - it has been very odd, at the main house, without my constant shadow."

"Father has given everything to help you rule this Clan, hasn't he?" Ryuu murmured, and Guren let out a heavy sigh.

"Without my realising it, perhaps he has," he acknowledged. "Kinnya-ojisama and Otousama often disagreed, but I always perceived them to have a close bond. In comparison, I have always had better relations with Futsuki, and Seiren the same than we had with one another. Since I became Clan Leader, we have not always agreed and he has never failed to give me his opinion. We have not fought, though, as we did as children. It is as though...since then...we have both taken the step forward Father hoped we would. We do not have to think alike or always agree to be able to work together. Perhaps we don't even need to be brothers to make this Clan succeed."

"I think it's something else," Ryuu said thoughtfully, moving his hand across to cover his father's pale, thin fingers with his own sword-calloused ones. "I don't know when Father found out what Grandfather had done. Maybe Grandfather told him - I don't know. We've never talked about it. But I agree with you that he's known a long time. I think...since then...he's done whatever he could to support you because that's what an older brother's duty is. I confess I only have a vague understanding of this concept born of spending so much time with Ukitake and the others, but nevertheless I feel I am correct. Father and I are very alike in some ways, and I know that...should I make up my mind to something, or should I affix my loyalty to some cause, there will be no second-guessing it. We are poor speakers when it comes to the things we think and feel - but because I recognise that trait in myself, I am coming to understand Father's mind, too. I think...since Father knew what the truth was...he no longer hated you. Senaya-sama gave him a mission to undertake and he committed to it completely. You are his brother and that matters to him - more than anyone realised it did."

"Ryuu..."

"He would have died rather than shame or hurt you," Ryuu pointed out softly. "He kept this a secret and even when Aizen tried to blackmail him, he held firm and would not raise arms against you. I understand that even when my life was used as a bargaining chip, he chose to shut himself away, even to die, rather than work with your enemy."

Guren smiled ruefully.

"When I asked him what he was hiding from me, he said some things are better not said - for my sake as much as anyone else's," he reflected. "Also, that he would not forgive someone who rebelled against the Clan leader, including himself. Perhaps you're right. Maybe all this time Seiren has been protecting me from the shadows, as only an older brother can. I've never even thought of it that way, but it's only since Ribari died that we've argued in the way we did as youths. I thought we worked together so well because we were both too tentative to cross each other...but perhaps it's only me who hasn't managed to leave our childhood spats behind."

"Guren-sama!"

Before Ryuu could respond, the door slid back to reveal Futsuki, who bowed his head in brisk apology for the suddenness of his arrival.

"Pardon me for intruding on Seiren's rest like this, but Sixth Squad have located something you ought to see," he spoke grimly, and Ryuu was struck by the sudden tension that rippled through Guren's body at Futsuki's words.

"Report," the Clan Leader said quietly. "What is it?"

"A pocket of spiritual disturbance in the forest, not far from where...near to where Ribari-sama was struck down," Futsuki responded. "Genryuusai-sama has already headed to the location, and I came here at once to get you. I'm sorry, Guren - I think there's a good chance it's the remains of a _Senkaimon_of sorts."

"A _Senkaimon_?" Guren's eyes flooded with anger and he was on his feet in a moment. "You mean that, despite our shutting off every porthole we could locate, he's still managed to slip our attention and leave Sixth?"

"Genryuusai-sama is examining the site now, but it's possible," Futsuki grimaced. "It's a very unstable pocket of spiritual energy, Guren. Too unstable for a sane person to attempt to use to cross through Seireitei. It's also very easy to miss. I know that that whole area was already searched once, and none of the tell-tale signs of a gate opening were obviously apparent. But..."

"We are not dealing with a sane mind," Guren said blackly, "and if the gate was unstable and has been opened recently, it would doubtless emit a stronger signal. Even a shinigami with Bankai would struggle to conceal completely the opening of a faulty _Senkaimon_, but it should have been detected and sealed off, regardless."

He glanced at Ryuu.

"I must go," he said quietly. "I leave Seiren in your care, Ryuu. We will talk more later."

"Yes, sir." Ryuu bowed his head solemnly, and Guren nodded.

"It brings me no pleasure to return to the place where my son was struck down," he murmured, his eyes pained. "Again Keitarou has used my weakness for family against me. I am distracted by Seiren's collapse, and so allowed him to slip the net. We must not give him any more of a head start than he already has. Futsuki, come with me. We are going to find Aizen Keitarou, and we are going to make sure he does not get to hurt anyone else."

* * *

"That's the last."

Uebashi leant back against the wall with a heavy sigh, casting his dishevelled companion a relieved smile. "All of the lower school are fully accounted for and without injury, Kazoe. Houjou assured me that all of the Fourth Year class are also now present since Takaoka and Nagasata rejoined them, and Minabe's certain all of the Fifth are here. That just leaves the Seniors to tally up."

"If they're doing their job, they should be the last ones here." Minabe folded her broad arms across her chest, her expression one of deep displeasure. "Foolish, impudent First Squad monkeys. Some of them were trained to their combat arts by me – did they really think they could overpower me without a shred of spiritual wit or guile?"

"They weren't acting on their own impulses," Uebashi put in hurriedly, before Kazoe could retort. "I'm as distressed about it as you, Minabe, but it doesn't appear as though they had much choice."

"Then they should be ashamed of themselves, being manipulated by a slip of a girl who hasn't even graduated," Minabe was unmoved. "I'll be speaking to Hashihiko-sama about this myself, not to mention Genryuusai-sama. First Squad obviously need harsher drill if their mental state can be so easily infiltrated."

Kazoe let out a heavy sigh. Only half an hour had passed since he had stumbled onto the bloody scene outside the First Division barracks, but already things were starting to fall into a surreal sense of normality. Including the three shinigami Mitsuki had found inside the wooden building, all of the stationed First Division members had been accounted for, and at Uebashi's advice, Minabe had used her impressive brawn to haul the unfortunates into the school's confinement unit, locking them firmly inside. Although many of those who had survived the onslaught were still unconscious, one or two had begun to stir, and from their obvious bewilderment, it appeared as though with Naoko's collapse, the spell had indeed been broken.

"I sent Houjou to take a message to First Squad's Vice Captain, asking him to attend here as soon as he is able," Uebashi added now, "and he went at once. He's startlingly reliable these days, so I'm sure he'll convey what I told him properly."

"It was probably prudent to send a kinsman," Kazoe acknowledged. "All right, then so far as First Squad is concerned, the immediate danger is under control. Shikibu is far from all right, but it's my belief that the only person with enough skill to treat her and keep her stable until Retsu-sama returns is Edogawa, so I've left her to do what she can. That accounts for three of the Seniors…I sent Shiba, Michihashi and Souryou here too. Did they arrive?"

"They did," Uebashi confirmed. "Michihashi didn't look up to much, so while Shiba and Souryou were here to help with the juniors, I let the other boy sit quietly and read. He's over by the far window –and since you and Minabe are here now too, I don't suppose the Seniors still need to supervise."

"Houjou, Shikibu, Shiba, Edogawa. Souryou and Michihashi make six," Kazoe pursed his lips, counting names on his fingers as his keen gaze scoured the room. "There are still six students unaccounted for. No, make that four. Nagoya's approaching, and Ukitake and Kyouraku by some miracle appear to be with him."

"I believe it's three." Uebashi shook his head. "Kuchiki is still in District Six – at present we have only eleven Senior students."

"Ah, so we do." Kazoe's expression twisted into a grim smile. "Very well. That leaves Endou, Yamamoto, Shihouin whose whereabouts are currently unknown."

"The immediate danger has passed, however," Uebashi pointed out. "All of First Squad are confined and Shikibu is receiving help. Surely they'll return here soon enough?"

"They haven't received the message to do so," Kazoe shook his head, watching the door slide back to admit Shirogane and his two young companions. "Nagoya! Have you seen Yamamoto, Shihouin or Endou on your travels?"

"Hirata and Kai are missing?" Juushirou's eyes grew big, and Shunsui thwapped him lightly across the back of the head.

"Sensei wasn't talking to you. Pipe down," he scolded, and despite himself, Kazoe stifled the wry smile that longed to spread across his lips.

"I haven't." Shirogane shot Juushirou a withering glance, then shook his head. "I'm sorry, Kazoe-sensei. I've had my hands full with other matters – I wasn't aware that so many of the Senior Class had such a poor sense of direction."

"Souryou, you were with Yamamoto and the others before the library came under attack, weren't you?" Kazoe raised his voice, and Kanshi looked up, ambling across the Great Hall to join them with a rueful grin. "Do you know where they headed after they left you?"

"They were looking for Shikibu, but according to Sora, she's been found already and everything's calmed down," Kanshi responded, "in a manner of speaking, anyhow. Why? Do you want me to go find then, Sensei?"

"No, you're walking wounded." Kazoe shook his head. "You stay here."

He paused, spreading his spiritual senses out across the morass of mingled energy that still lingered about the school grounds, then nodded.

"The immediate danger appears to have abated," he reflected. "If we can round up the final trio, that will be everyone."

"I'll go find them, Sensei." Juushirou raised his hand. "I'm Anideshi, so it's my job to go."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Shunsui shot him a quizzical look, and Juushirou's expression became impatient.

"Sensei just said that the danger has gone," he said pointedly. "What do you think I'm going to do, run off into the hills? I'm going to find Yamamoto-kun and the others, that's all. Nothing else. I'll bring them right back here."

"I could go, Sensei," Shirogane interjected. "Sending one student running after another is asking for trouble."

"Senpai!" Juushirou's expression became one of dismay. "Don't you trust me to do what I said? Sensei said it's safe - all I'm going to do is get Kai and the rest!"

"Very well." Kazoe gestured in the direction of the doorway with his cane. "Go, Ukitake, but don't be long. If you tarry, I'll be sure to report it to Genryuusai-sensei, and I don't expect to have to send anyone else out after you - understand?"

"Sensei?" Shunsui's eyes became big, but Juushirou was already shooting his friend a triumphant look, bowing his head towards the teacher in acknowledgement before shunpoing out of the protected space.

"Is that really a good idea, Sensei?" Shirogane asked softly. "Sending Ukitake...Genryuusai-sama was very clear..."

"Do you sense anything dangerous within the school grounds?" Kazoe asked acerbically, and Shirogane frowned, shaking his head.

"I don't," he admitted, "but even so...I could easily have gone."

"Are you acquainted with the students in question?"

"No, but..."

"I have another job for you, in any case." Kazoe held up his hand to indicate there would be no further discussion on this topic. "Sending you while Ukitake is away is as well, I think. I want you to go to Genryuusai-sensei's study and report the current situation to your Great Uncle. I'm sure he needs no such report, but since effectively he's been left in charge here, he ought to know what's going on."

"I suppose that's true." Shirogane still looked doubtful, but he inclined his head. "Very well. I will go there directly."

With that he was gone, and Shunsui sighed, sinking back against the wall.

"I have a bad feeling, Sensei," he murmured. "I can't explain what or why, I just...do."

"Because I sent Ukitake?" Kazoe's eyes bored into him, and Shunsui nodded.

"I guess so. Given everything, I suppose..."

"What kind of shinigami do you want Ukitake to become, Kyouraku?" Kazoe asked softly, and Shunsui started, staring at him blankly.

"A live one, if at all possible," he managed at length, "though that's an odd question, if I may say so, Sensei. It's not really up to me, is it, what kind of shinigami Juu becomes?"

"No. It's not," Kazoe agreed acidly, "and the sooner you realise that, the better. I know you are friends - in fact, I'm fairly sure it's only thanks to his influence that you've become a tolerable student. However, he is not for you to protect. _He_is Anideshi, not you. Going to fetch his fellows was his duty and he accepted it without question."

"But..."

"This is not a battlefield, despite the recent events," Kazoe shook his head, "and if you do not allow Juushirou to become his own kind of shinigami in his own way, Kyouraku, he will come to resent you."

"I..." Shunsui trailed off, rubbing his temples. "I suppose I know that. I worry about him too much. Just, knowing that he could get hurt..."

"A shinigami who cannot defend himself is of little use to Seireitei," Kazoe said simply. "Genryuusai-sensei would be the first to say that, would he not?"

"Yes, sir. He would," Shunsui agreed. "I didn't really expect to hear it from you, though. I mean, you're an Unohana, and surely that means protecting all life..?"

"I have no intention of letting harm befall any of you, because I am your teacher and so that is my duty until you graduate," Kazoe responded frankly. "I do not like loss of life, but I also believe in my students being able to protect themselves from danger. Ukitake is capable of that. If he was not, he would not have been chosen as Anideshi, now would he?"

"I suppose that's true," Shunsui admitted. "I know he doesn't need my protection."

"Then we shall say no more." Kazoe offered his student a rare, brief smile. "Go and make yourself useful and help Shiba and the others with the juniors. As a Senior, your duty is to protect them, so focus your considerable skills and attention on that for the time being. Understand? In Ukitake's absence, that responsibility falls to you."

"But..."

"Did Genryuusai-sensei not designate you Ukitake's second in command, however unofficially?" Kazoe arched an eyebrow, and Shunsui offered him a rueful smile.

"He did, I suppose," he conceded. "All right. I understand, Senpai returns, I'll go help Sora and the others."

He bowed his head in what might have been interpreted as a gesture of acknowledgement, and Kazoe leaned up against the wall, folding his arms absently across his chest and letting his breath out in a rush.

_There were many times today I wasn't sure I could protect you all, Kyouraku. A kinswoman of mine is still in a critical state, and even now the immediate danger has passed, it will be a while before everything calms down. It's been a long time since I've felt everything around me swirling so much out of control, and even after so many years, it's not easy to make the right decisions at the right time. Sometimes all we can do is what's right in front of us, and thankfully, this time those impulses appear to have been correct._

"Sensei!"

At that moment Shirogane reappeared, anxiety in his grey eyes, and Kazoe gazed at him in surprise, jerked free of his reverie by the expression on the young man's face.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly, and Shirogane swallowed hard.

"Sensei, Kinnya-sama isn't in Genryuusai-sensei's office," he murmured, apprehension in his gaze. "He's not there. He's gone!"

* * *

District One was cold.

Keitarou pulled his ragged cloak more tightly around his body, pausing to rest his hand against the trunk of a nearby tree as he regained his bearings. His mind was swirling, his whole form dizzy and disorientated from his trip through the unstable _Senkaimon_. It had been only his determination that had allowed him to avoid being dragged into the volatile walls of the tunnel. Drawing Chudokuga, he had managed somehow to slash open an exit point and drop safely to the ground, but it had taken a lot of his spiritual strength to ward off danger and now he had reached his destination, he took deep breaths into his lungs, relishing the fresh air.  
_  
Better than the fetid air inside that Gate. I doubt I'll ever be able to use it again - it's about ready to implode._

He frowned, assessing his location. He was unfamiliar with District One, knowing as he did that it was normally the home of Genryuusai, a shinigami who would not only locate him but destroy him with one release of his infamous fire _zanpakutou_. Now he had met the old man face to face, Keitarou was even more sure that an encounter with Ryuujinjakka would prove immediately fatal.

_I have not much time. He will return here shortly, and I must have finished all I need to do before that happens._

He had set down in a mountainous area, a horizon of peaks and valleys stretching out in all directions as far as he could see. Though many of the trees were barren in preparation for the cold frosts of winter, there was a certain gentle prettiness to this wild, untamed run of land, and a faintly nostalgic expression touched his features.

_When I was small, before Father died, we would run riot through this kind of wilderness. It's the perfect place for discovering things never yet discovered - a place where dreams are created and where fantasies are fulfilled._

He smiled ruefully, shaking his head as if to clear it.

_That was a long time ago. My dreams now focus on protecting Eiraki and restoring my sword in order to regroup and prepare for the fight that is to come. I see so much more clearly now what my path is meant to be and how I'm supposed to move from this point on. I can't afford to get sentimental or nostalgic when there are things to be done. I must find Juushirou and I must either claim or kill him, depending which proves to be the simplest solution. I must find Eiraki first, though, and hear her report of what's been going on here. She can't be far from this place - I can see what must be the Academy building from here.  
_  
He turned, his gaze absorbing thoughtfully the perimeter of land surrounding what had obviously once been an old manor house, but which now housed Genryuusai's precious school of students.

_Juushirou is there, too. That's where I need to head. With Genryuusai away, there shouldn't be any need to worry about militant defences. That Unohana girl has taken care of the First Squad quite effectively, so far as I can tell - it should be no problem at all to infiltrate the building and claim what interests me the most._

He forced his weary body into shunpo, re-materialising a short few feet from the edge of the school grounds and gazing at it pensively. He could tell from the mix of spirit power on the wind that the Academy had seen one battle already that day - and his lips curled in a faint smile as he registered all the different strains of spiritual energy.

_They fought valiantly and they're probably relieved that it's all over. Well, that's fine by me. Let them be so reassured. My business is not with most of them.  
_  
The faint prickle of Eiraki's reiatsu alerted him to the girl's approach and he slipped back into the dense trees, reaching out a hand to grab her and pull her into the shade of an elderly pine. She gasped, her hand automatically going to the vial of Reidoku at her waist, but as she met his gaze she relaxed, sinking back against him with a sigh.

"You startled me," she said reproachfully. "You could have told me you'd made it here safely."

"The less drama I cause by being here the better, at present." Keitarou patted her gently on the head. "You look well, and I'm glad. I trust that the school have been far too busy with their own affairs to bother about your actions?"

"None of them have paid me any attention whatsoever," Eiraki looked derisive. "It was exactly as you said it would be, Kei-sama. Your experiment worked perfectly. Those silly shinigami turned on the students and they were all fighting all over the place. They're probably all worn out now."

"Naoko broke my control over her," Keitarou glanced down at the hilt of his sword. "I felt the severance in the connection. Do you know what became of her?"

"Not sure," Eiraki admitted. "There's a lot of blood around the First Division barracks, though. Maybe one of her friends ran her through...why?"

She frowned.

"You aren't worried for her, are you?" she asked softly, her eyes becoming big and sorrowful. "She's not so very pretty, Kei-sama, and..."

"I have no interest in her whatsoever." Keitarou smiled, putting a gentle finger to her lips. "Don't look at me like that. She was a puppet, and no more. If she's dead, so much to the good. Dead puppets don't talk, and therefore are so much more useful than live ones in situations such as this."

"Oh." Eiraki relaxed, offering him a sheepish smile. "You took such a long time to come. I was worried you wouldn't manage to."

"I had to create a considerable amount of distraction before I could leave." Keitarou touched his fingers absently to his throat. "It got a little dangerous, so I took my chance and escaped. Now there's just one piece of important unfinished business to see to."

"Ukitake-san," Eiraki sighed, nodding her head. "He fought against one of the shinigami, but I don't think he was hurt. I was hoping I could report to you that someone had already killed him and then we could escape right away - but it's not going to be so simple as that, is it?"

"No," Keitarou admitted, "and this time, Eiraki-chan, I am sending you away. Not far," as Eiraki's lips began to part in protest, "just out of the immediate vicinity of the school. From the mountains there's a deep valley which looks very sheltered and concealed with pine trees. If you can follow this path straight along towards the east, I think you'll get there. Hide yourself in the trees and wait for me. I'll come for you once my mission is complete and we'll leave here together. Understand?"

"Yes, but you..."

"I'll be fine. I've already covered the most dangerous part of this mission." Keitarou offered her a playful smile. "Now go, quickly, before anyone sees you. Keep the _reidoku_with you and use it if you need to to protect yourself - otherwise stay out of sight."

"All right." Eiraki pouted, but nodded her head. "I'll be waiting for you. Don't take too long."

As he watched her slim figure disappear between the trunks of the trees, Keitarou let out a sigh, rubbing his fingers once more against his bruised throat.  
_  
I think I won't tell you how close that creature came to squeezing the life out of me. It's probably better the less you know about what happened in Sixth. I'm safely here now, so it's of no particular matter. _

He turned his gaze back towards the school, pulling the hood of his cloak over his head to better conceal his features and slipping into shunpo, re-materialising a few metres from the edge of the training ground. Here the mixture of spiritual emissions was even denser, and he frowned, suppressing his own reiatsu to a level whereby the spiritual pollution in the air would mask his presence more easily. As he did so, he clearly picked up the faint traces of shadow manipulation among the threads, and a look of consternation crossed his features.

_The Kyouraku bocchan. So Naoko's puppets failed to kill him, too? Pity. That would have made my life much easier, but as it is..._

"Who are you?"

The voice startled him, and he swung around, seeing a tall, broadly built individual confronting him, his hand curled around the hilt of what was clearly a _zanpakutou_at his waist and a look of suspicion and anger in his dark brown eyes. In his slipstream was a smaller youth, his dark skin and vivid golden eyes immediately giving him away as a Shihouin. Both boys were robed in the attire of the Academy, though from their dishevilled appearances Keitarou got the distinct impression they had already spent some of the morning fighting, and a derisive smile crossed his features.

"A visitor," he said smoothly, folding his arms across his chest and allowing his cloak to billow around him in the breeze. "I don't have business with the Yamamoto or the Shihouin, however, so if you'd step aside I'd be most grateful."

"This is my Father's land." The Yamamoto boy did not move, his brows knitting together in annoyance. "Nobody goes anywhere without identifying themselves to me."

"Oh, I see," Keitarou chuckled, "so you're one of Hashihiko-sama's children, are you? Most impressive. Your stance would not disgrace any Yamamoto warrior, I'm sure."

"Yamamoto asked you a question," Now the Shihouin spoke up, stepping forward so that he stood alongside his companion to block the way. Though built on a far more diminuitive scale to his classmate, there was an equal amount of resolution in his gold eyes and, at some point without Keitarou's noticing, a black sword had appeared in his hand. "It's generally good manners to answer. If you've no reason to conceal your face, reveal it. If you've a true reason to be here, giving your name does nobody any harm."

"I have a reason to be here." Keitarou reached up obediently to pull back the cowl of his cloak, fixing each boy with a thoughtful gaze. "I don't intend on answering to either of you, however, since my business is not with you."

"You've just made it with both of us." The Yamamoto was unmoved. "I don't know your face, therefore you'll have to state your reason for visiting before we'll let you pass. As Seniors, that's our duty to Genryuusai-sensei and to this school."

"Perhaps you might say I have an interest in a District student of yours, with whom I have a close and detailed acquaintance," Keitarou said softly. "His name is Ukitake Juushirou, and we are old friends. I would be most grateful if you would take me to him - with all the conflict going on here, his safety is of considerable concern to me."

At his words, the Shihouin stiffened, dismay entering his amber gaze.

"Aizen," he murmured, and the Yamamoto shot his companion a look of alarm.

"Aizen?" he demanded. "_This_is Aizen? This is the jerk who killed Suzuno?"

"Ah, I see that you've heard of me." Keitarou's eyes became amused. "My name and my reputation go before me. If that's the case, you'll understand why it's to the benefit of both of you to let me pass. I would hate to add further innocent corpses to my tally."

"You..." Akira's eyes glittered with rage and he lunged forward, his silver blade searing forth from its sheath and driving hard towards Keitarou's throat. Killing instinct filled the boy's aura, but Keitarou merely laughed, spreading his hands across in front of him.

"_Bakudou no Kyuu. Geki,_" he murmured, watching with detached interest as the tendrils of red energy engulfed the bared blade, causing Akira to falter and struggle against its hold. "Really, you're very violent. Did nobody teach you to assess your opponent's strength before charging into a fight? Dear me, what does your old Sensei teach you children?"

"We know enough to know you're not getting any further inside the school grounds, Aizen." The Shihouin cast his companion a glance, his own gaze darkening. "There are people here who can fight more strongly than we can, and there are more of us than you. You don't think that you can just walk in here and take Ukitake, do you? I knew you were a little crazy, but obviously you're a lot more out of your wits than I thought you were."

"You needn't bluff," Keitarou snorted, flicking his fingers to release Akira's blade and it fell heavily onto the frozen ground. "Genryuusai-sama isn't here. I know, because I saw him in District Six. Unohana Retsu is also there, far from a place where she can defend you from harm. There is nobody else at this school who is even a little bit a match for my spirit power. You understand that, don't you, Shihouin?"

His eyes became cold.

"I have used and discarded people of your Clan before," he said cruelly. "You can't think that you will fare any better than they did."

"I know _all _about you, Aizen Keitarou," Kai's eyes were angry. "I know you stole Hirata's sister and slaughtered his grandfather. I know that you've been taking apart the Kuchiki from the shadows and more, trying to incriminate my family in the process. I know you made a puppet of my cousin, Tomoyuki, too. Did you know that Shihouin pride runs as deeply as Kuchiki? We never forgive a slight against our Clan, and you have committed several."

"Your sword cannot stop me," Keitarou said matter-of-factly. "You have clever words, and righteousness in your eyes, but you are tired and your reiatsu ragged. You have both already fought today. Neither one of you are able to muster the power to fight one like me, in any case. If you know I killed Endou Shouichi, boy, I wonder at you choosing to raise your blade to me."

"You killed Suzuno," Akira retrieved his weapon, hatred burning in his brown eyes. "What in hell makes you think that I'll stand back and just let that go?"

"She was of no use to me," Keitarou said dismissively. "She got in my way, and so she paid the price for it. I don't take pleasure in killing unnecessarily, but if people will try to interfere, then they write their own death warrants."

He drew Chudokuga from his sash, his left hand simultaneously glittering with light.

"I will give you both one last chance to step aside," he said softly. "If not, then it will be your warrants that Chudokuga's thread next weaves."

"Stop it!"

The voice cut through the air, crisp and clear and so entirely without hesitation that Keitarou's intent faltered, the silver haze that had coated his weapon moments before fading slightly as he turned his head to look at the speaker.

Juushirou stood at the edge of the school grounds, his hazel eyes dark with resolution and anger, and his lank white hair whipping loose around his face, the wind having teased the last of it from his makeshift tie. His hand was clasped around the hilt of Sougyo no Kotowari, although he had not drawn the weapon from its black scabbard, and as he read the boy's reiatsu, an approving smile touched Keitarou's lips.

"It's me you came to see, Keitarou, isn't it?" Juushirou spoke simply, no trace of fear in his tones. "If that's the case, my classmates are nothing to do with you. If you really want to talk to me about something, then you'll have to do it after they've headed back to the school. It's nothing to do with them - I don't want them involved."

"Are you giving me orders, Juushirou?" Keitarou let out a low chuckle. "Well, and we have become precocious since our last encounter, haven't we?"

"I can't speak for you, but I'm simply not in the mood to play games." Juushirou drew his sword a little from its sheath, a challenge in his gaze. "Don't think I came all the way out here to meet you, though. I was sent to find Yamamoto-kun and Shihouin-kun and bring them back. That's my duty, as Anideshi - so until I've completed that, I have nothing to say to you."

"Ukitake?" Akira stared at his classmate in disbelief. "Step down, you moron. Shihouin and I are the best fighters in Senior Class - do you really think that either of us are stepping back and letting you get slashed apart?"

"Please remember that I am Anideshi, Yamamoto-kun," Juushirou spoke pleasantly, but there was an undertone running through his words that made the Yamamoto boy flinch angrily. "Also, please don't forget what I said to you after we came back from the Real World. Amai-san would far rather you returned to the school in safety, and it's my job to make sure that you do."

"Suzuno's enemy is my enemy, and this isn't someone who can fight with swords," Akira began, indignation prickling in his aura, and Keitarou watched with interest, half wondering if a fight was about to break out between the two Senior students. "I damn well told you that I fight my own fights, and hers too, if need be. If you understand that you'll understand why I'm not going to walk away. Shihouin can, if he likes. I'm not done here. I have a score to settle with Aizen Keitarou."

"Then you'll settle it with me first."

Juushirou drew his blade, purposefully pointing the sharp silver tip in Akira's direction. "I won't say it again, Yamamoto-kun. You and Shihouin-kun have been summoned back to the school. I still have to find Hirata, and clearly our visitor has more business with me than he does with either of you. I suggest you both retreat and leave this to me to handle."

"You assume, Juushirou, that I intend on letting them go," Keitarou decided to speak up here, offering the District boy a lazy smile. "Your attempts to shield your fellow students do you credit, but if you saw poor Suzuno, you'll know that people who get in the way sometimes meet unhappy endings."

"You have no intention of killing them," Juushirou said flatly, not making any attempt to lower his sword or relax his stance towards Yamamoto. "If you do, you know that I won't cooperate with you, or even listen to another word you say. Also, if you do, you'll have to release reiatsu. Right now, you've hurt a classmate of mine, used her power and her reiatsu and in the resultant melee, you've suppressed all trace of yourself. You think that with Sensei away, you can lure the people here into a false sense of security, and maybe you're right. I'm sure Kazoe-sensei wouldn't have sent me out here if he'd known we had an intruder on the premises, and I admit, I'd have thought twice about coming, too. I made it clear last time we spoke that I didn't intend on renewing our acquaintance, so you can rest assured I didn't come here to meet with you by choice."

"Yet you don't intend on fleeing, do you?"

"I told you. I have a job to do," Juushirou responded evenly. "The safety of my classmates ranks above my disdain for seeing you."

"I see," Keitarou chuckled. "You have become very cocky, bearing in mind the difference in skill that separates us. I wonder if that's time spent in the company of your Kyouraku friend? I'm sure you would never have spoken so impudently before me three years ago."

"Three years ago I didn't know who you were or what you were capable of doing," Juushirou returned bluntly. "I know now. I can't be fooled by your rhetoric any more. You're a killer and an outlaw and Shunsui was right when he said we have nothing in common."

His eyes narrowed.

"Besides, if you were to fight properly, you'd have to give away your presence," he reflected. "There's also no guarantee you would win. Kai-kun and Yamamoto-kun are both far better sword fighters than you are. They're better than I am, too. Whether they fought you, or I did, you won't be able to avoid using Chudokuga. You might not even be able to defeat us, and then other people will find you here. Maybe Council people. You wouldn't risk it."

"Ukitake...?" Kai turned, meeting Juushirou's gaze with a quizzical one of his own. Slowly Juushirou inclined his head, and Kai sighed.

"Then I guess we're going," he said heavily, reaching across to grab Akira by the folds of his _hakamashita. "_Come on, Yamamoto. We're taking our leave and we're going back to school. Kazoe wants us, and we've nothing more to do here."

"What happened to defending family pride?" Akira demanded, and Kai offered him a rueful smile.

"You know as well as I do that there's no point fighting here," he said simply. "We'll get into trouble, or we'll get hurt."

"Or we'll hurt someone else. Him," Akira jabbed his sword in Keitarou's direction. "I'm not going anywhere, Shihouin. I don't care what you do. He killed Suzuno, and I'm going to take him down."

"Tiresome," Keitarou tut-tutted. "Juushirou's gone to so much trouble to try and extricate you, as well. I suppose there's no confining Yamamoto pride, is there? Family land, and all of that...but you're a fool if you think anyone will come and rescue you. I was inclined to let you both go, given that Juushirou performed so admirably on your behalf - but now you're starting to bore me. I don't have time to waste hanging around here and humouring your egos, so if you really want to stand and fight..."

He ran his fingers over the blade of his sword, his smile widening.

"I don't need to fight you," he said pleasantly. "Juushirou's drawn his sword - why don't we let him do it?"

His eyes hardened, as the silver glow enveloped the blade further, and despite himself Juushirou gasped, his left hand going to his chest as a similar haze of energy engulfed his body.

"Ukitake?" Kai's eyes opened wide in alarm, and Keitarou chuckled.

"You really have been naughty, keeping Chudokuga's powers all to yourself for all this time," he scolded lightly, "but my hypothesis was right. It is there inside of you and I can reach out to it. Something's happened since our last meeting - was it that very thing itself? I couldn't sense it then, but I can now - the fibres of my sword's spirit power, responding at last to Chudokuga's call."

He spread his fingers in Juushirou's direction, and the District boy choked, grasping at the folds of his _hakamashita_. His blade dropped from his grip as he sank to the floor, the silver light that enveloped him dragging him down as though suddenly a great weight had been thrust about his shoulders.

"Ukitake!" Akira's grip tightened around his weapon, his gaze darting from Keitarou to Juushirou as if unsure what he should do. "What the hell have you done to him, you jerk?"

"Reclaimed something that belongs to me," Keitarou said simply. "Juushirou, stand."

As the silver haze began to fade, Juushirou dragged a couple of gulps of air into his body. His right hand scrabbled around on the floor for the hilt of his blade, and as it closed around the weapon, he slowly dragged himself to his feet, still breathing hard. Keitarou glanced at his sword for a moment, then back at the young boy.

"Kill them," he said pleasantly. "Release Sougyo no Kotowari and show us all exactly what your sword is capable of doing."


	70. Fool's Gambit

**Chapter Sixty Eight: Fool's Gambit**

For a moment, silence fell across the Great Hall, as if everyone present had been somehow hushed by Shirogane's anxious exclamation.

It was Shunsui who reacted first, his eyes widening first with surprise and then with dismay as his quick brain reasoned out the implications of his senior's words.

"Not there?" he murmured. "He's gone to fight? You mean...Aizen?"

"I didn't say that!" Shirogane seemed to become aware of Shunsui for the first time, his tones snappish and impatient. "Don't look at me as though this concerns you. It doesn't. I was reporting to Kazoe-sensei, and eavesdropping is rude, even for First Degree Clansmen."

"But Juu..." Shunsui's mind was racing now, Shirogane's sharp tones barely even registering in the whirl of thoughts that suddenly flooded his mind.

"If Aizen is there, it's Juu he's come for. If Aizen's in District One, then..."

"Kyouraku, calm down," Kazoe's brisk tones broke through his student's daze, and Shunsui was aware of thin fingers clasping his shoulders, giving him a short, sharp shake. "There's no indication that Aizen Keitarou is here at all. Kinnya-sama might have left the office, and he might have taken his blade with him. However, we are not going to panic. Understand? Genryuusai-sensei left the school under Kinnya-sama's protection, but his presence here is meant to be low key. Now that the students are mostly out of harm's way, I imagine he's gone to meet the Vice Captain of First in order to explain precisely what went on here. Our job - and yours, too - is to make sure everyone here remains calm. Ukitake will return shortly, with, I hope, Yamamoto and the others. I'm not about to sanction any more of you going running about the school grounds and giving First Squad the idea that there's no discipline when Genryuusai-sensei is away."

"But Sensei..."

"Kyouraku, I won't say it again." Kazoe's eyes glittered with a warning. "You are a Senior and your duty is here, not roaming around the school grounds."

"I'm sorry, Kazoe-sensei," Shirogane sighed, running his fingers through his thick dark hair. "I didn't intend to create a panic - I had forgotten that First Squad's Vice Captain was coming here. It seems perfectly logical that Kinnya-sama would meet with him directly...especially given the situation."

"Precisely," Kazoe inclined his head. "Shirogane, take Kyouraku and do something with him, please. For some unknown reason, he seems quite popular with the juniors, and some of them are still very shaken up."

"With pleasure." Before Shunsui knew what was happening, Shirogane had grabbed him by the arm, hauling him off across the Hall.

"You don't have to marshall me, you know. I'm not a First year." As they reached the far wall, Shunsui wrenched himself free of his companion's grip, rubbing his arm absently.

"I know how you're thinking," Shirogane said disparagingly. "You're thinking about dashing out there when nobody's looking, aren't you? Sensei's made it clear, though, and I will too. We wait here. We're not going out there. It wouldn't be a good idea."

"You think Aizen's coming here too, don't you?" Shunsui's eyes narrowed. "You lied before, but I'm not that easy to fool. You think he has come here - and so does Kazoe-sensei, doesn't he?"

Shirogane sighed heavily.

"I don't sense anything out of the ordinary or untoward in the vicinity," he said at length. "It troubles me that Kinnya-sama disappeared without a word, but it may well be he's gone to meet with First's Vice Captain and explain the situation. Nobody else here has the rank to do that. I might do it, I suppose, being that we are of equal rank but...no, this is First District and in Genryuusai-sensei's absence, to send a senior Clansman shows a level of respect. We have blooded and battered the division members - I think it most politic that Kinnya-sama takes on the explanations."

"And if he hasn't gone for that reason? If he's gone because of something else?"

Shirogane did not answer for a moment. Then he frowned, meeting Shunsui's gaze with a troubled one.

"I don't know what kind of sword Kinnya-sama uses," he said slowly. "I have no idea what level of strength he has, but I do know that it surpasses Guren-sama's and therefore is nothing to be tangled with. The reason he has not yet involved himself in matters here is because he fears causing damage to the students by releasing his sword. If he has left the school and if he does pursue Aizen, it is better he does it with nobody else nearby."

"But what about Juu and the others?"

"You should not need me to tell you that Kinnya-sama is the last person who would allow harm to befall that wretched boy," Shirogane said simply. "Besides, even if Aizen was there, if Kinnya-sama has left the school it implies Aizen too is not on campus. Ukitake, on the other hand, is. Don't you think it unlikely they will cross paths?"

"No. I think it very likely," Shunsui retorted, not caring whether or not his tones seemed rude. "It doesn't matter that we can't sense them. Sora said she and Mitsuki couldn't sense Naoko even when they were right on top of her, because the air here is so messed up with fragments of released spirit power. Aizen is good at sneaking around, even if he's useless in direct combat. Perhaps because he's useless in that regard, he knows all the best ways to stay hidden. He also uses Bankai, and I've no doubt that he could conceal himself from all of us if he so chose. Senpai, I know Aizen and I know Juu. I think it's very likely indeed that he's here. If Kinnya-sama has left the school grounds to seek out Aizen, it might just be a decoy or a trap which lays all of the rest of us open to danger all the more. Starting with Juushirou."

"Ukitake might be your friend, Kyouraku, and no doubt he's a good friend in whom you trust," Shirogane responded, "but even though they haven't met, he's become something more to my Great Uncle. Blood is a strong binding potion, even when it spans classes and generations. I didn't really consider it so before, but of late, I have learned it to be true. Kinnya-sama will not put the boy at risk. I am fairly certain of that - he is here to ensure his grandson lives as much as he is to protect everything else."

"Has Kinnya-sama met Aizen?" Shunsui asked quietly, and Shirogane shook his head.

"I imagine not. Why?"

"How will he know, then, if danger is about?" Shunsui bit his lip, tasting blood. "We're talking about an enemy who is a genius at deception and illusion."

"You make no sense," Shirogane said wearily. "Surely what you are saying is that Kinnya-sama must have gone to look for Aizen because he sensed danger. If he has no idea of Aizen's reiatsu or if he lacks a way of tracing him, why would he have then left Sensei's study? Aizen may use Bankai, but so does Kinnya-sama - he is on a level above all of us and his judgement must be trusted. It's a good thing Genryuusai-sensei isn't here. He would tear his beard at your lack of rationale."

"Look, Senpai, I know you think it's crazy," Shunsui sighed. "I realise that it's far beyond my position or training to act rashly in a situation like this, but my sword can hurt him. More, it's already hurt him. Genryuusai-sensei said that it had the potential to kill him, in the future, and having drawn blood from him in the Real World, I think maybe he's right. I made a promise, too, the last time I saw him. I told him that where Juu was, I'd not be far behind. If I'm not there..."

"Do you believe Ukitake to be helpless?" Shirogane asked sharply, his words cutting through Shunsui's fear like a knife. The Kyouraku boy shook his head, frustration in his brown eyes.

"No. No I don't," he muttered. "His health aside, there's nothing really between us in terms of strength or potential. Only...he believes in things more than I do. He thinks better of people than I do. He's easier to fool and quicker to trust than I've ever been. I'm still not sure he fully understands how dangerous Aizen is, not even now."

"Then he's a fool," Shirogane said dismissively, "and the only way fools learn is through experience. Still, Ukitake knows Aizen and should well understand the danger. Is he really going to throw himself into that man's path, knowing he may well be a target?"

"It's not just that." Shunsui hesitated, then, "The others will probably kill me for mentioning this, but as Seniors, we sort of made a pact. We...we had an agreement between us that if Aizen came here, we'd do our best to protect the school and the people here. None of us want to fight Aizen - me least of all, having already done it. Knowing what he did to Naoko-chan only makes it a more obnoxious prospect. But part of what we agreed...what they agreed...involved Juu. He's the only one who has any chance of getting close to Aizen...because he has something that guy wants."

"_What?_" Shirogane paled despite himself, and Shunsui swallowed hard.

"It was Michihashi's idea," he whispered. "I didn't like it, but I thought, if Kinnya-sama was here, there'd be little chance of Juu getting near to danger. I don't know if Aizen is out there or not. I can't sense him, either, but I have a bad feeling in my stomach and I'm afraid that he is. If he is, because of that pact, Juu will act like the idiot he is and go off after him. And if he does that...this time...I'm very afraid Aizen might decide to kill him."

His right hand brushed against Amaki's hilt.

"I'll do as much confinement time as you like after this is over," he added, "but whether you or Kazoe-sensei like it or not, I'm going to find Juu."

Shirogane frowned, his gaze darting across the room to where Kazoe was now talking to Uebashi about something. Then, slowly, he nodded his head.

"In that case," he said frankly, "I'm coming too."

"Senpai?" Shunsui stared at the older man as though he had lost his wits, and a wry, humourless smile touched Shirogane's lips.

"I've been charged especially with Ukitake's safety," he said simply. "Your additional information changes things, and I realise that to go with you is part of my job, too."

"I suppose it is." Despite himself, Shunsui found he was returning the smile. "I'll blame you later, then, when I'm having to explain to whichever sensei why I took off without asking. You really are a terrible example to me, Senpai."

"I might be coming with you, but that does not mean I'm about to tolerate your unfortunate sense of humour," was Shirogane's scathing response. "We find Ukitake and we bring him -and any others - back here. That is the extent of it - nothing more, nothing less. Understand? If Aizen is here, we are not going to face him. You may have made a fluke hit once before, but we do not need a reprise."

"So long as everyone is safe, I'm happy to leave that to Juu's Grandpa." Shunsui assured him. "All right. Sensei's not looking this way - if we're going to shunpo out of here, I guess the time is now."

* * *

The flare of reiatsu that greeted Keitarou's callous instruction seared across Kai's senses like scalding water, and he frowned, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sudden rigidity in his classmate's stance. Sougyo no Kotowari's single sealed _katana_ was already beginning to glow with light, and the Shihouin watched the weapon morph and split into the two distinctive blades, the fins jutting back towards the hilt and the thin ribbon of energy that connected them humming with untapped _reiryoku_.

He sighed heavily, gathering his own spirit power as he prepared to release his sword to meet his classmate's. Alongside him, Akira was clearly debating whether releasing his own explosive weapon inside the school grounds would be a wise decision or not. Kai's mind was drawn to the nature of Sougyo no Kotowari's attacks, and he winced, inwardly hoping that the proud Yamamoto would refrain.

Before the District boy could attack, however, Keitarou's entire demeanour changed and he muttered a curse under his breath, holding up his hand.

"Wait," he said sharply, and Juushirou halted, his weapons still glittering in the pale sunlight.

"The Kyouraku _bocchan,_" Kai heard Keitarou mutter under his breath, then, aloud, "It's a pity, but it looks as though our party is going to have to be halted. Juushirou, bring your swords and follow me. Leave them. They're no longer important."

With that he disappeared into shunpo, the place where he had been standing flickering slightly with discarded energy. For the briefest of instants, Kai caught Juushirou's hazel gaze, then the District boy was gone too, and he let out a heavy sigh, sinking to the ground.

"Do you think he bought it?" he asked softly, and Akira cast him a glance, pursing his lips thoughtfully.

"I don't know," he admitted, glancing at his sword and then sheathing it. "I guess it's up to Ukitake, now. If he fouls up, well, there's not much we can do about it."

"At least we didn't have to release swords," Kai observed. "If yours is as explosive as Souryou seemed to think, it would've been a pretty bad combination against Ukitake's shikai."

"I suppose we'd have found out then how seriously he intended to take it," Akira said reflectively. "I won't pretend I like doing it this way, Shihouin. I do still have issues with that man, for Suzuno's sake as well as the honour of my family in what happened here today. We had no preparation and Ukitake descended on us like he did - who knows if he was following the plan or if he was acting on his own odd impulses?"

"I think he improvised on the spot, when he saw what was going on,." Kai mused.

"You're sure he wasn't taken in by Aizen's spell?" Akira looked doubtful. "He did glow a fair bit beforehand..."

"No, I'm sure," Kai nodded his head firmly. "Ukitake was in his own mind when he left. I'm certain of it, Yamamoto. I can't explain the silver - I don't know if it was Aizen or if it was Ukitake himself, but whatever caused it, Ukitake released his sword himself, and left here of his own accord."

"Well, you know him better than me," Akira sighed, rubbing his temples. "If you say so."

"I'm sure," Kai assured him.

"I still want to avenge Suzuno, though," Akira grimaced. "I don't like being left behind, or leaving everything to someone else. Ukitake said some damn irritating things and waved that wretched sword of his at me. He'd better have been acting, I swear, because...ah, to hell with it! If this hadn't all been Aoi's brainchild..."

He reached out a hand to pull the Shihouin to his feet, and Kai offered him a grateful grin, dusting down his _hakamashita_.

"Whether he was playing up the part or not, Ukitake was right, though," he responded. "Amai wouldn't have wanted you killed over her. You're too good a shinigami for that."

"Well, Ukitake's no pal of mine, but I'm not real keen on him getting killed over it, either," Akira admitted. "I guess it's that old saying about the enemy of your enemy is your friend - something like that."

"Yeah," Kai inclined his head, "I know what you mean. Kuchiki and I have had a similar kind of school year, with one thing or another. It's amazing what you can tolerate when you're up against it."

"Juu!"

At that moment, Shunsui materialised at the edge of the school grounds, Shirogane not far behind him and both hurried across the grass to where the two Senior students were standing. "Kai...Akira? Where the hell is Juu? He was here a moment ago, I felt Sougyo, and..."

"He was here, with us," Kai nodded, reaching across to pat Shunsui on the shoulder. "We had a visitor, Kyouraku. I guess from the look on your face you already know that."

"Aizen Keitarou," Shunsui's eyes darkened. "What happened? Did he hurt anyone? Hurt Juu? What did he say?"

"More pressingly, where is Ukitake?" Shirogane added. "If Aizen is truly here, getting everybody back inside the school becomes paramount. A kinsman of mine is almost certainly on Aizen's trail, so the best thing we can do is get out of his way."

"Ukitake went with Aizen," Akira said simply.

"_What?_" Shirogane's eyes became huge, and Shunsui let out a sigh of frustration. "Why did you let him do that? I thought you two were meant to be Seniors - if you knew who this intruder was, why would you let him take one of your class?"

"Because we agreed it that way," Kai glanced at Shunsui, shrugging his shoulders. "All of us, before any of this chaos even began."

"This is the bright idea you were telling me about?" Shirogane arched an eyebrow at Shunsui, who groaned, running his fingers agitatedly through his brown hair.

"I was banking on the fact Kinnya-sama was here. I was hoping that it would render anything we planned unnecessary, else I would never have agreed," He said miserably.

"What exactly was this great scheme of yours?" Shirogane demanded. "Ukitake may well be in grave danger - even if my kinsman does find Aizen, if Ukitake is with him, the whole business may be further hampered."

"Aizen was looking for Ukitake," Kai said slowly. "We thought that...if we played him at his own game a little, we might be able to find out where he was making his base. We thought that...if Ukitake pretended to be under Aizen's spell...well, then he'd get taken back to wherever it was Aizen was camping. Then when Aizen wasn't looking he could slip back and report it all, and the Council could go and track him down."

"That seems dependent on a lot of variables," Shirogane said bluntly, "especially if left in the hands of a bunch of idiot students. Besides, what if Aizen's sword is still capable of taking hold of Ukitake? Moreover, what if he was to be discovered? Even if you only wanted to seek Aizen's base out..."

"It's not just Aizen, but the girl, too. Endou's sister," Akira said matter-of-factly. "Aoi had the idea because Ukitake was talking about spending time with Aizen and how he's only violent towards people who aren't useful to them. Aizen is interested in Ukitake. I have no clue why, but he obviously is. Whatever his motives, he didn't try to attack Ukitake when he appeared on the scene. He threatened Shihouin and I both, but Ukitake was different. It wasn't like he intended to hurt him. It was something else."

"In the Real World, too, he only waylaid Juu to talk to him," Shunsui said heavily. "He killed Amai-san without a second thought, but even if I hadn't intervened, I'm not sure he would have attacked Juu. He might've tried to claim him, but...I don't think he was going to try causing him harm. I don't trust that scientist, though. I don't think it's that simple. Juu's made it plenty clear on several occasions that he doesn't want a part in Aizen's plans. Besides, we really don't know what those pieces of Chudokuga inside him are doing. It was a bad idea all round, really, but I was bullied into agreeing. I wish I hadn't."

"Ukitake would have done the same regardless," Kai said acidly. "That's why you agreed, Kyouraku - you know it as well as I do."

He stretched his hands over his head.

"Aizen tried to control him, you know," he added. "Ukitake glowed all silver and everything. In fact, if you hadn't happened along, Yamamoto and I might have had a battle on our hands."

"He tried to control Ukitake? But he did not succeed?" Shirogane asked sharply. Kai nodded.

"He played it up real well. I think Aizen bought it," he agreed, exchanging looks with Akira, who nodded his head. "Even Yamamoto wasn't totally sure whether he was acting the part or not. I caught his gaze, though, before he disappeared. He was definitely still Ukitake, Senpai. I saw Tomoyuki's eyes, and the First Divisioners were the same, all empty and soulless. Ukitake's were just resolved. He knew what he was doing and he wasn't afraid of it - but Aizen didn't manage to take control of his body this time. Ukitake released his sword because Aizen told him to - but he did it of his own accord."

"The trouble is, where is he?" Shunsui bit his lip. "Right now I can't sense his reiatsu. Can any of you?"

"No." Shirogane looked troubled. "This heavy atmosphere doesn't make it easy - doubtless that was another of Aizen's party tricks, in order to confuse our senses by overloading them."

"Naoko-chan's sword really did pump out some nasty stuff, on top of the residue of all of our fighting," Shunsui agreed morosely. "It doesn't solve the problem of finding Juu, though. We can't rely on Aizen being fooled the whole time. Juu's not a great liar, and Keitarou isn't an idiot."

"True," Shirogane acknowledged, "and there's also the matter of your classmate. We've found Shihouin and Yamamoto, but we're still two Senior Class members down."

"Two?" Kai looked apprehensive. "Hirata still hasn't come back?"

"We haven't seen anything of him." Shunsui shook his head. "He was with you...wasn't he?"

"He took off," Akira answered, shaking his head, "right in the middle of the chaos in the library. We thought he'd gone to find Shikibu, but since Shikibu's sword's no longer doing any damage, I figured he'd have returned to the school."

"Or he's gone looking for Eiraki," Shunsui murmured. Kai nodded.

"I thought that too," he admitted. "I don't know whether he wants to save her, or stop her, or warn her - or what he wants to do, to be honest. But whatever it is, I think it's a bad idea. Hirata's not the same kind of shinigami he was when we first came to the Academy. I don't know that I like the idea of him facing off to her at the moment, whatever she's done."

"Kazoe-sensei is going to be pretty cross with me whatever I do now, so I'm not going back until I know people are safe," Shunsui said decidedly. "There may or may not be a very powerful Kuchiki shinigami lurking in the background to be our guardian angel, but I'd rather know we were all in one piece before I put my faith in the unknown."

"I'd like to show Aizen a thing or two," Akira said regretfully. "This is my family's land - I ought to at least do that much."

"No."

Shirogane's gaze flitted to the horizon, a frown touching his features.

"Senpai?"

"We're going back to the school."

"But Senpai..." Shunsui's eyes widened, and Shirogane pursed his lips, raising an elegant hand to indicate the darkening sky over the valley.

"A storm is coming," he said darkly, and Shunsui and Kai exchanged looks.

"Ukitake's storm?" Kai ventured softly, and Shirogane shook his head.

"No," he responded flatly. "No, not Ukitake's. He and Endou will have to take their chances for the time being. Right now, we're going back."

* * *

Even as his classmates were gathering at the school perimeter, anxious and unsettled, Juushirou had found himself led at speed through the streams of light and spiritual matter that composed Seireitei's atmosphere, pushing his skill to its limits in an attempt to keep up with Keitarou's darting movements.

So far, so good.

The young shinigami furrowed his brows in concentration, forcing his body to follow Keitarou's at the highest speed he could manage. His swords, still released, hummed and buzzed in his grasp, but for once he ignored their concern, instead fixing his attention on Keitarou's movements ahead. The scientist had stopped, he realised with some measure of relief, and, as he dropped out of the flash-step, it was all he could do not to draw a heavy gulp of air into his lungs.

There was soft grass beneath his feet, and as he steadied his reiatsu, he cast a furtive glance around him, realising with some surprise that he recognised his surroundings. During their second year camping expedition they had been camped near here, and not far away was the cave in which Shirogane had spent an uneasy few weeks of hiding. Juushirou found himself secretly glad that his _shishou_ was no longer making his hideout in this part of District One, but he remembered that the whole region was full of mountain shelves and caves – an ideal vicinity for someone who wanted a quick and easy place to make their base.

Keitarou was probably not looking to remain in District One long. In fact, Juushirou reasoned with a jolt, perhaps he intended on leaving very soon indeed. If the only piece missing from his puzzle had been Juushirou himself…the young student pushed this thought out of his mind, for he knew that if he didn't, the alarm swirling in his heart would begin to reflect within his hazel eyes. He had been lured from District to District by Keitarou's manipulations before – this time he would learn from the errors of that one, and somehow he would manage to stay behind.

Was Eiraki there too? He could not see her, nor could he sense the faint traces of her own feeble reiatsu anywhere about. He could not let down his guard, however. Keitarou may or may not have brought Eiraki to District One, but Juushirou felt that he would not easily put the young _hime_ in danger – especially if Mitsuki's suppositions were correct and Eiraki really was carrying Keitarou's unborn child.

He turned his attention back to his abductor's reiatsu. It was relaxed and unhurried, and there was a slight edge of amusement in the scientist's demeanour which grated against Juushirou's raw senses. It was the aura of someone who believed they had already won, and that everything else was a matter of formality.

Perhaps it was. The school had been laid waste by shinigami, and in the confusion, Keitarou had come and stolen him away. Of course, this time Keitarou believed him to be under Chudokuga's spell, but now they were alone in the mountains, Juushirou found that to be a faint comfort. Keitarou was dangerous and he was once more at the man's mercy.

_He tried to control me at the school, but it failed. Does that mean he can't control me, or does he already know I'm pretending? Was it all a hoax of some kind – has he seen through our plans already?_

Juushirou felt the flicker of his companion's approach from behind him and he unfocused his eyes, forcing all tension from his skinny frame as he heard the footsteps draw closer. It would not be any good to show fear or surprise, he told himself fiercely.

_If I remembered what it was like the last time he controlled me, maybe it would be easier. If I knew how I behaved then, I'd better be able to imitate that now. If he tries to leave the District with me, I'm going to have to fight back. I promised I'd not get myself into more trouble than was necessary…but if he flees here, nobody will ever track him down. I have to keep him here in District One at least tonight. If there's going to be any chance for anyone to find him and take him back for Council justice, I have…I have to keep him here and I have to do so without making him suspicious of me._

He swallowed hard.

_No pressure, then. Maybe Shunsui was right. Perhaps this is a step too far. Maybe I've taken another stupid risk – but in some ways, it's become my risk to take. If it is my fault he attacked the school, and if it's really me he wants…so long as he's here with me, nobody else is getting hurt._

"Well, so here we are."

Keitarou's words were light, and Juushirou felt the scientist's hand rest against his own briefly, a finger brushing against the hilt of the left hand blade.

"This is a much more peaceful place than the school, don't you think so, Juushirou?"

Juushirou did not reply, and Keitarou released his grasp, letting out a low chuckle of amusement.

"Your friend will come to look for you, I've no doubt," he murmured softly. "The Kyouraku boy…with his shadows and his double blade. I'm not really very keen on fighting him, but so long as you're here, I probably won't have to."

It was all Juushirou could do not to react to his captor's words, and Keitarou stood back, folding his arms across his chest.

"The Kyouraku _bocchan _is a nuisance," he admitted. "I didn't expect there to be a youngster of student rank who could cause me such a lot of trouble. Killing him now before he gets the chance to get any stronger would be an advantage, of course – but I'd rather have him come without companions. A one on one fight is fair, don't you think, Juushirou-kun? Two blades against two blades – a re-run of the battle from three years ago? Ah, but you don't remember that, do you?"

He patted Juushirou companionably on the arm, and Juushirou only just managed to keep from flinching away at the man's touch.

"Perhaps this time you'll be luckier," Keitarou reflected pensively. "I imagine you will be, since your strength has definitely improved since last time we met. Your sword seems steadier – your reiatsu isn't as raw. It's very nicely controlled, in fact…"

He swung around, his gaze suddenly hardening.

"So much so that I might have believed you were under my full control, if not for one thing," he said softly, and Juushirou's heart almost froze in his chest as he realised the scientist had not been fooled by his pretence at all. "Chudokuga is the one who manipulates my spirit power inside of you, and my sword speaks to me. I'm somewhat impressed, Juushirou, that you had the gall to try and manipulate me in return. It shows you've learned a lot since we spent a few days in District Seven together – but not enough. Sougyo no Kotowari has got much stronger, without a doubt…but Chudokuga is a Bankai level _zanpakutou_, and because of that, I'm not fooled."

Juushirou did not speak to begin with, and Keitarou let out a low chuckle.

"Kyouraku…Shunsui is his name, isn't it?" he asked lightly. "Your friend, I mean. The one who's so annoyingly protective of you – I wonder how long it will take for him to penetrate the shadows and come to your aid?"

"I don't need to be rescued by Shunsui!" Juushirou's words were out before he could stop them, and Keitarou looked amused.

"No, I'm sure that's an insult to your bastard Kuchiki pride," he said, his words gentle but mocking at the same time, "but I imagine he will come, because he believes he should be protecting you."

"I wouldn't have thought that would suit you at all," Juushirou snapped, all pretence of anything gone now as his fists tightened around his released sword. "If you know Sougyo no Kotowari is stronger than it was, and you know that Shunsui's sword is powerful too, I'm surprised you want to face either one of us."

"I had hoped that we would be able to speak like adults," Keitarou looked regretful. "I expected the Kyouraku boy to follow you, but you're right, I don't really seek his company. His sword is an annoyance to me – its manipulative properties make it a blade that might well be able to resist my own. I don't think his heart would be as easy to sway as yours – he lacks those principles and ethics that define you and idealism is not his weak point. I don't want to raise my sword against one like him, especially when there's a chance I could fail. Since you've offered yourself to me so easily, however, I feel that I have to take the risk. The ball is in his court and I'll play the game depending on how he does. That _is_ his weapon's power, isn't it? His _zanpakutou_'s skill is to make a game from death – I admit, perhaps the scientist in me is curious to learn more."

"Where's Eiraki?" Juushirou demanded, and Keitarou let out a low chuckle.

"I wouldn't tell you that, even if I thought you were under my control," he said frankly. "I'm not a fool, Juushirou. Did you forget that? I know that you want her and you see her as a way to get to me. I have no intention of leaving loose ends…which brings us to this."

He pulled Chudokuga from its hiding place beneath his _obi,_ tapping its unsheathed blade pensively against Juushirou's _hakamashita._ Juushirou instinctively pulled back, and Keitarou shook his head slowly.

"Such suspicion," he said reproachfully. "My sword is sealed. I'm not going to attack you…not until we've talked, at least. I think that's fair, don't you? You believe in peaceful negotiation as much as you do violent combat, I think? Surely it would be better to speak and not spill blood between us?"

"It would, but I wonder if it's possible," Juushirou eyed his companion warily. "You won't manipulate me to do anything this time, Keitarou. I've learned from the last time. I'm not going to be your puppet a second time."

"Yet we're alone together like this, yet again," Keitarou remarked, his eyes narrowing for a moment and Juushirou could tell he was spreading his senses around the area, trying to pick up any trace of a pursuing presence. "Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe I saw too much in your friend's threats when we were in the Real World – maybe my entire perception of his spirit power was overestimated and wrong. I thought he'd always be in the shadows when you were in danger, Juushirou-kun. Was that a lie?"

"I'm not in danger," Juushirou said stiffly, raising Sougyo no Kotowari and forcing Keitarou to take a couple of steps back. "I have weapons of my own and can defend myself against you. Shunsui isn't needed, so that's why he hasn't come. I don't want him to – I told you already that I don't need him to protect me."

"Dear dear," Keitarou tut tutted, raising his hands as if in a gesture of surrender. "I seem to have offended your pride again, haven't I? This is going badly…but if your friends really are not about to materialise around us, perhaps we can finish the conversation we began before we were so rudely interrupted in the Real World?"

"Shunsui won't come," Juushirou said quietly. "It's agreed that way. All of us, we agreed it. I'd come here with you, but nobody else. No one else is going to be put in danger, not like Amai-san was. I'm Anideshi, and your issues here are with me, not anyone else. We'll talk, Keitarou. I'm listening. But don't think you can sway me easily to your cause. You killed a classmate of mine, and tried to end the life of one of my friends. Those are hard things to forgive."

"In a war, there are casualties," Keitarou said evenly. "Sometimes they are innocent, sometimes they are not. It is a war we're fighting here, Juushirou. If you won't accept that, let me help you see it for yourself."

He leant back against the sheer stone wall of the mountain face, folding his arms once more across his chest. Chudokuga still glittered in his grip, but Juushirou felt some of the tension seep out of his body as he realised his companion really did mean to just talk.

"It isn't a war," he said now. "You're chasing after unrealistic ideals that don't mean anything to anyone other than you. You're hurting people and causing chaos, but it isn't going to make anything any better. You have to realise that – what you're doing is evil."

"Perhaps it is," Keitarou acknowledged. "I've crossed lines and I won't deny it. Sometimes there are other ways to do things, but to do them quickly, you have to take risks and act in ways that maybe are hard to explain to those outside. In the final analysis, though, whether I act or I don't, Soul Society is still going to change. You are part of that change already – you must know that by being a District shinigami, you are going to cause shockwaves through the Gotei? Probably they will continue to try and oppress you. Almost certainly they'll want to shut you out, maybe even destroy you. You threaten the Clans by existing – in your own way, you're creating this rebellion as much as me."

"It's not the same thing," Juushirou objected, but Keitarou snorted.

"Of course it is," he said derisively. "You can't tell me you're stupid enough to believe otherwise? Why was it that the Shihouin first fell into disrepute, do you remember? Why was Kamuki-sama so desperate to produce _reidoku_ and what was it he was fighting against?"

He pulled Chudokuga forward, pointing its blade at Juushirou's chest.

"You," he said softly. "You and the other District Shinigami, but in particular…you. Why did Onoe become how he was? That was because of you, too. Why did he try to kill his cousin then take his life? Because you were upsetting the balance of Seireitei by forging ahead and threatening the Clans as they stood. Why did Seimaru drive himself to destruction? You were in his way, putting ideas into the head of his kinsman and creating a different kind of thinking which threatened the very core ideology of the Endou Clan. In a way, you have _always_ been working for my cause. The only difference is, you refuse to admit it. You're a child of the Districts, yet you aspire to be a Gotei shinigami with that double-bladed sword…do you really think that your roots will be forgotten after you graduate? Are you naïve enough to think the fight will end when you leave District One?"

Juushirou's eyes darkened, and he shook his head.

"No," he said grimly. "I expect the fight to _begin_ when I leave the Academy, not end. Sensei's been training me and preparing me for that all the time I've been here, and I understand that it's going to be hard. You're wrong, though, Keitarou. What happened in the Endou and the Shihouin wasn't because of me, it was because of _fear_. You helped feed that fear and because of your _reidoku_, Seimaru and Kamuki-sama died. You won't persuade me that it's my fault. I've learned to become a shinigami because, in the first instance, the Clans of Seireitei voted to allow me to do so. I've done everything I've done _because I'm legally entitled to do it_. The Clans made that decision, not me. It isn't a rebellion if I'm within the law."

"Passing the buck is not an attractive response tactic, you know," Keitarou said impassively. "You know and I know that none of the Clans expected a District shinigami like you from the very beginning. You are unique, and because of it, you are used by them. Those who fear you want to bring you down. Others see you as useful and a way to enhance their position by supporting you – do you think that the Kyouraku would have regained so much political standing if not for their involvement with Genryuusai-dono's precious protégé? No wonder this Shunsui _bocchan_ wants so much to keep you safe – he and his family see benefit in keeping ties with you. In the right hands you are a weapon, and I've no doubt the intelligent heads in District Eight realise that weapon can be exploited for their Clan's benefit."

"The Kyouraku have never exploited me!" Juushirou exclaimed indignantly, and Keitarou snorted.

"Really?" he demanded. "Tokutarou-dono has never used you or your skills in any way? He's never lured you in with promises of support and assistance then utilised your knowledge or understanding to further his own cause?"

Despite himself, Juushirou faltered for the briefest of moments, and Keitarou nodded.

"You see, I'm right," he said lightly. "The Kyouraku use you by becoming your friend. Others become your enemies. That's how it is in Clan society. You can't really trust any of them – I wonder why you do."

Juushirou's brows knitted together in irritation.

"In the same way, then, I can't trust _you_," he snapped back. "You might've been exiled, but you're as Clan as they are deep down. Besides, I like Tokutarou-sama and I believe in Shunsui. Maybe it's true that Tokutarou-sama's called on my help before, and yes, I guess you could say he's utilised my District knowledge for his own ends on at least one occasion. The difference is, though, he talked to me about it first. He didn't lie to me…he told me the truth. You can spend your whole life being suspicious of everyone, but I guess that isn't how I work. If I have faith in someone, I'll help them. Even if they were using me, I trust them, so I wouldn't care. I'd believe there was a reason and trust it was for the best. I've made my decisions, and you won't turn me against them. District people and Clan people are both good and bad – nobody is perfect and everyone has their reasons for being the way they are."

"You can dress it up however you like," Keitarou shrugged his shoulders. "The fact of the matter is, until you came into the picture, even I was pretty helpless. Rebellion needs an ideal – something to create cracks through the established way of things. You created those cracks, and I profited from them. We are already allies – given that, will you really just turn and walk away from me?"

"I don't need you," Juushirou said coldly. "I never did, and I have no intention of working with you in any capacity. Maybe you're right when you say the Clans need to change – in some ways, they still do. Perhaps I will struggle for everything I have when I graduate, but I'll get in there and I'll fight. I've done that from the beginning, and if you're right when you say I changed the way Clans see things, it proves I can do what I need to do without resorting to violent means. I'll help the Clans to change their attitude from inside the Gotei, if I have to – but killing innocent people isn't the right answer. I'll work hard, and I'll prove to them what I can do. I promised myself that before I even began at the Academy and I still feel that way now. I'm not a revolutionary or a rebel – I'm a District boy who wants to be able to protect his family. If I can do that, and if I can help other shinigami like me to do that, then I'm content. I don't need to see other people suffer to know that I'm making changes."

"Genryuusai-dono already likes to sell you as an advertisement for his school," Keitarou said quietly. "You might think you act of your own free will, but in reality, you're no freer with them than you were when under Chudokuga's spell."

"The difference is that those people speak to me and listen to my opinions about things," Juushirou shot back. "They don't take a weapon to me to force me to act as they want me to. I can do stupid things – probably coming here was one of them – and I don't pretend I always agree with what goes on around me. That said, though, only one person has ever unleashed his _zanpakutou_ on me in the way you did. Even if your cause did have some merit, I couldn't become a part of it. I could never side with someone who made me attack a close friend without motive or meaning. That's unforgivable and I won't forgive it. I'm not going to be swayed by you this time, Keitarou. I'm done."

"I see," Keitarou pursed his lips, and Juushirou saw a flicker of resignation on his face. "Well, in that case, I suppose I have no choice. I had hoped for better – you had so much potential and I really thought I could see a way of using it. But…I guess that's just not going to be the case. Oh well."

His eyes narrowed, and too late Juushirou saw the ominous glitter of silver light coating Chudokuga's _tantou_ blade.

"I'll take back what's mine," Keitarou said softly, and Juushirou drew a sharp gasp of breath into his lungs as the scientist drew his weapon back, dragging the severed fragments of his sword's Bankai through Juushirou's flesh and the fabric of his _hakamashita_, ripping through both and causing blood to spill out across the white cloth. Pain rippled through Juushirou's body, and he struggled to breathe, falling to his knees and dropping his sword as his hands moved instinctively to the wound across his chest.

Somewhere at the back of his thoughts he could hear the voices of his fish, but the sounds were too quiet for him to make out, and the edges of his vision became fuzzy and confused as he battled to keep his consciousness. Sougyo no Kotowari's presence was jagged and unreceptive, and somewhere far away from his body he felt the sensation of the two blades returning to one, no longer able to follow his broken _reiryoku_. Images converged upon his shattered psyche, forcing their way into his vision and making him dizzy as the swirl of colours threatened to engulf him completely. The pain in his chest was burning now, yet it seemed almost to belong to another, not him at all, and though he thrust out a blooded hand to stop himself from falling forward, he did not manage to feel when it touched the ground.

Somewhere in the hazy world of colours and lights, he could just about make out Keitarou's presence, an ominous shadow, moving towards him with Chudokuga's blade still outstretched.

"I'm genuinely sorry to say that this is the final time we'll speak," he said sadly, his voice echoing slightly in the ghostly emptiness of the student's brain.

"Goodbye, Juushirou."


	71. God of the Rainstorm

**Chapter Sixty Nine: God of the Rainstorm**

The forest was cold and dank, the air heavy with something other than rain as Guren slipped out of shunpo, gazing around him with a mixture of anger and despair. In this place, he knew, his son had fallen, to be found cradled in the arms of his unconscious Vice Captain after a frantic, panicked search. Ribari had never opened his eyes again, nor had he had any last words to impart to his Father, and though Guren had tried all he could to shake off the grief of his loss, in that moment it all came flooding back.

This was the place he had sent his son to die. For a moment he allowed himself to picture Ribari's laughing, cheeky face, then he pushed it back, his lips set in a grim, hard line as he made his way through the trees to join the waiting shinigami.

They were not far ahead, and without asking any questions, Guren could tell the mood was bleak. Genryuusai, along with Keiichi and two or three of Kinnya's shinigami were gathered around the trunk of an old dead elm tree, and as Guren drew closer, he too could see the fragmented edges of something hanging half-finished in the air to its left side. Was it a _Senkaimon_? The fragments were faint, the fibres distorted and ripped into an unnatural shape, but as Guren drew closer, he realised that it was more than possible they had found Keitarou's escape route.

"This is the place," Genryuusai's sombre words confirmed the Clan leader's worst fears. "Guren-dono, the signals here are faint but distinctive and they unmistakeably carry his taint. This is how he left Sixth District, I have no doubt. The trail is fresh enough to tell me this door has been opened very recently – far more recently than any of the _Senkaimon_ your men have kept sealed."

"Futsuki said it was broken, and he's not wrong," Guren spoke in low, controlled tones, lifting a gloved hand to brush it through the damaged atmosphere. "A sane man would not attempt it – but you believe Aizen did?"

"I'm certain of it," Genryuusai's expression was just as grim, "and more, I believe he probably understands the properties of such transport passages far better than any of us. His science was the foundation for Nagesu-dono's developments in _Senkaimon_ technology – Aizen Keitarou was using unstable gateways for some time before we got hold of his notes. I imagine he alone knew how to open this safely, and that he used it to reach his intended destination."

"District One?"

"Almost certainly," Genryuusai inclined his head, "which means I must return too, and with the utmost speed."

"He's escaped us again!"

Despite himself Guren clenched and unclenched his fists, fury ripping through his taut body. "That man…that ghost of a man…and now what does he intend?"

"Most likely, he has business with one of my students," Genryuusai said darkly. "Ryuu is here, and it seems unlikely that he'll tackle Shirogane whilst Ryuu still lives – but Juushirou is entirely a different matter. I must get back to my school before he has a chance to harm the boy."

"Of course," Guren struggled to bring his thoughts under control, turning to the nearest shinigami. "You, return to the manor. Tell Futsuki that I've ordered the main _Senkaimon_ to be released and connected through to the Spirit Academy in District One with the utmost haste."

"Yes, sir." The shinigami saluted sharply, before disappearing into shunpo, and Genryuusai sighed, rubbing his beard absently.

"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this," he murmured.

"If you please, sir, Kinnya-sama is still in District One," Keiichi interjected, and Guren cast the old retainer a glance.

"That's true," he agreed. "I doubt he'd see harm come to the boy. He seems somewhat interested in Juushirou's existence."

"He is, and that's a weakness," Genryuusai said pragmatically. "If Aizen knows about that connection, it's not impossible that he'll try to exploit it. Emotional ties are a fanatic's most lethal weapon, Guren-dono – I must not linger in Sixth in the hope my old student's blade is up to the challenge. The school is mine to defend – I shall return there forthwith to make sure it is defended."

With that he was gone, slipping easily into shunpo to follow the shinigami to the main manor, and Guren rubbed his temples, suddenly weary.

"This place brings me no pleasure," he murmured. "Perhaps I shall have the whole forest brought down and cast into pasture…I certainly have no fondness for these trees."

He glanced at Keiichi.

"Ojiue's sword is still as strong as it was when I was a boy, isn't it?" he asked softly, and Keiichi shrugged.

"My Lord has plenty of spiritual power, and more physical strength than he's let us know, but whether or not it's enough, only time will tell," he said sagely. "We were most grieved to hear of Ribari-sama's sudden passing, Guren-sama. I wish it had not been necessary to bring you here, given its connotations."

"A Clan leader must not have weaknesses," Guren said flatly, gazing up at the branches of the trees above. "Ribari's death is something I won't ever forgive or forget, but as head of the Kuchiki, I must move forward from it. It is a lonely business, Keiichi. To be the last one left and to bury your child…it truly is."

"Indeed, sir," Keiichi said gravely.

"You've been with Ojiue a lot more than me over the past years," Guren reflected. "Do you think…his fondness for the boy Juushirou…is it real?"

"Yes, sir," Keiichi let out a heavy sigh. "He had such affection for Raiko-hime, of course, and to learn that her son lived…truly, I don't think there's anything he wouldn't risk if it meant keeping her child safe, his life least of all. My master is a strong man, but he has foolish and sentimental emotions at times. They've made a prisoner of him for far too long…"

He faltered, gazing at his hands.

"If Kinnya-sama had been as he was when your Father was alive, sir, I believe he would slay Aizen with not a moment of hesitation," he said sadly. "As it is, he's let his abilities grow rusty. Whether he still has the ruthless blade I remember is something neither one of us really know. I do believe, though, that he will give his all to protect the school. In particular, to protect Raiko-hime's young son."

"Emotional ties are a fanatic's most lethal weapon," Guren echoed softly, resting his hand against the dead elm with a frown. "I see. Genryuusai-sama believes that creature Aizen might use Juushirou as a puppet to bring down my Uncle and defeat him, too?"

"Whether this rebel knows my master or not is uncertain," Keiichi reflected. "Certainly, until he left the Coastal Provinces, Kinnya-sama knew nothing of this Aizen. It may well be that the Urahara exile remains unaware of their connection...whatever the case, I do not believe my Lord to be easily made a fool."

His eyes narrowed.

"My greater fear is what damage might be done should Raiurei be released in an environment populated by young ones," he admitted gravely. "My Lord had perfect control over his sword when Senaya-sama was alive, but as I said, his abilities have grown erratic over time. Whether he has that control now...I greatly doubt. His ill health appears to have been mostly psychological - but psychology is, I believe, significant in the wielding of one of those spiritual swords. Kinnya-sama's great strength might prove to be a weakness, should an innocent be caught up in the blast."

"I heard it spoken of often as a boy, but I don't believe I ever saw Ojiue release Raiurei," Guren mused, "though I trained against Father's blade many times. Do you think there is a serious risk of such a thing occurring?"

"I believe that, once committed to a fight, my Lord will not back down," Keiichi responded evenly. "What consequences that might bring, only the Gods know."

"I see," Guren's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Then we would do best to hurry back and ensure that Gate is opened successfully, should we not? If Aizen has travelled to First, it is far better he be apprehended before he reaches the school. I might not be able to go myself, but I can do all in my power to help Genryuusai-sama return to his homeland. Come, Keiichi - bring your men. We shall not linger in this place of the dead any longer, not when there are living souls still in need of protection!"

* * *

_He was in the abandoned village, back in District Seven._

_Beneath his feet was a carpet of white, and every step he took resonated with a soft crunch as his feet broke through the upper layer of the frozen surface._

_In his hand was a sword, and over his head the sky swirled and darkened, the atmosphere prickling with sinister electricity._

_Shunsui was there too, but whatever his friend was saying, Juushirou could not hear him clearly. The landscape became suddenly distorted, the ground blurring into the sky and something pulsed through his brain, each beat like a shockwave radiating out from his heart to every corner of his being._

_His hand was tightening around his weapon, and something bright, electric and white shot out from his finger across the snowscape. Was he aiming at something? Perhaps he was, but if he was, he could not remember who or how or why he should be acting in such a way._

_The whole world had become silent now, with only the echo of his heart's rhythm providing any kind of soundtrack to the colours and shapes that touched his vision._

_Was this a dream?_

_And then, two words dropped like icy water through his drowsy consciousness, the unmistakeable silhouette of a spider scuttling across his thoughts._

_**Kill him.**_

_The voice was familiar yet unfamiliar, soothing yet frightening, a mass of contradictions tied up in those two short words. His heartbeat was now deafening him, the racing blood and rising surge of reiryoku that flooded his body combining with raw adrenalin as he absorbed for the first time an overwhelming will to fight. Darker and darker his thoughts became, dragged down into an invisible mire by a gentle, guiding hand, and though Juushirou knew he was not the one deciding things, he also found that he had no way to escape._

_Whoever had spoken to him was burrowed deep inside his heart - the spectral spider had set up a nest within his soul and was spinning a slow and stifling web around his life force, taking complete control._

_The next moment the world jolted into sharp clarity, every feature of the landscape defined in perfect technicolour vision. Little by little sound returned, and he felt his lips part, though he had had no intention to speak. What had he done in the moments he had been drifting?_

_His left hand was covering the hilt of his sword now, and with a jolt of sudden anxiety Juushirou realised that he was about to release his zanpakutou. Anxiously he tried to pull back, but no matter how much he willed his arms to lower and his body to obey, syllable by syllable he heard his own voice give the release command, and with a jerk of spirit power that raked through his raw lungs and flooded through his undefended body, the weapon split from one katana into two barb ended lightning rods, the iridescent rope of energy that connected the two glittering in the weak winter sunlight._

_In that instant Juushirou knew that he was going to attack his closest friend, and there was nothing he could do about it._

_Fear and panic ruled his senses, and he flung every ounce of his concentration behind trying to fight free, but it was no good. From the recesses of his mind, the spider's gleaming eyes were watching everything, the thick threads that bound his body to someone else's command growing thicker and more stifling with each passing moment._

Let me go!

_The words fell silently on deaf ears, for Juushirou no longer had sovereignty over his vocal chords or his lips, and his body had already seen fit to defy him once. His eyes remained his, but only to see out of, and as the battle progressed, he realised that this was more a curse than a blessing, for the expressions on both Shunsui and Shikiki's faces tore him open inside._

_His chest was burning, but still the spider's evil will pushed him on, fighting blade on blade with the boy who had become his closest friend since they had begun at the Academy more than a year before. Shunsui was a better swordsman, Juushirou knew that, but the pain in his friend's eyes was almost more than the District boy could bear._

I'm betraying you. I can't stop it, but I am. You can't understand why, can you? You don't want to hurt me, but I...my body...it wants to hurt you.

_**It's all right, Juushirou. You can kill him now. Sometimes spilling blood is necessary when you want to move forwards.**_

_The voice was soft and enticing, but to Juushirou it only increased his panic, and he redoubled his efforts to break through whatever power it was that had latched itself so firmly into every inch of his body._

Let me go! Let me go!

_A sudden jerk and jolt of pain resonated through him, as Shunsui's foot stamped down on Sougyo no Kotowari's left blade, pressing it deep into the frozen snow. Though it hurt, Juushirou felt a faint flicker of relief that his friend had overpowered him._

Someone who betrayed you after you'd been betrayed so much before...how must you feel right now, Shunsui? I can't tell you...I can't explain why this is happening, or what's going on. This isn't my will...please don't believe I've really turned on you. Please understand, Shunsui...this isn't what I want.

_A surge of resolution crested inside his body, resonating beyond the raw pain of the overflowing spirit power, and for a brief moment he managed to regrasp control of his vocal chords, forcing words out into the icy ether._

_"Stop..." he whispered, but before he could speak another word, the spider's web tightened like a garrotte around his throat and he coughed, blood spilling onto the pure white surface._

_A bright flare of vivid spiritual energy burst out from the surface of Juushirou's right blade, cannoning into Shunsui's upper body and sending him flying across the frozen landscape. Juushirou could only watch as his friend's body was smashed against the rocky mountain wall, the crack of Shunsui's bones seeming to echo for miles._

_If he had been able to cry, Juushirou would have shed desperate, frightened tears, remorse and dismay welling up inside him as he watched himself round on the injured Kyouraku, preparing to launch what would be the final blow. He raised his sword, and Juushirou knew that whatever had taken up home inside of his body intended to make him kill his friend. He intended Juushirou to kill Shunsui - and know that he had done it._

_Had Juushirou been able to scream, the sound would have been heard all the way back in District One._

A sudden rumble of thunder overhead brought Juushirou back to his senses with a thump, his entire body trembling with the force of his emotions. Silent tears rolled unchecked down his cheeks and he slowly raised his head, struggling to comprehend what had happened and why the world that had been snow and ice a moment before was now muddy grassland, the heavens black with storm clouds but not like it had been moments before.

Where was he? What had happened?

A second rumble of thunder rocked through the skies, bringing with it the first few droplets of frozen rain, and Juushirou felt his senses slowly returning to him with the cold liquid spattering against his skin, soaking dark circles into the sleeves of his bloody school uniform .

He had been following Keitarou. He had pretended to be under the shinigami's control, but had been found out and had been in mortal danger. The next moment his head had been full of pictures...and with a jolt, Juushirou understood what those pictures were.

_My missing memory. The fight in the snow...that Shunsui didn't want me to recall._

He shivered involuntarily, the pain and fear of those sensations still vivid against his senses.

_The rain woke me up. The storm called out to me. Is this your doing, In'you?  
__**  
It isn't us, Juushirou. It isn't your storm.**_

That was You.

_**Don't try any sudden movements.**_

In sounded concerned.

_**You're bloody and confused, and your enemy is still not far away.**_

_Enemy?_

Juushirou's eyes widened, his hand going automatically to his chest as he realised the pain from his delusions had been largely real. His _hakamashita _was torn at the front and stained with red on the left side, as though something had been forcibly dragged out of his body, but as he felt his way cautiously along his ribs he found none of them had been broken, for though the skin was ragged and ripped through, the threads had been tiny enough to slip through the muscle and tissue nestled between the bones.  
_  
Keitarou? Or the creator of the storm?_

Whatever had been removed had almost certainly come from deep within his heart, but he could feel the reassuring beat of his pulse as the organ stubbornly continued to contract, pushing blood firmly around his body. Had the wound been more spiritual than physical beneath the skin? A memory of that stifling spider's thread flitted through his thought and he frowned, knowing he could not rule out either possibility.  
_  
Shikiki fixed my heart to the way it was _before_his magic touched it. His spell hasn't been lodged there at all - it was pushed to the outside by Shikiki's healing and there it's been ever since, trying to burrow back into me but not being able to. In'you, you helped keep it there, didn't you? Those memories, everything...you sealed it away from me in order that I could get stronger and move on. Keitarou's magic wouldn't have worked on me a second time, because the heart that beats inside my chest is from a time before I met him. Even Keitarou's zanpakutou can't break through Shikiki's time barrier._

That doesn't mean he couldn't release the spell on me again, I suppose. If he released Bankai now, it would probably do the same to me as it did before, if his will was really superior to mine a second time. Still, those shards that were stuck inside of me were dead and useless the moment Shikiki healed me. He would never have reactivated them - that's why he had to kill me, or remove them from me by force.

He rubbed his chest again.

I'm sore, but more or less in one piece. There's blood, but I'm not concerned by that. I'm more concerned by what that mad scientist has planned for me next. If he does release Chudokuga to Bankai, In'you, we have to be strong enough to resist it. Even if that sounds impossible, it's what we have to do.

_**We've kept guard over those severed threads of his spirit power for almost three years, Juushirou. We and you have become stronger in that time. There's no way that we'd let him overwhelm you a second time the way he did back then.**_

You's voice was soft, yet firm in its analysis.

_**Now stop daydreaming and pay attention. That's not the only attack his zanpakutou has, and this time I think he's serious about causing you harm.**__  
_  
Juushirou's brow furrowed, and he nodded.

Yes. I agree. I'm sorry. I'm distracted, when I really shouldn't be.

He put a hand to his head, glancing all around him for any sign of the scientist, seeing him standing a few metres away with Chudokuga still clutched in his hand. The knife blade was speckled with blood, testament to the fact that Keitarou had forcibly removed elements of his spirit power from Juushirou's body, but instead of using the weapon to put an end to the District boy once and for all, Keitarou seemed suddenly distracted. His eyes were trained on the sky, and Juushirou gazed upwards once again, feeling the oppressive crackle in the cool air as a third peal of thunder rippled through the clouds. Something ominous washed through his body, cresting like a tsunami against the shore, before dragging back out towards the wild ocean, taking fragments of Juushirou's composure in its pull and scattering them like pebbles along the sea bed. He swallowed hard, for a moment losing his bearings under the weight of the strange, foreign spiritual aura.

_What is it? Who is it? How?_

"This isn't your storm, is it, Juushirou?" At length Keitarou turned his head, a question in his pale brown eyes. The malevolent glitter from moments earlier was gone, his expression curious and faintly genial once more, but to Juushirou this was all the more terrifying now he could remember the stifling grip of the other's spirit power deep inside his soul. "This doesn't feel like Sougyo no Kotowari's _reiryoku_, raw and pressing though it is all the same. I thought for a moment you'd chosen to defy me and we were going to have a proper battle of it - but I suppose you're too battered and bloody to raise your sword to me now."

"I'm not afraid...of some spilled blood." Juushirou pulled himself to his feet, meeting Keitarou's quizzical look with a defiant one of his own. He was dizzy, he realised, his head heavy and muggy from something he could not explain, but he forced himself to stay upright, knowing that the moment he fell down would probably be his last. Had he lost more blood than he thought, or was it just that alien presence spreading through every nook and cranny of the mountain ledge?

But right now all Juushirou could do was focus on the danger that was right in front of him. He did not know from where the storm had come, and, for the moment, it would have to take second place. Keitarou was not here to play games with him this time, or to manipulate his thoughts. Having claimed what was his, Juushirou's life no longer had any material value. This time Keitarou did mean to kill him, and he could not afford to be a moment off his guard.

Yet something had made the air thicker and harder to breathe, and though he tried to drag oxygen forcibly into his weary lungs, his body was finding it hard to cooperate. It wasn't that there was no air, just that the entirety of the clearing was now choking in thick, dense waves of reiatsu, the like of which Juushirou had never felt before. Slithers of panic began to seep through the corners of his consciousness for not only the dark clouds and the heavy air but also the rain that had now begun to drive down in determined shards were being controlled by this unknown reiatsu - and more, it was unknown not only to him but to Keitarou as well.

The scientist was still tense, and Juushirou realised he too was having trouble quantifying the source of this new influx of power. Feverishly Juushirou racked his brains for anyone who might have the power to summon a storm at will, but his mind came up blank. Though he had summoned storm clouds before, it had never been anything of this intensity, for it was as though someone had taken hostage the whole of the sky. Lightning crashed down through across the ledge, splitting a tree in half and making the scattered District boy jump almost out of his skin, seeing for the first time something that had surely not been there moments before.

Silhouetted by the sudden flash, and wrapped in a heavy hooded cloak that concealed most of his features from view stood a figure, something long and glittering clutched in his right hand.

It was unmistakeably a sword.

A spirit sword.

A _zanpakutou_.

A _zanpakutou_ had brought the storm, and was now controlling it with intense, yet closely controlled ripples of spirit power.

The lightning crashed down again, striking through a boulder as though it was no harder than butter and sending fragments of stone spinning across the muddy grass. A faint prickle of light danced across the gleaming blade in answer to the storm's call, but still the figure just stood there, making no attempt to either speak or move. Juushirou's hand went to his chest, and he stumbled to his knees, feeling his own _reiryoku_surging to defend his body against the spiritual onslaught.

There was a long silence, punctuated only by the rattle of wind and thunder through the heavens, and then, at length, Keitarou spoke, addressing the figure on the rock and ignoring Juushirou completely.

"I suppose, then, I should put it down to you."

His words were calm and even, but Juushirou thought he sensed something unsettled in the scientist's tones.

"Whoever you are, I imagine you're the one responsible for the rainstorm? A shame on you. For this time of year, it was a passably pleasant day, but now you're making the air thick and cloying for all of us."

"Aizen Keitarou, I presume."

The figure seemed unmoved by Keitarou's banter, and the voice was low and rich, its smooth, cultured notes unfamiliar to Juushirou's bewildered ears. It would have been a beautiful voice, perhaps even at times gentle or full of laughter, but right then the words were spoken coolly and without emotion, and they sent further shivers through Juushirou's young body.

"You have the advantage."

There was no doubt now that Keitarou was unnerved, for though his tone did not change, Juushirou could see his grip tightening around the hilt of his _tantou _knife.

"It seems unfair if you know my name for you not to introduce yourself to me. I don't believe we've had the pleasure, and I do like to know whose aura I'm being forced to inhale."

"I can't say it's a particular pleasure for me, so I'll dispense with the niceties and cut to the chase."

The figure blurred and disappeared, re-materialising a few feet from where Keitarou and Juushirou stood. At this distance the District boy could make out the fine weave of the black cloth the man was wearing, and as the wind tugged at the edges of the cloak, he thought he caught sight of a flash of green fabric beneath. From this distance Juushirou got his first clear look at the man's weapon, still glittering with prickles of ominous blue light. It was an old fashioned _tachi_ in shape, both long bladed and obviously sharp. Its appearance was deceptively simple yet, as the light danced across the surface, Juushirou realised there was a pattern engraved into the metal – perhaps a writhing sea snake or the curl of a swirling wave. Its hilt was polished in a dark sapphire blue, sharp white barbs like fangs gripping the blade tightly on either side and giving the impression of a piece of silver trapped in a serpent's jaws.

The faint sparks of lightning that continued to pulse across the metal gave the sense of a living instrument with a spiritual heartbeat of its own and the drops of rain ran across the blade, evaporating into steam as the two elements collided. Juushirou found himself drawn to this unique weapon, his spiritual senses greedily reaching out to the swirling energy that surrounded it like metal to a magnet or a moth to a flame. As though reading the student's thoughts, the hooded figure turned, and Juushirou caught the briefest glimpse of a pair of grey eyes, looking at him thoughtfully from behind the heavy folds of cloth.

Although it was for no more than a split-second, that brief connection between them made Juushirou suddenly feel at ease. The terrifying waves of _reiryoku _still bombarded his brain, but now they seemed more to be trying to protect him than they were trying to beat him down.

"I don't need to name myself to an outlaw and an exile like you," those cold words were back, but this time all the ice seemed aimed in Keitarou's direction. "All you need to know is that I'm a student of Genryuusai-sensei's, and I don't take kindly to my _kouhai _being victimised by a coward like you."

"A student of Genryuusai's?" Keitarou snorted, derision and disbelief in his tones. "Do you expect me to believe any of Genryuusai's current group of young hopefuls would be in possession of a_ reiryoku_like that? I should be insulted - I've not lied to you, but you seem afraid to tell me who you are, as though you think I'll use it somehow as a weapon against you."

"Names and identities aren't weapons, Urahara exile," the coldness in the stranger's tones was echoed by a disgruntled rumble in the clouds overhead. He raised his right arm, the gleaming weapon shimmering with each droplet of rain that fell across its smooth surface.

"_This_ is a weapon," the hooded figure continued slowly. "Unfortunately for you, it's a very good weapon and I've not let it have its head for a while now. I didn't say I was a _current_ student of Genryuusai-sensei's - only that I had trained under him and his blade and as such you should assume I'm not someone you can walk all over with smooth rhetoric, delusion or manipulation. I know_ all _about you, son of Urahara Keitsune, and about your petty quest to prove your life to be worth something in eyes other than your own."

"Don't you dare speak my father's name so casually, _student of Genryuusai_," Keitarou's eyes darkened, his tones becoming colder as the stranger hit against a nerve. "You know nothing of him or of me, so don't pretend that you do."

"On the contrary, boy, I do," The hooded figure took another step forward on the soft, puddle-marred ground, and Juushirou caught sight once more of a brief flash of rich green beneath the heavy folds of black. "Urahara Keitsune, a scientist who experimented once too far and was put to death for his crimes against Soul Society. You are his son, who fled into exile with your mother and decided to declare war on the world for the loss of your father. I know your grievance, but I also know what you do not. I saw the effect your father's poison had on innocent lives. It decimated families and warped hereditary lines for generations. Some families are still recovering from the after effects of your father's work."

"My father was a genius," Keitarou's aura prickled with indignation, and Juushirou realised he had been completely forgotten, the stranger's words having distracted the scientist's attention.

Had that been the intention? Was this unknown newcomer baiting Keitarou in order to allow Juushirou to escape?

But with the swirl of spirit power still rocking his senses and the ache in his chest growing more and more oppressive, Juushirou knew he could not walk anywhere, let alone run.

"Perhaps he was." There was a faint note of something close to derision in the hooded figure's voice now. "Genius is not an excuse for causing suffering. People should always take responsibility for their own actions. He was made to take responsibility for his, and you should take responsibility for yours."

He drew the weapon through the air pensively, before lowering it to his side.

"You lied to me also," he said softly. "Your name is _Urahara _Keitarou. Not Aizen. You hate the Clans, yet you are Clan at your core, just as much as the people you revile. It was Clan who gave you both the knowledge and spiritual ability you use to cause suffering with - yet you pretend you've moved away from that and hide under a foreign name instead. You pretend you have a cause for justice - but your cause is simply the killing of others in order to further your own reputation. You seek proof of your life's meaning, just as your father did and just like him, you will fall. I have no sympathy for you nor did I have any for him. Nobody who saw the suffering of those afflicted with Keitsune-dono's spirit poison could possibly doubt the judgement cast down against him. You may have idolised your father, or you may have loved him too much to see what other people saw."

"Shut up!" Keitarou was visibly trembling now, his grip on Chudokuga so tight that his knuckles were white. "_Shut up!_What do you know about scientific discovery? Father was a peaceful person who only sought to help Soul Society, and in return what did they do to him? His research was flawed, but it could have been perfected! It's Seireitei's fault for pushing him before he was ready! It was Seireitei's greed that exploited his experiments and then blamed him when they went wrong! It was Seireitei that..."

"It was _your father's_ work, and as such, the only one who should have held responsibility for it was him," the hooded figure spoke calmly. "We all do things we don't like in life, and we all make mistakes, Urahara Keitarou. The thing that separates us out into those who are great and those who are not is that those who have greatness also take responsibility for their failures, even if that costs them their lives. Keitsune was misguided, but if he had never created_ reidoku_, many people would not have died. He wouldn't have been punished and you would not have been robbed of his presence in your life. You would have grown up Clan if not for _reidoku_ - if not for your father's misjudgement, your life would have been a normal Clan life, and yet you can stand there and say he caused no suffering through his misguided experiments? Children like you would also not have lost their parents if he had been a little wiser - yet none of _those_orphans have declared war on Soul Society, have they?"

"You have no idea how we were treated!" All pretence of geniality was gone from Keitarou's slim frame now, an ugly expression crossing his rain-spattered features. "Used by the Endou, treated like slaves, looked on by all of Seireitei as scum not worth the ground we walked on. When you talk about innocent people suffering, you know nothing of what happened after Father was killed. Don't begin to lecture me on right and wrong in Soul Society, student who won't give me your name! You know nothing about it. For the Clans, it ended when Father was killed. For me and for kin like me, it wasn't so easy. I might be the last one left now - or one of the last who survived the persecution. You have no idea what we went through, so don't pretend that you do!"

"Considering the suffering you've inflicted on other lives and other families, I have no interest in hearing about it," the hooded figure dismissed this with a casual flick of his hand. "You should only talk of grief and persecution if your hands are free of blood, Urahara Keitarou. You know and I know that they are not."

"Who _are_you?" Keitarou demanded, raising his right hand and Juushirou saw the faint glittering of silver around Chudokuga's blade as he prepared to release his weapon. "Who are you that you think you can stand there and preach to me without even revealing to me your face?"

"If I did so, you would still not know me, for we have never met," The stranger slowly reached his left hand up to the thick fabric that framed his face, sliding thin fingers beneath the folds and pulling back the hood to reveal for the first time a head of dark, silver-streaked hair, two stormy grey eyes fixed firmly on the scientist's features. "I sought not to hide but to shield myself from the weather - even though it's my spirit power, I can still get wet, you know."

He unfastened the cape at the throat, lifting it and flinging it across the grass towards where Juushirou huddled, transfixed by the exchange of words and sparking _reiryoku_between the two men.

"You can make more use of it than me, I expect." As Juushirou stared at the crumpled fabric without comprehension, the stranger offered him what might in other circumstances have been considered the faintest of faint smiles. "You're bloody and wet through already - and this isn't the kind of storm a student should be out in without due protection. Genryuusai-sensei will be cross if one of his _deshi _comes to serious harm - so for my sake and your own, you'd better take that and use it as best you can."

"I...thank you," Juushirou was at a loss to know what else to say, reaching out a dazed hand to scoop up the heavy cloth. It was thick and well-woven, of expensive origin despite the mud that now marred its edges, and though it was damp in places, it was better than nothing against the cold and rain. Slowly and clumsily he wrapped the cloak around his shoulders, staring at the interloper in bewilderment as though trying to work out the man's motives.  
_  
Grey eyes, dark hair, fair skin. Green and cream is the colour of the Kuchiki, isn't it? Someone from District Six, then? Genryuusai-sensei came here, and in his place, Guren-sama sent...someone? Didn't Ryuu say that Guren-sama and Seiren-dono have an older half-brother? Oh, but wait...surely this man is older than that? I've met Guren-sama and he didn't seem so very old to me, whereas this man's hair is starting to grey. A student of Genryuusai-sensei's from the past..before there was an Academy, obviously. Is he someone from Sixth Squad? But surely, with reiryoku this strong...surely..._

"A Kuchiki?" Keitarou stared at the man for a moment, then he slowly began to laugh. "I see. Oh, I see indeed. Your ire towards me is not without motive, is it? You're not here on Genryuusai's account, but on Guren's. That's right, isn't it? The Head of a Clan can't enter a foreign land without express permission, but he can send lesser men of blood if he should so choose."

"There was a good chance you wouldn't stay around in District Six," the stranger offered a cold smile, his eyes softening yet there was not even the faintest flicker of compassion or fear as he met Keitarou's gaze head on. "Guren-sama knew it and so did I, which is why I agreed to come. You don't think Genryuusai-sensei would leave his school completely without protection, now did you? That was naïve of you, if you thought you could just walk in and take whatever trophies you wanted for your own."

His gaze returned to Juushirou, those eyes narrowing as he took in the blood that stained the boy's _hakamashita_.

"It seems you did think that way," he murmured. "Still, I appear to have arrived in time to prevent you doing worse. I admit, I did not want to release my weapon here today, and I was hoping to return home without having to do so. My spirit power is old and potent, and not ideal for use so close to those who are still in their studies. I know I'm making Juushirou dizzy and confused by using my sword to even this degree, and though you're tolerating it very well, it's probably putting your guard down, too."

Juushirou's eyes widened.

_How did he know my name? Don't tell me that Genryuusai-sensei specifically asked this person to come and look out for me over everyone else?_

"Juushirou," Keitarou's eyes became slits and he turned to glance at the huddled student, nodding his head. "He has a problem with _reiryoku_- both his own and other people's. It's a shame, because I could have found uses for him - but it seems he's a faulty test subject, so I was resigned to disposing of him entirely."

He turned his attention back to the Kuchiki.

"Your intentions are to bring him back unharmed rather than fight me," he added. "You seem concerned about him far more than you do about using that sword. I have no further use for him, and no more reason to remain here. My games at the school have been ended, and I have other things pressing on me now. Releasing that blade any further will only cause the boy more distress - if you understand that then you'll see it's better for you to let me go than it is to inflict more harm on one of Genryuusai's precious students."

"Regretfully, I have my orders from my Clan leader which must be obeyed," the nobleman shook his head, a faint, hollow smile touching his lips. "If I see you, I am to take you down. There is to be no mercy. Releasing my sword is not ideal for anybody concerned, least of all me - but Guren-sama has given me a particular responsibility and I must follow it to the letter."

"Do you think you can kill me?" Keitarou arched his eyebrow, and the stranger nodded.

"Yes," he said matter-of-factly, tilting his weapon so that the engraved flat of the blade faced upwards towards the rain-filled sky. "As a matter of fact, I do."

"You'd do so in front of a young, impressionable student?" Keitarou demanded, and his opponent laughed.

"I am not you," he said composedly. "I'm well aware of the consequences of my actions and I take full responsibility for each of them. I've always felt it better to be prepared for the worst, even when hoping for the best. It was a lesson my late brother taught me and one I've remembered well even after all this time."

He cast his left hand out suddenly across the flat of the blade, and Juushirou's felt a sudden rush of spirit power envelop the entire area, forcing him down to the ground and making him gasp air into ragged lungs in an effort to keep conscious. The rain which had been falling persistently ever since the stranger's appearance now began to swirl and gather around the surface of the man's weapon, knitting tighter and tighter together until they formed a virtual whirlpool of water spinning around the sword like the moon orbiting the earth. The _tachi_hummed now with fresh energy, drawing more and more of the moisture towards it, and just when Juushirou felt that he too would be sucked dry and drawn into the swirl of blue, the unknown Kuchiki swung his sword out towards where Keitarou was standing.

The whirlpool of water burst forward as though it had been fired from a cannon, driving into Keitarou's midriff before the man could react and throwing him violently against a patch of trees, the force of the attack causing the first trunk to give way and crack right across before toppling back against two others. Keitarou cursed, struggling to pull himself to his feet, but his attacker did not seem too inclined to give him even a second to gather his own _reiryoku_, for he had already drawn the knot of water back around his blade, casting it out for the second time. This time it caught Keitarou's upper body, narrowly missing his head and neck, and the scientist was sent flying across the clearing once more, colliding with two or three more trees and uprooting them along the way.

It was as though Keitarou, the man who had rent holes through so many families and had caused chaos to so many people's lives had been rendered no more significant than a rag doll, tossed across the land by a raging, roaring tempest.

Juushirou's eyes became huge, and he struggled into a sitting position, wanting to speak but unable to do more than manage to take in lungfuls of air.

He had never seen anybody fight in such a determined, merciless way before.

But then, he reasoned absently, very few people had managed to fight Keitarou head on. The scientist's weakness was full on combat, his strength was in his intelligence. By manipulating others like Onoe to do his dirty work, Keitarou had mostly managed to keep himself out of the direct line of fire, using his science and other skills to escape the Council in District Seven and exploiting his complex spider's web of possibilities in order to put distance between himself and those he was trying to bring down.

That was, until now.

Was he afraid?

Juushirou did not know.

Was he worried for Keitarou?

The answer to that was even less clear cut, for though he was still boiling inside with anger and resentment, he could still not quite accept just sitting there and watching an enemy get killed.

He was helpless to do anything else, though. The heavy _reiryoku_ that filled the air had sapped the last of his physical strength, and he knew that if he tried too hard to move he would probably bring on a violent _haibyou_ attack. His spirit power was already surging violently within his body, and it was taking every ounce of his concentration to keep it from spilling over and going out of control.

_I can't easily manage my own reiryoku in a situation like this. It's drawn to that man's sword. Maybe it's because he has storm and so do I or maybe it's just because it's so potent and powerful and I can't quantify it in my mind. Either way, if my spirit power surges too much more it's going to scald through my lungs and choke me like it used to do back when I was still training to release my sword. Seeing those memories unsettled me and reminded my body of having to fight to keep my life._

_The Council need to speak to Keitarou, and even with all he's done, he should still have the right to a fair trial before the Elders. Even if I tried to interfere, though, I'm not sure I could manage Sougyo's release without making the situation worse. I have no idea how this shinigami can manage to stay so calm, with so much energy swirling around. Did he say he'd trained against Genryuusai-sensei's blade? Maybe that's why. Maybe when you've faced something as terrifying as Ryuujinjakka is meant to be, everything else pales in comparison._

The stranger turned to look at him for a moment, and Juushirou thought there was a faint flicker of regret or apology in his grey eyes before he turned his back on the student completely, moving slowly but resolutely towards where Keitarou now lay huddled against the sheer wall of the mountain face.

An image of Shunsui's crumpled form after Juushirou's own magic had flung him against a similar rocky face flashed cruelly across the District boy's thoughts and he winced at the rawness of the recollection, forcing the thought back.

"I was told you weren't really competent with a sword," the stranger spoke softly, and Juushirou had to strain to hear his words over the howl of the wind. "You're even more disappointing than I thought, though."

He flicked his sword, scattering drops of water onto the ground.

"Intelligence can't always make up for every physical failing," he added evenly. "You've realised it as well, haven't you? You understand the true nature of Raiu's water cannon, and if you do, you'll have realised that right now you have no way to fight back."

"Is it in the nature of all Kuchiki...to just attack...anyone who crosses their path?" Somehow Keitarou still had enough strength in his body to respond, for Juushirou could just about see him pulling himself to his feet, his black clothing concealing the true effect of the attacks on his battered body but his grey cloak tattered and stained already with patches of blood. "You really are...a most tiresome...sort of a Clan."

"It's not really in our nature to kill anyone unnecessarily," the stranger spoke evenly, his words calm and Juushirou saw him raise the sword one more time. "However, when we have a grievance, we do like to settle it ourselves. From the way in which you treated Guren-sama's brother, I can see you don't share that same sense of honour. For all his flaws, I believe Keitsune-dono had that - I wonder what he would make of you, if he could see you now."

"I told you already, keep him out of it!" Keitarou's eyes became wild with rage, and silver strands shot out across the clearing, slipping past the Kuchiki shinigami and driving forward towards where Juushirou still sat. Belatedly he realised that he was once more Keitarou's target, but before he could force his heavy body to react, the stranger raised his blade in a sharp, upward sweep, slicing through the silver strands and severing them completely. The broken threads fell harmlessly to the ground, prickling with silver energy before fading into dust, and Juushirou swallowed hard, staring from them to the edge of the glittering _zanpakutou_blade.

"Raiu also has quite a sharp blade," the shinigami said quietly. "He's not had a chance to use it much recently, but he hasn't dulled from lack of action. You didn't think I'd forgotten my obligation to Genryuusai-sensei in light of my orders from Guren-sama, now did you?"

"If Guren wants to fight me, why are you here?" Keitarou seethed. "If you fight your own battles, why is it you and not him standing here before me? Guren already tried to kill me and failed - is he afraid and so he sends his kin instead?"

"You mistake me," now the cold note was back in the stranger's voice, and Juushirou was aware of a genuine instinct to kill pulsating through the surrounding area. "This is _my_fight, and I intend to resolve it now, one way or another."

"How is it your fight? You're just being used by Guren, just like every other Clansman in Seireitei is being used by his or her Head of Clan!"

"You hurt somebody very dear to me," the stranger's voice dropped, a dangerous note in his tones. "I could never forgive that, not for one moment. You've killed your way through the Districts, assassinated Guren-sama's only son and caused chaos and devastation to my Clan, but even those things could not have drawn me out to fight in such an uneven, ugly way as this. However, you made the mistake of hurting someone much much closer to me - and I am not the kind of person who ignores an insult against my blood."

He raised his sword one last time, summoning the swirl of water around his blade.

"I was told you were a man whose sword held Bankai," he added pensively. "Right now, though, your spirit power seems scattered and weak. No wonder you chose to hide behind your own chaos and lies when you tried to bring down my Clan leader. A weapon this feeble may have driven an Endou to his death, but I doubt it would work so easily on a man of Kuchiki blood."

With that he swung the _tachi_ down in a final, decisive stroke, and Juushirou screwed his eyes shut, not wanting to see the impact of such a dense mass of water at such close quarters. There was a loud crash and a shriek which may or may not have been human, then he heard the sound of racing water and the whole ground juddered ominously beneath his feet. For a moment he thought the entire mountain shelf might be on the verge of collapsing, but as the tremors abated he cautiously opened one eye, then the other, his jaw dropping in fear and disbelief.

Where moments before Keitarou had been huddled against a thin wall of stone, now there was nothing - no Keitarou, no stone, and only a scattering of water-drenched mud and rubble around the edges to suggest that anything had ever been there at all. For the first time Juushirou realised how close to the cliff edge they had really been, and his stomach lurched giddily as he contemplated what kind of land might lie beneath.

_The third cannon blasted Keitarou through stone and over the edge into the valley. District One is full of mountain terrain – is there anyone who could survive a fall like that, weak and injured in the way he must have been from the first two blasts?_

_Does this mean…Keitarou is dead?  
_  
Standing at the edge of the ledge, gazing pensively down into the canyon below was the shinigami, and with a heavy sigh the man lifted his weapon, giving it a little shake to remove the excess water before sealing it into a normal _katana_and returning it to its sheath. He put a hand to his brow, pushing rain-soaked hair out of his eyes, and Juushirou was struck by the sudden sense of weariness that pervaded the stranger's aura.

"It's been a long time since we fought a battle like that," he murmured softly, and Juushirou realised he was talking to his sword. "I'm sorry, Raiu. I promised such antics were behind us, but some ties are just too strong. Doubtless we'll both be paying for it for a while to come – expending so much energy at once after so long doing nothing."

Juushirou struggled to get to his feet, but his mind blurred and his vision swam and he stumbled to his knees once more, scrabbling around on the ground for the forgotten and sealed Sougyo no Kotowari. Using his _zanpakutou_as a support, he forced himself upright, leaning heavily on the weapon and pulling himself forward one painstaking step at a time. With each passing second the sky became lighter, the storm clouds dissipating and the rain ceasing to fall, and as he drew within reach of the stranger, he sank back down onto the ground, raising fearful eyes to meet the man's troubled grey ones.

"Are you all right, Juushirou?"

The words were soft and gentle, totally in contrast to the cold words a moment earlier, and though Juushirou wanted to nod, he found that he could not even do that. The stranger crouched down before him, using a thin hand to steady his body against the muddy ground whilst using his other hand to touch Juushirou's blood-spattered _hakamashita_. He paused for a moment, then lifted his hand up to touch the lank waves of white hair that had come loose from their tie in the earlier struggle. As the man's fingers brushed against a stray lock, his eyes seemed to become pained, and as his lips parted, Juushirou heard the man mutter a single word.  
_  
"Haibyou."_

Dearly Juushirou would have liked to have asked the stranger who he was, how he knew so much and why he had called him by his first name, but the strain of the whole ordeal coupled with the ragged state of his body proved too much for him. Darkness began to close in from each corner of his vision, and though he felt a gentle arm slip itself around his body, supporting him and then pulling him gently into shunpo, he was no longer able to place where he was going or who it was who held him.

In the depths of his consciousness he felt the swish of two anxious fish swimming deeper and deeper into the core of his being, and then all was black.

* * *

**Author's Note: Kinnya and Senaya's zanpakutou swords.**

_There we go, Kinnya has arrived. Was it worth the wait?  
_

_I don;t want to spend_ too _much time here talking about Kinnya's sword, but I remember clearly some time ago that in canon Yama's zanpakutou was considered the most powerful fire sword and that Hitsugaya's was the most powerful ice sword. I'm almost sure that his was meant to be the reincarnation of some strong elemental spirit, and it makes sense to assume that not only are other elements in existence, Yama's is also from that same root originally._

_Kinnya's zanpakutou is the equivalent sword for "storm" or to be more accurate, "storm and sea", though he has lightning elements to his power too. Though it might seem contrived to push these two together to make him match to Juushirou, my original plan was to make Kinnya closer to water than to the full blown tempest. However, some digging around in Japanese mythology reminded me of the story of Ametarasu, Susano'o and Tsukiyomi. I'm not going to waste time here detailing those since it's easy to google them, but suffice it to say that Susano'o is traditionally the Shintou deity associated with - yep - "storm and sea". For this reason, Kinnya's zanpakutou is connected to him. The name of his zanpakutou is_ 雷雨霊 _**Raiurei,**__ which means, "Spirit of the Rainstorm." Senaya's zanpakutou was its opposing part, representing the Sun Goddess Ametarasu and the sun - _太陽霊 _**Taiyourei**__(Spirit of the Sun)._

_During their youth, Kinnya and Senaya were too powerful for their father to train them, hence Yamamoto was brought in to do it instead. He is far more powerful and experienced than either one of them have ever been, but they were both extremely strong shinigami and even now, at about 70% of his original power, Kinnya is quite a formidable force. Given the fact Juushirou has exceptional spirit power and is noted among the most powerful canon Captains, I felt it necessary to illustrate where that gene came from. That and Kinnya wanted to get in on the plot action a little bit._

_Kinnya's sword has probably become weakened by Senaya's death as much as it was by his self-imposed exile. If Raiurei and Taiyourei considered themselves brother and sister swords, it seems only logical that with the loss of Senaya, Kinnya's blade would have lessened in strength too._

_In case anyone is wondering, it is not my intention to reveal Guren's zanpakutou during the course of this story ;)_

_**P.S they may not read this for another 20 chapters but to the anon. reviewer who wants to steal Shirogane, hands off, he's mine xDDD. =D**  
_


	72. Sinner's Sorrow

**Chapter Seventy: Sinner's Sorrow**

He was quite out for the count.

Kinnya dropped out of shunpo at the edge of the school grounds, pausing to lean his aching body up against the ancient stone walls and glancing down with a rueful smile at the black-clad burden clutched firmly in his arms.

Juushirou was not heavy, though pulling the additional weight through shunpo on top of having released his sword for the first time in more than twenty years had begun to take its toll on the old man's body, and he took a deep breath into his lungs, trying to steady his racing heart.

_It's been a long time since we fought in quite those circumstances, Raiu. I hope it will be a long time before we have to do so again. Today taught me that I can still do what I trained to do all those years ago – but it told me just as much that I'd prefer to leave that life behind._

He set Juushirou down gently on the ground, making sure that the heavy folds of his own expensive cloak prevented any part of the student's young body from resting against the cold stone.

_I should be grateful that Raiko's son is such a skinny specimen. Any heavier and I might not have made it this far._

His eyes softened as he took in the boy's pale features.

_There's no doubt that what Ryuu told me last winter is the truth. If not for that white hair…you may have been District born, Juushirou, but you are my grandson without a doubt. You have your mother's features…perhaps this is the only glimpse I'll ever get of how Raiko must have looked when she reached adulthood._

He brushed a stray strand of damp hair from Juushirou's brow, checking with gentle fingers for any sign of fever or chill.

_With all the things Genryuusai-sensei said about your spirit power, I didn't expect to find you sick with haibyou too. Your Sensei isn't a man given to exaggeration, Juushirou – therefore I must believe what he said is true. You managed to retain full consciousness throughout the whole of that battle, even though the levels of spirit pressure would have rendered most student level shinigami out cold from the first time Raiu released.  
_

His expression became sad and he withdrew his touch from Juushirou's skin.

_Maybe I'd have rather you hadn't seen me fight him, though. If there was ever any chance for me to tell you of our connection, after seeing me so ruthlessly use my sword how I did today, that chance has eroded away to nothing. I would rather you lived in ignorance of me, my boy, than have you know all and then reject me._

"Juushirou!"

"Kinnya-sama! Ukitake!"

Yells from the direction of the main school building caused Kinnya to raise his head, blinking as he tried to bring the speakers into clear focus. A young man robed in the same Academy uniform as his grandson was hurrying across the cobbles, another, more familiar black-clad individual in tow, and a faint smile touched his lips.

"It looks like I've found someone else to carry you the rest of the way inside," he told his unconscious companion wryly. "They've come just in the nick of time, too – I've about overspent my limit for the rest of the week with what I've done today."

"Kinnya-sama, is Ukitake…" Shirogane was the first to reach them, a look of consternation in his grey eyes as he glanced from Juushirou's still form to the older Clansman, and Kinnya shook his head.

"There's blood, but he's not badly hurt," he said simply. "Scratches, maybe, but nothing worse. The clash of spirit power overwhelmed him a little, but I don't think he's even starting a fever despite being out in the storm. He's quite all right, Shirogane. Probably he just needs some time for his body to calm down and realise it's no longer under threat."

"Juu..." The uniformed student joined them, crouching down at Juushirou's side. "Are you sure? He's not hurt…?"

"I don't think so. He's breathing a little roughly, but I imagine that's nothing abnormal given his general health," Kinnya met the anxious brown eyes with pensive ones of his own. "It's the Kyouraku boy, isn't it? Shunsui, is that what Genryuusai-sensei called you? You're the one who, alongside Juushirou himself, has the potential to be a great shinigami one of these days?"

"I don't know about that," Shunsui looked sheepish. "I think Kazoe-sensei and Minabe-sensei would have a different opinion if you asked them about my general class performance."

"What happened to Aizen?" Shirogane asked quietly, and Kinnya frowned.

"I don't really know," he admitted. "I would advise sending searches out into the canyon beneath the area where he and I encountered one another. In most circumstances I'd say that the man was dead – but given the history of escapology this individual has, I would want to be sure."

He got stiffly to his feet.

"I might go myself, in fact, once I've seen Juushirou safely inside," he decided. "What I've begun, I should see through to the end."

"We felt the flare of spirit power from the school. We all did," Shunsui murmured. "I don't mean to be rude, Kinnya-sama, especially since we've pretty much just met, but I can see now where Juu gets his stupidly strong _reiryoku_. The storm wasn't his storm, it was yours this time – but there were aspects of it that felt very similar to his when his spirit power rages out of control."

"Why would I consider that rude?" Kinnya looked surprised, clamping a thin hand down on Shunsui's shoulder. "Juushirou is my grandson. I have no shame in that."

"You went to protect him more than you did to follow Guren-sama's wishes, didn't you?" Shirogane murmured. "You went to retrieve Ukitake, rather than to fight Aizen."

"I intended to draw my blade and to use it if the exile appeared back in District One. I told you that before," Kinnya said evenly, shaking his head. " Those were Guren-sama's orders to me and I meant to obey them to the letter, if I could. Juushirou's safety was a complication. I would sooner not have had him involved in the battle, but at least I've managed to bring him back more or less unscathed."

He hovered a hand against the unconscious boy's pale skin, then nodded.

"He'll probably rouse soon," he added. "This old body of mine probably won't let me carry him any further, so I trust it's all right to leave him in your care."

"You don't want to see him wake up?" Shunsui was surprised, and Kinnya's expression became grave. Slowly he shook his head.

"He doesn't need to know anything about me," he said simply. "He has a strong family who support him and, clearly, friends and senpai who care about him. His future is a bright one and that's enough to satisfy me. I'm here on Guren-sama's errand, Shunsui…not on any other. I'll remain until Genryuusai-sensei returns, but there are still things to be done before then to return this place to a state of calm."

"Kinnya-sama, when you confronted Aizen, was he alone?" Shirogane looked troubled. "Other than Ukitake, were there any other students or unknown individuals in the near vicinity?"

"I was aware of nobody else," Kinnya was surprised. "Why?"

"One of our class is still missing," Shunsui intoned gravely. "Nagoya-senpai and I were heading out to look for him following the explosion of storm reiatsu in the direction of the lake."

"The boy is an Endou," Shirogane supplemented, and Kinnya could tell from the young man's expression that he considered the entirety of Seventh District's family a waste of his time. "His sister is the young girl who is generally known to be Aizen's accomplice. It seems likely he's slipped off in the chaos to find her."

"Hirata's very fond of Eiraki," Shunsui agreed.

"Do you think this classmate of yours might try to help the girl elude capture?" Kinnya looked thoughtful. "I have not met anyone from the Endou Clan in quite some time, but I was under the impression the new administration was trying not to follow in the murderous footprints of the old?"

"Misashi-sama is generally held to be a reasonably minded individual," Shirogane shook his head. "I know nothing of his son Hirata, but his daughter Eiraki absconded from the Endou manor three years or so ago. She was witnessed in the Real World by some of Ukitake and Kyouraku's class fellows – and admitted then to the murder of Ribari-sama as well as the attempted murder of Ryuu. She is also the young girl who attempted to frame me in Seiren-dono's eyes – she is physically weak but should still be considered dangerous, since it takes little strength indeed to administer poison."

"You think she might kill Hirata?" Shunsui's face drained of colour, and Kinnya eyed him keenly.

"Endou Hirata is not likely to have colluded with her?" he asked softly, and Shunsui shook his head firmly.

"Hirata is fond of her, but he's said on a couple of occasions that her current position makes them enemies," he said quietly. "He's not involved in the conspiracy, but he might have gone to try to appeal to her to turn herself in. It's just possible that if she did that and it could be proven she was being manipulated by Aizen, she might escape with house arrest as opposed to capital punishment."

"Guren-sama will not settle for such a low penalty," Shirogane said with certainty. "Eiraki is the murderer of Ribari-sama, his only and much beloved son and heir. There will be no mercy from the Kuchiki Clan, and I imagine he will do all in his power to push for the maximum sentence."

"Eiraki-hime is pregnant, too," Shunsui added evenly, and Shirogane stared.

"_What?"_

"It's true," Shunsui nodded. "With Aizen's child, most likely. Mitsuki was the one who said so, and you'd believe her judgement, wouldn't you? The Council might very well look more kindly on her if she was to fling herself on its mercy and beg for forgiveness. She's only seventeen years old, and who knows what wiles Aizen might have lured her away with?"

"Do you really believe that she was lured?" Shirogane's expression was one of incredulity, and Shunsui shook his head impatiently.

"Of course not," he said frankly. "I believe she knew quite well what she was doing and did it because she wanted to. I'm just saying that the Council might see it differently."

"Guren-sama has no intention of involving the Council if he can dispense with the matter himself," Kinnya said matter-of-factly. "That's why I came here, and why he has asked directly for Genryuusai-sensei instead of seeking assistance from Inner Seireitei. If the Endou _hime_ is caught in District One, she will doubtless be given over to Guren-sama for judgement, unless District Seven protest and try to interfere."

"I think that's what Hirata may be doing now, only he's trying to do it before the shots are fired," Shunsui said grimly. "If Eiraki-hime handed herself in, it would have to be a Council matter. If she's caught on the offensive by a Kuchiki with the blessing of the Yamamoto…and if she is guilty of crimes on Yamamoto land too…"

"You are a very astute young man," Kinnya observed, patting Shunsui reflectively on the arm. "Genryuusai-sensei did tell me that you and my grandson were close friends and now I've met you, I'm quite glad he has someone with such pertinent and shrewd views to guide him. It must be very difficult for him to hold his own in a world surrounded by Clan – it comforts me that he has those in whom he can trust."

"Believe me, sir, your grandson doesn't need anyone to hold his hand," Shunsui laughed, a flicker of his normal humour dancing into his sombre brown eyes. "If anything's the case, it's him keeping me on the straight and narrow. He's a force to be reckoned with in most quarters. The Clans haven't really known what to make of him for the most part, but he doesn't generally bother about that, either. He's a strong-willed idiot with ideals and values that he believes in…that makes him pretty dangerous in modern day Seireitei."

"Well, well, perhaps it does," Kinnya let out an appreciative chuckle. "If that's so, maybe it's for the best. It seems his District family have taught him well – I can return to District Six safe in the knowledge that Raiko's son flourishes."

"Are you really just going to leave him to us?" Shirogane asked softly, and Kinnya inclined his head.

"You have the job of overseeing the students," he said quietly. "You and Kazoe and the other staff. My job here is twofold – track down Aizen and ensure you don't lose your life. Since I doubt the latter will be a problem now, I intend to follow up on the former. And, if I see this young Endou you're missing, I'll try and bring him back too. What does he look like?"

"He's on the short side, and scrawny, with long dark hair in a tail and glasses," Shunsui said categorically. "Though maybe someone should go with you?"

"Kinnya-sama doesn't need you to protect him like you did those fourth year girls, Kyouraku," Shirogane said sharply, and Shunsui grinned unrepentantly.

"I wasn't going to go. I'm not really in the mood to go chasing off through the wilds of this District in the cold and wet now Juu's come back," he said cheerfully. "Just, it's a lot of land to cover before nightfall. Hirata's not weak, despite his appearance, and he's over-nighted without shelter in the past – but I think it would be better for him and for District Seven if he was found before he located Eiraki, not after."

"I am old, and I am tired," Kinnya admitted. "I believe I can cover a good deal of ground with shunpo, though, so long as I don't try to release Raiu again in the process. Whilst I probably could do it, my bones are protesting from the overwork."

He smoothed down the crumpled fabric of his _hakama_, then,

"It has been a long time since I last moved so actively in the Kuchiki Clan's name," he murmured. "I almost fear my strength will fail me at each and every turn."

He turned to glance at Juushirou once more, reaching down to touch a thin finger to the boy's cheek.

"At the very least, when I return to District Six, I will do all in my power to ensure nothing threatens the peace of my province. If there are Hollows, I will perhaps try to tackle them with my own sword instead of leaving it to others…I have been in mourning long enough."

With that he was gone, slipping into shunpo and moving further and further from the Academy as he tried to pick up the trail of Keitarou's reiatsu.

_Juushirou is safe, and so Raiko's legacy is intact._

As he moved, a faint smile touched his lips, a wistful expression in his grey eyes.

_I've protected what you died to protect today, Raiko-chan. I may not ever be able to see you again, but I'm sorry for giving up so wholly on my life. I didn't know you'd left something in this world to be remembered by…whether he ever knows my name or not, I promise that I will do all in my power to ensure your son lives and is allowed to flourish in this dangerous Clan society._

* * *

"He's coming around."

The voice was Shunsui's, and as Juushirou blinked, he brought his friend's fuzzy face into focus, seeing two amused brown eyes staring down at him. "Well? Are you done haring off all over the place saving the world for one day, Juu-kun? It's cold out here, and neither Nagoya-senpai or I feel much like carrying you, so if you can get to your own feet we'd be grateful."

"Shunsui?"

Slowly Juushirou sat up, shivering involuntarily as a chill wind whipped through his skinny body. "What…where…am I back at school?"

"You are," Shirogane inclined his head. "If you think that sprawling unconscious over the cobbles will do anything for your position as Anideshi, I suggest you rethink your actions right now. Nobody has yet come out to gawk at you – but I believe it will only be a matter of time before they do."

"How did I get back here?" Juushirou frowned, accepting Shunsui's proffered hand and allowing himself to be hauled to his feet. "The last thing I remember…"

A bevy of fragmented memories flooded through his senses at that moment and he faltered, sending Shunsui a stricken look.

"The last thing you remember?" His friend prompted, eying him quizzically. "What is it, Juu? Did I give you an electric shock or something?"

"No…no," Juushirou got a grip on himself, though his expression was still grave. "I was in the mountains, near the lake by where we camped – Senpai, not far from the caves where Mitsuki and Sora were hiding you."

"That's a recollection you can discard," Shirogane said smartly, moving to tap his _deshi_ on the arm. "Well? Are we going inside? Here is cold, as Kyouraku rightfully says, and there are probably people inside who are concerned about you."

"Mm," Juushirou's eyes clouded, but he nodded his head. "I'll come inside. You're right. It's brisk today and I don't want to get a chill."

He bent to pick up the expensive black cloak, fingering it for a moment before wrapping it once more about his shoulders.

"I shouldn't lose this," he added. "It belongs to someone, and I…I'd like to return it to him."

Shirogane and Shunsui exchanged looks, and Shirogane shook his head slightly.

"You should not have gone with Aizen," he said softly, and Juushirou started, gazing at his senior in consternation. Shirogane nodded.

"Yes, look all guilty about it," he said reproachfully. "I know what you did, and Kazoe will too, I've no doubt, before long. You put yourself in danger over some foolish, harebrained student scheme, didn't you?"

"…Possibly," Juushirou acknowledged. "I mean, it wasn't just…I…"

"It _was _Michihashi's idea, initially," Shunsui grimaced. "He was the one who wanted to play Aizen at his own game – and the only way we could think of to do that would be if he thought he had control of Juushirou's body a second time."

"And for whatever reason, you thought it would be a good idea to volunteer yourself as bait?" Shirogane glowered at the District boy, who sent him a sheepish smile.

"I suppose it was something like that," he agreed ruefully. "I wanted to find Eiraki-hime, and also find out where Keitarou was hiding out. I was never going to fight against him or anything – I was just going to pretend I was under his control then slip away when I could and alert Kazoe-sensei to where he was hiding so that he could summon the authorities. Shunsui's good at tracing my reiatsu and so is Mitsuki, so I figured they'd be able to find where I was if need be. It sounds a lot more risky now, talking it through with hindsight. I didn't really think it would become as dangerous as it did, though. Keitarou was always quite even-tempered when it came to me, and so I thought I'd be able to talk myself out of any trouble."

"Kai said that he thought you'd fooled him when he took you away," Shunsui linked his arm in his friend's, guiding him over the uneven steps and into the warmth of the school building. "He said it was all going as we expected, and that he was pretty certain you hadn't been acting on anyone's impulses but your own. Akira said you'd clashed blades with him, and Kai was pretty sure that was all your doing, too. Still, when we felt the storm…"

"At first people wondered if it was Sougyo no Kotowari," Shirogane supplemented. "It was clearly a far superior reiatsu, however – much more controlled and properly refined, unlike the way in which you wield your blade."

"I've improved in that regard a lot since you trained me, Senpai," Juushirou assured him. "I've worked hard. But you're right. It wasn't my storm. It was someone else."

His eyes became pensive.

"I don't know who he was," he admitted. "He just appeared there. Senpai, he said he came from Guren-sama, and he looked like a Kuchiki. Is he…do you know who it might have been?"

"Perhaps," Shirogane said acerbically. "Clan business is not your business, however, and you would do better not assuming you have a right to know."

"I suppose that's true," Juushirou twisted his fingers through the thick black fabric absently, then, "I was just curious. He saved my life, really, although when he was fighting, I felt as though my entire spirit might get mangled and trampled underfoot by the intensity of his reiatsu. I realised that I'm really…I don't know a lot about _zanpakutou_ yet, even though I thought I did. I've never really seen a sword other than here, at the Academy. I saw Midori-sama and Seimaru fight each other, but neither one of them released power like this sword did. It makes me wonder…how much I still have to learn about how dangerous a _zanpakutou_ can be. Maybe how much I need to learn about my _zanpakutou_, too…"

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"He frightened me," he admitted pensively. "He was so strong and so ruthless and it was as though the whole sky was working with him. But…"

"But?" Shunsui eyed him keenly. "He scared you, but…?"

"I don't know," Juushirou rubbed his brow. "Maybe I also envied him. And…I would like to thank him. He was there on Guren-sama's errand, and said so – but he gave me his cloak and he knew my name. I think Sensei spoke to him about me and asked him to make sure I didn't get hurt. He could easily have ignored that request – surely to an important Kuchiki I'm just another District kid – but he didn't. He was kind…to me. After the fight was over, too, he looked…sad. And tired. And…I don't know."

He grasped a clump of his snow white hair, glancing at it thoughtfully.

"He knew I had _haibyou_," he added. "I don't think that was something Sensei told him. I think he knew because I had white hair. _Haibyou_'s been eradicated from the Kuchiki, hasn't it, Senpai? But he knew about it all the same."

"I know very little about the ailments suffered by common people," Shirogane said dismissively. "Perhaps older members of my Clan may remember things I do not – until I encountered you, I had no knowledge of this condition at all."

He frowned.

"None of your siblings had it," he added softly. "I imagine that means it does not transmit easily even between District people who live closely together. My impression of health provision among District people was somewhat varied, but admittedly, in many ways quite basic. If it had been the kind of illness to spread with ease, I would have thought I'd have seen more of it on my journey here."

"My siblings?" Juushirou blinked, then he smiled faintly, nodding his head. "It's true. Retsu-sama said that for a child to be born with _haibyou_, both parents have to at least carry the disease. Father carried it, of course, and Hahaue must have – but Okaasama probably doesn't. If she did, one of my siblings would likely have had it – but though some of them may carry it, I'm hopeful that it ends with me. I don't plan on having children, so with any luck the gene won't go any further in the Ukitake family."

He rubbed his chest, stifling a cough.

"Whatever that reiatsu was, my body reacted against it," he murmured. "Now that it's over, I feel a little raw."

"Probably the best thing is for us to take you to the Nest," Shunsui suggested, glancing at Shirogane for confirmation. "We can report to Kazoe that you've returned safely, and that you're resting…you were out in a full blown reiatsu storm, so it'd probably be better if you sleep it off."

"I suppose so," Juushirou looked troubled for a moment, then sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I suppose that might be best, if I went there."

"Something's wrong," Shunsui's eyes narrowed and he cast his companion a quizzical look. "How bad are you feeling, Juu-kun? You don't usually give in without a fight."

"I'm all right," Juushirou shook his head. "I just…want to think about what happened this afternoon. I guess I can't do that surrounded by lots of people wanting me to tell them about it…that's all."

_And I want to process everything else, as well. I need to get to grips with what Keitarou made me see. I remember the fight in the snows now, and I remember the things Sougyo no Kotowari locked away from me. I have to put that into perspective and deal with it – it might have happened three years ago but for me it's still fresh._

"Fine. Then I'll come with you," Shunsui suggested. "Senpai's responsible for a lot more than I am, and someone ought to make sure you get safely up the stairs. I'll leave you to yourself then, if you want me to – but I'd like to at least see you safely there."

"All right," Juushirou agreed. "Thank you."

"In that case, I'll return to the Great Hall and report," Shirogane decided. "Pending the return of that idiot Endou boy, everyone now seems to be accounted for."

"Endou boy?" Juushirou looked startled, but Shirogane was already gone and Shunsui sighed, leading his friend into the warmth of the main hallway and over towards the annexe stairs.

"Hirata disappeared from the library during the chaos earlier today," he said pensively. "According to Kai and the rest, some of the First Division also attacked there. They dealt with things, but realised when they had that Hirata was gone. Probably he used his favourite trick of _Kyokkou_ and squashed his reiatsu down into non-existence…anyhow, we haven't managed to trace him in the school grounds. Best guess is he's gone looking for his sister."

"What if he finds Keitarou instead?" Juushirou was anxious.

"Is Keitarou in a position to hurt Hirata?" Shunsui asked, and Juushirou frowned.

"Possibly…not…" he admitted. "Keitarou might…might not even be alive any more. It's difficult to tell, but he's definitely hurt."

"Badly?"

"Probably," Juushirou rubbed his temples. "That shinigami's sword attack pushed him through a stone wall and over the edge of a mountain shelf into the valley below. It was…pretty ruthless, to be honest. I don't know if…he could have survived."

"Until they bring in a body, it's probably better to assume that he has," Shunsui said gravely, "but I'm not really worried about Hirata. He's more savvy than you are about sensing out danger. Besides, your guardian angel is also trying to track him down now – probably he'll be back at school by nightfall."

"You met him?" Juushirou looked shocked, and Shunsui nodded his head.

"He brought you back to school," he agreed. "He deposited you with Nagoya and I then took off again."

"I see," Juushirou ran his fingers over the expensive cloak. "I didn't realise. So that's how…"

"From my understanding, Yama-jii asked him to keep an eye on us. You in particular, in case Keitarou tried something," Shunsui said matter-of-factly.

"He told Keitarou he was a former student of Sensei's," Juushirou agreed thoughtfully. "Shunsui…did he…tell you his name?"

Shunsui hesitated for a moment, and Juushirou grabbed hold of his wrists, staring him straight in the eye.

"Shunsui, tell me. He saved my life. I want to know at least who I owe thanks to, and I still have to return to him his cloak…"

"I can't," Shunsui sighed. "I gave my word to Sensei that I wouldn't discuss it."

"To Sensei?" Juushirou stared. "How and when? If you only met him today, you can't have spoken to Sensei!"

"When the message came for Ryuu to go back home, Mitsuki and I saw him," Shunsui admitted, shaking his head. "We were sworn to secrecy then, because Sensei thought it would create a disturbance if anyone knew there was a senior Kuchiki here in the shadows as a last line of defence. Nagoya made it clear just now that that situation stays as it is."

"Not even between friends?" Juushirou arched an eyebrow. Shunsui shook his head.

"Not unless that embargo is withdrawn," he said categorically. "You live in District Six and your family have already got their pretty little heads way too involved in the Kuchiki-ke's mess. Given that, I'm going to keep quiet until someone tells me otherwise."

"I suppose I understand," Juushirou looked frustrated, but he nodded. "All right. I guess it doesn't matter. I just wanted to be able to say thank you to him. Perhaps it's important that his being here is kept a secret – maybe he's a covert operative of Guren-sama's and it would be awkward if people knew he was around on Yamamoto soil. But I hope I'll be able to at least return his cloak to him. I can live without knowing his name, but I do owe him that."

"If I see him before the end of the day, I'll pass that message on," Shunsui promised. "I think he intends on heading back to Sixth soon, though. As soon as Yama-jii reappears…so you might not get the chance."

"Clans are complicated," Juushirou sighed heavily. "They have so many rules and regulations and secrets, especially the Kuchiki. I'm glad I wasn't born into that family, Shunsui. I don't think I could've stuck it, with all the intrigue and stuff."

He stumbled slightly, putting out his hand to steady his tired body.

"I think I probably do need to sleep this off," he added ruefully. "I'm not sick as such – but shaken up. A lot happened out there."

"You're drunk on _reiryoku_ this time," Shunsui observed wryly. "It was one hell of a storm, Juu. Even from the school, we could feel it…I don't envy you having been caught in the middle of it."

"It was intense."

At that moment they reached the Senior corridor, and Juushirou fumbled at his _obi_ for the key to the Nest door. Sliding it into the lock, he released the fastenings, pushing the divide back and stepping inside. His chamber was exactly the same as it had been when he had left it that morning, but its normality seemed somehow anticlimactic in light of everything that had happened. With a sigh he sank down onto his bed, leaning up against the wall and offering his friend a rueful smile.

"I'm going to try to make that my last dramatic event between now and graduation," he said honestly, loosening the ties on his _hakamashita_ and pulling apart the bloodstained white cloth to examine the damage beneath. His skin was mottled with drying blood, but to his surprise, the injuries themselves were minimal, and he ran his fingers over his ribs, feeling a faint tingling sensation but little more.

"You look like someone gored you," Shunsui reflected. "You're not acting like it, though. Is that blood all for show?"

"Seems it," Juushirou agreed, his expression one of astonishment. "Keitarou definitely pulled something through my body and that something split the skin because there's blood. However…"

He reached for the towel that lay beside his bed, folding it into quarters and rubbing it gently across his chest to remove the browning stains.

"It's as though it's already healed," Shunsui perched on the windowsill. "Maybe it was more of a spiritual injury than a physical one."

"I guess so," Juushirou lowered the towel pensively, slipping his arms free of the damaged _hakamashita_ and stretching out across the bed in vain for his night-robe.  
"Ah, I can't reach it from here! Someone will be cross with me, because this is wrecked and school uniform isn't cheap to replace. It's superficial damage to me, though. Considering what he did to me last time, I'm kind of surprised he didn't hurt me more."

"You've got stronger and he hasn't changed," Shunsui grabbed the offending nightgown, tossing it at his friend with a grin. "Here. Allow me. Your training over the last few years has paid off…you and Sougyo-kun are a match for his will now."

"Seems so," Juushirou nodded. "But even if that's true, I'm far from being ready to face everything Clan Seireitei has to throw at me. Today's events taught me that. I do my best and I work hard, but I'm still lagging behind."

"Not really," Shunsui was surprised. "Yama-jii told you it would take you longer to master your sword completely, right? Didn't he also say that when you did it would be really well under control and powerful?"

"He did," Juushirou agreed, pulling the night-robe over his head with a sigh. "Maybe I've been trying to hurry it, but I'm going to stop doing that now. Much as I want to be like the shinigami who saved me this afternoon, I'm nowhere near his level at the moment. I can't force myself ahead, either – I'm not like you. Midnight training on top of our normal schedule would be counter-productive in my case. My body wouldn't be able to keep up, and my brain would start to lag behind trying to compensate. Today taught me I have a long way to go – but it hasn't changed my mind about wanting to get there in the end."

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" Shunsui eyed him keenly. "I will, if you want, but you look like something's eating away at you. If you want to pour, I'll listen – but it's up to you."

"Mm." Juushirou flopped forward onto his blankets, burying his face in the soft fabric. He rolled over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling with a pensive expression in his hazel eyes.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I don't know if you want to hear it…you might get cross, and you might shout at me."

"I might shout at you?" Shunsui blinked. "You came back in one piece – why would I be angry at you?"

"You might," Juushirou pursed his lips.

"What exactly happened out there?" Shunsui questioned. "You went with Keitarou and pretended to be under his control…then…?"

"He saw through me, and he wanted to kill me," Juushirou admitted. "I think he'd decided I'd outlived any usefulness I'd had and I was better off sacrificed. He forcibly pulled the remnants of Chudokuga's Bankai out of my body. I don't know how, exactly, or whether Sougyo let them go in order that it did me less harm. Either way, that's what he did. That's the reason why I was all bloody – it obviously didn't do any real damage to me inside. He couldn't manipulate me any more because the pieces of his spirit power that were left inside my body were nowhere near my heart. I think Shikiki's magic pushed them out and Sougyo kept them out – anyhow, that's how it wound up."

"And so…?" Shunsui pressed. "How does that lead into me being angry at you? I'm used to your general idealistic idiocy, so…"

"When he pulled those shards out of me, Shunsui…I remembered," Juushirou's voice was little more than a whisper. "I remembered. It was as though I was there all over again…seeing it through my eyes yet not being able to do anything about it."

Shunsui's expression changed, and Juushirou noticed the sudden pallor that touched his friend's cheeks.

"The fight in the snow?" he asked quietly, his tones level and calm but unmistakeably strained. Slowly Juushirou nodded.

"Yes. That."

"You remember…everything?"

"That's difficult for me to answer, since I only know I know more than I did before," Juushirou admitted sadly. "I'm sorry, Shunsui. I know you didn't want me to remember it, but…"

"It's not your fault," Shunsui shook his head. "In fact, it's probably worse for you right now than it is for me. I've had three years to come to terms with what happened. You've just had it flung at you out of the blue."

"I wanted you to stop me," Juushirou pulled himself into a sitting position, meeting his friend's eyes with solemn ones of his own. "I wanted you to make me stop acting that way, but I also wanted you to understand it wasn't me who was fighting you."

"I knew that," Shunsui offered him a crooked half-smile. "You're an idiot, but you're a loyal idiot. I was pretty certain you weren't going to go for me of your own accord."

He ran his fingers through his tousled wavy hair.

"I guess I knew you'd probably remember it, eventually. Maybe it's easier now you know what happened…if Keitarou's pulled away from you, it means he probably won't target you in the same way again, so I should be glad it's at an end."

"You really think he's still alive, don't you?"

"I will until I see his body," Shunsui said simply. "Either way, though, he no longer has any connection to you."

"No," Juushirou shook his head. "No, he definitely doesn't."

He rubbed his chest pensively, feeling once again his strong, resolute pulse.

"Shikiki's magic was the first step in that process," he added. "What she did when she healed me made me a lot stronger than I was before."

"I know," Shunsui agreed.

"Then you needn't feel guilty about the way that fight ended," Juushirou said decidedly. "At the moment the memories are swirling around inside my head and I admit it, I don't like them. They scare me, some of them. I saw how easily my sword can cause damage and pain – Kyouki-sama's warning brought to life in horrible technicolour. I saw how I broke your arm, and the look on your face when I first attacked you…I'm sorry, Shunsui. It wasn't something I did on purpose, but it was still something I did – so now I know how it came about, I really am sorry."

"My arm is fine, and so am I," Shunsui shrugged, flexing his limb as if to prove his point. "If that's what's bothering you, you might as well forget it."

He eyed his friend apprehensively.

"I don't know if I want to ask this," he admitted. "But I will nonetheless. Juu, do you remember…when Seibara's blade…"

"No," Juushirou shook his head. "I've tried, I admit it, but I don't remember that at all. I remember Shikiki's barrier deflecting my magic away from you, and I remember you coming towards me, but then there's nothing at all. It's not black or anything like that – it's like it was never there. I don't know if Shikiki's magic can reverse the memory of something as well – or if my body was just in no state to recall it. It's not there, though."

"Good," Shunsui looked relieved, "then it's all right, I guess, if you remember the rest."

"I remember one other thing, though," Juushirou murmured, lowering his hand to his lap once more. "A moment of warmth and then snow coming down around me. It was just the briefest of sensations, as though I was falling asleep…I didn't feel any pain or anything else like that. Everything around me was warm and pink and then there was just the silence and the snow. I couldn't move, but I wasn't scared. Everything felt as though it was all right…somehow."

"I don't know," Shunsui looked thoughtful. "I remember that you had your eyes open when…after that happened. When Shikiki had done healing you, your eyes were closed. Maybe that's what you remember – pink is Shikiki's colour, isn't it? Stands to reason it would be that."

"Perhaps it was," Juushirou nodded. "I didn't see her and I didn't see you. I didn't feel alone though. I felt as though people were with me and I was safe."

He smiled.

"Even at the end of a memory like that one, there was something good to cling onto," he reflected. "I'm not going to spend much time dwelling on what happened then, if I can help it. I will remember it, though. I think I should do. Sensei warned me in the first year that my actions had an impact on other people. This was a decision I made that went badly awry and because of it, you got hurt too. Now I have those memories, I'll make them productive ones and use them to try and make sure I'm more careful in future. I know sometimes I just see my target and shoot for it without thinking – but I'll try not to do that quite as much once I graduate."

"Idealist idiocy is one of your key traits. I'm used to it – there are worse," Shunsui said resignedly.

"You're not upset? I was worried you would be, considering how you view that fight in the snow."

"I feel like we've given it closure," Shunsui admitted. "I didn't know it needed it, and perhaps you don't – but I did. Probably part of why it's bothered me so much for so long is the fact I didn't know how you would react to those things if you'd seen them. It's over now. Done with. Gone. Like you, I won't forget it. Like you, there are things I've learned from it. I have my sword because of that fight - so it wasn't all negatives. And you're still alive, of course, which helps."

"If I'd remembered this stuff before, I don't think I would've gone after Keitarou today," Juushirou said seriously. "The way he manipulated me…the feeling was a horrible one. I don't think I would have wanted to be alone with him again, or risk the chance of him taking control a second time, not if I'd remembered the first."

He let out a sigh.

"Which way do you suppose Hirata headed? Do you really think he'll be all right?"

"Hirata will be all right," Shunsui nodded his head. "I have faith in that. It's whoever he clashes with I'm more concerned about."

"Meaning Eiraki-hime?"

"Not impossible, but I...hope not." Shunsui chewed on his lip, looking troubled. "I don't think Hirata's quite reached the point where he could kill his own blood sister and walk away from it, but...I really do think it's better if they don't get to meet. Hopefully someone will pick her up when they pick up what's left of Keitarou...providing he hasn't effected another unbelievably convenient escape, of course."

"I wonder if he could escape...that," Juushirou murmured, more than half to himself, and Shunsui eyed him keenly.

"It was some flare, huh?" He remarked, and Juushirou nodded.

"It was," he agreed soberly, "and I have a long way to go before I match someone like that. It showed me exactly what a storm-based sword could do...and it makes me hope that, one day, Sougyo no Kotowari and I will be, well, if not quite like that, at least...able to fight in just as strong a way."

"It wouldn't surprise me if that happened," Shunsui said wryly. "You work hard enough, and well, I guess you have some natural talent born into you. Just don't rush off to do it just yet, okay? With any luck Sensei will be back soon and we can hand this whole hairy mess over to him. One advantage of not having graduated yet is that we don't have to pick the sense out of any of this for the Council - let's enjoy that while we have it, all right?"

* * *

The world was dark and silent.

A cold wind whipped across his drenched, freezing body, causing it to shiver involuntarily then jerk with pain as his fractured skeleton protested at being moved.

Was this death?

With a great surge of effort, somehow he managed to open his eyes, gazing helplessly up at the shattered sky that hung precariously over his head. It was cracked and broken, just like he was, and for a moment he wondered hazily if some divine force had brought even the heavens to its knees in the face of his wrath.

He blinked, bringing the fuzzy lines into clearer focus.

They weren't cracks, he realised dully, but branches, some splintered and broken right across as though something heavy had hit them with swift, unforgiving speed. Had it been him? He couldn't quite recall.

He blinked again, flickers of disjointed memory stirring in his concussed brain.

There had been a shinigami. A storm. And then he had flown...

A throbbing pain pulsed against the inside of his skull, making it hard for him to draw together his thoughts into a coherent order, but he persevered, if only to distract his attention away from his sorry physical state.

It had been raining, and as he drew on the recollections, he remembered two angry eyes like storm clouds boring into his. The glint of a sword swept across his vision, and then a rush of water, smashing into his chest and shattering at least half of his ribs with its first impact. He had been flung against stone, then there had been nothing between him and the deep valley below but air and he had fallen, down, down, down...

He closed his eyes, wincing involuntarily as another shiver ripped agony through his broken bones.

A tree had broken his fall, shattering his left leg on impact, but tempering the force of his drop and preventing him from being killed outright. He had been both lucky and unlucky, he realised absently - he had survived an unsurvivable fall, but with injuries this severe he was unable to move.

The Council would come for him.

For the first time in Keitarou's long war against Seireitei, fear of the Council's authority pierced his soul. They would take him, imprison him and interrogate him until they knew all there was to know. They would show him no mercy, and then they would end his life. He would be plunged into the same eternal darkness that had claimed his father, and Eiraki...like his mother, Eiraki would be left...

He opened his eyes, aware of fresh dampness against his lashes. Was it a tear, or had a stray droplet of the storm's rain dripped from an overhanging branch onto his face, bringing him moment by moment back towards reality?

_Eiraki._

He tried to move his left arm, but it would not obey him, and, turning his head stiffly to glance at it, he realised that it was shattered above the elbow, the fingers of his hand dislocated and smashed almost beyond repair. In the fingers of his right was still clutched the hilt of his precious sword, but Chudokuga's spirit was still and silent, and the blade was a dull, murky grey. Briefly Keitarou remembered the sensation of that reiatsu-driven water engulfing his body, and his brows twitched together in consternation.

So that was what he had meant.

The water had done more than soaked him. It had washed the spirit power right out of him, scattering and diluting his reiatsu so that Chudokuga could no longer hear his voice. How long would that last? He didn't know, but surely District or Council officials would come for him before it wore off. His thoughts and memories were still disjointed, and with at least two broken limbs and several shattered ribs, he would be unlikely to make it anywhere on foot.

Did he have any reiatsu left to him, or had that monstrous blade eliminated it all?

Keitarou's brows drew together once more.

Who had attacked him? He had no name to go with that face, and nor had his assailant given him an identity. He had claimed that this was his fight, not just Guren's and, with a sudden jolt of dismay, Keitarou's synapses sparked into life, drawing a tentative but obvious connection between the raging storm which had felled him and the raw tempest that lurked within the blade of his one-time District experiment.

_Juushirou's...kin._

He swallowed hard, nausea flooding his senses at the thought.  
_  
I thought I understood how the Kuchiki worked. I thought I knew everything, but I didn't know that._

He gritted his teeth, berating his own oversight and stupidity.

_The one I thought was a hermit I dismissed, because everyone else dismissed him, too. I taunted Juushirou with his name, yet knew nothing at all of what I spoke. That one...that hidden force whose spiritual potential was concealed even from the current generation of Kuchiki. Kinnya, brother of Senaya and Lord of the Coastal Provinces. This fight was your fight, old man, because of the boy. You came for Juushirou...and I was a fool not to have seen it sooner._

Carefully and tentatively he brought his right hand towards his body, his shaking fingers pushing Chudokuga's dead blade into the bloodsoaked folds of his _obi_.  
_  
I overlooked something important, and I almost paid for it with my life. Is that what you were, Juushirou? A decoy, to lure me into a false sense of security? Did you out-think me after all?_

A sudden gust of frozen wind seared across his battered body, causing him to flinch back in pain. The storm had gone, but the season was still near winter, and there was no telling what damage the old Kuchiki's sword had done to the elements. Maybe a real storm was coming, Keitarou wondered pensively, for the wind was picking up now, and there was an icy bite to it that suggested the onset of another, terrifying tempest.

Perhaps the weather would kill him before the Council could. At this thought, the dull ache returned to his chest and he frowned, trying to process the emotion. He had never been afraid of dying, nor had he hesitated or held back from danger or risk because it might cost him his life. It had been one of his strengths, but now he was learning how much things had changed. When he had been alone, there had been nobody to grieve for him, and no one he would leave behind, unprotected and vulnerable to face punishment for his crimes. When he had been alone...but he had gone too far, now, and he was no longer alone. Eiraki was not just his ally, she had become part of him. Chudokuga had been right, he acknowledged painfully to himself. He had snared her because it had benefited him to do so, and he had intended to utilise the connection for political ends, but it was Eiraki's face now engraved on his thoughts as he contemplated death, and it was Eiraki's future he worried for, rather than his own.

Eiraki and the unborn child she carried. Would they survive without his help? If he was not there, what would become of them? Keitarou knew his mind was racing now, but he was helpless to stop it. Chudokuga had been right. In his own way, he had come to love her. Would he also abandon her, in the way Daisuke had chosen to abandon Irie three years before?

_Having something to live for makes you afraid of death. Were you afraid too, Daisuke, when you took the decision to martyr yourself like you did? Or were you relaxed and resigned to your fate, knowing your wife and children were far from Shouichi's blooded hands and therefore safe to live, even without you? I can't say the same about Eiraki. There is no safe haven for her like there was for your family. You would never involve them in what we did...I understand now. It's too easy to generate affection and foster weaknesses if you have someone for whom you deeply care. By involving Eiraki, I've condemned her. Without me to protect her, she doesn't stand a chance. You were wiser than me, my cousin. I wish I'd learned from your example sooner, but it's too late now. _

Something prickled against his spine, causing his heart to spasm inside his chest as the breeze wrapped itself around his body once more, probing and examining his broken form as though acting on the will and whim of another. The next moment he felt what he had not picked up on before - the faint, tightly suppressed hum of foreign reiatsu...and it was coming his way.

In the midst of this unexpected tornado was a figure, hazy at first but as he drew closer, Keitarou could make out the white and blue of his Academy uniform, long dark hair flying loose about his shoulders and the glimmer of something silver in his hand.

A _zanpakutou_. One of Genryuusai's students - and they were clearly in no mood to talk.

In this state, he was in no position to fight back. There was no Suzuno to heal him this time, and for a brief instant Keitarou wondered if this was his karma for killing the Unohana girl.

Inwardly he let out a curse, struggling to pull himself into a more upright position, but with his left leg and arm so badly mangled and his spine bruising rapidly against the cold ground, it was impossible for him to do more than drag himself a few inches back towards the trunk of the tree. It would not be enough to save him, he realised with a jolt. He was a bloody, broken mess, the ground around him a mulch of crimson mud, yet this individual did not flinch for one moment at the site of such an unsavoury scene. Instinctively Keitarou tried to draw together his scattered _reiryoku_, urging Chudokuga to respond, but the spider remained silent, and only the barest flicker of kidou light glimmered briefly against the tips of his fingers before fading into nothing.

As the intruder came closer, Keitarou could make out a gleam of cold anger in the young man's eyes, and with a jolt he realised that despite the school attire, the one who stood before him had none of the bearing of a student. There was no doubt, no insecurity, none of the traits that had made Keitarou so sure he could marshal and terrify the Academy's students into overlooking his presence. Unlike the two boys who had challenged him earlier, this one was different. Darkness was reflected in his gaze as much as light, and though he cut a diminutive figure, slim and barely into his adult years, there was nothing childish in his aura.

He had the gaze of someone who had seen death - more, had given it - and who would not shy away of doing so again if the circumstances arose. The swirling currents of air that surrounded the slender body only added to the sense of raw, savage anger that whipped around them, and with every step closer the student took, Keitarou could feel the chill breeze pushing against his own skin, pressing and relentless in its attempts to force him back down onto the ground.

A few feet away from the injured scientist, the boy stopped, and Keitarou had the impression that he was being looked on not as a wounded person but as prey, for there was nothing in those pale eyes to indicate even the slightest hint of mercy. This _was_one of Genryuusai's students, without a doubt - but in that moment, Keitarou saw him as something else.

Nemesis.

At length, the boy spoke.

"I suppose you thought that there was nothing from which you couldn't escape."

The words were soft and gently spoken, but there was a hardness to them that echoed against Keitarou's jagged wits.

"Perhaps you believed that even after hurting and killing so many people, you could just disappear back into the darkness and into illusion once again?"

A faint smile touched his lips, and Keitarou felt a second barrage of icy wind twist through the charred battlefield.

"Or was it that you thought that anyone on the side of justice would stop and balk at the idea of a fight that wasn't fair?"

The young man took a step further forward, and Keitarou saw the long blade fully for the first time, the swirling air that surrounded it making the metal blurry and indistinct to his gaze.

"Did you imagine the honourable students of Genryuusai-sama's Academy wouldn't raise our swords to you if you were left broken and pitiful on the ground like a helpless little boy? Amai-san may have made that mistake. I won't be so naive."

Keitarou opened his mouth to speak, but he could not force words through his vocal chords, and his companion's expression became predatorial once more.

"I came looking, but I didn't think I'd find you in such a convenient state," he continued evenly. "I felt the swirl of the storm, and then I saw you fall. I thought maybe you were dead already, but it seems as though I've been fortunate. You still live...more importantly, you still have awareness enough to know and feel everything that's done to you."

Keitarou felt the sword tip press up against his throat.

"Do you know my name, Aizen Keitarou?" the student asked quietly, and Keitarou stared at him mutely, for once robbed of all composure as he took in the seriousness in his opponent's eyes. At his silence, the stranger smiled, tilting his head slightly to one side as he regarded his prey anew.

"Endou Hirata," he said quietly, and in that moment Keitarou understood. "Yes, I thought that might resonate with you - I can see in your eyes that you know me, even if we've not properly had chance to speak before. I know you, Aizen Keitarou. I know you very well."

The weapon pressed harder against Keitarou's throat, drawing a trickle of blood across his adam's apple.

"You're the man who killed my grandfather and who plotted to bring my family to ruin," Hirata murmured. "You stole away my sister and indoctrinated her to do your evil for you. You threatened the lives of my good friends, and not only that. You dared to invade Genryuusai-sensei's Academy in order to torment and terrify people you considered beneath you. The Council would very much like to speak to you, Aizen Keitarou. They've been looking for you for a very long time."

"So you're going to turn me over to them? Is that it?"

At length Keitarou found his words, his voice hoarse and unlike himself as he glared defiantly up at his attacker.

"Is that why you came here? If so, it was a foolish waste of your time. I had n...no intention of killing you. Your sister wouldn't allow it...and so I acquiesced. You could h...have stayed out of it completely, if only you'd...thought it through."

A flash of weary defiance flickered into the scientist's muddy brown eyes.

"You and I are brothers by marriage, now, Hirata-dono," he hissed provocatively. "Eiraki is my wife. That makes us kin. If you slay me, you kill the father of her child. You spoke of crimes against your family, yet will you really descend to commit such a crime yourself?"

Hirata gazed at his companion for a moment, then clicked his tongue against his teeth disparagingly, slowly shaking his head.

"You must think me simple," he said derisively, "to use such a weak argument as a form of persuasion. I would have thought you knew already that sending a kinsman to death was an Endou pastime, being that you spent so much time with my unfortunate cousin. Still, if you have forgotten, let me spell it out more clearly for you. Do you really think that making such a claim would entice me to help you, even to let you live? The opposite is true. If you die, your influence over my sister dies with you. If your child is born without you to corrupt it, it has a chance to live a life untainted by you and your will."

He tightened his grip on his sword, and Keitarou felt the swirl of air intensify for the briefest of moments, as though the young man before him was fighting to keep a savage temper in check.

"Your words only show me that there is one more insult to my family which must be avenged," Hirata murmured darkly. "You are an outlaw and a criminal, just like your father. There is no Clan in Seireitei who would sanction someone like you marrying their daughter, and no _hime_in their right mind would choose such an alliance. I don't know by what machinations you poisoned her mind - or maybe you imposed yourself on her by force, then convinced her that she would be safer with you than surrounded by her family. Whichever it is, I don't much care. You have sullied Eiraki's honour as an Endou, and therefore my family's whole name, too. You are Clan, as I am. You know that such insults exist to be avenged, and as her only brother, my duty is to avenge it."

"Would _Juushirou_approve of that?" Keitarou's gaze turned nasty, and Hirata's own pale eyes darkened at the mention of his friend's name.

"Juushirou-kun isn't here to see me do it," he said at length, "and the business of Endou honour is mine to resolve, not his. If I kill a man, then I do. If I spill your blood, then so be it. Juushirou-kun will never know anything of it. Seireitei will record that the Kuchiki with the storm blade killed you. My actions will only be known to me and to you - and you won't be in a position to do much talking about it."

"For the sake of Clan honour, huh?" Keitarou snorted. "Do y...you really believe the Endou have such a thing?"

"My Grandfather did not, nor did my cousin or my uncle," Hirata did not falter for a second. "Perhaps I have none, either. It's too early for me to tell. My father and mother, however, are different. You stole from them their daughter, and for their sake, I won't hold back. I doubt Father would stand over you in this blooded state, ready to slit your throat, because even if he hated you more than life itself, his sense of justice and fairness would prevail."

His eyes became slits, and Keitarou felt a cold wind whip around him once more.

"Fortunately for me, I don't have the same scruples when it comes to dealing with enemies," he said softly. "If I called on it to act, in your current state my sword's shikai could rip you molecule from molecule, spreading fragments of you across a ten mile radius. If I wished it, there would be nothing left of you to find, and standing here like this, the temptation to release my sword's wrath into your sorry body is overwhelming. But the Council must have closure. They must, at the very least, have a body. Therefore I'll hold back. I'll slit your throat. I'll free both my sister and your child from your influence in one clean sweep."

"And if that child were to be r...raised to t...take revenge?" Keitarou demanded. Hirata's eyes narrowed.

"Then by this blade, I'd slit its throat, too," he said, not a fragment of doubt in his words. "I am a proper Endou, Aizen. A predator, wielding a bird of prey as my blade. You knew my cousin, and you should understand what I mean. Seimaru loved Grandfather, yet he had you kill him all the same. Being an Endou allows you to do such things. Even if you claim to be my family now, unlike Seimaru, I have no regard for you. Killing you would be nothing more to me than if you were an insect."

His gaze flitted to Keitarou's _obi._

"Perhaps a spider?" he added mockingly. "Not all of us are as forgiving or as merciful as Juushirou-kun, and not all of us have the honour to stand back when an enemy is injured or unarmed."

He brought his face closer, boring those pale, cold eyes deep into Keitarou's soul, and despite himself, the scientist felt the chill drive deep through his entire being at the hatred he read there.

"I was the one who killed Seimaru, you know," Hirata continued, his voice barely more than a mocking whisper, or, perhaps, a hiss on the wind. "I overloaded his spirit power with your _reidoku_and he died a painful, explosive death. I am not afraid to end your life with my weapon either. Death doesn't scare me - administering it or receiving it. It's how the Endou are - be it a strength or a weakness, its how we all are."

He tilted the sword slightly, and a fierce gust of wind filled the copse, sending leaves and broken bits of branch swirling through the air.

"My _zanpakutou_'s name is Tsumi no Fuuhi," Hirata said evenly. "So you see, Aizen, I'm not afraid of being steeped in sin. If I can free this world from your evil, then that's not a chance I'll pass up."

He raised the weapon, and Keitarou flinched, helpless to defend himself as he waited for the sharp blade to come down through his throat.

"Oniisama! Stop! Stop, please stop!"

The shriek pierced the frozen air, resonating thtough Keitarou's battered body, and his heart stilled briefly in his chest as he recognised the speaker. Though he could not turn his head to look, he did not have to see her to know that Eiraki now stood at the edge of the clearing, an expression of clear horror on her face. Inwardly he muttered a rueful curse. He had hoped that at the very least she would not see him this way - but even that hope was now to be dashed. She would see her brother kill him, spilling his life and any hope of the future they had planned together out onto the frozen soil. That image would doubtless haunt her as much as Daisuke's last moments still haunted him...providing the Council never discovered who had slain Kuchiki Ribari, and allowed the young girl to live.

The alternative did not bear thinking about, and he forced apart his lips, two words slipping through his vocal chords into the wintry air.

"Eiraki, run!"

But Eiraki was not listening, and, as the wind fluctuated and dropped momentarily, Keitarou realised that his assailant had also become distracted, his pale gaze flickering with distress. The pressure of the blade against Keitarou's throat weakened momentarily, then renewed, tension coursing through the young man's body as though Hirata was struggling to muster the resolve that moments earlier had come so naturally.

With a jolt, Keitarou realised that it was not just he who was concerned about Eiraki seeing his demise. Hirata was worried about it too. Slowly and sluggishly his brain began to click into a semblance of its normal manipulative cunning.

Eiraki was his weakness, but she was Hirata's weakness too.

_He talked about cutting down his kin, but I suppose that doesn't extend to taking the life of his only sister._

"Oniisama, please! Please, don't do this!" Eiraki was clearly on the verge of hysterical tears, and the next thing Keitarou knew she had descended upon them, grabbing Hirata's sword arm and pulling it forcibly away from her husband's neck. With an exclamation, Hirata drew back, Tsumi no Fuuhi's swirling gusts of reiatsu fluctuating wildly before dispersing to little more than a dull hum.

"Get off me!" he demanded, shaking his arm free of her grip. "Unless you want your entire body scattered into the ether, Eiraki, _let me go_!"

"I don't care. If you kill him, you'll kill me too!" Eiraki sobbed, pushing herself forcibly between Hirata and his target and spreading out her arms, meeting her brother's gaze defiantly. "I won't let you kill him, Oniisama. I won't let you kill him!"

"Stand aside!" Hirata's eyes hardened, but Keitarou was aware of the flickering uncertainty in the young Endou's aura. Far from the predatory killer, Hirata now appeared more as he was - the young lord of a family newly come of age, indecision lurking deep within his eyes. Eiraki, by contrast, was without hesitation, for though her body was trembling with a mixture of shock and emotion, she did not waver for one moment.

"I won't," she shot back. "I told you, I won't let you kill him. I _won't_let you kill my husband!"

"Eiraki, dammit, get out of my way!" A gust of sudden breeze, raw and savage whipped around Hirata's young body as his frustrated temper broke through the calm hold he had maintained over his _reiryoku_. "That man is an outlaw, a murderer and a villain. He's wanted by the Council and he's an enemy of everyone, even you, whether you want to see it or not. I'll deliver him to death, and then more people won't have to die. _Get out of the way_!"

"I killed someone too!" Eiraki was defiant, now, and though Keitarou could not see his wife's face, he could hear the choked up tone in her words and knew that her cheeks were drenched with tears. "_I_killed Kuchiki Ribari, not Kei-sama. I gave him the poison, not Onoe. I'm a murderer too, Oniisama. If you'll kill him for taking life, you have to kill me too. That's what your justice means, isn't it? If you think Kei-sama is evil, surely you think that I am too!"

Despite himself, Hirata faltered, taking a step back from his sister and lowering his blade. The rushing swirl of air began to calm once more, and Keitarou drew a raw gulp of oxygen into his battered lungs as he realised Eiraki was winning the battle.

"I can't." At length Hirata's words came, soft and unsettled, as though he did not like to say them at all.

"_You_killed Seimaru," Eiraki returned neatly. "If that's not murder, it must be justice, mustn't it? It must be one of the endless rules of Clan justice that Seireitei's so bound up in chains by?"

"Seimaru was a monster who tried to kill all of us!" Hirata flared up at this, and Eiraki snorted, shaking her head.

"He was an Endou," she said disparagingly. "All Endou are like that. He killed. You killed. I killed. We're all like that, Oniisama. You might not have accepted it, but I have. You killed Seimaru, even though he was kin - just as he had Grandfather killed and would have killed Father, too. Killing me should be easy for you - I'm a murderer and a criminal, too. I'm an assassin and Kei-sama's accomplice. What's so different? You killed Seimaru, and called that justice, so if you believe in it so much, kill me."

"You know I can't, Eiraki-chan," Hirata sounded distressed now. "Step aside. Please. It's the only way. Father wouldn't forgive me...I can't hurt you."

"And I won't let you hurt Kei-sama," Eiraki stood her ground. "That makes me an outlaw too, doesn't it? It means the Council want me too. Doesn't it?"

Over Eiraki's shoulder, Keitarou could just about make out the sudden, pained look that crossed Hirata's features.

"For Mother and Father's sake, it would have been better if you had died," he said heavily, genuine grief in his words, "but I can't kill you. Even if I should, I cannot. You...are my sister, and more, with child. Those things...I...cannot do."

"Then I will do it for you."

Eiraki fumbled at the rough sash at her waist, pulling out the vial of _reidoku_ that Keitarou had given her for safe-keeping and raising it so that her brother could see it. "If you are resolved to kill Kei-sama, I will kill myself. The child and I both, through drinking _reidoku_, will perish here and now."

A cold tone touched her voice.

"The Council will take me and they will put me to death, anyway," she said frankly. "I'm not so much of a child that I don't understand what I've done. They'll wait, of course, for me to birth the infant, but then you or Father will take it from me, and I'll follow Kei-sama and Keitsune-sama and all the other people the Council deem too dangerous to exist. My child _won't _grow up in that cloistered, caged environment like I did! Kei-sama was the first person to value me and give me proper freedom. I haven't been brainwashed by him - I chose to fly free with him because it's where I belong."

She removed the stopper from the vial, tossing it carelessly across the ground, and despite himself, Keitarou's heart lurched in his chest, for he knew he did not have the physical strength to stop her.

"I won't return to a cage for anyone," she said softly, and this time there was a note of real regret in her tones. "Not even for you, Oniisama. Too much has happened. Too much has changed. I don't regret Ribari's murder, and I don't feel grief for what I did. A change is coming in Seireitei, and the Clans simply don't want to see it. Whether it's Kei-sama and I or someone else, the change will still come."

"Father would doubtless intercede for you with the Council," Hirata began, but Eiraki snorted, shaking her head.

"You're not listening," she said, frustrated. "This isn't about looking for forgiveness. I don't want them to forgive me, or mitigate my actions. More, I won't let my child be brought up in the prison you consigned yourself to when you agreed to become Father's heir. That isn't life, Oniisama. If you seek to drag me back there, I would sooner die here and now. My life is Kei-sama's life. He and I belong together. You can't separate us now - either spare us or kill us both. It's up to you."

"Eiraki-chan..." Hirata stared at his sister as though seeing a stranger, and in that lull, Keitarou understood what he needed to do.

"Eiraki!" He gasped, his voice hoarse yet somehow still forming words. "Eiraki, the _reidoku_. Give...me...now!"

"Kei-sama?" Eiraki hurried down at his side, one eye still on her brother as she cradled his head gently in her arms. "What on earth did they do to you, what did..."

"No time," Keitarou cut her off, desperate to act before Hirata recovered his resolve and launched a fresh assault with his wind-based weapon. Though he had faltered at the sight of Eiraki and the strength of her words, there was no reason to suppose he had come here alone, and the longer they lingered, the less chance they had to escape at all.

"_Reidoku_," he said firmly, and Eiraki eyed him in consternation.

"But..."

"Give...me...the _reidoku_...now."

The pain in his body was becoming almost unbearable now, and Keitarou did not know whether or not his gamble would work. If it failed, he reasoned, even as he felt his wife put the ceramic vial to his lips, it would hasten his death, but if it did not...

The burning liquid seared across his tongue, scalding his throat as it scorched its way into his battered guts. He coughed, pain wracking through him once more as every inch of him felt on fire with a sudden, burning flare of energy. With his unbroken arm, he clumsily managed to draw Chudokuga from his sheath, lifting it and throwing it with as much force as he could muster towards the seam in the atmosphere that gave away the location of the hidden _Senkaimon_.

It opened immediately, a gaping blackness with an unknown destination, but Keitarou had no time to be choosy about where they were going. Grasping Eiraki's hand loosely in his own, he focused all of the_ reidoku_-driven strength inside of him into making one firm flash-step into the gateway, and as the blackness closed around them, he let out a sigh, his leaden body no longer able to support itself even a little bit against the pain and surging waves of spiritual energy.

"Kei-sama?" Eiraki's voice seemed far away, frightened and anxious for his safety, but to Keitarou's dazed mind, the sound was comforting.

They were both alive. Wherever they were headed, and however hard the road ahead, they had both escaped.  
_  
The Council must not find us now._

Keitarou felt the world growing hazier and hazier around him.  
_  
Not until we've completed our preparations and made ready for a proper, all out war._

This was the last thought he had before the blackness consumed him, sending both of them hurtling down into the _Senkaimon's_ spiritual abyss.

* * *

They were gone.

As the _Senkaimon _blurred and closed into nothing, Hirata let out a cry of frustration, his fingers loosening from their grip around Tsumi no Fuuhi's hilt. The weapon fell forgotten to the ground as the boy himself dropped to his knees, tears of anger and of grief mingling on his cheeks.

"Eiraki-chan..."

The words were softly spoken, and he reached up to remove his glasses, wiping his damp lashes with the sleeve of his _hakamashita_.

_I was too late._

He drew a shaky breath into his lungs, sitting back on his heels and gazing hopelessly around him. Though Keitarou's _reiryoku_ had flared briefly in the moment before the gate had opened, now it was gone completely, and try as he might, Hirata could not locate it again.

_I let him escape. I should have killed him. Too many words - I should have slit his throat and then lectured his corpse afterwards._

He gritted his teeth.

_Was I really so stupid as to think there was a chance to save my sister? I knew already that she was beyond my reach...because I faltered, she escaped with him. I could have ended it, but I hesitated, and I did not._

He reached for his weapon, gazing at the gleaming silver-white blade with resignation. The very tip was touched with Keitarou's blood, but the _zanpakutou_ was otherwise clean, and he sighed, running his fingers over it to seal it before returning it to its sheath.

_I'm sorry, Seizumi. Maybe there are things I still need to learn if I'm going to wield a true Endou sword._

_**Maybe it's because you learned those things that you hesitated.**_

Seizumi's voice fluttered across his thoughts.

_**You were the one who insisted on retaining compassion, Hirata. I accepted that wish, and I have not contested it. Today, your compassion overruled your instinct to kill. Only you know if it was really the right choice.**_

A swirl of reiatsu prevented Hirata from answering, and he turned his head to see the Kuchiki, his green and cream robes damped from the storm.

"Your blade didn't finish him," he said quietly, turning his gaze back to the place Keitarou had landed, "and I lacked the conviction to do the job."

"You must be Endou Hirata," the old man spoke pensively, coming to stand at his side and Hirata was aware of a slight stiffness in the other's movements. "I came to find you...there are people at the Academy who are worried about you."

"I know," Hirata acknowledged, making no move to rise from his position on the ground, "though there really is no need. I can...I can take care of myself."

"So say most young shinigami," Kinnya said wisely, "but it only takes one error of judgement for a tragedy to occur. I promised Genryuusai-sensei that I would not let any more of his students' lives be shed, and I intend to keep my promise. That means I'm taking you back with me."

"I suppose I haven't anywhere else to go, now," Hirata murmured. "I don't have the strength of will I thought I had...I suppose school is the best place for me to be until I learn it."

He turned to gaze at Kinnya again, taking in the glitter of life in the grey eyes. Despite the silver streaks that gave away his age, Hirata felt he was not truly looking at an old man. Though his _reiryoku_ was once more neatly tucked away, it was clear that the sword that hung at the man's waist was a weapon capable of slicing through the heavens to command both lightning and rain, and he sighed, reluctantly pulling himself to his feet.

"I don't know your name," he admitted softly, "but I already know you are a great shinigami. I saw...I felt...how you dealt with Aizen. There was no doubt, no hesitation in anything you did. You went to kill him, and you had no idea of granting him mercy."

"True," Kinnya agreed, "but by your testimony, I still failed. You said he survived the fall?"

"He did." Hirata rubbed his eyes, before replacing his glasses back on his nose. "I came to finish the job, but I was interrupted, and he slipped away. He was badly wounded...but I imagine he will survive. Those who have the devil's luck always manage to do that, no matter how hard they're ground down."

"I dare say you're right," Kinnya nodded gravely, "but if I can return you to the Academy alive and unscathed, my being here won't be entirely wasted."

He smiled.

"My name is Kinnya," he added. "Kuchiki Kinnya. I believe you're a friend of my grandson's - therefore I'm very glad to make your acquaintance."

"Kinnya-sama?" Hirata's eyes widened momentarily, then, "Juushirou-kun's..."

"That's right," Kinnya agreed, his grey eyes becoming somewhat hazy as though remembering something from long ago.

"You...came to protect us...to find me...because of Juushirou-kun?"

"I came to District One on my Clan Leader's command," Kinnya shook his head, "and I accepted the request of my old Sensei to protect his young protégées whilst he was away from here. The fact protecting Juushirou and his friends became part of my brief was an added bonus - perhaps it made my resolution all the stronger when firing Aizen Keitarou off that cliff."

He glanced upwards.

"At the very least, the injuries he has should slow him down," he concluded. "The Council may yet find him. He didn't say anything to you about where he was heading?"

"Nothing," Hirata kicked at the ground in frustration, "and I should have finished it. I should have! I am an Endou - we don't fear bringing death. I should have slit his throat, and yet..."

"Something stopped you?"

"My sister," Hirata said bitterly, "the girl who now calls herself his wife, and soon to be the mother of his child."

"And you could not raise your blade to her the way you could raise it to him?"

"Of course not," Hirata shook his head bleakly. "I grew up with Eiraki. We were close until things happened three years ago. She's still...she's still my sister. I...couldn't release Tsumi no Fuuhi at her, whatever I might have been able to do to him."

"I see," Kinnya was silent for a moment, then he rested a calloused hand on Hirata's thin shoulder.

"That's as well," he reflected. "To be able to kill a sibling without a second thought is not an enviable trait. Endou are not known for their humanity, but you have it. Maybe letting them escape was a bad thing, or maybe it will prove to be of little consequence. I don't see the future, so I don't know yet. For you, however...I think it was as well you didn't strike your blood kin with that blade."

He glanced at the sheathed weapon.

"I can tell it's both strong and ruthless, and the only limit on its destructive potential will ever be you," he added softly. "Those who are born with particularly powerful blades must learn more than those who are not how they should control those weapons - otherwise the weapon comes to control them. I have known Endou whose lives and souls were consumed by the hunting spirit lurking within them. I don't think, though, that you will be one such. If that's the case, District Seven's future is likely to be a more stable one than it has been for many centuries."

"Perhaps," Hirata agreed doubtfully. "I suppose that...with Keitarou injured, and Eiraki pregnant, they will lie low for a while. There...is time. Time to prepare, build up defences, even to work out a way to stop them once and for all."

"That man is not immortal, nor is he invincible," Kinnya reflected. "My blade could hurt him, and so, I'm sure, could yours. I've met my grandson and his friends and I have no worry for the future. If Aizen Keitarou chooses to return to Seireitei, he will find a far stronger arsenal awaiting him than currently exists now. Of that I am quite sure."

He sent Hirata a smile.

"We should return," he added. "You have testimony to give, and so do I. More, though, the fact that Keitarou came here suggests to me your Sensei won't be far behind. I must be able to tell him that all his students are present, correct and accounted for - even if a few of them are a little more battered than others."

He rubbed his chin ruefully with his free hand.

"The strength lurking in this Academy is something I never imagined could exist," he added honestly. "Friendships that cross class and Clan boundaries and an ethic and will to fight and defend each other...that is something Seireitei has never really had. Genryuusai-sensei's vision is a far-reaching one, but...having now seen it for myself...I am of the firm belief that it can work. Soul Society has an exciting future to look forward to...I only hope I will live long enough to see it come to fruition."

Before Hirata knew what was happening, the world twisted and swirled around them as Kinnya pulled him into a flash-step, emerging from it within the Academy grounds. Hirata took a dazed couple of steps, putting his hand to his head, and Kinnya chuckled.

"Ah, my shunpo is old and unpracticed. I suppose that was a rougher ride than you're used to," he said apologetically. "It did the trick, though, and I didn't think it a good idea to let you try to get here on your own. I understand you're good at concealing your spirit power, and I didn't want you to decide to go after your sister and that man any further."

"Even if I wanted to, I could not," Hirata confessed. "He used _reidoku _to give himself enough strength to open the gate and flee into it, and for that moment I felt his spirit strongly, but then it disappeared completely. I...can't follow it. Wherever he's gone, there's no trail to follow. I can't use my sword yet with enough control to open a _Senkaimon_...so when that closed, so did any chance for me to track him down."

"That's also as well," Kinnya said soberly. "You are too close to this now, you realise that? The Council are there to settle these things and you should let them do their duty. You will not be held responsible for your sister's escape, but you must not try to get any further involved. One day, you will doubtless see what there is that needs to be done, but for now, your duty is to let it go and focus on comforting your family when the truth becomes known."

"I...had hoped to protect them from it completely, but I suppose that's impossible," Hirata grimaced, bowing his head towards his companion. "I am the heir to the Endou-ke, though, so to support my Father is my duty and I won't forget it."

"So there you are!"

As they stepped in through the main entrance, it was Shunsui's voice that greeted him and he raised his head, seeing his classmate lounging nonchalantly up against the wall, his arms folded casually across his chest. "You sure took your time, Hirata-kun. Don't you know we're all on school lock-down at the moment? You should be glad Kazoe's distracted by other things, because otherwise I'm sure you'd be top of the list to feel his cane."

"I had things to see to," Hirata said quietly, and Shunsui's eyes became serious.

"Did you manage to?" he asked cryptically, and Hirata sighed, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Not really," he admitted, "but maybe it's better this way."

"Mm," Shunsui looked thoughtful for a moment, then turned his gaze on Kinnya.

"Kinnya-sama, I have a message I need to pass on to you," he said evenly. "Juushirou would like you to go see him, if you can spare the time. Sensei is on his way back here - Kazoe says that the _Senkaimon_ to District Six has been activated, and he will doubtless want a full report of everything when he arrives, but I still...I promised Juu I'd tell you, just in case it mattered."

"Juushirou...?" Kinnya's expression changed, and Hirata saw the sudden anxiety in the old man's eyes. "Why on earth?"

"He would like to thank the man who saved his life," Shunsui said frankly. "Also, he wants to return your cloak. He's in his quarters at the moment, because your little encounter wore him out, and he was taking a nap. I came down here to wait for Hirata to come back...and I said I'd pass on the message to you, if I saw you."

"I see." Kinnya's face became unreadable for a moment, then he sighed. "There is little time indeed, but I will see what I can manage. In the meantime, I'll leave Hirata-dono in your hands. My duty here appears to be almost over - and, thankfully, it has passed with some success."

With that he was gone, and Hirata pursed his lips, his gaze following the old man until he disappeared out of earshot.

"Juushirou-kun's grandfather," he murmured absently. "It explains a lot, Shunsui-kun. His sword...explains a lot."

"Did you see it?"

"No...not exactly." Hirata shook his head. "I felt it, of course, and I saw Keitarou fall. I caught a glimpse of Kinnya-sama before that, and I thought Keitarou might have been killed by the blow and the fall, because he fell into the valley like a stone."

Shunsui eyed him sharply.

"He wasn't, though, was he?" he demanded, and Hirata shook his head.

"He should have been, but he wasn't," he agreed bitterly, "so I decided to finish the job. I would have...I was ready to slice him through, Shunsui-kun. I had no regrets about it - I knew that like with Seimaru, I could kill Keitarou and walk away. But..."

Shunsui's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Eiraki-chan?" he asked, and Hirata nodded.

"She came between us, and I couldn't release Tsumi no Fuuhi on my sister," he admitted wearily. "In my hesitation, he found a way to escape. He took her with them - both of them are now in an unknown location, and both alive."

"I see." Shunsui's fingers strayed absently to the hilts of his _daishou _blades, and resignation glittered in his brown eyes. "Well, that just leaves the final fight for another occasion, I suppose. He was pretty beaten up, from what you said...I guess that means we have some time."

"I think so, but I should have..."

"No," Shunsui smiled, shaking his head. "No, you shouldn't. You did right, Hirata-kun. Even if it means we all have to fight again, you did the right thing in not taking your sister's life. You're the one who keeps saying you want to be an Endou within limits, aren't you? Well, today you proved that you still know right from wrong. That's important - more important than finishing off Aizen Keitarou."

"Do you think so?" Hirata looked doubtful. "Kinnya-sama said that, but I think he was just trying to be kind. Aizen's responsible for so much evil, and I could have stopped it."

"Perhaps," Shunsui agreed evenly, "but what would you have lost in doing so? You have to rule over District Seven one day, Hirata-kun. The lives of the people there will be in your hands. If you had crossed the line further today, how long before you crossed it again and again? You're not like Seimaru, because you care about people like Eiraki. That's something you should hold on to. You couldn't kill your sister - well, that's normal. You didn't fail because of it. You just proved you're like the rest of us deep down, no matter what your sword's nature is."

"I suppose so," a faint smile touched Hirata's lips, and he nodded. "All right. I'll try and think of it from that view. But I know one thing, Shunsui-kun. In the future...if I cross Keitarou again, I know what to do. Without hesitation, I'll release Tsumi no Fuuhi, and I'll take him down. I left the job unfinished this time...but the next, I won't."

Shunsui did not respond at first, and Hirata saw his friend's left hand clasp briefly around the hilt of his _wakizashi_. Then he grinned, loosening his hold, and the moment was gone.

"For now, let's go show Kazoe you're here," he suggested lightly, "and try and convince him that everything's going to be all right."

* * *

**Author's Note: Kei and Eiraki**

_I am not sure if I'll write any more about these characters, now, but it was imperative that both Eiraki and Kei survived to fight another day. As everyone's already well aware, Keitarou is the direct blood ancestor of canon's Aizen Sousuke, and, obviously, Eiraki is too. :)_

_Several people have commented about Kei's manipulation of Eiraki and that her behaviour has been that of someone deceived by love, not by someone who is genuinely dark hearted. This chapter, probably, paints in a clearer light exactly who Eiraki is. Whatever the origins of their meeting, and however he manipulated her at first, Eiraki is with Kei by her own choice, and believes in his aims as strongly as he does, now._

Whether those aims can be considered entirely 'wrong' is open to debate. They are roughly the same aims that Juushirou and company also believe in - opening up Seireitei to allow more District born shinigami to have a voice and a role. What is wrong is the method by which Kei and Eiraki are trying to achieve those aims - and for that reason, the two sides will come to clash again.

_This clash will form the foundations of the Seireitei we more familiarly know in the canon storyline, bringing Meifu's world into the more modern era with a rather violent jolt._

_The chapter's title comes from Hirata's blade Tsumi no Fuuhi , the "Sparrowhawk's Wind of Sorrow". As mentioned before, Tsumi is a word that can mean "sparrowhawk", but with different kanji, can also mean, "sin", hence Sinner's Sorrow. :)_


	73. Blood

**Chapter Seventy One:** **Blood**

_It was snowing._

_In the blizzard of swirling white flakes, two young shinigami faced off against one another, silver weapons glittering dangerously in their hands. As they parried and lunged at one another, the shadows they cast on the soft white terrain began to twitch and dance, becoming blacker and blacker as the battle continued. From the depths of the shadows, suddenly, a hand burst forth, its spectral fingers reaching out to grab one of the fighters. Closing its grip tightly around the individual's body, it squeezed and squeezed, stifling life and strength from the fighter until darkness seared deep into his very soul..._

Juushirou opened his eyes, drawing a panicked breath into his body as he struggled to react to his surroundings. There was no snow now, simply the familiar, reassuring colours of his simple bed-chamber, and he exhaled slowly, closing his eyes momentarily as he sought to calm the racing beat of his heart.

A dream.

He opened his eyes once more, fixing them on the faded carving that decorated the chamber's ceiling.

Had it been this way for Shunsui, too?

The memories of the fight in the snow lingered mockingly against his thoughts, still fresh and raw despite the three year time lapse, and he clenched his fists, forcing the images away.

It was the past. Keitarou, too, was the past. Everything that had happened in District Seven was irrelevant now, and yet he couldn't quite shake the image of the shadowy hand, reaching out from the blackness to grab hold of his body. Had it been Aizen's manipulative hand pushing him to the brink or was it Shunsui's ghostly shadow power, trying to stop Juushirou from hurting anyone else? Juushirou couldn't be sure, but either way, the vivid nature of the dream had unsettled him.

_So much for taking a peaceful nap._

He sighed, shaking his head slightly as if to clear it, before pulling himself reluctantly into a sitting position.

_For the time being, maybe sleep isn't the best thing for me. I..._

At that moment his gaze met the grey eyes of another, and his train of thought stopped dead as he registered the fact he was not alone in the Nest.

Standing by the window, gazing out across the school grounds was the enigmatic Kuchiki, his green and cream robes still mud-spattered from the ferocious battle on the mountain shelf. Almost without thinking about it, Juushirou reached across to touch the black cloak that still lay folded at the bedside, and at his movement, the man turned, offering him a faint smile.

"You seem to have recovered considerably from the last time we met," the words were quiet and well-formed, in complete contrast to the angry tones thrown at Keitarou in the heat of combat. "I'm glad to see it."

"I...you...what..." Juushirou swallowed hard, gripping the black cloth more tightly as a mixture of fear and anticipation rushed through his body. He faltered for a moment, then thrust the cloak clumsily out towards his unexpected visitor.

"I wanted to return this...this is yours," he said unevenly, bowing his head, "and...I wanted to say thank you. For...you helped me, and...I'm...thank you."

"You're thank you?" A flicker of amusement touched the soft grey eyes, and Juushirou blushed furiously, berating himself for being so tongue-tied. Was he really so frightened to be alone with this stranger, or was it something else? The memory of that bubbling, swirling reiatsu still lingered in his thoughts, and his gaze drifted to the hilt of the sheathed weapon that hung at the visitor's side, trying to recall once again how it had looked as the cannon of water had burst forth to hit Keitarou square in the chest.

It appeared silent and sleeping, now, and try as he might, Juushirou found it hard to picture the weapon as anything but an ordinary sword.

"I thought you were Juushirou," the teasing note remained in the stranger's words, and he bent to take the cloak, holding it up before him, and giving it a little shake. "This seems to have dried nicely, considering the weather. Good, hardy material for all climates, that's the kind of cloak you need if you're going to start playing with the elements."

"I..." Juushirou hesitated, then forcibly got a grip on his composure. "I'm sorry. That didn't come out quite...how I wanted. I meant...that I was very grateful for your coming to my rescue, sir. There was really no imperative to do so, given that I have no particular status or Clan rank to speak of."

"Your life is not worth anything, because you do not have Clan rank?" The stranger eyed him keenly, and Juushirou lowered his gaze. Slowly he shook his head.

"I...don't think that way," he admitted, "but...some Clansfolk do. The Academy...I've learned, the Academy is...a rare place where rank is less important, but I am also...a subject of District Six. As such, I...I am sensible of the honour of the Kuchiki and that one...should take the time to come to save me...I am...I am grateful."

"Genryuusai-sensei would not have forgiven me if I had not," The man's eyes became serious, and he set the cloak aside, coming to sit down beside the bed. He moved stiffly, Juushirou noticed, as though he had pushed his body too far for one day, and somehow this seemed at odds with the god-like shinigami he had seen commanding such power only a few hours earlier. "He values all his students, and I believe that's an ethic worth protecting. Besides, you have no reason to thank me. I polluted your body with my spirit power, and I imagine you feel quite hazy because of it. I should probably be apologising to you - Raiurei's _reiryoku_ isn't a pleasant thing to be assailed by, and you're still young."

"It...was like nothing I ever encountered before," Juushirou admitted. "I was scared by it, but also...I thought...it was amazing."

He reddened, looking awkward.

"My sword has...storm and sea," he said slowly, "and when I saw yours, I thought...I hoped...I wished that one day it would be like that. It's a foolish wish, I realise, but...to wield a blade in the way you swung yours, sir...I...as a shinigami, that...that is my goal."

"I see," the stranger's eyes softened, "and it's a good goal to have, though I'm sure there are far finer to pitch on as role models than an old man like me."

"You...told Keitarou...that you were a student of Genryuusai-sensei's," Juushirou murmured. "Is...that true?"

"Yes," the man nodded. "It was a long time ago, mind you. Well before you were born, and your parents, too. My brother and I both studied with Genryuusai-sensei quite diligently. Of course, then, I was a far more disciplined shinigami than I am now. My spirit power is not quite what it was - age has spoken for me in more ways than one. Still, it was enough to deal with the threat at hand, and, thankfully, no Academy children were killed."

He curled his hand around the hilt of his sword, pulling it from its sheath and laying it carefully down on the bed beside Juushirou.

"My sword itself is unexceptional," he added. "It's no different from any other sword, not like this. Yours is the same. The power doesn't exist in the sword at all. It exists inside of you...if you want your sword to be great, Juushirou, you have to resolve to be great. Your _zanpakutou_'s spirit is meant as a guide and a teacher, but the true strength comes from within. The sword is only a weapon. The real power is _you_."

Juushirou's fingers stretched out tentatively to touch the glittering blade, but at the last minute he stopped, drawing his hand back, and the stranger laughed.

"It's all right. Sleeping, like this, Raiurei won't bite you," he said warmly. "My sword is well used to long periods of dormancy, and between us we have it down to a fine art. Touch the blade, if you like. Raiu won't mind. You're not his enemy, and so he won't hurt you."

Juushirou eyed the other man doubtfully for a moment, but curiosity got the better of him, and, very gingerly, he brushed the tips of his pale fingers against the sword's silver blade. A faint prickle of acknowledgement greeted his touch, but nothing more, and he frowned.

"So much spirit power, yet you can't tell at all that it's there," he murmured.

"A powerful blade should only be used as a last resort," his visitor agreed.

"Did you say...it was called...Raiurei?"

"Yes. Spirit of the Rainstorm," the old man confirmed. "Having seen it in release, do you think it's a fitting name, Juushirou?"

"I suppose it is," Juushirou's mind flitted back to the released_ tachi_ glittering with light and energy, then, "but it looks so different like this. Before, it was...I don't know how to describe it, but you could really tell that it was alive, then."

"I imagine so," his companion reflected. "You're too young to understand everything about this world yet, so if I were to try and explain my sword, it might confuse you. It is said, however, that there are a few extremely powerful elemental spirits that are reborn from generation to generation. Sometimes ten or twenty generations can go by without them manifesting. Even when they do, they always form unique characteristics depending on their host and are therefore not easy to recognise right away. Genryuusai-sensei's Ryuujinjakka is one such blade - the most powerful fire spirit in Seireitei and at his command for more centuries than I can count."

"I know Ryuujinjakka is exceptionally strong," Juushirou's eyes became wide, "but sir, are you saying...there are others like it? That...other people...have Sensei's kind of power?"

"No, thank goodness, because there are few who would master it as well as he does, nor use it so responsibly," the old man sighed. "Genryuusai-sensei's sword spirit is one of the most powerful, potent elemental forces in Seireitei, and the long time they have fought and worked together give him his overwhelming level of strength. He has completely tamed the sword's spirit to his own will, seeing through its eyes and understanding its connection with the world as well as his own. There has never been one quite like him, and perhaps there never will be again."

He moved his hand to rest it against Raiurei's exposed blade.

"Raiurei possesses an elemental spirit of similar ilk to Ryuujinjakka's," he continued, "but my own shortcomings mean that I am far less powerful a wielder of this blade than Sensei is of his. My brother and I were both born with powerful spirits, and our swords worked in harmony with one another until his untimely death. Losing his sister sword Taiyourei had an impact on Raiurei just as losing my brother had an impact on me. Neither one of us are quite as strong or steady as we were, and so there's no likelihood at all of us ever reaching Genryuusai-sensei's great age or strength. However, because we were blessed with a considerable amount of power, my brother and I were able to do much of use. And yet, as with everything, power comes with a caveat, and it's something Genryuusai-sensei impressed on both of us when we were still young enough to absorb it. Though your sword's spirit is different from mine, it is still unique and it is still strong. For that reason, I'll pass to you the words he said to me, and trust that you will come to engrave them on your soul just as I engraved them upon mine."

He lifted the weapon, returning it carefully to its sheath.

"Real strength is knowing when you need to use force and when you don't. Understanding the type of enemy you're fighting and the kind of battle you're about to face will come with experience, but to form that experience, you need to stay alive. Protecting yourself and those around you is important, and the more power you have, the heavier the results of your decisions will weigh on your shoulders."

Juushirou lowered his gaze.

"You...know I went after Aizen, too?"

"Yes, I know," Kinnya agreed matter-of-factly. "You're impulsive and principled, just like your mother."

"My...mother?" Juushirou's head shot up to see a stricken expression cross the old man's features. "You...you knew my mother? My real mother? Raiko...Kuchiki Raiko?"

"We may have met, once, but she left the Clan a long time ago, and memories fade with age." The visitor got to his feet, brushing his _hakama _down with hands that seemed to tremble ever so slightly. "Such things are of little consequence now."

"Who are you?" Juushirou's brows furrowed in confusion. "You came, you saved my life, you give me all this advice, and yet I don't even know your name. Will you not even tell me that before you go? I like to know to whom I owe my gratitude, and if you knew Hahaue, then..."

"Raiko-hime died many years ago, and left my Clan even before that." Was it Juushirou's imagination, or was there a faint note of unsteadiness in the old man's words as he recounted this fact? "My time is short, and my errand here is on Guren-sama's orders. I'm sorry, Juushirou. I must go. Genryuusai-sensei has returned - and I must speak to him briefly before I leave for home. I will be wanted back in District Six, without doubt, and it is my responsibility to ensure Shirogane returns there safely, too."

"But..."

Juushirou opened his lips to protest, but his companion shook his head, reaching to pick up the black cloak and setting it down beside the bed.

"Keep this," he said softly, and Juushirou was startled to see genuine emotion flickering in the man's grey eyes. "If your blade wields a storm, you will find you need it. Your chest is not strong enough to take regular soakings, and if your spirit power is as Genryuusai-sensei says, it will only aggravate your _haibyou_if you allow yourself to be accosted by your own sword's ability. You still have a lot of training to do, no doubt - perhaps it will be of use to you,"

"Why won't you tell me your name?" Juushirou begged, his fingers closing absently around the thick fabric of the cloak. "How do you know I have _haibyou_? How do you know Mother? Why would you give me this...why would you care? I don't understand...why are you...?"

"Take care of yourself, Juushirou," the old man's expression became sad, and he slowly shook his head, reaching out a hand to pull back the door of the Nest. "You have a great ambition and I know you'll achieve your goals, so long as you work hard and listen to those around you. They care for you very much - keep them close to you, and always strive to move forwards."

"Wait!" Juushirou protested, but the visitor was gone, the door sliding back behind him with a soft click.

Slowly Juushirou fingered the cloak, running his hand over the thick fabric.

_Why?_

His brows knitted together in consternation.

_Why did he come here? Why did he say so much, yet tell me so little? Why did Guren-sama send him - just to take care of Senpai? Who is he? Why wouldn't he tell me anything I wanted to know? Was it because Hahaue was born illegitimate, and that's shameful to the Clan? But if that was the case, why speak to me at all? I don't understand. I don't understand!_

"I guess from the fact you had such an important visitor, it's safe to assume that you're awake."

Before he could dwell on it any further, the door of the room slid open again to reveal Shunsui, and relief flooded Juushirou's heart as he registered who was in his friend's slipstream.

"Hirata!" he exclaimed. "Oh, you made it back safely after all!"

"I did," Hirata inclined his head. "I'm sorry if I worried you, Juushirou-kun."

"I feel ignored," Shunsui objected, stepping aside nonetheless to allow the younger boy to enter the room before drawing the door shut behind them. "That's not very friendly of you, Juu-kun. We even detoured via the Healing Bay on my suggestion to get you something gentle and herbal from Mitsuki, and you can't even bring yourself to acknowledge my presence!"

"I'm sorry," despite himself, Juushirou grinned ruefully, gesturing for his friends to join him. "I didn't mean to be unwelcoming. I was just happy to see Hirata back - that means everyone is safe now, doesn't it?"

"More or less," Shunsui dropped down on the foot of the bed, pulling the small vial from his sleeve and handing it to his friend. "Here. It's nothing potent, just Mitsuki's favourite herbs. She was glad to mix it for you - it took her mind off other things."

"Other things? Such as?" Juushirou took the vial, unstoppering it and gazing at his companion in consternation. "What else has happened, Shunsui?"

"Nothing, thankfully," Shunsui assured him. "Don't look like that. Drink up. It's quite safe, I promise you."

"Kazoe-sensei is a little cross with a few people," Hirata observed pensively, sinking back against the wall with a sigh. "He scolded me for taking off on my own, and Shunsui-kun for rushing off after you when he'd been told not to, and Senpai for letting him...maybe he'll talk to you too, later, but I think he was just glad to know everyone was all right. Genryuusai-sensei has returned, too - just as we were heading up here, we sensed the _Senkaimon_ opening in the front courtyard and his reiatsu is pretty hard to miss."

"It's a bit chaotic below stairs," Shunsui agreed, "so we decided to hide out with you for a while. The Vice Captain of First turned up demanding to know what happened with his squad, and Akira and Enishi have been doing their best to explain it. I'll give Akira his due, he's pretty strong when it comes to challenging his brother's assumptions, so I don't think it'll become a political incident. None of them seem to remember a thing, so I guess the spell got properly broken when Naoko-chan turned her sword on herself."

"Wait a minute, what?" Juushirou almost choked on the herbal remedy, staring at his friend in horror. "Shikibu-san did...what?"

"She tried to stop Aizen by stopping herself, but she'll be all right," Shunsui said briskly. "Mitsuki and Sora saved her, and Mitsuki's watching her like a hawk. She's sleeping now, though, else I wouldn't have been able to get your herbs for you."

"Poor Shikibu-san," Hirata looked troubled, and Shunsui nodded.

"We'll all help her come through it, though," he reflected. "It's funny, but it didn't seem possible for Senior Class to become a unit at the start of the year. Now, I think, we are. Even if there are private squabbles, we all have the same end goal in mind."

"I agree," Juushirou nodded his head, setting the vial aside. "Hirata, what about you? Are you really all right? You went off to find Eiraki, didn't you?"

"I did," Hirata agreed slowly, "and I didn't. To be honest, I didn't really think much about what I was going into. I just...when I realised that Aizen and my sister might both be here in First, I suppose I just acted on instinct."

"Well, Keitarou wasn't in any shape to hurt you, so I suppose it was all right," Juushirou sighed. "I'm not even sure if he's alive, after the fall he suffered."

"He is alive, Juu," Shunsui said gravely, glancing at Hirata, who nodded his head.

"I found him," he said unwillingly, "but Eiraki was with him, and they got away. I'm sorry, Juushirou-kun - I didn't have it in me to fight my sister and so they escaped."

"I see," Juushirou looked sombre. "That explains why you look so down when everything is starting to get settled up."

"I don't think it's a bad thing, if Hirata can't attack his blood sister," Shunsui observed, "and I really didn't believe Keitarou would be killed so easily, either."

"Easily?" Juushirou's eyes widened. "He was flung off a cliff edge by a cannon of water at high speed, straight through a stone wall! That's hardly 'easy' in my book! How he survived the fall I don't know, but..."

"He landed on a tree, and it broke his fall, I think," Hirata surmised. "He was fully in his wits when I spoke to him, but badly hurt. It will take a long time for those injuries to heal, especially since he has no access to Fourth District techniques."

"Serves him right, too," Shunsui muttered. "After what he did to Suzuno-chan, he deserves to suffer. Let him heal slowly. He doesn't deserve any kindness from healers after he slew one of them who probably only wanted to come to his aid."

"I guess that means, then, that by the time he recovers enough to launch a fresh attack, we'll not be students but members of the Gotei, won't we?" Juushirou reflected softly, and Shunsui nodded.

"In my case, Captain of Eighth, most likely," he said grimly. "I haven't forgotten, either, what Yama-jii said about my sword and how one day I'll be a match for someone like Aizen Keitarou. It's not a nice thought, but I'm further persuaded by all of this that so long as he's alive, people in Seireitei are in danger. If I've gone this far in training and accepting that my future is tied up in the Eighth District _haori_, then I guess I'll accept that I might have to be the one who kills him, too, when that attack comes."

"Let's worry about that when it happens," Juushirou begged. "There's been too much conspiracy, death and unpleasantness these last few months. Even if he will come back, for now, he's been defeated. We have time to get stronger, all of us - and the Council will hunt for him anyway. For...for both of them, I imagine."

"They will," Hirata agreed solemnly. "I have already told Kazoe-sensei that I will cooperate in whatever way needed. Eiraki made it clear to me that she's chosen her side and there is no bringing her back. I may not be able to kill her with my own blade, but I do believe...I believe that people who commit crimes should be brought to justice. She told me she killed Ribari-sama, and that she didn't regret it or want to be forgiven for it, so there's nothing else to be done. Mother and Father will have to know, of course, but even though it will hurt them, I know they'll say the same. Eiraki is as much a wanted fugitive as Keitarou, and she'll be treated with the same level of severity should she be brought into Council custody. I won't do anything about it, now. I tried to reach her, and I failed. We're enemies, now. Proper ones...whatever the future may bring."

"I'm sorry, Hirata," Juushirou spoke gently, but Hirata shook his head.

"Fortunately, I have people to fall back on," he said matter-of-factly. "I have friends and allies on whom I know I can count. I'll be all right, Juushirou-kun. Bad things happened in the Endou long before I came here, and one or two people can't change an eternity of violence. For now, I'll not think about my sister. I'll focus instead on why I'm here and what I've decided to be. If it means we clash again, she and I, then so we do. The future can write itself - I'm going to try and look only to what needs to be done now."

"You seem to have gained a cloak, by the way," Shunsui reached over to touch the heavy fabric. "Weren't you going to return this, Juu? How come you still have it now?"

"He told me to keep it," Juushirou looked non-plussed. "I don't know why, but he said it would be helpful, if my sword was going to play with elements in the future. I don't really understand, but at least I got to say thank you. He protected me against Keitarou, and I didn't really get a chance to thank him for it before."

"His spirit power was something else, wasn't it?" Hirata eyed Juushirou thoughtfully. "Seeing him made me understand a lot more, I think, about why Juushirou-kun has the skills he does."

"_Hirata_..." Shunsui sent his bespectacled friend a pointed look, but Juushirou frowned, eying the younger boy quizzically.

"About why I have the skills I do?" he repeated. "What do you mean? Why?"

"Well, I don't know if spirit power is really inherited, and I don't know anything about your mother's spirit power," Hirata continued pensively, oblivious to the dark glowers Shunsui was sending his way, "but I guess there's something in Sensei's conviction, if that's the calibre of Kinnya-sama...mmf!"

His words were terminated abruptly in mid-flow, as Shunsui launched himself bodily at his friend, clamping his hand across the other boy's jaw and sending them both tumbling onto the floor. Hirata's glasses slipped from his nose as he struggled to pull himself free, and Shunsui put his hands on his hips, glaring down at his classmate.

"What was that for?" Hirata protested, scrambling to retrieve his spectacles. "Shunsui-kun, we're not doing one of Houjou-kun's impromptu Hakuda drills!"

"You shooting your mouth off about things that don't concern any of us, that's what," Shunsui snapped back. "What did I tell you coming up the stairs? We don't get involved in things that aren't our business. Right? Did you forget that little fact between then and now?"

"I didn't forget anything!" Hirata objected indignantly. "You're behaving like an animal, and I don't understand why! What did I say that was so bad? I wasn't getting involved in anything, I was just observing..."

"...We'll change the subject," Shunsui said firmly, cutting across his companion and turning his attention back to the pale-faced student in the bed, "because this one isn't going anywhere important."

Juushirou swallowed hard, his eyes widening in disbelief as he digested Hirata's words.

"_Kinnya_...sama?" he whispered, his gaze flitting from Shunsui to Hirata as he struggled to understand what he had heard. "Is that what you said, Hirata? _Kinnya-sama's_...sword?"

"Ah, dammit all to Hell and back," Shunsui groaned, sinking back down onto the bed and burying his head in his hands. "You see what you did now, Hirata? We weren't supposed to say anything. Now you've blown it, and..."

"Nobody told me that," Hirata protested hotly. "This is the first I've heard of it, so don't blame me!"

"Shunsui...that person...was _Kinnya-sama_?" Juushirou's brain was still swirling, slowly locking onto each fragment of information as he brought them into clearer focus. "Kuchiki...Kinnya...sama? My...Hahaue's..."

He swallowed hard, clutching the cloak tightly to his chest.

"My _grandfather_?" he whispered. "He's my grandfather, and you didn't...you knew, and you didn't _tell_me?"

"He didn't want us to disclose it to you," Shunsui sent Hirata another bleak look, offering his friend an apologetic smile. "Before you hit me, listen to me, all right? He asked Nagoya and I to keep you in the dark about it, and it seems as though he's done what he could to keep out of your direct path. It was his wish, so don't get mad at us. He wanted it this way - he thought it best for you if you didn't know."

"But...why wouldn't he..." Juushirou's throat was fast closing up, his eyes pricking with tears that even he could not explain. "What did I do, to make him not want to...but if he didn't want me to know, why would he come all the way up here? Why would he tell me...I don't understand. _I don't understand_! Why did he come right to the Nest and speak to me, if he wants to put distance between us?"

"Juushirou-kun?" Hirata looked stricken at his friend's sudden agitation. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I didn't know it was a secret - Kinnya-sama didn't say anything to me about not mentioning it, and I didn't realise...I didn't know."

"It's done now, in any case," Shunsui sighed heavily, "not that I suppose it matters. Yama-jii is back, and I'm fairly sure Kinnya-sama and Nagoya are leaving as soon as the _Senkaimon_ can be properly readied to take them back to Sixth."

"Leaving?" Juushirou's body stiffened, and he shot his friend a look of dismay. "Wait, now? Immediately? Even though Sensei's only just returned?"

"With all the things happening in Sixth, it makes sense that they go back quickly," Shunsui pointed out. "I...hey, Juu, what are you doing?" For Juushirou had thrown back his blankets, grabbing the black cape and pulling it haphazardly over his night robes.

"He's not leaving," he said thickly. "He can't just leave...he can't just...say all of that and not...he can't. I won't let him,_ he can't_!"

"Woah, boy!" Shunsui reached out to grab his friend by the arm. "Listen, you ape, it's the way he wanted it to be! He probably has reasons for making that decision, and you already agreed not to rush headlong into idiotic things. Don't you think you should hold off and think it over for a moment? He saved your life...at the very least you could respect his privacy in return!"

"Would _you_?" Juushirou ripped his arm free from his companion's grasp. "Would you just walk away, Shunsui? He's my blood grandfather, dammit! He knows things...about Hahaue, about other stuff...his sword and mine...I _knew_ there was a connection! I felt it, out there on that mountain shelf, like Sougyo wanted to reach out to his sword spirit, and I didn't understand why. Would you really sit back if it were you, and let someone like that leave?"

"What about _his_feelings?" Shunsui countered. "He didn't come here to play with you, Juu. He came to follow Guren-sama's orders. The Kuchiki have a lot of things going on - are you really going to get in the way of that? The Kuchiki aren't a Clan to cross..."

"Then don't get in my way!" Juushirou's eyes became steely, and despite himself, Shunsui drew back, his expression becoming one of surprise. "Don't look at me like that, either! If that man...if he's my connection to the Kuchiki Clan, even if we never meet again, I have the right to know about it! If he's the only one who can tell me about Hahaue, then I have to ask. Even if he rejects me, or scorns me, or pushes me away, I _have_ to. You of all people should understand that, or have you already forgotten what you promised Riri?"

Juushirou was too wound up now to think much about what he was saying, but Shunsui visibly flinched, lowering his hand.

"That was a low blow," he chided, "but all right. You've made your point. I won't try and stop you any more. Just, I wish you'd stop and think it over first, that's all. You live in District Six. So does he. Right now is not the best time for a family reunion, since everyone and everything is on edge. When things settle down..."

"Now is the only time," Juushirou shook his head, pulling his sandals onto his feet without any thought to _tabi_ and reaching for the door. "I'm not Clan, Shunsui. Whatever my bloodline might have been, it stopped being it when Hahaue was removed from the Kuchiki Clan. I can't just trot up to someone's manor and demand to be let in. Here, though, this is different. It's neutral ground."

His eyes softened, tears glittering in their depths.

"This is the only chance I might ever have to ask things about my real mother," he murmured. "It might be the one opportunity I have to learn about my spirit power properly. Given all of that...how can I hold back?"

With that he was gone, wrenching the door open and hurrying down the hall towards the main stairs. His chest, still raw from his stormy encounter burned and protested at the sudden rushing around, and he drew breath heavily into his lungs, hoping against hope that he wasn't going to collapse into a fit of coughing before he reached his destination.

The corridors were still deserted, and Juushirou found himself glad that Kazoe had decided to keep the bulk of the students in the Great Hall for the time being, for it meant there was nobody to ask him where he was going. If he had stopped to examine his own behaviour, he would have been the first to admit that he was being irrational, but even so, he knew he could not stop. Terrifying as Kinnya's spirit power had been, it had also saved him. And, for the first time in his young life, he understood the missing piece of his spiritual puzzle.

_That man was my grandfather. That man, Hahaue's father...the one from whom I got my zanpakutou. He's the reason I have reiryoku. He's the reason I'm not like my siblings...he's the reason for everything. It's his blood, running through me. That's what Sougyo resonated against. My sword recognised a kinsman, when all I could do was sit and stare._

At length he reached the front entrance hall, his senses flaring as he felt the distinctive reiatsu of a _Senkaimon _being opened. Desperation added a second wind to his battered lungs and he surged forward, flinging the door back and tumbling out into the courtyard, tripping over his own sandals and landing in a breathless heap on the cold cobbles below.

"Ukitake!"

It was Shirogane who let out the exclamation, and Juushirou raised his head, seeing the Vice Captain's sword had already been plunged into the atmosphere, tearing a gaping hole of darkness from which two hazy butterflies fluttered languidly into the wintry air.

"Please," he gasped out, as his lungs rebelled against his frantic dash, spasming and causing him to cough. "Please...not...yet."

"Juushirou?"

Genryuusai stepped forward, pausing at the boy's side, and holding out a wizened hand to help his student up. Juushirou coughed, his body shaking from the violence of the spasms, but he gripped hold of the old man's fist, allowing his mentor to assist him into a more upright position.

"What are you doing?" the old man asked gently. "I thought you were resting in the Nest. Everyone else is either in the Great Hall or the Healing Bay...why are you out here?"

"I...must..." Juushirou's chest spasmed again, blood colouring his lips, and Genryuusai frowned, patting him gently on the arm.

"You should be resting," he murmured. "If you have things to say about what happened today, we'll talk about them later. First Division have already left the school premises, and there will be no repercussions relating to those events now that I'm returned. I'm not going to punish any of my students for defending themselves against an unpredicted threat - you can rest easy and recover your strength."

"But..." Juushirou made a tremendous effort and somehow regained control of his vocal chords, lifting his gaze and scanning the school courtyard for any sign of his target. At first he didn't see him, and panic gripped him as he thought the old man had already disappeared into the _Senkaimon_. Then, some distance from Shirogane he caught sight of the enigmatic shinigami, a look of clear consternation on his features. At Juushirou's glance, his eyes clouded, and Juushirou's heart constricted in his chest.

_My...grandfather...?_

He swallowed hard, then,

"I...need to...speak to...Kinnya-sama," he said brokenly, a beseeching expression entering his hazel eyes. "Please...Sensei...before...he...leaves."

"To Kinnya?" Genryuusai's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I see...so you understand, do you, who this unexpected visitor is?"

"Mm." Juushirou nodded jerkily, tears glittering against his lashes. "Please...Sensei. Don't...let them...leave yet. I need...I want..."

"Shh," Genryuusai hushed him, shaking his head. "Your body might have escaped serious injury, but it's cold out here. I've heard about your little adventure, and you're obviously still suffering from the after effects of a serious overdose of foreign _reiryoku_. You ought to be resting in your chamber, recuperating your strength."

"I won't go back, sir," Juushirou shook his head emphatically. "I want...I want to speak to K...Kinnya-sama first. Please, Sensei. I must."

This time his voice was loud enough to carry across the frozen cobbles, and at the sound of his words, Kinnya flinched, sending the young shinigami a look of trepidation. Genryuusai's grasp loosened for the briefest of instants, and the District boy took his chance, pulling himself free of the old man's hold and stumbling forward towards where Kinnya was standing. As he reached the Kuchiki, his strength gave out, and he dropped to his knees, coughing violently as he struggled to draw in breath against the searing cold of the wind.

"Please," he choked out between spasms, "don't...go...yet. _O...jii...sama_."

Kinnya's eyes widened, a look of dismay entering his grey gaze, but anything he might have been said was forgotten as Juushirou descended into another fit of coughing, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he fought to bring his breathing back under his control. For a moment Kinnya-sama just stared at him, as if frozen to the spot by indecision. Then, slowly and gently, and not without stiffness he knelt at his grandson's side, bringing his left hand up and touching it lightly to Juushirou's chest. His fingers glittered briefly with golden light, then a faint flare of magic engulfed Juushirou's upper body.

Little by little, Juushirou felt the pain in his chest easing, and he drew grateful gulps of air into his lungs. Kinnya sighed, slipping his free hand into his _obi_ and producing an expensive looking handkerchief, with which he carefully wiped Juushirou's lips clean of blood.

"You should not aggravate your condition," he said softly, "and especially not on my account."

Juushirou simply stared at him, and Kinnya closed his eyes briefly, as though composing himself. When he opened them, Juushirou could see emotion deep in the old man's grey eyes, and he swallowed hard, feeling the distinctive swirl of the other's stormy reiatsu. The golden light faded from Kinnya's left hand, and, very gingerly, he got to his feet, pulling Juushirou to his and supporting him with his right arm.

"Guren-sama is expecting my return, and I have to deliver Shirogane safely home," he added regretfully. "Those are my orders, and I must obey them."

"I..." Juushirou swallowed again, knowing that if he choked this time it would not be blood but his own churning emotions competing for dominance in his tired body. "I...I understand, sir, if...if I...being born as I was...am not...if I was...cheeky to...call you by that...that word. I...I will not...ever ask of you...anything other than this but...but please...if you can...I want...I want to know about...about my mother."

Kinnya bit his lip, something unreadable flickering into his grey eyes, and Juushirou bowed his head low before his companion.

"I am sorry to so accost you. It must be...disrespectful...and I didn't think," he murmured. "I only know who you are because Ryuu helped me to find my family's heritage, but I can understand if you do not wish to speak to me directly. If...if you cannot find it acceptable to speak to me of...of someone who was cast out of the Clan...then...please...at least...if you could..."

He got no further, for Kinnya's hand was beneath his chin, forcing him to raise his head.

"Enough," he said quietly, and Juushirou was struck by the tears that glittered on the old man's own lashes. "Stop saying such foolish things, else you'll make emotional wrecks of the both of us."

"Sir...?"

"Shirogane, I'm afraid it looks as though our return will be a little delayed," Kinnya turned to his companion, who sighed, but nodded, reaching up to retrieve his sword from the _Senkaimon's_ release. As he did so, the gaping black tunnel disappeared into nothing, and Juushirou stared at Kinnya in confusion, trying to work out what the old man was thinking.

"If you want to know so much about Raiko, I can't refuse to tell you," he said softly. "Not when you look at me with so much of her in your appearance."

"However, not out here," Genryuusai said firmly. "My study is empty, Kinnya, take the boy there. Afterwards, I expect he'll return to his quarters and rest fully - but if you have no objection to answering his questions, I won't stand in your way."

"Thank you, Sensei." Kinnya bowed his head gratefully towards his former mentor, then turned his gaze back towards Juushirou.

"If you'll accompany me, then I'll try to tell you what you want to know," he added quietly. "Whether it will be what you want to hear or not, I cannot promise - but since there's no way to hide from you any more who I am, it seems meet that I answer whatever I can before I return home."

* * *

"The gateway closed again,"

Guren turned away from the window, his brow creased in a frown as he gazed out across the grounds of the main Kuchiki manor. "Did you feel it, Futsuki? Shirogane's blade opened it, but it shut again almost immediately and nobody came through. Do you suppose things in District One are worse than we thought? Did Aizen do damage there?"

"You have been ever more flustered since Genryuusai-sama left," the room's only other occupant sighed, running his fingers through his dark hair. "Guren, you can't go after them. We both know that, even if there is chaos in District One, now Genryuusai-sama has gone back there, it will be well. None of us are a match for that man and his firesword."

"Yes, but what if in his absence, something went wrong?" Guren asked bleakly. "Aizen Keitarou outsmarted us again...what if he had time to cause serious harm? What if someone was killed? The Kuchiki will have to stand before the Council and..."

"Stop it," Futsuki cut across him, moving swiftly across the chamber and grasping his brother by the shoulders, giving him a short, sharp shake. "This isn't like you at all. If Shirogane's sword opened the gateway, Shirogane is safe and will be returning home. More likely something else cropped up - and First District is not our business. Kinnya-sama has been there, and I'm sure that all is well. This fretting isn't like you - and it will put the whole of the Kuchiki-ke on edge if you let them see you this way."

"I know," Guren sighed, pulling free of his companion's grip and turning back towards the window. "I can't help it though, Futsuki. Everything is...not as I thought it was. Everything, from the very start. It makes me worry...what else I've done that might be a lie."

"Excuse me?" Futsuki blinked, staring at him in confusion, and Guren slid his hand into his _obi_, pulling out the tattered sheet of paper and holding it out to his companion.

"This," he said briefly. "It's written by Father, and it came from his _nikki_."

"From Senaya-sama's..." Futsuki's brows knitted together and he frowned, taking the sheet and skimming over its contents. "Senaya-sama's been dead a long time, Guren - why would you..."

He faltered, his eyes widening slightly as he absorbed the contents, and Guren nodded.

"What to do about it, though, is the question," he murmured. "I've spoken to Ryuu, Futsuki - he's seen this already and knew since Ribari died that things were that way. Ojiue was clearly involved in covering it up, and Seiren...Seiren has known about it as well, I think for a very long time. I alone have not...tell me, did you...?"

"It's the first time I've come across any of this," Futsuki spoke quietly, a strange note in his words, and Guren glanced at him in apprehension.

"Futsuki? Are you angry about something?"

"No. There's nothing to be angry about," Futsuki shook his head. "Senaya-sama did what he needed to do to protect you both and the Clan as a whole. He was never above illusion and deception if they were to the Kuchiki-ke's benefit. This is just another example - but it hardly matters anything at all now."

His lips thinned as he read over the words again, and then he sighed, raising the sheet of paper up so that his brother could see it clearly.

"Senaya-sama took this from the _nikki_ because it should not have been there in the first place," he said quietly, and with one deft, quick movement he ripped the tattered parchment in two. "For that reason, there's no reason to keep it. At best it's an unsubstantiated rumour put about by people disloyal to your position...but from what you've just said, nobody who knows of it is likely to speak about it in wider circles. Even if they did, they would not be able to back it up...so long as this doesn't exist any more."

"Futsuki!" Guren's expression became one of surprise, and Futsuki nodded grimly, his fingers glittering briefly with red light. Faint tongues of kidou flame licked up against the aged paper, consuming it to ash within moments, and with a sweep of his hand, Futsuki discarded the remains of the document onto the floor of the chamber.

"It's better that way," he said quietly. "You agree, don't you?"

"I suppose I do," Guren admitted, letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm not sure I would have had the will to destroy something Father wrote, though. I feel like there are things he did that make him a stranger to me now. Ryuu said that he probably acted only because he loved us, and I'm sure that's true. Despite that, though..."

"Senaya-sama thought the world of both you and Seiren," Futsuki said briskly. "You don't need a scrap of paper to prove or disprove that, Guren."

"Yes," Guren inclined his head cautiously. "Yes, I know. It was the only thing that we both agreed on, Seiren and I, as children. We both loved Father, and he us. He was so important in both of our lives, that when he died, we both..."

He trailed off, and Futsuki's eyes narrowed.

"What are you thinking?" he asked quietly, and Guren shrugged his shoulders.

"Ojiue would never admit to it, if it was true," he said heavily, "but a lot of things were taken from the _nikki_, and I wonder about them all the more, now. When we were trying to fathom out the secrets of that Kyouraku pendant, Shihouin Yanagi came here and offered his help and assistance as though our clans had not been mutually suspicious for a long time. It made me wonder...about the last time the Shihouin came here, that's all."

"The last time...?" Futsuki's expression became one of consternation. "You mean before Senaya-sama...was..."

"Yes," Guren agreed pensively. "Father was fond of illusions, and I just wonder...maybe...that was another one of his ploys. Maybe the Shihouin were innocent. Maybe it was all...Father's hand in the shadows."

"Senaya-sama and Kinnya-sama both?"

"Possibly, though like I said, Ojiue would never tell me, even if I asked him outright." Guren shook his head. "Maybe that's best. Perhaps I don't need that answer."

"I think there are a lot of questions that would do better not being answered," Futsuki's eyes strayed to the ash that now littered the floor. "Guren, whatever that paper said, you are Senaya-sama's heir and the head of this Clan. Nobody will contest that - least of all Ryuu, I imagine. You said the boy knows of it, but even so..."

"Ryuu doesn't want the Clan, and made it clear to me what he thought should happen," Guren admitted. "For so long I've seen him so much as Seiren's shadow, but I'm thinking now that I simply haven't seen him at all. He's been there, but I've not really stopped and considered him as a person in his own right. He's a very astute boy, Futsuki, and I'm relieved to know it."

"But he doesn't want to succeed you?"

"No. He wants Shirogane to, instead."

"I see," Futsuki rubbed his chin. "And you? What do you think?"

"My thoughts have lingered far too much with Ribari to be rational about the succession at all," Guren confessed. "Until Seiren is more able to receive company, I daren't discuss the future of the family too much. I wanted Shirogane to be what you have been to me, and I would've given him the Kuchiki name to support Ribari, even though he wasn't my son. Now that's changed. Ryuu thinks I ought to extend that honour to Shirogane anyway, and name him my heir, in defiance of Kuchiki tradition. Since the Clan has already deviated away from its true line..."

"The Clan's heir is who the head of the Clan names as heir," Futsuki cut across him firmly. "You are the leader of this Clan, and you decide what you think is best. You have advisers, but the final choice is yours. You are strong enough to make them accept whatever you choose, Guren. You always have been. Ribari's death shook you, and I know it's made you more hesitant, but that's over now. Like Senaya-sama, you have choices to make and you must make them. Ryuu has told you his feelings, and now you need to act."

"I would have been lost as Clan leader without you and Seiren," Guren said ruefully, offering his brother a haphazard smile. "I'm realising it all the more now that Seiren might not...that there's a chance he won't live. The younger brother I thought I hated has really been an older brother who's protected me from the shadows, even from my own doubts. He knew about this...how long for, I don't know, but long enough to still swear loyalty to my son over his and to pull away from me when he felt his existence was a threat. I never saw it before, and I feel bad that I did not. I am not my father, Futsuki. I don't have his clever way of manipulation and I cannot always see what is not obvious until it is too late."

"You never needed to be Senaya-sama," Futsuki pointed out. "Nobody ever asked you to be, least of all him."

"True," Guren nodded. "That's maybe the thing that frightens me most now. The decisions I make now are going to influence the Clan generations beyond mine. Father obviously felt that way when he chose to swap Seiren and I and make me his heir. I'm sure he understood that the consequences of his choices would never go away, even after he died. If he did use his life to make amends for his decisions, then he was a greater man than even I understood him to be, and I wish I had known then how great. It makes me understand how intimidating his shadow is to live under, but you're right. I must push forward and school this Clan into the next stage of its evolution. If Ryuu will not succeed me, then I must persuade Shirogane, and I must make him my son in the eyes of Kuchiki law."

He cast Futsuki a doubtful glance.

"Futsuki, one other thing. That piece of paper, it talked as though Father had another child before Seiren and I. I wondered if you remembered...if there was anything...before Father and Mother married, or even after...that might have explained that?"

Futsuki was silent for a moment, then he shook his head.

"I am not so much older than you that I recall everything from before you were born with such clarity," he reflected.

"I realise that, but as far as you know, there was...nothing?"

"My memories really begin when Mother married Senaya-sama, and I was brought into the Kuchiki manor. Before that point, I barely knew Senaya-sama, and I certainly had no reason to know if he had other connections, not as such a small child," Futsuki pointed out.

"Mother had no miscarriage or anything of that nature? There were no hurried purification festivals that you remember?"

"No. None," Futsuki confirmed. "I was very young, though, and I confess, my interests were more in playing swords than focusing on ritual and pageantry. I would probably not remember...I'm sorry."

"Never mind," Guren pursed his lips. "It probably matters not at all, since Father is long dead and gone, and no child has ever come to the Clan claiming to be a descendant. Whatever it was, I imagine it came to nothing. Maybe the child – if there was one - simply did not live, and perhaps there are some of Father's shadows I would do better not digging into too deeply."

He cast his brother a sheepish grin.

"I was blessed enough with the siblings I was given, and I should not wonder about any more," he added. "I have two older brothers who have guided and supported me well since I became leader of this Clan, and I had a younger sister who has given me a nephew for whom I have a genuine affection. I trust I will now build stronger bonds with Seiren's son, too, and the Clan will become closer as a whole. A close Clan is a strong one,and that is what I will look to do.

"I won't create illusions like Father did. I will use my chance as leader of this family to make it strong and stable for the future. Will you help me, Futsuki? Seiren may not be able to, but I trust, when Shirogane returns, I will be able to address with him the possibility of becoming my heir. And, if I do so, I will need force and determination to push it through the Kuchiki court without dissention. I will speak to Seiren, of course, but as you say – this must be my will, not the will of others."

"Supporting your will is part of my job, isn't it?" Despite himself, Futsuki grinned, and Guren nodded, somehow comforted by his brother's easy agreement.

"It has been, and will be," he agreed, his gaze flitting back towards the window. "Very well. All we can do now, then, is wait for Shirogane to return, and hope that things in District One do not upset my plans now I have decided how I should go forward."

* * *

_That day lurked in his memories as nothing more than pooling, incessant shards of bitter rain. The cloud's tears had blurred and smothered his recollection of her, that final time, as wrapped in heavy robes and dressed in the plain colours of a District maiden, he had said his final farewells to his only child._

_Her sombre grey eyes had told him all he needed to say was already understood by this child who stood before him. She appeared so much like her mother, he had reflected bitterly, only to be stolen away from him just as cruelly as she had been ten years before. His hands had trembled slightly as he had reached to straighten the creases of the cloak that hung heavy and black like mourning weaves around her shoulders, and as he had moved his arm towards her, small fingers had come up to meet it, his sword-calloused hand suddenly enclosed by her soft, pale one._

"_It will be all right, Otousama,"_

_The words had been soft, but spoken with resolution and there had not been the slightest waver in her young voice. Her gaze had never left his, and though there were tears glittering against his lashes, she had not allowed herself a display of such demeaning emotion on such an important day._

"_It's not all right," he had not known he was going to speak until the words had left his lips, and impulsively he had wrapped her in a tight embrace, pulling her towards him as though afraid she would disappear before his very eyes. _

"_This is not what I want," he had murmured, though he knew she already understood. "I'm not sending you away, Raiko – you know that, don't you? I've argued and fought and threatened your uncle more times than I can count over the last few days, and this is still something I'd fight over again, if I thought it could change things. I want you here…I've always wanted you here. It's not my wish to let you go."_

"_I know," Raiko's voice had shaken slightly then, reminding him that she was still only ten, despite her outward composure. "Guren cried a lot when I told him I was going away, though, Papa, so you mustn't. I stopped myself from crying when Guren was there, but I couldn't if you…if you cry. Please don't cry. It's all right, really. I understand why I have to go, and it's all right."_

_She had pulled away from him, meeting his eyes with damp ones of her own, though a smile had forced its way across her delicate features._

"_Hahaue was sick, and I might get sick too," she had whispered, as though not trusting herself to speak aloud. "I might make Guren sick, or other people, and that would be bad for the Kuchiki. If I stay, people will suffer because I'm here. If I stay, people might hurt me. Senaya-ojisama explained it all to me and I understand. He doesn't want to send me away either, Otousama. He told me that if he didn't, people might hurt me and they might hurt you or Guren, too. I don't want that. I don't want anyone being hurt because of me."_

_She frowned, and for the briefest of instants he had seen pain in her young eyes._

_"Hahaue died because I was born," she had murmured. "I won't let anyone else die because I'm alive."_

"_Raiko, you mustn't…"_

"_It's all right," Those tiny, delicate fingers had come up once more, this time pressing against his lips to prevent him from finishing his sentence. "I promised Uncle Senaya that I'd go and I wouldn't talk to anyone about this, not ever. It isn't as though I don't know where I'm going, or with who, and they're kind people, Papa. They'll look after me and I'll be all right."_

_She had let out a heavy sigh, eying her father pensively._

"_Senaya-ojisama promised me he'd look after you, too," she added matter-of-factly, "and so did Guren, so you won't be all by yourself when I'm gone."_

"_Raiko," Closing his eyes, he had drawn her close to him once again, hugging her tightly as the tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. "Be safe. Live safe. Live your life and make everything you can of it, away from this place of rules, restrictions and prejudice. I'll watch over you as much as I can, so live well for me and for your mother, too. She would want it like that…and so do I."_

"_I will. I mean to," Raiko had raised determined eyes to her father's, nodding her head purposefully. "Hahaue gave her life for me, so I have to live her life too. I'll do everything I can, Papa, I promise, so don't be sad. If we don't meet again in this life, maybe we'll meet in the next one – and Hahaue will be there too, so we can all be together again."_

Kinnya drew a deep breath into his lungs, composing his emotions as he pushed the memories back from the forefront of his mind. Across Genryuusai's study, his companion stood watching him with intent, yet apprehensive hazel eyes, and although their shade was different, the old man could not help but see Raiko's expression lurking in that hesitant gaze. His eyes ran over the boy's thin features, taking in each and every one of his daughter's precious characteristics etched across Juushirou's pale face.

Juushirou was a boy, an adult, a child who had battled sickness and whose gene pool had been muddied further by his District inheritance, yet despite all of those things, Kinnya still recognised his daughter's only son. Raiko's expressions were there, blurred by time, perhaps, but still vivid in the face of one who had never had the opportunity to know her. Instead of leaving her child living memories, Raiko had bequeathed him her genetic legacy instead. Both the vicious_ haibyou _curse and Juushirou's delicately formed features told Kinnya beyond all doubt that the young shinigami who stood before him was the ultimate proof his daughter had really lived.

_And, inside of him, you continue to live. Raiko-chan, I understand what you couldn't tell me for the first time since you died. You're gone, but this way, its as though you're still here. Was this what you meant, when you said the 'next life?' Did you mean your son's life, rather than the rebirth of your own?_

There was a long silence, then Kinnya sighed, sinking down onto Genryuusai's cushions and indicating for his companion to take the one opposite. Juushirou did so, pulling his robe more tightly around his trembling body as he settled himself on the ground. Lank white hair fell loose around his face, tousled and unkempt, and the boy's hollow cheeks and sallow complexion reminded the old man of Raiko's mother Sashiko, yet the resolve and determination that glimmered in the shinigami's hazel gaze reassured him that unlike that fleeting memory of the past, this soul still had life firmly in its grip. Genryuusai had been right, he reflected absently. Juushirou was weak, but in weakness he had found strength, and he would be a shinigami.

_He'll be a shinigami who, if Sensei's plans work out, could by his very existence change the elitism in Soul Society forever. I know that would have pleased you, wouldn't it, musume-chan?_

He folded the soiled handkerchief, returning it to his _obi_.

"I didn't expect to speak to you like this, so forgive me if I seem a little haphazard," he said quietly. "You have to realise, Juushirou, that...I didn't really think we would come to meet."

"Shunsui said that you didn't want me to know who you were," Juushirou murmured, his voice hoarse but steadier than it had been outside, and Kinnya allowed himself an inward sigh of relief that the warmth of the study had begun to pervade the youth's shivering body. "I...I realise how impertinent it must be, to charge out like I did and demand...anything from a Kuchiki Lord. I would understand...if you were cross with me, or cursed me, or any of those things. I just...I realised it was the only chance I might ever have to know about...Hahaue."

"Raiko..." Kinnya let out a heavy sigh. "Perhaps it was naive of me to think that your friend would keep my secret."

"No, it wasn't Shunsui who told me," Juushirou shook his head. "I found out another way. Shunsui said I ought to respect your privacy, but I...I..."

He reddened, faltering, and despite himself, Kinnya's lips twitched into a faint smile.

"Like your mother, you charged right on in," he said gently, and Juushirou's colour deepened. He nodded his head.

"I suppose so. I mean, I don't really know what Hahaue was like, except bits and pieces people have told me, but I suppose...that is what I did."

"She used to do the exact same thing," Kinnya pursed his lips, picturing once again that solemn, cloaked figure as they had said their final farewells. "She used to...if something wasn't as she thought it should be, she'd go right for the heart of it and try to put it right. That was how she was...always trying to make sure everything was...right."

"I guess most people would say I do that, only they call it idiocy," Juushirou admitted, twisting his fingers together in his lap. "Father was a bit that way too, though, so perhaps I...I...got it from both sides."

"Your father, huh?" Kinnya chewed on his lip, a troubled look entering his gaze. "Your father is no longer alive, I believe?"

"No, sir," Juushirou shook his head. "When I was fourteen, he was killed by a Hollow."

"A crime that can surely never be forgiven, no matter how much time passes?"

"A crime?" Juushirou's head jerked up. "I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand. Do you mean the Hollow? It's partly why I'm a shinigami, but more because I want to protect my family, and other people like them. It isn't because...well, this was what Father wanted for me, too, and for his sake and theirs, I decided..."

"No...no." Kinnya held up his hands, shaking his head slowly. "I didn't mean it like that."

He frowned, then,

"How much do you know of me, Juushirou? You clearly know my connection to you by blood, and since you do, I won't try and deny any of it. I will be as honest with you as I can, but I need to know first...who you believe me to be?"

"I...know very little," Juushirou coloured red once more. "I mean, Ryuu said you...you kept yourself to yourself a lot. After Senaya-sama died, you...you retired, and he didn't know much to tell me. I didn't really think much about it until...when you released your sword, mine was reaching out for it. I didn't understand why, but now I do, I realise...it's where I got my spirit power from. It's from you. And...I...I suppose I realised I knew nothing at all about you."

"You know that I am the Lord of the Coastal Regions, wherein your family apparently make their home?"

"Yes, sir. I was aware of something like that."

"Then you know that it was my negligence that led to your Father's demise?"

"...Sir?" Juushirou blinked, clearly confused, and Kinnya rubbed his brows.

"My duty as a shinigami is to guard the people I rule over from danger," he said softly, "but in your Father's case, I did not. I confess, I had no idea that such an attack had happened till very recently - indeed, until I met with Ryuu last winter, I didn't even know you had lived, and I certainly had no knowledge of Raiko's...of the man Raiko married. But...even so...had I done my duty, your Father might not have died. Had I done that..."

He trailed off, and Juushirou's expression became thoughtful.

"Father's death was...something I blamed myself for for a long time," he said quietly. "I was there, and it was my life Father tried to save. He wouldn't have come into danger if not for me, so I believed I must be cursed."

He spread his hands.

"I don't know if I'm to blame for Father's death or not, now," he admitted. "Perhaps some part of me will always feel that way, but the most of me is determined to live life as much as possible and do all the things he would have hoped I would. This life was his gift to me, and so I moved past losing him and was able to go on. I don't think I ever considered the shinigami who hunted the Hollow to be to blame. You can't save everyone. That's why it's so important for me and for other District children to take up the sword and protect our own people. There are lots of reasons that Hollows exist, and I've known a long time that there aren't enough people hunting them. That's why it needs to change, but...it doesn't make it...any one person's fault that Father died."

Kinnya's eyes widened, and Juushirou smiled.

"You just told me that you didn't know Father or I existed until recently," he added. "If you had known Father was attacked and had done nothing, maybe then you could be blamed, but as it is..."

He looked sheepish.

"That was cheeky, wasn't it? I'm sorry. I just...I guess I was saying that...I wouldn't blame you for something like that. And...even if I did...you saved my life, now. If there was any reason for me to hate you, it wouldn't be there any more."

"I see," Kinnya murmured. "I'm afraid that greatness of mind must be something you inherited from your father's line. I confess...I find it harder to let go of loved ones once they're dead and gone."

Juushirou's expression became stricken.

"You mean...Hahaue?" he whispered, and Kinnya smiled sadly, nodding his head.

"I loved your mother more than anything else in the world," he said gravely. "You said outside that I might not want to talk about someone thrown out of my Clan, and that I might consider you impudent for speaking to me because of your manner of birth. The truth is that I didn't want to talk about Raiko, and I was fearful of meeting you. I didn't know how I would handle either thing, after so long pulled away from everything."

"Then...Hahaue..."

"Raiko left the Clan because there was no other choice," Kinnya said heavily, aware that tears had begun to form in his eyes as he related such a painful memory. "If she had not, she would probably have been assassinated. I wanted to acknowledge her as my daughter, and for ten years, I managed to do just that. But the Kuchiki are a traditional Clan, Juushirou. They have rules for everything, and even my brother couldn't do anything to prevent them."

He sank back against the wall, recalling the last time he had seen his daughter, eyes solemn beneath the heavy robes that cloaked her from head to foot.

"Raiko understood better than I did, I think," he added. "She was the one who made the decision to go into exile. I would have continued to fight her cause, but it was creating dissention in several court circles and Senaya-nii had also told me there was no choice but to act. Others would act first, otherwise, he said. If I didn't, then others would. There was nothing else to be done about it."

He reached across to touch Juushirou's white hair, then lowered his hand.

"Raiko was close friends with Guren-sama as a child," he murmured. "Some whispered that they might one day even marry, and this was not popular in the more traditional circles. I had acknowledged Raiko, so her bloodline couldn't be dismissed, but her rivals found another way to discredit her. She had common blood, they'd say. Diseased blood. Her mother died of the white plague...and so she was tainted, too. Her children might one day...have the sickness the Kuchiki had worked so hard to eradicate."

"Haibyou," Juushirou's eyes became huge. "So that's how you knew...how you understood..."

"Raiko's mother Sashiko was a very smart and very special individual who just happened to be born into a peasant family, rather than a noble house," Kinnya agreed, reaching up to wipe away the stray tears that now scattered across his cheeks. "I had no shame in loving her, and have none now. I could not marry her, for I was the Clan leader's brother, and such a thing was not meet. She died when Raiko was born of birth fever - but it was undoubtedly complicated by the _haibyou_ that ravaged her system."

He flexed his fingers, watching them glitter with faint golden light.

"I don't know many healing Kidou," he added, "but I do know one. The spell that soothed your chest just now was one I learned to help your grandmother breathe when her attacks were particularly bad. I was with her when she died, and in her final fever, her hair turned white. The medics could not save her - either could not, or would not, I never really knew which. Raiko, on the other hand, was strong and determined to live. I chose her name, because I wanted the Clan to understand whose daughter she was, even though she was illegitimate. _Rai_, for the lightning that Raiurei conducts, and _ko_ because she was my child."

"I see." Juushirou bit his lip. "The reason you didn't want to speak to me...to face me...to tell me who you were is because of that - because of Hahaue. That's the real truth, isn't it, sir? Father's death was one thing, but the real truth is that...that Hahaue lost her life when I was born, and you...you didn't want to look at the child who brought about her death."

"Juushirou..." Kinnya's heart faltered in his chest at the rawness of those words. "No, you're mistaken. Truly mistaken. I loved Raiko, yes. I loved her and for more than twenty years I have withdrawn from most things on account of my grief. I won't pretend that's not the case, foolish though it might appear to a young one like you. I was my brother's right hand man and as such, I did things of which I'm not entirely proud. I believed...maybe karma had come to punish me by rendering me alone for such a long time. Raiko's life...I knew it had ended, and I knew why. I didn't know, though, that her son had lived. I had thought you both had died, since I had been told you didn't breathe at birth. Had I known that Raiko had left a legacy in this world, had I understood that..."

He swallowed hard, unable to stop the tears now.

"Raiko blamed herself for Sashiko's death, and left the Clan so that other people's lives would not be in danger because of her," he said unevenly. "My life, her life, even Guren's life could have been in peril if she had been allowed to remain, and she knew that even at ten years old. She was determined nobody else would ever die because she was alive…that's why I know that your being alive now is a decision Raiko herself chose to make. She could have survived, most probably, but I imagine it would have been at your expense. By choosing to save you, she kept her promise to herself. You lived, and she moved on – but I believe it was a decision she made understanding the consequences and she was satisfied with what it would mean. She wanted her son to live…I do not blame you for her death."

"Hahaue blamed herself for my grandmother's death?" Juushirou murmured, and Kinnya nodded.

"She did, but I never did," he confirmed. "Sashiko was sickly and weak in body, if not in mind, and her life would probably not have been much prolonged even had Raiko not come into the world when she did. Still, my daughter never quite shook that thought from her mind…and to hear you say such similar things…it's as though even beyond death her touch still lingers about you."

"I wonder if it does," Juushirou looked thoughtful. "I know she put everything she could into saving me, and sealed away the worst of my spirit power till I was able to tackle it and use it properly like I can now. Maybe that is what she was thinking…perhaps that's why she was so determined to let me live, even if it was at her expense. If Grandmother's death was like that, too..."

He bit his lip.

"You've lost a lot of people dear to you, haven't you?" He asked softly. Kinnya nodded again.

"You are the reason I stirred from my mourning at all," he agreed brokenly. "I am an old man with a sentimental heart, and when Ryuu told me that I had a living grandson, it reached through the gloom and reminded me that I really was still alive. Since then I've learned of many things I could and should have done better, but when I came here, it was my absolute decision not to let you get hurt. Genryuusai-sensei told me that Aizen had once targeted you - though I came here on Guren's orders, when I realised Aizen had charge of you, I left the school at once in order to track him down."

"You...really came looking for me...?"

"I didn't want to let you see me fight," Kinnya admitted. "My blade is ruthless, and my reiatsu did you a good deal more harm than Aizen's spell, I imagine. The last thing I wanted was to acknowledge to you who I was...and have you...push me away."

Juushirou stared at his companion as if unable to believe his words, and Kinnya let out a rueful laugh.

"I am a foolish, dated creature, driven to distraction by two decades of isolation and despair," he said self-effacingly. "I did not want to taint you with any part of my existence. From all I know, you have a kind and supportive family, and have no need of financial aid. Nor do you have any aspirations of Clan grandeur, and I don't believe the kind of restrictions the Kuchiki impose on everything could make a son of Raiko's happy, in any case. I have nothing with which to broach a relationship - there is nothing I have that you need. I did not want to be dismissed or rejected, and so I resolved to hold back. Saving your life was enough. Knowing Raiko's son lives is enough."

Juushirou grinned, shaking his head.

"I have an adopted sister," he said frankly, and Kinnya stared at him in confusion at the sudden subject change. "She grew up in District Seven and she's very disparaging about the Clans. She reckons all Clan people are rich and stupid, and isn't afraid to tell them so whenever she meets them. She thinks they worry about all the wrong things, and sometimes I understand what she means. What you said just then...sounded a bit like that, too."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't need anything," he agreed, "and I wouldn't ask anything like that of you, even if I did. I'm District, and I'll do things my own way...I'll work out my own path to being a strong shinigami, because I believe in that goal. That doesn't mean, though, that I wouldn't care that you existed. I don't want money or influence or anything else like that - it'd be weird and wrong to even ask for it. The only thing I would ever want is to know more about my family. I want to know about my mother...and now I've met him, I want to know about...my grandfather, too."

He reddened again.

"If it's not impertinent for me to call you Grandfather?"

"I have absolutely no reason to think so," Kinnya grinned despite himself. "I should have known that a District boy would have a different way of looking at things from a Clan one."

"Our world is less complicated in some ways, and more in others," Juushirou considered, "but I believe it was a world in which Hahaue was happy. Everything I've heard about her suggests that, O...Ojiisama. Father said it, and my childhood nurse and other relatives - she really loved Father and was truly happy as part of the Ukitake family. Even though I'm sure it must have hurt her not to see you any more, and to keep it all a secret, I think she knew it was the best thing. I really do."

"I do too," Kinnya nodded. "The one who didn't cope with it was me, not Raiko. I had her watched over from afar for a long time, and I know she was happy in her new life. I'm sure she worried about me, though, since her last words to my brother were an instruction to make sure I was all right. So long as Senaya-nii was alive, I was kept far too busy to let my emotions tear me apart - but after he died..."

"You were close to Senaya-sama, weren't you?"

"As close as two fingers, as distant as the sun and moon," Kinnya replied evenly, "in a way only brothers can be. I have always had a good rapport with Guren, however, and now, I trust, I will be able to forge bonds with the current generation of the Kuchiki, too. I am disposed to think very well of your young friend Ryuu, and I rather think Shirogane has the makings of a great Clan leader."

"Senpai? Not...Ryuu?" Juushirou was startled, and Kinnya smiled.

"Time will tell," he reflected, "but Ryuu is the kind of young man who will put Clan loyalty before his own greatness. I believe he will choose a different path to the one his father hopes he'll follow, and I daresay it will be the right one, in the end. Young people are generally better at seeing their future than the old ones who flitter around them. They understand far more than we do about their own minds. That's why I left the heart of the Clan when Senaya-nii died. It was the turn of the next generation - fossils from previous administrations simply get in the way. I had lived my life...or so I believed."

"I hope that's not true," Juushirou said sincerely, getting carefully to his feet and bowing his head solemnly before his companion. "I would like to have time to know my grandfather, and I would like...I would like the opportunity to introduce that grandfather to my family, too. Since Grandmother was District, and Hahaue was half District, I suppose it would be all right to do that? In that way, I think, it would be hard for you to be lonely any more."

"Juushirou?" Kinnya stared at his companion in surprise, then he let out a low chuckle, a sudden flood of warmth engulfing his heart at the sincerity in the student's hazel eyes. "I see. Raiko's ghost watches over me through you, does she? Very well, my boy. I understand, and I accept. I have been in shadows far too long, and whilst I have no wish to return to the intrigues of court, I should take pleasure in a little more company. As you say, I have no prejudice about District people, and I would much like to meet this curious adoptive sister of yours, as well as the kinsfolk who have raised you with such a mature outlook on life. I would relish the opportunity to keep my mind active. More, my body, too."

He got stiffly to his feet, patting Raiurei's hilt.

"Genryuusai-sensei did say to me that he thought there were things I could teach you, and maybe he's right," he reflected. "Your sword and mine have a connection, and we should exploit it whilst we can. You'll be a real shinigami soon, and you'll learn things on the job that nobody can teach you. Sensei believes you will one day reach Bankai with that weapon, though, and Bankai is still a mystical technique about which much is not known. At present it can only be taught by one who already has it."

"By one who...has it?" Juushirou echoed slowly, staring up at his companion as if seeing him anew. "Ojiisama...are you...I mean, does Raiurei..?"

"Genryuusai-sensei was _shishou_ to both my brother and I for this particular skill, so I'd hazard that my knowledge is sufficient to pass on," Kinnya agreed. "Senaya-nii spent time and energy training Guren in all the facets of his sword, but I never had the same opportunity. To be truthful, I had asked to have my blade retired from the Council's list completely, as I could not imagine having a use for it again. Guren prevented me from doing so, though, and perhaps now I'm glad he did. Raiurei's days of open combat may or not be behind him, but I'm sure he'd relish the chance to share his prowess with someone else."

"You have Bankai," Juushirou breathed, and Kinnya chuckled, nodding.

"I do, although I have not used it in a very long time," he acknowledged. "If I am driven to help you with yours, maybe I will reawaken it. That way, even when I am gone, Raiurei and I will have left something important behind us. I didn't realise how important it was to leave a legacy, but seeing the eagerness in your eyes, I confess, I'm beginning to understand why I still have my sword at this ripe age of mine."

"You would really help me to train?" Juushirou's eyes lit up, and Kinnya nodded.

"It will take a long time," he warned. "Many years. Decades, probably. Perhaps longer. Your health is a concern and I wouldn't want to put you in any danger, not to mention the fact that Raiu is rusty and it may take me time to regain the same level of control over my power as I used to have. Those things aside, though, I will help you. It's my duty to teach you the things that you should know about your sword, since your sword is clearly a descendant of mine. If nothing else, it gives me a purpose and a goal to remain in this world, even though Senaya-nii is long gone before me. So long as I have that, I imagine my life will be perpetuated - I truly have felt more alive these past months than I did the previous years together, and that is thanks in part to you. If you want my help, you can have it with pleasure. I should like to see what kind of grandchild Raiurei can boast."

"Definitely. I'd like to be able to train with you," Juushirou agreed, "providing, that is, that I'm allowed to continue being a shinigami beyond graduation. Everyone says I will be, but..."

"You will be," Kinnya smiled. "Genryuusai-sensei has great hopes for you. Besides, your papers are already signed and sealed, so don't change your mind about your vocation now! Just as your classmates will, you will be a member of the Gotei providing you pass your final assessments and graduate here in the spring."

"My papers are...?" Juushirou stared. "How? I don't..."

"A kinsman of high standing is usually required to sign and pay the agreed sum to give consent for a child to join the shinigami squads," Kinnya said calmly. "Genryuusai-sensei is working to remove this rule, but in the meantime, I offered myself as your sponsor. I may be much retired, but as Senaya-nii's brother, I am still considered first degree Kuchiki. If I should choose to wield it, I have a good amount of influence that only the Clan leader has enough authority to overrule. Why should I not therefore use that rank for some material good? With my name authorising your paperwork, and with a Kuchiki listed as your original sword _shishou_, nobody will question your right to enter the Gotei with the others."

_"Ojiisama?" _Juushirou was struck speechless, and Kinnya laughed.

"Your mother would want me to do that, at least," he reflected. "I can see from your eyes that you have mixed feelings about it, which is a good reason why it was all done and finalised before you knew it had been. I realise you don't want Clan favours from me, and I will not offer any other than this. Genryuusai-sensei hopes the law will change within the next twelve months, but it is a lengthy process and it won't come in time for your graduation. For you not to be numbered among Seireitei's new shinigami in the spring would be unforgivable given your academic record, and therefore he asked me if I would put ink to parchment and confirm your entitlement, just in case there were people who wanted to contest it. Truthfully, you weren't supposed to know of it - as you and I were not supposed to meet and talk like this, I thought it might be the one way in which I could do something for my grandson's future. All I did was confirm what makes good sense, though. All the hard work has been your own, and it has nothing to do with Clan influence."

"I suppose...so," Juushirou looked doubtful. "It's not that I'm not grateful, and I understand what you said. I just...hadn't realised those things had been going on."

"The law is the thing that's wrong in this case," Kinnya said comfortably. "The Clans didn't expect a District shinigami to be of Gotei standard so soon after allowing them admittance to the Academy, and there have been so many private wrangles that in the past five years little has been done to anticipate your coming. Genryuusai-sensei will change that, and the Clans will be forced to vote on it sooner or later. In the meantime, this allows you to move forward and show those same Clans exactly why the change in the law is needed."

"But you don't know anything about my ability, not really...how can you be sure that signing it was a good thing? You must have done it before you even laid eyes on me!"

"I did, but I had no doubts," Kinnya shrugged his shoulders. "Sensei's word is generally enough. More than that, though, it was my duty to do this for you, since I was the only one who possibly could. I'm sure that, more than anything, Raiko gave you life so that you could follow your dreams. She'd be proud of you - but since she isn't here to see you achieve these things, I have to do it on her behalf. That includes clearing up small technicalities of this nature. It takes pressure away from your District kin, as well - they won't need to worry about how to help you progress, if it's all already done and settled now."

"I'm the first person in the Ukitake-ke to become a shinigami, and my family support me, but don't always understand everything about it," Juushirou admitted. "This is the first time...well, I love my family dearly, and nothing will ever replace them, not ever. I just...I've always had this part of me that was different from them, even from Father. Now...for the first time, I've found someone who's blood family who is...like me. I'm not the first shinigami in my family, not on Mother's side. What's strange and new to me and to my District kin is normal and common-place for you, isn't it? Things like signing those forms or training with a sword...none of it is strange to you at all."

"For better or worse, the shinigami have always been the province of the Clans," Kinnya said thoughtfully. "I hope, though, that Genryuusai-sensei's ambitions are realised. You might be the first District shinigami, Juushirou, and it may be better for Seireitei to see you as such - but you aren't without protection. Even without my involvement, I understand from Sensei that you have a strong rapport with the Kyouraku who have come to your defence on occasion in the past, and you clearly have friendships among the other Clansfolk here at the Academy, Kuchiki among the rest. There is still much to be done before children with no such connections or backing are able to slip through training and into the Gotei without anyone batting an eye."

"I agree," Juushirou inclined his head. "I think, though, that I can help open the door. That's what I hope, anyway. I _am_ District, whatever other things surround me. My father was District, and my mother half...that makes me District, and I prefer it that way. Having Clan kin is a new adventure, and I hope I'll learn a lot more about my power and my mother because of it, but making those blood connections won't change who I am or where I belong. We'll be family, Ojiisama, but other than help with my training, I won't ever ask you to be anything more than just my Grandfather. I want people to see me as a District shinigami and I want to succeed as one...so the door is wide open for others to follow my path."

"Agreed and understood," Kinnya said solemnly. "From this point on, I will be no more than that. You have my word."

He sighed, his gaze flitting to the window.

"I must go," he added regretfully. "I must take Shirogane back to District Six. From what Genryuusai-sensei has said, things there are still somewhat tense, and I believe my nephew will be glad of our return."

"Is...Ryuu all right?" Juushirou asked hesitantly, and Kinnya eyed him fondly. He nodded his head.

"Ryuu seems a resiliant sort," he agreed frankly. "Yes, he appears to have survived his adventures intact."

"I wondered. I mean, he didn't come back with..."

"Ryuu's father is currently quite ill, Juushirou," Kinnya said soberly. "Whether he will live or not isn't yet clear, though Retsu-dono has remained there too to help treat him. Right now, Ryuu is the greatest comfort Seiren could have, and I believe it likely he needs that comfort at present. Your friend will doubtless return - but for the time being..."

"No, if Seiren-sama is ill, Ryuu should be with him," Juushirou looked anxious. "Kinnya-sama, if you see Ryuu when you go back, will you tell him that we're all thinking of him and...and that we hope Seiren-sama is better soon?"

"I can do such a thing, easily," Kinnya inclined his head. "You, on the other hand, should return to your rest. You haven't been scolded for your antics yet, but I wouldn't try anyone's patience too greatly by loitering here when you obviously need to sleep."

Juushirou offered a rueful smile.

"My body knows that I rarely listen to it unless I have no choice," he owned. "You're right, though, and I will rest, now. Your _reiryoku_ did take it out of me, and besides, I have…things I need to work out for myself. A lot has happened in the last twenty four hours…while I'm not sure I can sleep with my brain so busy, perhaps peace and quiet will help."

"Very well," Kinnya rested his hand briefly on Juushirou's shoulder, then withdrew it, bowing his head sombrely towards his grandson.

"The next time we meet will be in District Six," he murmured. "I shall wait for you to come to me, and hope that you will not be put off by visiting my manor, although it be Clan and far too elaborate in many respects for sheltering one old man."

"I give you my word, I will come," Juushirou said firmly, grasping his companion's hand and squeezing it impulsively. "I'll write, though, and give you warning before the whole of the Ukitake-ke descend upon you. I imagine that if I write a letter to the Lord of the Coastal Provinces and give it to a local messenger, it'll get to you…so I'll write, for sure, once term ends."

He smiled faintly.

"My birthday is in winter, and Shougatsu too," he added, "and those are things families ought to share with each other, aren't they?"

"It's been a very long time since I knew the answer to that, but I won't disagree with someone so much in earnest," Kinnya chuckled. "Goodbye, Juushirou. Take care and I trust we shall soon meet again."

With that he was gone, making his way through the halls and corridors of the old school manor house towards the front courtyard where the prickle of Shirogane's reiatsu told him that his kinsman was waiting, not entirely patiently, for his return.

_Juushirou, huh?_

A smile touched his pale lips as he pushed back the main doors, stepping out once more into the pale sunlight.

_Well, Raiko, it took me more than twenty years, but finally I found it. The treasure you left behind is now known to me, and I will not lose it again._

He raised his gaze to the sky, taking in the gleam of wintry sunlight from behind the grey-white clouds. Though it was not visible, he knew that somewhere in the pale sky lurked the moon, silent and stern as it waited for its turn to rule supreme over the heavens, but this time it was the sun and not the moon that drew his thoughts towards his brother, as he remembered the years they had spent as youths training their swords under Genryuusai's watchful gaze.

_Are you in the sun after all, Aniue? Was that another deception, claiming to lurk in the moon's shadow when it was your sunlight lighting our pathways all along?_

He let out a pensive sigh.

_Senaya-nii, maybe you disapprove or maybe you don't, but I don't care. My life is my own now, and meeting Juushirou has proven there is still a point in living it, even when you and everything else is gone. I'll continue to watch over your son's actions from afar, but he doesn't need me, not really. You have two clever, talented grandsons who will secure the family's future for a generation beyond, even though Ribari is no longer alive, and I believe Guren will see clearly now the way Seiren lives or not, the Clan will continue to move forward, just as you always hoped._

_I'll move forward too, Aniue. I trust it will be some several years before we meet again…since I now have my own reason to stay in this world._

* * *

_**Author's Note: Characters**_

_Since we're now right near the end of Meifu's Maki, I've been doing some thinking about characters and the members of Team Stupid in particular. My question for those readers brave or interested enough to answer is:_

_**Do you identify with any members of Team Stupid? **_

_**Which member of Team Stupid has traits you'd most like to have?**_

_Obviously this does include Juu and Shun as well, since they're the foundations of Team Stupid. I'll give my own answers in the next AN but since I know so many of you have got attached to one or two of the characters during the course of Meifu's two and a half year timespan, I was curious to know what people might think on this score._

_Next chapter is effectively the end of Meifu's Fourth Maki. What happens next…watch this space._

_Also, review replies have been late or spasmodic this week. I apologise – I have been in Helsinki since last Saturday and only got back yesterday evening so haven't had a chance to look at most of them yet. I will try and reply to as many as possible in the next few hours, but in the meantime, please enjoy Chapter 71 __._


	74. The Path Beyond

**Chapter Seventy Two: The Path Beyond**

The moon was high over District Six by the time the _Senkaimon_ opened, and Shirogane stifled a shiver at the cold, brisk wind, stepping out onto the familiar worn cobbles and gazing around him in pensive silence. Behind him, he heard his companion follow suit, and he let out a heavy sigh, reclaiming his weapon and watching the blackish butterflies disintegrate into particles of spiritual ash as the gateway closed.

Well, so he was home.

"Shirogane?"

Kinnya's voice made him start, and he turned, shooting his great uncle a rueful smile.

"I had so many thoughts through my head about how it would be when I came home," he murmured, sliding Ginkyoujiki into its sheath and releasing his grasp on its finely carved hilt. "I had things I wanted to say, and matters I intended to face up to and resolve. I had many ideas of what would happen, but now I'm here, I feel...somewhat strange."

He raised his gaze to the star-specked sky.

"It's almost anticlimactic," he added, "and I have the distinct impression that my entire presence in this affair has proven useless. I fled my responsibilities here and was certainly of little use or import when it came to Aizen's assault on District One. True, I managed to help push back his shinigami puppets, but overall..."

"Overall, your biggest victory is managing to stay alive," Kinnya told him frankly, resting a hand on his companion's shoulder and giving him a little push towards the manor's main entrance. "Your life is important here, and you are still young. Great things may or may not be yet to come - but had you died, all your training and promise would have amounted to nothing. Guren kept you away from here because he knew that. You are not replaceable, Shirogane. Remember your uncle's feelings and be relieved to return here in one piece."

"I still feel ashamed of myself, somehow," Shirogane sighed, "but I suppose you are correct. I can return home now, and I hope, begin to put the events of the past few months behind me."

"Shirogane!"

Before Kinnya could respond, there was a swirl of shunpo, and Guren materialised on the cobbles between them, his expression uncharacteristically anxious. At the sight of his uncle, Shirogane felt a lump form in his throat, but he forced his emotions back, dropping to the ground in a gesture of apologetic obeissance.

"My apologies for leaving your side, Guren-sama," he said softly. "I have not proven to be a worthy or responsible Vice Captain, and I am sincerely sorry for the distress and inconvenience my actions must have caused the Clan since my departure. In light of Ribari-sama's death, my duty was to remain at your right hand and I have failed in this completely. Though I know my words are meaningless in light of such misconduct, I beg for your forgiveness."

"Shirogane..." Guren hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, extending a gloved hand to touch his nephew on the top of his bent head.

"Stand," he said quietly, his words composed and even, and more characteristic of the Clan leader Shirogane had grown up admiring. "Face me, Shirogane, for I would see in what state you return to me after your long time away."

"Yes, sir," Shirogane obediently straightened his body, raising clouded grey eyes to his uncle's, and Guren frowned, his eyes narrowing for a moment as he ran his gaze over his young subordinate.

"You are uninjured?"

"Fortunately, sir, my wounds are minimal," Shirogane agreed. "In my travels, I did take some harm, but have almost fully healed from those, and am ready to be deployed in whatever way you see fit from this point on."

"I see," Guren pressed his lips together, nodding in acknowledgement of his nephew's words. His gaze flitted briefly to Kinnya, who bowed his head slightly.

"You have completed your task satisfactorily, Ojiue," the Clan leader murmured softly. "I am grateful to you for returning my nephew to me unscathed."

"I would like to accept such praise, Guren-sama, but I confess, I cannot," Kinnya admitted. "Shirogane's life was not in particular danger whilst I was in District One, but I encountered and fought the exile, Aizen Keitarou. I released Raiurei and I fought to be decisive, but by some fluke, the rebel survived and managed to escape. Though his wounds must be grievous and his survival is not guaranteed, I am afraid that I was not able to truly avenge the death of Ribari-sama, nor the other hurts done to this Clan."

"I see..." Guren's expression became momentarily weary, then he sighed. "Well, so this will go before the Council, after all. A wounded target may prove easier to catch than a fit one, and there is still the matter of the girl. I will address that matter tomorrow...for now, I am just relieved to see you both home and safe."

He offered his uncle a faint smile.

"Keiichi is within, and I'm sure, would appreciate seeing you have returned unhurt," he added. "He has been most diligent in his support of me, but I know his concerns have been for you the whole time. If you wish to go debrief him, I shall not force you to linger in my presence."

A gaze passed between the two men that Shirogane did not fully understand, then Kinnya lowered his aging body into a proper bow.

"As my Clan leader wishes it," he murmured, before disappearing into shunpo, leaving the two, uncle and nephew alone in the moonlight.

"Thank heavens."

Before Shirogane could speak, Guren had wrapped his Vice Captain in a hug, throwing decorum and caution to the wind, and it was all his startled companion could do not to let out a yelp of surprise at the sudden and unexpected display of emotion.

"You are safe," Guren held his nephew at arm's length, and Shirogane was dismayed to see tears glittering in the depths of the Clan leader's gaze.

"Guren...sama?"

"I was worried I'd lost you too," Guren murmured, his grasp on Shirogane's shoulders tightening. "After burying Ribari, I could not bear to have buried you as well. The young should not go before their seniors, Shirogane. I am determined that they never again will."

"I...I don't..."

Shirogane faltered, confused, and Guren released his hold on his companion with a rueful laugh.

"You think I have lost my wits," he observed sheepishly, "and perhaps, in some ways, I have. Your long absence has been trying on my nerves, that is all. To see you stand before me like this brings me genuine relief. So many things have occurred, and yet you are returned at last."

He smiled.

"There is no secret in the fact that you have been like a second son to me since your mother died," he added. "Ribari would be relieved to see you back here, and the Kuchiki court will feel likewise when they understand that Sixth Squad once more has its Vice Captain in District Six."

"You are...not angry with me?" Shirogane hesitated, and Guren shook his head.

"I have no reason to be angry with you, do I?" he asked lightly. "You might have fled in haste, but I understand the circumstances that led up to that event far more clearly now. Shibata has spoken to me about your arrest, and we now know that the Kyouraku _hime _was really Aizen's accomplice in disguise. Shibata has confessed to using considerable force to try and bring you into his custody, and though reckless, your actions are explained. There is no crime or charge to bring against your name...I am simply happy to have you home."

Shirogane stared at his uncle for a moment, then he let out his breath in a heavy sigh, tension flooding out of his body at these words.

"It's good to be home," he admitted, "but even though Kinnya-sama and Genryuusai-sama said that you would not blame me for what happened to Ribari-sama, I couldn't be sure...I was with him, and I should have protected him. That was my duty to my Clan's heir, and I failed in it."

"I failed in my duty as a Captain by sending you both into danger, when both of you could have been killed," Guren said gravely. "This is my Clan, Shirogane, and I take responsibility for the good and the bad. That is what Father bequeathed to me - Ribari was murdered by the wiles of Aizen and his co-conspirators, but the initial carelessness was mine. You followed my orders and did as you were bidden. You are not at fault."

"But..."

"I will not hear this again," Guren warned, shaking his head. "You are not at fault. Besides, Ribari is gone and whilst as a father I will never come to terms with that, as a Clan leader I must look beyond it. Come, inside. It is cold out here, and there is much which needs to be discussed."

"Guren-sama, about Seiren-dono...?" As they made their way through the halls of the manor, Shirogane raised the question tentatively. "Does he know...that I'm returned home? Kinnya-sama said that he was unwell, but I was not sure..."

"Seiren..." Guren's eyes became shadowed, and he nodded his head. "Your uncle is indeed very sick, and at present, I do not know whether he will live. Your coming home has not been discussed with him, but he has already withdrawn his accusations against you in light of the lack of evidence and I do not believe that there will be any further hostilities from his people against you now you are here. Ryuu is still with him, and so is Retsu-sama - they are at Seiren's manor, or rather, what is left of it, as much of it has been destroyed by fighting. I have commandeered your own manor to treat those injured in the explosions and the aftermath - so if you have any plan to return to your own land, I must advise you against it."

"My own...manor?" Shirogane's eyes narrowed, then, "Okaasama's manor, you mean? I've never considered it mine, not really. It was Father's, but we barely lived there. My home...this has always been more my home, Guren-sama. I should sooner stay here, if it is not to your inconvenience."

His fingers brushed against the cheap wooden flute that poked out of his _obi_, and he smiled.

"For the present, I would simply like to be reunited with my mother's keepsake," he added. "I borrowed the flute of a peasant girl on my travels, but I have missed my own. I did not realise until I was parted from it that that instrument was Mother's way of keeping watch over me once she left this world...I will be glad to have it back."

"I see," Guren inclined his head, "then it is well. You'll remain here, and we'll talk. Futsuki is also eager to see you, and we both have an important proposition to put before you."

"Before_...me_?" Shirogane was surprised, and Guren nodded.

"Perhaps that too can wait until tomorrow," he mused pensively, "since it is late and you are clearly tired. I would like Ryuu present for this discussion, and I had thought about summoning him here, but with Seiren so delicate, I do not like to do it. I would prefer to involve Seiren as well, but whether that is possible or not, I do not know..."

"I should like to see Ryuu, too," Shirogane admitted. "I've found him to be a valuable ally and a loyal kinsman in my time in exile and I would like to thank him. Guren-sama, if this discussion is about Ryuu becoming your heir, then I will do nothing to contest it. I am more than willing to support him as the next leader of the Kuchiki Clan, and will happily swear an oath accordingly."

"We will discuss the future of the Clan, but we shall do so as a family, tomorrow," Guren decided. "We will then address the court as to our decision. I am resolved, Shirogane, that from now on the Kuchiki Clan will overcome dangers that threaten it through unity and mutual trust. The divisions and intrigues this family have indulged in for so long have made us vulnerable to outside attack, and we must close ranks and prove too strong for them to try again. Do you understand?"

"You want me to make peace with Seiren-dono?" Shirogane asked astutely, and Guren nodded.

"Whatever his condition, if it is possible, I should like you both to accept and forgive one another for recent events," he admitted. "Both of you are important to me and I do not wish to take sides against either one of you. Seiren is determined to live, despite the fierce odds against him, and so I will take him at his word and believe he will one day be back at my side. You are my Vice Captain and a nephew whose life I cherish dearly. I will not forsake you either, so the only solution is for you to bury your ills and move on."

"I agree," Shirogane rubbed his chin pensively. "Reflecting on my conduct and on his, I believe we were both manipulated and that we acted unwisely. I will try, Guren-sama, I promise. I will no longer look to antagonise or interfere with my uncle's commands, and I will do my best to maintain a peaceful relationship. My friendship with Ryuu, perhaps, will help us find common ground. Ryuu is a person who knows his own mind and I respect him for it. If he acts between us, surely all will be well?"

"I trust so," Guren responded. "For now, though, you will wish to bathe, change your clothes and put on something more fitting to a second degree son of the Clan. The family will expect to see you at dinner as my nephew, not as a nameless shinigami fleeing through the Districts as an exile."

He reached across to finger Shirogane's rough tail of hair, and the young shinigami flushed, nodding his head.

"I understand, sir. I will attend to it right away."

"Good boy," Guren looked approving. "Well, then, till the evening meal. With luck tomorrow the future of this family will be set in stone, and I can then pursue Aizen's fate with the Council in the firm knowledge my Clan are united behind me."

* * *

"I must admit, Ginji, that I didn't expect to return to find so many pieces of my school in such stages of devastation."

Genryuusai gazed up at the ruined rubble of the Kidou chamber with a sigh, tapping his cane pensively against a nearby hunk of stone. It was the next morning, and, with the departure of the Kuchiki and the withdrawal of First Squad, the Academy were beginning to wake slowly from the nightmare that had descended over them. With Genryuusai back at the helm, the staff and students alike had drawn a collective sigh of relief, and none more so than Kazoe, who nodded, fixing his companion with a rueful smile.

"I assumed that you would sooner I did damage to your property rather than the lives of your students," he remarked off-handedly. "Seidoiki has still not entirely forgiven me for drawing my weapon and using it offensively, but I hope you will look past the vandalism just this once. I am not suited to take your place, we both know that - in the circumstances, it was all I could manage."

"On the contrary, I'm relieved that you did," Genryuusai rubbed his beard. "You are right, of course. I am relieved and gratified to know that I have the same number of students now as I had when I left and that, with one or two exceptions, none have suffered serious injury. I had not anticipated Aizen's web spreading as far as it did, nor could any of us have predicted the way in which he would use that poor girl's sword...but it is over now, thank goodness."

"Yes," Kazoe's features shadowed, and he nodded his head. "Sensei, about Naoko..."

"You are concerned for her?"

"She turned her weapon on herself," Kazoe said grimly. "I have spoken to both Edogawa and Shiba about what happened, and both are quite clear Naoko was under enemy control. Shiba crossed blades with her, and during that confrontation, Naoko told her she'd ended lives. I believe the men found dead in the barracks were probably killed by one of Dokusou Houshi's less pleasant techniques. I wondered what you would do about it...she has clearly violated many school rules and acted rashly in confronting Aizen in the Real World in the first place, but..."

"Naoko will not be punished, as Naoko has done nothing wrong," Genryuusai shook his head. "I should have realised more quickly what was afoot, and stopped it before it could begin. Naoko did not hurt anybody of her own volition, except for herself. Clearly she will need very gentle care as she recovers her strength, but I will ensure that no action is taken against her by anyone from First Division. Hashihiko will listen when I explain to him the unique circumstances of this business, and that will be that. Do not worry, Ginji. Your kinswoman will not be made to suffer more than she already has."

"Thank you," Kazoe's expression became one of relief. "After losing Suzuno, I didn't want the Unohana to have a second reason to grieve."

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"I have always been fond of Naoko," he admitted off-handedly, "because I see in her something I recognise in me, too. My blade does heal, admittedly, and in that sense I am as most Unohana are. Truthfully, though, my mindset is far more similar to hers than it is to the majority of my Clan. I am not afraid to use violence if I must to defend those around me. Naoko's actions in the Real World were ill-advised, but stemmed from loyalty to a fallen friend and kinswoman, and I do not fault her on it. Like me, she will never really belong in Fourth District and like me, she will have to branch out and make her future elsewhere. Retsu-sama is understanding, and she will give the girl support if she wishes it, but I think...Naoko will want to find her own path. It is forbidden for a healer to kill another individual, no matter what the circumstances. Whether of her own will or not, Naoko has committed a taboo. Turning the weapon on herself only compounds that sin - the Unohana believe in life at all costs."

"You think that she might find it difficult to return to District Four, now that all of this has happened?" Genryuusai looked startled. "I can't imagine Retsu would exile her based on events that weren't her fault. Even if what you say is true, Naoko did not kill anyone. It was Aizen acting through her and not her will at all."

"Her blade is defiled," Kazoe said helplessly. "Healers feel such things, and whether consciously or otherwise, they pull back from them. A healer's sword should act to mend, not to break. Naoko's sword is not like other Unohana swords, and it has been tainted by blood shed in violence. Her own family will not discard her, but she will find it harder than she did before to return to the Clan. Nobody will have to say anything...they will all know. They will all see the stains on her weapon, no matter how clean she wipes the blade."

Genryuusai cast his companion a thoughtful glance, a look of comprehension entering his clever dark eyes.

"Just as they did yours, when first you made the decision to come to District One?" he asked softly, and Kazoe offered him a rueful smile.

"My self-imposed exile was a little different," he acknowledged cautiously, "and the results of it were not entirely without benefit to me. I have been very fortunate...in all ways, that it was your land onto which I strayed, and not that of some other lord."

"Really?" Genryuusai pursed his lips. "I have always supposed it to be my fortune that a young man of such talent and natural skill should stumble across my path. It seemed prophetic that, when I first started to consider how Seireitei needed to change, you appeared before me as though to tell me my thoughts were right."

"I have no grudge against my Clan, Genryuusai-sama," Kazoe said dismissively. "I am not unwelcome in District Four, now, nor is my name considered unspoken among them. Even after so long, though, I know that I still do not belong there. Just as Naoko is, I am somewhat out of place among my kin. District One is far more to my liking - I am able to be myself here with no fear of repercussion. Maybe it is a foolish softness within me, but I should like Naoko to experience the same opportunity to find out who she really is."

Genryuusai was silent for a moment, reflecting on Kazoe's words as a long past memory began to stir itself inside his brain. The image of a young man, thin and pale and clad in tattered, dusty robes slipped into this thoughts, his weapon hanging limply at his side.

_An Unohana who takes life is never forgiven by the Clan. An Unohana who claims the life of another and uses their blade to stain their souls with blood will be cast out, never to return. The Unohana believe in life, and reject anything contrary to that view. Retsu's father was a strict, unswerving man in that regard and his dedication to those principles meant those who made errors were not easily able to find forgiveness. The rash actions of a young, untrained adolescent to protect his mother and sister from a violent, drink-sodden man made a villain into a victim and a hero into a demon - censure you've lived with ever since. Your father's death at your hand remains carved into your whole existence, but I have never looked at you and seen a man who kills._

District Four's loss was my gain, Ginji. That emaciated, ghost of a man who crawled onto my land half-starved and on the brink of death has become such a strong individual, capable of making the right decisions and in guiding vulnerable young ones forward towards a better Seireitei future. The sins of the past are forgotten here - wiped away by years of hard work and diligent service. You seek the same for Naoko, now. Her sins are not like yours, and Retsu is not like her father, but the Unohana will react nonetheless. You are right to be cautious, and I will take note of your words. Naoko will not suffer the same helplessness as you did when deciding how to move forward.

He nodded his head.

"I agree," he responded evenly now. "Naoko is a very talented young shinigami, and her skills should not be overlooked. If they will not be accepted in her own family, then I shall simply help her find a place she can better use them. I know you don't want to talk about the things that led you to my side as a teacher of Kidou, rather than a true healer among your own kind, and I don't believe there is any need to unbury such skeletons now, especially before the girl. You found your path, and I trust you are content in it. Naoko will do so too - you have my word in that."

"I cannot act as her sponsor, but I will speak to Retsu-sama on her behalf," Kazoe reflected. "Few Unohana know of the exact circumstances that led me to your door, but she does, and more, bears me no ill will. She has been kind to me, and I believe she will be supportive of Naoko, too. Most likely she will inherit Edogawa, in any case...that girl's healing skill is already of a phenomenal level, and Naoko's survival and stable condition now is testament to what she can do. I could not have done it, with all my years of training with Seidoiki, but I am glad that one of Retsu-sama's pupils could."

"Ah yes. Mitsuki," Genryuusai inclined his head. "I imagine you are correct. Retsu has already broached with me the idea of tackling Guren-dono directly once things there settle down. She is fairly determined that the Kuchiki will not have a claim on that girl, and I am sure once she sees the level of care Mitsuki has given Naoko in her absence, that resolve will be even stronger. Retsu is very persuasive when she wants to be...I anticipate that Edogawa Mitsuki will indeed be a part of Fourth Division come the spring."

He turned away from the ruins of the classroom, glancing back towards the school as something stirred across his senses.

"I will go to the Healing Bay and speak with both girls now," he decided. "Mitsuki has permission to miss class so long as Naoko needs her, and I think I just felt the patient stir. I should like a chance to talk to both of them about what happened, so I will leave it to you to work out where you intend to hold your next Kidou class. There's nothing of salvageable value here, and it's far too cold for an outdoor lesson, so I suggest you go find an empty lecture theatre and an eager first year to carry a message to your students. The sooner we get back to normal routine, the better for everyone. The Seniors will take longest to deal with what's happened, but there's no reason for the lower school to be upset more than necessary."

"Understood," Kazoe nodded his head. "And Genryuusai-sama? Welcome back."

"It is good to be back," Genryuusai admitted, offering him a smile. "I shall leave any further pursuit of Aizen Keitarou to the Council, and focus my attentions instead on my proper job here, starting with two of my Senior Class."

With that he slipped into shunpo, re-materialising in the hallway outside the Healing Bay. Pushing back the sliding door, he stepped inside, drawing it shut carefully behind him and crossing the mat floor towards the little alcove where Naoko had rested since her assault on herself outside the First Division barracks.

"Sensei!"

At his approach, Mitsuki let out an exclamation of surprise, and her companion's head jerked up, anxiety and fear mingled in her greenish eyes. She was pale, Genryuusai noted, and as she drew herself into a more upright position, he was aware of how gingerly she moved, as if fearful of reopening the deep wound in her chest. Despite this, though, he was encouraged - a child who had been briefly on the cusp of death was now most definitely holding on to life.

"Genryuusai-sensei?" Naoko's lips parted slightly, allowing the faint word to slip between them, and Genryuusai nodded, moving to stand beside the bed.

"Good morning, Naoko," he said quietly. "I am glad to see you have returned to wakefulness - although I am a little surprised by it, too."

His gaze flitted to Mitsuki, who reddened, shaking her head.

"There was...an idea that Naoko-chan should stay sedated until Retsu-sama came back," she said hesitantly. "I didn't...I didn't know when that would be, and I didn't want to use too much Kidou. Naoko-chan's body is healing, and...and I didn't want to...to make things more complicated. I'm not as good at that as Retsu-sama, and I didn't want to make Naoko's wounds worse."

"I see," Genryuusai lowered his aging body down beside the bed, reaching to touch Naoko's arm gently with a wizened finger. "And you, Shikibu? How do you feel now that everything is past?"

"Sensei, I...I killed people," Naoko's eyes swam with tears. "I can't stay here...I did something awful and I can't be forgiven for it. Suzuno's death...Suzuno...that was bad enough, but now...now my sword is..."

She cast a fearful glance across the chamber to where Dokusou Houshi was propped up against the wall, and Mitsuki sighed, taking Naoko's hands in hers and squeezing them tightly.

"You didn't hurt anyone," she said, and from the tone in her voice, Genryuusai realised that it was not the first time she had made this assurance. "Please, Naoko, don't keep talking like that. You didn't do anything wrong, and Sensei knows it too, I'm sure. He hasn't come here to punish you - he's come to see how you are."

She glanced at the old man anxiously.

"I mean, that's true isn't it, sir? You have come to see how Naoko is?"

"I have indeed," Genryuusai agreed gravely. "Not just on my behalf, but also on Kazoe-sensei's, as he is also quite concerned. Mitsuki is quite right, Naoko. You shouldn't look so frightened - I didn't come here to shout."

"It doesn't matter," Naoko said dolefully. "I remember everything that happened, even though I couldn't control it. I know what I did...I saw myself do it. I even drew my blade on Sora and Mitsuki, and I would've hurt them, too. My sword...my _zanpakutou_...it wasn't like it was mine at all, and I couldn't hear his voice. My body acted without my telling it to, but it was still me that did those things. That can't be changed."

She shivered, and Mitsuki picked up one of the blankets that lay nearby, putting it gently around the other girl's shoulders.

"Unohana can't be forgiven for taking life," the redhead whispered, grasping the cloth loosely between her fingers and pulling it more firmly around her as though forming a defensive shield. "I can't ever go back, can I? They'll never allow me...I've crossed the line. Whether it was my fault or not, this time..."

"That's crazy!" Mitsuki objected. "Retsu-sama would never reject you, not based on something like this!"

"The Unohana do have some firm rules connected to life and death, Edogawa," Genryuusai reflected. "Naoko probably understands them in more detail, having grown up around them. What she seems to have forgotten, however, is that there are eight Districts in Seireitei, not just one. You may not be a healer, Naoko - but that does not mean your life holds no value."

"I don't want to shame my family," Naoko whispered. "I don't want them to know that I killed shinigami, or that I was manipulated and defiled by Suzuno's killer. Even if Retsu-sama did forgive me, I still couldn't go back. Maybe I can't ever...I don't know. All I know is that my family...would suffer if I went back and everyone knew what I had done. I can't go back, Sensei. I know I can't. It frightens me, but I know it's true."

She closed her eyes briefly, composing her thoughts.

"Even turning my weapon on myself is a sin in District Four," she added helplessly.

"You did that so you didn't hurt Sora or I," Mitsuki reminded her gently, "and Sora and I used our swords to make sure you didn't die. Listen, Nao-chan, you're the one who told me that you were stronger in dealing with folk who didn't like you being different from your Clan. You and I, we're the same in this respect, but you've never said anything about giving up before. I know that, in the heat of the moment, you did the only thing you saw to do to make sure Sora and I didn't get harmed, and that in itself was a brave thing to do. Now, though, all of that is over. Aizen's control over you is gone, and your wound will heal. Now it would be unforgivable, if you decided there wasn't a reason to keep living. Sora and I don't want that, or we wouldn't have saved you. Lots of the Seniors are worried about you and have been ever since the Real World. Even if it is hard for you to go home to your family right away, it doesn't mean you're on your own."

"Mitsuki...?" Naoko eyed her friend uncertainly, and Genryuusai nodded his head.

"Edogawa is right," he said gruffly. "Your life is precious, and taking it would be a sin in everyone's eyes, not just in the eyes of your Clan. Your sword is potent and strong, and your skills are not inconsiderable. What this is is a crossroads, and you alone must choose your path ahead. If you are brave enough to face that, I will help you, but I cannot choose for you. If you are adamant that you can't go back to District Four, I will do all in my power to help you find a place elsewhere, but you must work hard, too. Just as Edogawa has, you too must decide what kind of a shinigami you intend to be."

His eyes narrowed.

"I will not report any sin back to your family, if you choose not to go back there," he added quietly. "I will tell them only that you have found a true calling for your sword skills and will be assigned in such a way that you can make Soul Society proud without causing them discomfort. If you take your own life, though, then there is no alternative but to tell them. Your body must return to them, just as Suzuno's did to her parents...and they must mourn their daughter just as Suzuno's family mourns their child."

"Sensei?" Mitsuki's eyes widened at this blunt appraisal, but Naoko swallowed hard, reaching up to wipe away the tears that still lingered on her lashes.

"You understand," she whispered, "that I really don't know what I should do? Mitsuki is braver than I am. She knows and has already decided, even if it means rejection by her family. I...I want to be as strong as that, but everything that's happened..."

She glanced at her hands, her brows creasing in disdain.

"Blood stains these," she said flatly. "Even without healing abilities, I can sense it against my skin. I might not have chosen to end anyone's life, but I still know I did. I won't erase those memories easily...it frightens me to fight on with them still lurking at the back of my mind. It terrifies me that one day I might be forced to kill again, and stain my blade even more than I have this time."

"Every young shinigami has that fear," Genryuusai told her quietly. "Every new recruit to a squad worries about the first time blood is drawn. You're not unusual, Naoko. In fact, you're quite normal in all respects. Not by Unohana standards, maybe, but as a shinigami in training for a Gotei combat squad, you are exactly what I would expect. It's true that mostly swords like yours are found in the hands of young men, not young women, and certainly not from District Four, but the world is changing. If you don't want to grieve your family, you need to accept from this point on exactly who you are. Shikibu Naoko is a fighter - a warrior - with a poison blade to match. Her skills will never have value among the healers, but this world needs more than just those who mend."

"Sora and I agree," Mitsuki interjected with a firm nod. "I'm no use at combat stuff, so I can't do much other than be moral support, but Sora can and probably will, if you ask her. We'll help how we can, Nao-chan. You're our friend, and through everything, we'll stick together. When we graduate, there'll be a place for you just as much as there'll be one for me. Sensei's right - this is a chance for you to find where you belong, just like I've found where I do."

She dimpled, patting her friend on the arm.

"I'll trade with you, and take your place in Fourth," she offered playfully, "so you don't feel that it's being left empty. In my place, you can take Dokusou Houshi, protect Seireitei and kill Hollows. You're far better at all those things than I'd ever be, and though I probably can take down a Hollow if I really have to, I'd rather trust that duty to you."

"I suppose so," Naoko eyed her friend doubtfully, but Mitsuki was already clasping her hand, giving it a little shake.

"It's decided," she said frankly. "You'll get well and then Sensei will help you find the right place after graduation. Retsu-sama will support you, I'm sure she will, and I'll ask her to as well. It will all be all right, so stop looking so worried."

"You have the most valuable asset already in your possession," Genryuusai got to his feet, eying the two girls pensively, and Naoko looked bemused.

"I do?"

"Yes," Genryuusai tapped Mitsuki's arm lightly with Ryuujinjakka's cane. "Friends in whom you can trust. Skills can be honed and abilities strengthened, but building alliances of depth and meaning can be much more difficult. You may not go home, Naoko, but you are not alone. Edogawa is right. One of the most important lessons of being in Senior Class is being able to work as part of a team - remember that when it comes to your final exams, all right?"

"Yes...yes sir," Naoko pinkened, faint colour rising in her cheeks, and Genryuusai smiled.

"It will take time. You have been through much, and I doubt it will be forgotten overnight," he warned her. "Your memories will also be probed and interrogated, probably by the Council, as evidence of Aizen's movements and anything else that can be gleaned from them. I believe, however, that Shikibu Naoko is a strong individual, despite her recent experiences. They have shaken you, but I won't believe they have broken you. Kazoe-sensei doesn't believe so, either - we will both do our utmost to ensure that our hopes for your future are not disappointed."

"I...I will too, sir," Naoko nodded her head, and Genryuusai was glad to see a flicker of the girl's usual strong spirit glittering in the greenish eyes. "I'll do my best, and I...I'll trust in Mitsuki and Sora to help me, too. I won't let you down, I promise. I'll work hard as I can to be a student you can still be proud of, even after everything I've done."

* * *

The sky was clear that morning.

From his place of vigil at his father's bedside, Ryuu raised weary eyes to the window, his gaze tracing the skyline beyond the destruction that still surrounded his family's manor. Among the ruins, he knew, Futsuki's men were still hard at work searching for survivors and the remains of those killed, and he gave an inward shudder, turning his attention back to the sleeping figure in the bed.

His father's face was pale and drawn, a greyish tinge to his skin, and every breath he took into his ravaged lungs was a victory in his battle against the looming shadows of death. Even now, when he lay so quietly and so still, Ryuu could not help remembering the masked creature that had come so strongly to his aid against Keitarou, and absently he wondered how much worse Seiren's condition had been made by that intervention.

_Did I make you sicker?_

He frowned, remembering his conversation with Guren. Late the previous night, a messenger had come from the main manor bringing news of Shirogane and Kinnya's safe return to District Six, and despite himself, Ryuu had been relieved to hear both had come back unharmed. There had been only a fleeting reference to Aizen Keitarou in the message, but although the exile was still alive, Ryuu felt as though a dark cloud had been lifted from his family as a whole.

He moved his hand to touch his father's wrist gently.

_Now, if only your wounds can heal, we can start to move forward as a Clan. I don't know what gamble you took when you ingested the Eiminyaku, but Unohana-sensei said that she couldn't detect any trace of it remaining in your blood when she examined you this morning. She said that, if you wake now, we'll know how things are going to be. You and I, we haven't spoken in a day or two. I wonder...are you still my father, or have you been lost in the mist like Onoe and like Grandfather? You gave everything for my sake and for the sake of this Clan - and even now you've put yourself through this for us, knowing that we don't want to see you die. Were we selfish, Otousama? Would it have been kinder not to have made our emotions so plain when you have such grievous wounds?_

"Ryuu."

The voice from the doorway made him start, turning to see Futsuki watching him. At his surprise, the man smiled, inclining his head slightly in apology.

"I didn't mean to disturb your time with your father," he said softly, "but my people have finished their search of the grounds. We now believe that we have retrieved everyone unaccounted for in the explosion."

"I see." Ryuu bit his lip. "In Father's absence, I suppose you need me to make a decision about what should be done with the manor as a whole, don't you?"

"It can wait a little longer," Futsuki shook his head, coming to stand beside Seiren's bed. "He still sleeps?"

"Maybe he always will," Ryuu shrugged helplessly. "He hasn't stirred more than once since Unohana-sensei gave him the Eiminyaku to drink. At first, she sedated him for pain, but she has not done so recently. She told me that the Eiminyaku has passed through his blood now, and neither she nor I can sense any of the malevolent aura that pervaded him when he collapsed. His reiatsu has settled and become stable, but whether or not there is anything of Father left is still a mystery. I do not know...and all I can do is hope and pray for the best."

"Yes," Futsuki rested a reassuring hand on his nephew's shoulder. "At the very least, though, he has you here at his side. He might not ever find the words to say it, but more than anything, I think that would comfort him. You are everything to him, you know - what you do, where you go, what you will become...ever since the first time you took breath. This is where he'd want you to be, and I'm glad you're here."

"It would be difficult for me to return to school not knowing how things would evolve," Ryuu admitted. "I realise I may put my grades and my graduation in jeopardy by lingering here after the initial danger is past, but even so, I cannot bring myself to withdraw now. If he wakes, I wish to know whether he is in his wits or is not. If he is still my father, there is much we need to discuss. If not...if not..."

"We will face that when we come to it," Futsuki said matter-of-factly. "To Guren and I, he is our brother, Ryuu. We will both do everything we can to support him, and make whatever decisions are best. It seems unlikely that Shouko will return, given everything - and with the exception of Murasaki, your sisters don't seem too bothered about his fate, either. That leaves him in our hands, and we won't let him down."

"I have no fondness for my mother, and I consider my sisters a nusiance most of the time," Ryuu admitted baldly. "If they should abandon Father now, it comes as no surprise to me. They can discard me also, if it suits them. I have made my choice. My family has never been one warm in affection, but I am beginning to understand that what I perceived to be Father's ambition for me was in fact something else."

"Sometimes it takes a crisis to realise those things," Futsuki said evenly. "You are a son for him to be proud of, though. Don't ever think otherwise. Seiren has every reason to think highly of you."

"Mm," Ryuu pursed his lips, getting to his feet and moving to the window. "Futsuki-dono, if Murasaki-aneue is so concerned for Father, why does she not come here? Maybe the building is crumbling and from outside, it appears fragile and dangerous, but if she is so anxious..."

He trailed off, and Futsuki smiled.

"I have forbidden it," he said simply. "This building is far too dangerous for a _hime_ to enter, especially since it appears your older sister is once more with child. Her husband backed me up, and so she is forced to stay away. She has said, however, that when Seiren is well enough and steady enough to be moved, he can be transported to her family's estate to convalesce. Do not misjudge your sister based on what appears to be the case, Ryuu. It is not always true that the world is what it seems."

"I suppose...not." Despite himself, Ryuu was chastened. "I'm sorry. I suppose I do know that...Aneue cares for Father."

"For the time being, let's put other things aside," Futsuki suggested, and Ryuu felt the flickering of reiatsu suddenly at the back of his senses. "I think that indicates that we've been graced with the Clan leader's presence, and unless I'm much mistaken, Shirogane and Kinnya-sama are with him. It seems that this morning's conversation will be held at Seiren's manor - but whether your Father will be able to play any role in it remains to be seen."

He bowed his head slightly.

"I'll go and meet them. I'll guide them through the safest path to this chamber, given the destruction, as Retsu-sama is still away at the Nagoya estate tending to the less severely injured," he suggested. "We shall come to you, Ryuu. It seems by far the best place to talk, since the pillars that support the ceiling of this room are relatively sturdy and undamaged."

With that he was gone, and Ryuu wandered slowly back towards the bed, gazing down at his father pensively.

"Guren-sama's come to see you, Otousama," he said softly. "Shirogane-senpai's here too, and so is Kinnya-sama. I hope you can forgive me for the things I may say and do, especially given all you've done on my behalf, but I hope you'll come to understand why I feel the way I do. I'm thinking of the Clan, just like you did."

As though drawn to wakefulness by his son's words, Seiren's pale fingers twitched slightly, reaching out for the thick fabric of Ryuu's emerald green sleeves. Ryuu started, letting out an exclamation of surprise as Seiren's grey eyes fluttered open, blinking a few times as though struggling to bring his surroundings into clear focus.

"Otousama?" Ryuu grasped hold of his father's hands, hope and fear mingling in his eyes. "Did you hear me? Did you hear what I said - did I wake you from your sleep?"

"Ryuu..." The word was softspoken, and slightly blurry, but unmistakeably Ryuu's name, and despite himself, tears glittered in the boy's eyes.

"You know who I am?" he whispered. "After everything, you remember...?"

"Why would I ever forget?" Seiren's words were faintly reproachful. "For a father...to forget his own son...and heir...is an unforgivable sin."

"I'm sorry," Ryuu bowed his head contritely. "I didn't mean...it's just...the Eiminyaku..."

He trailed off, and Seiren's lips twitched into a faint smile.

"Guren is here?" he murmured, and Ryuu nodded.

"Shirogane too?"

"Yes. Yes, he is," Ryuu gathered his wits hurriedly. "Father, please, I want you to forgive him. I want you...Senpai...didn't do anything wrong. I want you both to...to stop hating each other. Please, for the sake of the family, I want you to accept him. I want you to..."

"Accept him?" Seiren's eyes narrowed slightly, and Ryuu was struck by the comprehension that flooded the hazy grey eyes. "In your place, you mean?"

"Otousama?" Ryuu swallowed hard, and Seiren sighed, closing his eyes briefly. At length he opened them, and Ryuu could see the pain reflected in his gaze.

"I know what you want to say to me," he murmured. "As I was, so you'll become - isn't that the case?"

"You...how...Otousama, I..."

"Bits and pieces, like a fleeting dream, teasing my senses," Seiren said quietly. "I didn't know whether they were real or more delusion. Perhaps this is also...not quite real. I'm not sure. Still, if I get to speak to you, I'll accept it. I was so afraid that...I had put you in such danger...that..."

"I put myself in danger," Ryuu shook his head firmly. "It wasn't your fault or your doing, Otousama. I took the decision to go to the Real World, and was foolish. I live only because I have a friend who is less foolish and more adept at acting decisively when the need arises. I had no idea that...that doing what I did would cause you so much anguish, and I am truly sorry for it. Knowing that...knowing how much my actions affect other people yet not realising it until after it is too late to take back...I have realised that I...that there isn't...that I shouldn't..."

He trailed off, and Seiren curled his fingers briefly around Ryuu's own, offering his son a weak smile.

"You are alive," he whispered. "All else can begin from there."

"Otousama, I..."

"Ryuu...Seiren?"

Before Ryuu could finish his sentence, the door of the chamber had once more slid back, this time to reveal the Clan leader and his companions. At the sight of Seiren's clear consciousness, Guren strode forward, casting his brother an anxious look.

"Guren-niisama," Seiren offered another weak smile. "You will have to forgive...me for receiving...you...in such a poor state of hospitality."

"You idiot," Guren's sharp reproof made Ryuu's eyes widen in surprise. "You're in no fit state to talk like that. Seeing you awake and alive brings me enough relief - I'll not let you apologise for anything else, and if you even think of getting up so you can make any kind of obeissance towards me, I will consider your actions no more than an impudent inconvenience. Given that, you would do better remaining as you are until I give you leave to be otherwise."

Seiren's eyes became thoughtful for a moment, then he nodded slightly.

"As you wish, Oniisama," he said gravely, and Guren grimaced, shaking his head.

"Stop it," he instructed, frustration clear in his tones. "Stop using that name...stop speaking to me with such deferential language! I can't stand it, hearing you speak like that!"

"Guren-sama!" Shirogane put a hand on the Clan leader's arm, but Guren shook him off, shaking his head.

"I won't have it. Not any more," he said in low tones, fixing Seiren with a piercing glance. "You're awake, and clearly in your wits. Now that you are, I want to know once and for all, and I want to hear it from your lips, if you please. Why have you persisted in this deception for so long? Indeed, how long have you known of it? Was it Father? Did he leave you some final message or bequeath you some last order that compelled you to spend the whole of your life as my shadow?"

"Guren, calm down," Futsuki cast an anxious glance at the patient, but to Ryuu's surprise, a wry smile touched Seiren's lips.

"Father...would not have done...anything so crude," he murmured. "Do you really think...he would have told me anything at all?"

"Then you admit to knowing? You admit to...that there was...that you and I truly are..."

Guren's words stumbled over themselves, and he dropped down at his brother's bedside, taking Seiren's free hand in his.

"You know that you and not I should have inherited this Clan?" he whispered, tears glittering in his grey eyes. "You know this to be truth, and yet have never once said..."

"I have never been the heir...to any Clan," Seiren responded calmly. "That...was always..you. Onii...sama."

"Stop calling me that!" Guren was on the verge of losing his temper, and Kinnya stepped forward, resting both hands on Guren's shoulders.

"Guren," he said softly, and Guren swung around, glaring at his Uncle in sudden resentment.

"You knew this too. You concealed it, too," he muttered. "You, and Father, and Mother, and Seiren, and who knows who else?"

"Seiren was not told by your Father, Guren," Kinnya said evenly. "Until recently, I wasn't aware that he had stumbled onto Senaya-nii's secret, and it was something Senaya-nii himself could not have forseen, either. Seiren was never supposed to know any more than you were. For the sake of this Clan, it was decided. If you want to be angry, be angry at me. Seiren has done the only thing he was ever able to do - to work to support you until your time as Leader of the Clan should end."

"But...but..." Guren faltered, and Seiren sighed.

"Ryuu...will you help me...to sit more upright?" he asked quietly, and Ryuu frowned, looking doubtful.

"Are you sure? Unohana-sensei said you were to be kept quiet, and I don't want to disturb your injuries."

"Being shouted at by my brother is hardly quiet," Seiren said acidly, and despite himself, Guren flushed an uncomfortable red. Looking at them, Ryuu was struck once again by the shift in dynamic - here, in the ruins of his family's manor, Seiren had once more assumed the mantle of older brother.

He pursed his lips, but made no more complaint, instead helping to lift his frail father into a more upright position. Shirogane scooped up a pillow from beside the window, hurrying to hand it to his cousin, who sent him a grateful look, sliding it among the others to prop Seiren up more firmly.

"It is a worthless secret," Seiren continued now, pulling his hands free from Guren's and folding them in his lap. Though his complexion was still grey and gaunt, there was something of his old composure in his bearing, and Ryuu was suddenly struck with relief that his father, though still very sick, seemed determined to maintain his grip on life. "Aizen Keitarou ascribed value to it...that it never had. I was never anything but your younger brother, Guren. I was content...even when I knew, I was satisfied to be your shadow. That...was why I was left alive. Any other way...I could not have been allowed to live."

"Even so, to keep it from me..."

"Why should a Clan leader be distracted by...trivial detail?" Seiren asked lightly. "It had...no bearing...on anything at all. I had...no spirit power...and now I understand best...why that should have been. I do not want it. I do not need it. I am...content with being...as I am now."

His gaze flitted to Ryuu, and a look of resignation entered his gaze.

"I believe my son is also...content," he added with a sigh, "and if that is so, then it is well. There is no need for you to discompose yourself, Oniisama. Before the Clan, I have no other way of referring to you. They must not ever know what is truly not an important piece of information."

"You can't think that I can continue to live shadowed by deception?" Guren demanded, and Seiren snorted.

"You can, and you will," he said bluntly, fixing his companion with an uncompromising look. "If not, you will render shame on both us and on Father for what he did. That would...not be forgiven. You are Clan leader. I am your younger brother. That is all, and there is no more."

"I've destroyed the evidence Aizen had," Futsuki interjected. "Seiren is right, Guren. This must not go beyond this room. What everyone here knows is rather more than a trivial secret, in my opinion, and would unsettle the court greatly."

"Not only that," Kinnya added reflectively. "Whether we were right or wrong, Senaya-nii and I did for both of you what we thought was best. Guren, if you were to reveal Seiren as your older brother, it would cast shame on him and his position. An elder son who is unfit to succeed is a far more difficult path to follow than a younger son whose entire reason for being is to support the Clan leader. I have played the role Seiren must play, and it is not without challenges. There are cross words, disagreements and deceptions. But, for the sake of the Clan, those things must be done and faced up to. It would have been better if you had never known, but there is no reason for anyone else to know. Guren is Clan Leader in District Six, and that fact must not ever be doubted. Senaya-nii wanted it this way, and, from his long years in your slipstream, I can't imagine Seiren would wish it any other way."

Seiren shook his head.

"I have no complaints with my...position in this life, since it was a life...that ought not have been," he said gravely. "I would...have sooner shed it than betrayed the leader of my...my Clan."

He glanced at Ryuu once more.

"My only regret was...that my uselessness...would cost my son," he murmured. "I did not want...Ryuu to lose out...because I...lived a life of...so little importance."

"Otousama..." Ryuu swallowed hard, and Kinnya smiled.

"Your son is brave, stubborn and loyal," he said frankly. "I confess, it escaped me for a long time, but I'm realising that those characteristics came from his father, didn't they?"

"Ryuu and Seiren are, indeed, very alike in many ways," Guren admitted. "From knowing your son better, Seiren, I have come to understand a little more about you. We have always been rivals, but I don't feel...since we entered adulthood, that that has been quite true. You have been looking out for me, haven't you? You've been watching over me, like an older brother should."

"Father's last wish was...for me to do so," Seiren agreed gravely. "I may not have known about it till after he was gone, and I might never have been meant to learn it, but when I did...my resentment for you left me. I understood...that if you had not lived, I would not have. Father's placing value on us working together suddenly made sense. I was not angry...I don't know if I was ever angry. I simply...made up my mind then to uphold my oath to you and do what I could...as your shadow...for the Clan. I may not be as adept as Kinnya-sama," he paused to glance at his uncle, "but I have tried to do my best."

His eyes narrowed.

"Where...is Shouko?" he asked softly. "She is not here...where is she?"

"Kinka-oneesama's estate. She won't come back - perhaps not ever," Ryuu responded, and Seiren's lips thinned.

"Shouko also knows of this," he admitted. "When I swore...loyalty to Ribari...our marriage crumbled, and this was the cause. She...wanted me to push my claim through Ryuu, and I would not. If you wish...to keep this from the court, Shouko must also be...tackled."

"I will deal with Shouko-hime," Futsuki's eyes became steely. "I will impress on her the extremely negative implications for anyone to commit treason against the Clan leader, and that revealing this matter to anyone of lesser consequence will be interpreted as treasonable behaviour. You need not worry, Seiren. Your wife will not be allowed to create more trouble than she so far has managed to do."

"But that this should be the cause of the death of your marriage..." Guren faltered, and Seiren snorted.

"If she does not return, it will be a relief," he said honestly. "Our lives separated a long time ago. I no longer have a reason to be in her company...nor do I care whether she...shows me any attention in the future."

He pressed his lips together, then,

"You didn't come here just to discuss...the past, did you?" he murmured. "You came...to talk about the future, too."

"We did," Guren seemed to have got a grip on his composure, getting slowly to his feet and inclining his head towards his companion. "I got taken off guard, seeing you awake. I admit, I had not expected it. Eiminyaku..."

"In dilute form, and handled by an expert like Retsu-sama, it seems to have medical applications," Kinnya mused. "I am glad to see it. Seiren's body may take much time to heal, but I am glad for Ryuu's sake that his mental capacity does not appear to have become deficient at the same time."

"Perhaps it worked because Seiren's power has always been sealed?" Guren suggested. "For any of us, who live with spirit power as a native part of our souls, there's every likelihood of something like Eiminyaku destroying us from the inside out. Seiren had to learn to live without it from the start, though. When it was unleashed, it only did him harm. Perhaps, in Seiren's case, Eiminyaku can be used as an effective cure. For Seiren to recover, the spirit power had to be removed - in most cases, that would be absolutely contrary to meaningful life."

He sighed heavily.

"It is somewhat a relief, though, to know that this discussion can be had with all parties thinking coherently," he concluded. "It is my wish that, from now on, the family remains more closely united and that divisions cannot be forced through us a second time. The people present in this room are the core of the Kuchiki, and if we remain on the same page, nobody will be able to rent us apart. For this reason, all decisions that go through the Kuchiki court will first be discussed among ourselves. I want to make this family too strong to be broken down, so that generations into the future people will still look to the Kuchiki as the most significant and senior Clan in all of Seireitei."

"Senaya-nii would be shedding tears of pride to hear you say that," Kinnya chuckled. "I imagine it's exactly what he wished for, when he left this world for the next."

"That being the case, there is one very important matter which must be settled," Guren's gaze rested on Shirogane, who frowned, his grey eyes clouding. Slowly, and hesitantly, he moved towards the bed, bowing his head in a gesture of submission.

"Ojiue, I wish to offer my apologies for my insolence towards you and the conduct that precipitated my exile from District Six," he said softly, his words sincere and lacking in any barb or affectation. "I have had cause to learn a good many truths on my travels, and most of all I believe what Guren-sama has said to be a wise path for this family to follow. I do not wish to remain at odds with you any longer."

"Shirogane..." Seiren looked startled, then a rueful smile touched his lips.

"I was the one who drove you to it," he admitted self-effacingly. "I accept your apology, but only if it is...met by one of my own. You...your mother would not...have liked me to treat her beloved son...with such harshness."

"Okaasama?" Shirogane's fingers automatically strayed to his _obi_, and glancing at him, Ryuu could just about make out the familiar curve of Shirogane's beloved flute poking out from beneath the fine cream fabric. Slowly and carefully he pulled it free, resting it against his palm as he faced his uncle head on.

"When Okaasama died, I didn't shed tears," he said softly, "and I know you didn't forgive me for it. I didn't really understand myself until now why that was. On my travels, though, I learned something valuable. I realised that the reason I didn't feel bereft at the time Mother died was because she was still very much with me. She always said that, when she left this world, she would continue to linger through the music we had shared. When she was not there, this flute, Oune would be her guiding hand, watching over me until next we met. After she died, I still had Oune, and so...I never felt as though I had really lost my mother. In the wilds, however, Oune was not with me. For the first time, I really understood her words to me. This is my memento of my mother, and my proof she was here to love me. So long as I have it, I will never lose her - and so I will not cry."

"Shirogane..." Guren's eyes widened at this solemn, heartfelt speech, and Seiren's expression softened. Slowly, and with a shaking hand, he reached out to brush the end of the expensive flute with his fingers.

"Masane was always very devoted to her music," he reflected. "I understand, and I'm sorry. Hearing you...just then...I realise that nobody...loved Masane more than you did."

He grimaced.

"Besides, my resentment for you stemmed in my own uselessness," he admitted frankly. "I couldn't be...to Ryuu...what others were to you. I couldn't teach my son about spirit power, nor train swords with him, nor do any of the things a father should do for a Clan son. You were able to race ahead, and I...I resented that. I could not change it, so instead...I resented you."

"Because of that, though, you sent me to the Academy, Father," Ryuu remarked soberly. "I am eternally grateful for you making that decision. Truly, I have never had such pleasant times as I have spent there, nor have I had the opportunity of forming such strong friendships. Perhaps it was begun from something negative, but I am glad for it all the same. I have found my path...even if it is different from what is expected of me."

"You have no intention of becoming heir to the Clan, do you?" Seiren sounded resigned, and Ryuu shook his head.

"Like you, I am not suited to it," he agreed. "I will do all I can, from the shadows, to support it, and I will dedicate all of my time and effort to Guren-sama and Sixth Division instead. Guren-sama has already offered me the vacant Third Seat position when I graduate, which, with your permission, I should like to accept."

"I see," Seiren glanced at Guren, who nodded.

"This is Ryuu's will, not my own," he said slowly, "but I have no intention of letting him slip once more from my notice. He is as valuable to me as you are, and I almost took both of you for granted. I won't make the same mistake again - besides, the Clan will need strong support in the future, as well as now."

"But what about the succession?" Shirogane demanded. "If Ryuu refuses, what happens then?"

"I imagine that the burden will fall to you, my boy," Kinnya said casually, and Shirogane's eyes widened, his jaw dropping in unmistakeable dismay. Despite himself, Guren laughed, clapping his hands down on his nephew's shoulders.

"If anything should tell you that Shirogane had no aspirations of becoming my heir, Seiren, that expression should be it," he said teasingly. "Last night, too, he was ready to swear allegiance to Ryuu as his first task on returning to District Six."

"But...how can I...such a thing would never be...and...with what's gone on...how...?" Shirogane was incoherent, and Ryuu laughed, the tension in the chamber suddenly dissipating in light of his companion's reaction. "I don't even carry the Kuchiki name, and surely..."

"That can be rectified," Guren said matter-of-factly. "Futsuki was not born with the Kuchiki name, either, but Otousama gave it to him when he married Okaasama. I have the same power to convey it on you, and you are my blood nephew, just as Ryuu is."

"But...through...the female line..."

"And for that reason, we became a Clan easy to pick off," Guren responded grimly. "The Clan will not easily accept a child through the female line, admittedly, but there are ways around that."

A stricken look flooded Shirogane's eyes.

"Sensei said...about the precedent..." he murmured. "Guren-sama, you mean..."

"I realise your affection for your mother will not change, and I would not ask it to," Guren responded gravely. "For the sake of the family, however, and to make you my heir, I must formally adopt you and make you my son. I will give you the Kuchiki name, and formalise our connection so that nobody in District Six can think of challenging you. You are already my Vice Captain, and with time and training, I believe you have the makings of a future Clan leader. Kinnya-ojiue has said the same to me, and his opinion I hold in high regard. Ryuu has already expressed his intention to support you, and is entirely in favour of us following this course. Futsuki, I know you have no objections, either. Seiren, what say you?"

"If my son supports it, so will I," Seiren reflected. "I wish for Ryuu to follow the path of his choosing. If this be it, I shall not intervene."

"Then it lies with you, Shirogane," Guren's tones softened. "I realise it is hard for you, especially given how close you were to Ribari. Perhaps because of that, though, this is fitting. He would have approved of it, I'm sure. Will you become my heir, and future leader of the Kuchiki Clan?"

Shirogane's hands tightened around his flute, his gaze fixed on the patterned wood and, for a moment, he didn't respond. Then, at length, he let out a heavy sigh, lowering his head in defeat.

"As my Clan Leader wishes it," he murmured. "If this is truly the will of everyone, I will...I will do my best. Mother would want that, and so...I will do my best."

He pursed his lips, sliding the flute back into his _obi_.

"However, there is somewhere I must visit first before this is made public knowledge and I am weighed down by a heavy escort of unnecessarily officious guardsman," he added dryly. "I made a promise to return something to someone, and now that all is well here, I must keep my word. With your permission, Guren-sama, I will ride from here directly to the Coastal Provinces. There is a young girl by the name of Shikiki to whom the Kuchiki Clan and I both owe a great debt, and I must not delay my going to see her any longer."

* * *

The land was quiet and peaceful as Shirogane and his escorts rode along the long, narrow pathway leading down towards District Six's narrow stretch of coast. As they passed by the forestland where, only a matter of months earlier Shirogane had fled for his life, the young Vice Captain cast a pensive gaze across towards the trees, remembering his first encounter with Kuchiki Kinnya and his retainer.

_Because of that, I live now, but even more so because of Shikiki._

He touched his toes to the horse's flanks, urging the beast into a brisk canter.

_I promised to bring Orihime back to her, and I'm going to prove that even rich Clansfolk can keep their word._

He drew breath into his lungs, relishing the faint scent of salt on the breeze as they drew closer to his destination. He would have preferred to make the ride alone, but, following the surprising revelations of the meeting at Seiren's manor, Guren had forbidden his nephew to disappear out of his site unguarded and, remembering with a rueful smile the last time he had taken it upon himself to head for the coast, Shirogane had reluctantly acquiesced. Consequently three of Guren's own guard had accompanied him on the ride to Kinnya's domain.

None of them yet knew that they were shadowing the future heir to the Clan, for Shirogane knew that until it had been put before the Kuchiki court, it would be foolish to let mere guardsmen in on the secret. Yet, as they rode through the peaceful greenery, a sense of wistfulness touched his expression.

_I might not get the chance to do this much, once it becomes official. Ryuu is cannier than I realised, in giving up his right to the succession. His quest for freedom is to my cost, but I'll accept the burden anyway. I'm home, and that's the main thing. If Guren-sama is right, and the Kuchiki can start to function as a tighter knit family, maybe it won't be so oppressive a destiny._

_And, the most important thing...I won't be taking it on alone. Strange, for one like me who has always enjoyed his own company - but I shall be glad to have secure allies as I go forward._

They had not passed a house for some time, for the Ukitake manor lay some distance clear of the local town, yet as they turned onto a firmer stretch of road, Shirogane caught sight of the place which had been his refuge for that long, confusing week. Rough and ramshackle though it was, a faint sense of warmth stirred inside of him at the sight of it. It was still here, then, just as he had left it. Though so much had happened in other parts of Seireitei, the people here had not been molested after his departure, and as they drew closer, Shirogane was almost sure he heard the merry shouts and yells of young children as they went about their daily chores.

_Ukitake and I come from such different worlds, but we have this place in common, now. _

Shirogane gave a little tug on his reins to halt his steed, running his gaze across the mud-moddled, uneven farmland.

_I won't forget. It's up to me to remember, and after this morning, it's even more important that I do, if I'm to keep this District as safe and peaceful as it should be in the long term._

He swallowed hard, quelling his apprehension.

_I hope that I'll be enough. My journey proved to me how lacking I was in knowledge about District Six's people…a fact I must continue to remedy if I'm ever to be accepted as head of its leading Clan. _

"Shirogane-sama?"

The lead man of his escorting group of guards pulled his mount alongside his superior's, turning to offer him a questioning look. "I understood you wanted to ride to the coast. Are we continuing, or…?"

"No, we've reached our destination."

Shirogane passed his reins into his left hand, swinging his body around to dismount his steed. "This is where I wanted to come."

"Shirogane-sama?" The man looked nonplussed, and Shirogane smiled.

"I have business with the family here," he said matter-of-factly. "I gave my word to return something to them, and a Clansman should keep his word, even when given to peasant peoples – don't you think?"

The guardsman opened his lips to respond, then closed them again, confused, and Shirogane laughed, patting the neck of his horse lightly.

"Take care of her," he instructed. "I'm sure I shan't be long, and you may dismount and find refreshment nearby if you so wish. I will send for you when I am ready to return to the main manor."

"But Shirogane-sama, with all respect, Guren-sama instructed us to mind your person and keep you safe," the guardsman finally found his voice, staring at his master in undisguised dismay. "To allow you to wander off into unknown peasant domains might be dangerous…surely…"

"Shirogane-nii!"

The man's words were interrupted by a sudden shriek, followed by a blur of pink and yellow as something flung itself bodily on the young shinigami, causing him to stagger back and almost lose his balance.

"Shirogane-nii! I knew you'd come back, I knew it!" An excited voice exclaimed, and Shirogane grinned, gazing down into a pair of familiar aqua eyes.

"How dare you speak to a Lord of the Clan with such disrespect!" The guard was beside himself, his sword more than half drawn from its sheath, but Shirogane held up his hand, fixing the man with a pointed look.

"I have already told you that you and your fellows are dismissed," he said quietly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "This is the young lady I came to see. You will not lay hands on her or treat her with disrespect."

"But Shirogane-sama…surely…"

"This girl is the one who saved my life, when I was away from the manor," Carefully Shirogane disentangled himself from Shikiki's warm embrace, patting her gently on the head. "If not for her, I would not be here to answer Guren-sama's wishes or give you your orders, so do as you are bidden and stand back. If you draw your weapon on her or any of her kin, I will speak for you with my own blade, so I suggest you do as your orders command you and stand back."

"I…yes sir."

The guardsman's expression was full of confusion, but at length he lowered his head in a jerky bow, pushing his weapon back into its wooden sheath. He gestured to his companions, and one by one they melted away into the surrounding forestland, till Shirogane and his eager young ally were left alone.

"You took a long time coming back," Shikiki was the first to break the silence, fixing him with a reproachful glance. "I knew you'd come, because you promised, but I was starting to get worried about you. Nobody had heard anything at all, and Kamikura-sensei said there wasn't anything in the Ojisan's letters to him about you, so we didn't know if you'd managed to get to District One or what had happened. Shinkei thought the boat might have sunk or something, and well, we didn't know."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you anxious," Shirogane ruffled the thick wavy hair affectionately. "I had to delay some time before seeing Genryuusai-sama face to face, but all is well now. A lot of bad things have happened, but I hope they are behind us…and District Six can go back to being at peace."

"Shirogane-nii has made friends with his family again?" Shikiki asked curiously, as she linked stubby fingers in his, leading him back towards the old Ukitake house. Shirogane nodded his head.

"There were many misunderstandings, but all are resolved," he said gravely. "My cousin who died can never be brought back, and I still miss him, but the disagreements his death caused have been talked through and things are well. The uncle who was cross with me...well, we've spoken to one another, and I think that we both see more clearly how things ought to be. It is all right, Shikiki. You don't need to look so protective or concerned - I am well."

"You're dressed all funny and rich again," Shikiki sighed, pausing to take in Shirogane's finely woven attire. "I really don't understand why Clan people bother getting dressed so fancy when their clothing only gets dusty or blooded by fighting. It seems like such a waste of time to me."

"Perhaps it is, but the Clan world is a complicated one," Shirogane laughed despite himself, offering his young companion a rueful glance. "I don't suppose I'm really cut out for your District one, so I'll have to make do with the one I was raised in. It's my failing, I'm afraid - you will simply have to tolerate it."

"Oh well," Shikiki shrugged her shoulders, letting out a world-weary sigh. "Shun-nii is rich and Clan too, but I s'pose it's okay when it's him. Maybe it'll be all right for you too, Shirogane-nii. That is, so long as you're still Shirogane-nii...are you?"

She eyed him doubtfully at this juncture, and Shirogane's heart clenched for a moment in his chest as once more he was reminded of the baby sister who had died taking her first breaths.

"To you, I will be," he said softly. "To you I owe my life, and therefore will never ask you to call me anything else."

He fumbled at his _obi,_ pulling out the cheap wooden flute.

"That reminds me, I brought Orihime home," he added, holding the instrument out. "I took good care of her, and she was very helpful to me while travelling across lands. I am grateful, but now she must return to her proper mistress, where she belongs."

"Oh!" Shikiki's eyes widened in surprise, then she grinned, taking the flute in her free hand and glancing at it. "She was useful then? I'm glad. I wanted her to watch over you - I guess she did."

"She did," Shirogane inclined his head, "and I also brought a friend with me to meet you, too."

He slid his fingers beneath his _obi _once more, this time pulling his own expensive flute from beneath the silky fabric. As he did so, Shikiki's eyes grew even more huge, and he grinned, unwinding his fingers from hers and putting the flute to his lips. He played a brief melody, then lowered it, offering her a smile.

"This is Oune," he explained simply, "the flute who watches over me in my mother's place."

Shikiki gazed at the instrument for a moment, then she bowed her head solemnly towards it.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Oune-san," she said properly, "I'm glad you and Shirogane-nii are able to be together again."

"So am I," Shirogane admitted, tapping the finely carved wood pensively with the index finger of his hand. "I at last realise what kind of a gift Mother left me, and why it means so much to me to have this flute. I never really saw it, before I came to stay here with your family...but now I do, and I won't forget again."

"Let me go tell everyone you're here," Shikiki suggested. "The others won't sense you like I can, and Shinkei-nii will cuff me for skipping off my chores, probably, if he doesn't understand why I ran off like I did."

"All right, though I am sure they are less eager to see me than you are," Shirogane looked amused. "Still, I can bring them good news of their brother. Ukitake was in one piece when I left District One - as much as that boy ever is, given his propensity to rush into stupid situations."

"Juu-nii spends time around Clan folk, so it can't be helped," Shikiki let out another world-weary sigh. "Shirogane-nii, do you think that Juu-nii will be with the shinigami mostly when he leaves the Academy?"

"Probably," Shirogane eyed her keenly. "Why? Will this upset you?"

"We'll all miss him," Shikiki looked thoughtful, "and I won't say this in front of Miyabi, because she doesn't want him to go away. I think, though, that it's a good thing, if Juu-nii does that. Juu-nii is like Shun-nii and Shirogane-nii, even though he's not rich and Clan. He has special strength and I think...I think he should use it."

"That might apply to you too, you know, in the future," Shirogane pointed out, and a serious expression touched the girl's aqua eyes. Slowly she nodded her head.

"I think so," she agreed gravely. "That's why...that's why I know that it's all right, if Juu-nii stays with the shinigami and if I don't see Shirogane-nii much now he's back with his family. One day, you see, I think I'll be able to use my power to help, like Juu-nii can. When that happens, I'll be able to see you both much more often - won't I?"

Shirogane smiled, nodding his head.

"I have a strong feeling that's the kind of Seireitei Ukitake intends on creating," he agreed wryly. "Whether the rest of Soul Society is ready for it or not is another matter - I imagine he's intent on doing it anyway, and who knows? Perhaps when the dust clears, we will all be better for having accepted a District shinigami."

* * *

**Meifu's Gate: Fourth Maki  
::Owari::**

* * *

_**Author's Note: Final Chapter**_

_As promised, my answers to the questions in the previous AN._

_**Do you identify with any members of Team Stupid? **_

_Hirata and Ryuu are probably the two characters with most resemblance to my character. Not to the extremes they have, perhaps, but I see more elements of my character in Ryuu and in Hirata than in the other characters I've created. Where Hirata is concerned, I have his physical weakness, as well as his habit of analysing everything with a cynical streak. I can deal with things decisively, but I'm just as capable of being as he was right at the beginning. I was always very shy as a child, and in many ways still am – I would have loved a Juushirou to come and pull me along when I was fifteen! As for Ryuu, he's a bookworm, like me. He's also tactless, which I have been accused of on several occasions. I like to think, though, that behind Ryuu's awkwardness is someone loyal who means well. That part of him I claim for myself, although I'm just as capable of screwing up as he is ;)_

Of course, parts of all of them come from me, those who I created, because I made them, but those two most of all. I also have elements of Shunsui's worrying and his knack for seeing bad things in something that's apparently good – though he's a better judge of character than I am at times.

_**Which member of Team Stupid has traits you'd most like to have?**_

_Enishi's. I would love to be one of those characters who didn't worry about things and just accepted them and got on with life. He's absolutely the kind of person I admire the most, because he doesn't let himself get bogged down and he has no doubts about his loyalty or the loyalty of those around him. He's the character in Team Stupid least like me, but I would say there's a lot of him which I would love to have in my own character make up. Perhaps that's why I created him in the first place._

_I would also love to have Juu's ability with people. How he draws folk to him is awesome, and completely canon. I have never had this gift, but really envy people who do. To befriend and gain the trust of others without needing to stop and think about it is a really awesome way to be and I admire him as a character so much for that. _

_And for those of you who are thinking…_

"_**Hey, hang on a minute, Vraie? You can't end it there! What about GRADUATION?"**_

_This is the last chapter of Meifu's Fourth Maki. However, you'll notice that Juu and Shun have not graduated in this story. Well, it's been my habit in the previous stories not to write to the end of the school year, and there wasn't a neat way of doing that this time without messing up the whole story. However, I felt pretty sure that most folk wouldn't be satisfied with the story ending here. I __**have, therefore, written a short eight or nine chapter OMAKE about the last week for Team Stupid at the Academy and the way their futures are decided on the lead up to Graduation**__. This isn't an all guns blazing combat and intrigue story, but rather a short, sweet conclusion to Juu and Shun's time at the Academy. It will not contain what happened to either Kei or Eiraki. At the end of this omake is the epilogue chapter I promised folk so long ago, but never delivered. I didn't want people to read that before reading Fourth Maki, because it would have coloured the story for everyone and probably made it unwriteable. I will post it, now, but I will do so with the caveat you read this epilogue chapter at your own risk. It WILL contain information that will upset some readers, and once read, can't be unread. _

_I will begin posting the OMAKE at some point during the week, perhaps at the end of next week when Meifu would normally be posted. I will not be posting this one chapter at a time, though – I intend to post it in two or three bits. _

_Thank you everyone for your support over the past two years, and I hope you continue to back Juu and Shun in everything they do!_


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